“When should a child begin his/her religious education?”

This is the question posed in this Friday's electronic edition of URJ's 10 Minutes of Torah. Melanie Cole Goldberg's answer to this question appears in its entirety below:

"Like most things that seem simple at first glance, the question about when to begin religious education is more complex when we look a little deeper. When it comes to religious education, specifically Jewish education, our hearts, our souls and our minds have to be touched by what we are learning and experiencing to have any true meaning and connection. Ideally we are teaching for deep meaning and connection to our faith, our peoplehood, our values and our culture. Several Jewish sources discuss the topic of educational instruction and a daily example can be found in our siddur when we read the V’ahavta section of the Sh’ma. We are told to “Love Adonai Your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. Take to heart these instructions with which I charge you this day. Impress them upon your children.”1 Here the assumption is that religious education should begin with the parents, since parents are the first and most important teachers of their children. But what happens if parents are not equipped for the religious instruction of their children?

This is not a new problem of the 21st century. Indeed it has been a concern since the days of the Babylonian Talmud, where in Bava Batra 21a the Sages discuss how parents should teach their children, yet realize that this isn’t necessarily enough. They continue the conversation by directing parents to bring their children to local schools for learning. Here is where we recognize that religious education is a more complex issue. The good news is that the organized Jewish community can play an important supportive role to parents. Today we have the resources, and tools to bring Jewish learning to all ages.2 We know that parents and children learn from each other and when they do, they develop skills for and emotional connections to the wonderful world of Jewish life.

At a conference of Reform Jewish educators in 1987 I remember Harlene Appleman, the director of Jewish Experiences for Families in Detroit, teach, “When you educate a parent, you educate an entire generation.” She said it perfectly and was a leader of a movement that promoted parent and family educational experiences so parents could model Jewish engagement and learn something for themselves as well. Parents, especially new parents are “looking for support and connections; [and] unengaged parents are receptive to overtures from the community.”3 As a Jewish educator involved with my temple’s family Shabbat program for families of young children, I see firsthand how our supportive program has transformed the lives of the parents and children who participate. Like many such programs throughout URJ congregations, we sing, pray, eat, study and create a memory in an informal, joyous setting. The parents and children have a separate time for learning on their own level, and then reunite so the parents can teach and guide their children in a creative activity. Both parents and children look forward to sharing Shabbat and the experience together with the learning community that coalesces over time. In some cases, the child takes the lead and insists that the family never miss a scheduled meeting. Children are so smart. They feel a good thing happening and they want to be a part of it.

Learning and having experiences that touch the heart, soul and mind at a young age will pay off in later years if these efforts are continued to be nurtured. Research from the URJ’s Portraits of Learning survey describe how high retention rates in congregations correlate to places where students start their schooling earlier, where family and parents are engaged in meaningful educational content, and where community building through social interaction is fostered.4 In addition, we know that informal educational settings such as NFTY and youth groups, Jewish camps, and Israel experiences are critical to the positive identification and sense of belonging that keeps Jews connected.

The question of when to start Jewish education needs to be seriously considered. Both adults and children need to be embraced and guided throughout life. That is the simple and the complex answer all in one."

1 "V'ahavta." Mishkan T'filah. Ed. Elyse D. Frishman. New York: CCAR Press, 2007. Print.
2 For more information check out the URJ's learning, parenting, and early childhood education pages.
3 Rosen, Mark,I., Executive Summary, Jewish Engagement from Birth: A Blueprint for Outreach to First-Time Parents, Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, Brandeis University, November 2006.
4 Schaap, Eli, Executive Summary, The Retention of Students Following B’nei Mitzvah in Reform Congregational Schools, Independent researcher for the Union for Reform Judaism and Program Officer for Education and Research, The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life, December 2008.

Additional resources:
Vogelstein, Ilene. "Early Childhood Jewish Education If Not Now When?." What We Now Know About Jewish Education. Comp. Roberta Louis Goodman, Paul A. Flexner and Linda Dale Bloomberg. Los Angeles: Torah Aura Productions, 2008. Print.

Wertlieb, Donald, and Mark Rosen. "Inspiring Jewish Connections: Outreach to Parents With Infants and Toddlers." Zero To Three. (2008): 11-17. Print.

Melanie Cole Goldberg, RJE is an Educational Specialist with the URJ working from her home office in Miami FL. She is an active member of Temple Judea in Coral Gables, FL where she teaches 5th grade Hebrew school and coordinates Shabbat programming for families of young children.