For the first time since the Holocaust era, official textbooks devoted to Jewish religious education are set to be introduced into German schools, with a new series designed for use by both Jewish and non-Jewish students.
The first volume of the series, titled “Da’at HaDorot,” is intended for students between the ages of 10 and 16 and is scheduled to enter classrooms during the coming school year. The inaugural book will focus on the Torah, while seven additional volumes are planned covering Tanach, tefillah, ethics, halachah, Yomim Tovim and Jewish history.
The project was developed jointly by the Central Council of Jews in Germany and the Ernst Klett publishing house. The books are being considered for use in both Jewish and non-Jewish schools and are intended to address a longstanding shortage of organized educational materials that conform to Germany’s official curriculum.
Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, said the initiative marks the first time Jewish religious education in the country is being placed on comparable footing with Christian religious studies.
“This cooperation combines the professional and religious expertise of the Central Council with our didactic and publishing experience,” said Maximilian Schulyok, managing director of Ernst Klett. “The impetus created also enriches the further development of our educational media.”
The series has been designed to serve a broad range of students, including both Jews and non-Jews. Among its features are interactive components such as QR codes, as well as Hebrew terminology accompanied by translations and transliterations.
The initiative carries particular historical significance in Germany. Before the Nazis came to power, organized Jewish religious education existed throughout the country. That system was ultimately destroyed during the Holocaust.
Jewish education was reestablished in Germany after World War II, but the new textbook project represents a major step toward providing standardized Jewish religious materials within the country’s contemporary school system.
{Matzav.com}
