Traditional Jewish and Litvak ways of education

Ugdymo realybė nuolat keičiasi: spartėja dabartinio žmogaus gyvenimo tempas, didėja išsilavinimo poreikiai, auga jsisavintinos informacijos kiekiai ir pan. Atsiranda naujų ugdymo technologijų kūrimo, modeliavimo, informacijos efektingo perdavimo būtinybė. Mūsų dinamiškame laikotarpyje naujai sumodeliuotos technologijos dažniausiai tuoj pat taikomos praktikoje, jų patikrinimo (eksperimento) laikas būna vos keli metai. Jų realius rezultatus (kartais - padarinius) pamatome tik keičiantis kartai (t. y. po 20-25 metų). Tačiau būtent tradicinių turtingoje žydų kultūros tradicijoje ir LDK kultūrinėje erdvėje išplėtotų auklėjimo būdų pažinimas ir taikymo patirtis galėtų būti gana patikimas pamatas kuriant šiuolaikinius ugdymo modelius. Šio straipsnio tikslas - aptarti tradicinius kasdienio žydų auklėjimo būdus LDK kultūrinėje erdvėje, pasitelkiant svarbiausius etnopedagogikos aspektus bei pateikti konkrečių užduočių pavyzdžius. Aptariant tradicinius kasdienio žydų auklėjimo būdus tyrime išskiriama keletas esminių kompleksinių tyrimų krypčių: etnopsichologiniai, istoriniai, religiniai-filosofiniai aspektai, nusakomi auklėjimo tikslai ir uždaviniai, pedagoginėje praktikoje naudojami metodai ir būdai. Pateikiami pavyzdžiai užduočių ir minklių, naudotų litvakų chederiuose. Gvildenant straipsnio pavadinime suformuluotas problemas tyrimo eigoje pasitelkiami pedagoginės, religinės, filosofinės literatūros lyginamosios analizės, istorinių šaltinių ir dokumentų analizės metodai.The article discusses the traditional Jewish ways of education by singling out several essential aspects of them, historical, religious, philosophical. The aims and tasks of education are defined along with the teaching methods and manners used in daily practice. Examples are provided of tasks and riddles used by Lithuanian Jews. The Jewish tradition of education is one of the oldest and most reliable ethnic-educational traditions of present times that is result and achievement-oriented. The Jews were the first people to introduce youth and folk education. The idea of educating society comes from Jewish culture. Jewish religious literature emphasizes the necessity to learn from Torah. This learning itself is considered to be a religious act which is even more important than prayers because it allows the learner to get closer to God who inspired the Holy Scripture. There are various definitions of the aims of education. In some sources, the aim is defined briefly, "to educate a child to be a real Jew". Wider aims are proclaimed in the words of the blessing bestowed on the parents after the birth of their child. The words of the blessing invite the parents to accept the honor of educating their child to live by Torah, the family, and good deeds. Religious literature is a significant means of education. It comprises metaphors, narrations, generalizations suitable for many occasions. These abstractions and generalized meanings are connected with practical issues. Generalized things can be applied in a wider sense. The abstract means of the Holy Scripture provide answers to very specific everyday problems and educational tasks. A person who has learned and understood the meaning of Torah and Talmud is in a position to give sound advise. Judaism as education is very practical even when it is concerned with philosophical thinking, reaches deep into the meaning of freedom, human nature, social control and the life of an individual in society. Traditional education in Lithuania and Poland assumes very specific forms and ways of intellectual education. Jewish children are encouraged to think critically, search for regularities, logical connections, be clever and practical from the very first stages of education. For this purpose, children are assigned tasks closely related to their immediate environment, plots are taken from their lives, problems are derived naturally and simply. Questions, riddles, enigmas, tasks are selected creatively. Children have to search for discrepancies, contradictions, sophistry in them, find as many answers as possible, formulate questions, ask "the main", or "the essential" question which reveals that the person who is asking has understood the essence of the task and can fulfill it. Clever and smart children find logical inaccuracy and immediately draw the teachers (melamed's) attention to it. They also ask the essential "kaschie" questions that explain the misunderstanding. Less clever children cannot find the contradiction of a sophism on their own. Such children's attention must be guided and they must be shown the logical weakness of the task