Description
Book SynopsisThe Arc of the Covenant studies the social, cultural, and political factors that contributed to exceptional Jewish educational success in St. Paul, Minnesota in the latter half of the twentieth century. The book draws on archival sources, interviews with principal figures, and wide-ranging research on Jewish education and community dynamics to elucidate the story's intriguing improbabilities. Why such success in a midsize, midcentury, midwestern river town with a relatively small Jewish population of limited resources? How did it happen, and how have circumstances changed in recent years? The answers are to be found at the intersection of broad historical forces and local circumstances. Though focused on a particular place and time, the implications reach far beyond St. Paul, then and now, making Arc of the Covenant a timely resource for current Jewish educational planners, along with educators in other communities dedicated to the transmission of a sacred heritage.
Trade ReviewWith thorough, solid research that is written in a lively and passionate style, Earl Schwartz has produced a timely study and prescription for Jewish Education that rabbis, community leaders, and parents must not ignore. -- Jonathan Paradise, Professor Emeritus, Classical and Near Eastern Studies, University of Minnesota
Table of ContentsList of Figures Preface Introduction Part One Chapter I: How far is it from the banks of the Jordan to the banks of the Mississippi? Chapter II: The Last Quarter of the Twentieth Century Chapter III: At the Beginning of the Twenty-First Century Chapter IV: The St. Paul Jewish Community Planning Process. Part Two Chapter V: Hindsight and Foresight Chapter VI: Current Circumstances and Future Prospects Chapter VII: The Arc, and the Ark Appendix I: A Communal Curriculum for These Times Appendix II: St. Paul Communal Jewish High School Education Initiative Brit Bibliography Index About the Author
