The Digital Jewish Text as a Learning Partner

• In Event: War Stories and Counterstories: The importance of Perspectives

Abstract

The practice of interpretation is one of the key features in Jewish learning and teaching. It is the basis of the Jewish canon, as it created an ongoing engagement with ancient texts, forging connections between them, and creating new meanings. Today, there is an increase in the number of online platforms that make Jewish ancient texts more accessible. The goal of this research is to understand how learners collaboratively interpret Jewish sacred texts using online platforms. To answer this question, semi-structured interviews were conducted with adult learners using online platforms for learning Jewish texts. Using socio-cultural frameworks of learning, I analyze these data and find that using online platforms, participants collaboratively create connections between texts and their own life experiences.

Author

• Shai Goldfarb Cohen, University of Wisconsin - Madison