Judaism, Education and Social Justice

This book sets out new theoretical foundations for Jewish social justice education by surveying and discussing Freirean critical pedagogy, Catholic models of social justice education, Jewish social justice literature and interviews with educators and activists. Jewish social justice education is an active and growing field, encompassing a diverse range of issues including the treatment of refugees, environmental justice, human rights, peace and justice in Israel/Palestine, gender equality, and LGBT+ inclusion. Yet Jewish social justice education remains an under-researched and under-theorized phenomenon. This lacuna has practical implications for the thousands of educators and activists across the world who are attempting to achieve social justice ends through the medium of Jewish education. In discussing the key philosophical, political and educational issues that emerge when discussing these topics, the author draws on thinkers including Hannah Arendt, Martin Buber, Alasdair MacIntyre and Jonathan Sacks. Matt Plen proposes three possible directions for a normative theory of Jewish social justice education: ''Jewish politics in a renewed public sphere'', ''Jewish education for relational community building'' and ''Jewish critical pedagogy for cultural emancipation''.>

Justice is a central theme of Jewish tradition. Yet, as Matt Plen writes in Judaism, Education, and Social Justice, Jewish social justice education remains an under-researched and undertheorised phenomenon. Plen's challenging and accessible new book fills this gap with an important contribution to the growing scholarly literature on Jewish education. Grounded in a careful review of Paulo Freire's impact on educational and theological scholarship and echoing the voices of leading Jewish social justice educators in the UK, Plen offers a compelling vision of Jewish education for social justice that combines social critique with utopian aspiration.

Préface
Sets out new theoretical foundations for Jewish social justice education, drawing on Freirean critical pedagogy, Catholic social teaching, Jewish conceptions of social justice, and original interviews with educators and activists.

Auteur
Matt Plen holds a PhD in Philosophy of Education from the Institute of Education at University College London, UK. He works in the education charity sector and is the former Chief Executive of Masorti Judaism in the UK.

Contenu
Part I: Faith, Justice and Education Introduction 1. Paulo Freire's Critical Pedagogy a Theory of Social Justice Education 2. Catholic Social Teaching and Liberation Theology Theories of Religious Social Justice Education 3. Judaism and Social Justice Religion, Culture and Progressive Politics Part II: Jewish Social Justice Education Interviews with Practitioners 4. Critique The World as It Is 5. Vision The World as It Should Be 6. Strategy Education, Activism and Community Organising 7. People Agents and Beneficiaries of Social Change Part III: Towards A Jewish Critical Pedagogy 8. Philosophical, Theological and Political Themes 9. The Jewishness of Social Justice Pedagogies 10. Normative Theories of Jewish Social Justice Education Conclusion References Index