In an era when assimilation, interfaith families, and competition with extracurricular activities makes it harder than ever for parents to teach their children about their Jewish heritage, the role of formal Jewish education becomes critical. But are synagogue educational programs filling that role? Joseph Reimer uses his talents and experience as an ethnographer to bring to life the social drama of one synagogue's struggle to make Jewish education work. Reimer spent more than two years as an observer within the synagogue, studying the afternoon religious education program for children as well as the study groups for adults and the educational programs for the synagogue as a whole.
As a result of his classroom observations, and his conversations with the synagogue's rabbis and teachers, Reimer comes away with some profound insights into what makes Jewish education succeed.
