Shared Research Agenda

In the early stages of CASJE’s history, CASJE identified several areas of focus for research in Jewish education in which members have made substantial contributions to the knowledge base. Initial topics included Jewish Early Childhood Education, Educational Leadership in Jewish Day Schools, Hebrew Language Education, Jewish Experiential Education at Summer Camp, Jewish Peoplehood Education, Economics of Jewish Education, and Career Trajectories of Jewish Education.

In 2022, CASJE convened a panel of practitioners, researchers, and funders to help us understand what questions, concerns, and opportunities ought to shape a shared research agenda over the next few years. We asked them to share what under-explored areas in Jewish education they believed were ripe for investigation and what critical questions related to Jewish education practice or policy they wanted to see illuminated by research.

The panel generated nearly 100 areas of interest and also indicated which areas they thought should be prioritized, as reflected by the short list below:

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Jewish Educational Settings
• Jewish Educator Professional Learning
• Families as Sites of Jewish Education
• How Americans Learn about Jews and the Jewish Experience
• Israel Education
• Mental Health and Wellness in Jewish Education
• Part-time Jewish Education
• Research Use in Jewish Education
• Sustainability/Relevance of Jewish Education
• Jewish Social Justice Education
• Clergy as Jewish Educators
• Also noted some were demographic subgroups of particular interest in relation to Jewish education: Secular Jews/Jews of No Religion, Interfaith Families, Hareidi Jews, Older Adults (e.g., empty nesters, retirees, grandparents), Gen Z

In 2023, CASJE shared this list on our Small Grants RFP. CASJE welcomed proposals that address these topics and equally welcomed proposals that advanced new ideas and areas of inquiry not included on this list.