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Home » Research |
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Jewish camping research conducted by Amy L. Sales and Leonard Saxe in
“How Goodly Are Thy Tents” Summer Camps as Jewish Socializing Experiences.
Brandeis University Press in association with the AVI CHAI Foundation, 2004.
| Aspects of Formal and Informal Education |
Educational Variables |
Formal |
Informal |
| Educational |
Students master a prescribed, goals fixed curriculum in a set period of time. |
Participants have a meaningful personal experience that involves fun, socializing, and learning. |
| View of Authority |
The teacher is the authority and
has power. The teacher is responsible for the content and style of class and for student behavior. |
The leader/counselor/teacher empowers group members to learn and to assume responsibility for the group. The leader is a role model and resource. |
| Normative |
The teacher is a master of the
style of subject matter. He or she is a
teacher good communicator, delivers
or leader frontal lectures, is directive. |
The leader is a master of process and content. He or she uses creative methods, facilitates interactive group discussion, is non-directive. |
| Examples of Camp Curricula |
Grade |
Conservative |
Zionist |
| 4 |
Prayer and God (preparation for prayer at camp) |
Steps (introduction to Judaism and camping) |
| 5-6 |
Heroes (history presented through
characters) |
Israeli culture
Jewish calendar and lifecycle events |
| 7 |
Peace (text-based studies that move
from peace in myself to peace in
my family, in my community, and in the world)
|
Jewish identity |
| 8 |
Ethical decision-making and choices
(focused on adolescent issues of
drugs, alcohol, sex, body piercing,
tattoos, etc.) |
Israel—Dream to Reality (first session focused on pre-1948 and second
session on 1948–present) |
| 9 |
Electives (including topics such as the
Holocaust, Jewish newspaper,
contemporary Israel, Ecclesiastes,
prayer, lifecycle)
|
History of Zionism |
| 10 |
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Jewish ethics, morals, and values |
Percentage of College-Aged Young Adults Ranking Jewish Values as "Very Important" |
| Jewish Value |
Counselors
(n = 703) |
Birthright israel
participants
(n = 1,864) |
Birthright israel
non-participants
(n = 2,147) |
| Leading an ethical and moral life |
68 |
63 |
60 |
| Caring about Israel |
65 |
60 |
46 |
| Remembering the Holocaust |
65 |
67 |
63 |
| Making the world a better place |
62 |
51 |
46 |
| Countering antisemitism |
57 |
54 |
52 |
| Having a rich spiritual life |
34 |
31 |
24 |
| Supporting Jewish organizations |
34 |
23 |
20 |
| Observing Shabbat |
25 |
13
|
10 |
| Attending synagogue |
16 |
12 |
9 |
Jewish Counselors' Relationship to Judaism |
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Percentage in Agreement (n = i,o9i) |
| I am proud to be a Jew. |
99 |
| I feel comfortable and at home in Jewish settings. |
92 |
| I feel a special connection with my Jewish friends. |
91 |
| I know enough to be a real Jewish role model. |
78 |
Jewish teachings and traditions have relevance to the
things I am most interested in. |
67 |
| I have serious questions about what it means to be a Jew. |
41 |
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