While teaching their respective university classes, two renowned Hebrew Bible Scholars exposed themselves as to their humble beginnings.

At Yale Divinity School, Professor and Author Joel Baden, when lecturing on the Book of Genesis’ dual flood narratives, broke out into a fine rendition of “Noah, he built em, he built em, an arky arky…”

At the University of Georgia, esteemed Professor Richard Elliott Friedman, during a lecture, confessed to holding more than a 50 year plus grudge against Ms. Rabinowitz, his Hebrew School Teacher.

Apparently, she deceived the eventual author of both “Who Wrote the Bible” and a well-received “Commentary on the Torah” into believing that a Midrash (non-scriptural story) was actually in the Torah. The horror!

From these two revelations we learn that early non-exact education neither impedes or creates an impenetrable barrier towards a child becoming a top echelon Hebrew Bible Scholar.

In Judaism, one source of religious education comes from a beleaguered institution called Hebrew School. In the 80’s and 90’s, I spent fifteen years as a Hebrew School Teacher.

Hebrew School is a supplemental education program for those attending either public schools or non-religious private schools. The classes are a couple hours a week. They consist of learning bible stories, learning the read and write the Aleph-Bet (Hebrew), and learning about religious holidays and observance. It can involve anything from arts and crafts to singing and dancing to participating in a model Seder.

Hebrew School teaching was my family’s business. My mother, her sisters (my aunts), and my sister, all served time in that role. Over two generations, my family collectively has clocked in close to one hundred years of service.

My Hebrew School indoctrination came early. My mother, short on a babysitter, planted me in the back of her classes when I was three to five years old. Upon further reflection, I may have even attended classes in utero!

Many children attending Hebrew School view it as a prison sentence. Their parents’ desire to have them to be relgiously educated placed them into a quasi minimal security correctional institution with a multi-year sentence.

These children are well aware that they will all be serving the same lengthy sentence no matter what crime they may have committed. At about thirteen years of age, they all know that they will have Bar or Bat Mitzvah, be declared an adult, and be set free with some envelopes containing cash or checks. Their probation will consist of writing “thank you” cards.

The stark reality is that only some of these newly minted Jewish “adults” will continue a close connection to their religion and the values it imparts. For others, their Jewish literacy project has concluded.

The societal lesson from Hebrew School education is that there is a small window of opportunity to impart values, morals, and literacy upon children.

Louisiana Lawmakers appreciate that this small window exists to impress youth. As a result, they passed a law mandating the Decalogue’s public display in classrooms.

Predictably, in the United States, a governmental push to bring morals and values into classrooms has been met by much resistance. Most of the media have opposed the law and have posted derogatory articles.

One media article from NPR attacking the law was particularly enlightening. The news agency took an academic approach to critique the law.

NPR, rather than reaching out to Elementary, Jr. High or High School Teachers, reached out to University Professors and Instructors to weigh in their opinions.

Like Professors Baden and Friedman, these scholars take the Ten Commandments and the Pentateuch seriously. These intellectuals all voiced how the Decalogue is a complex topic. The NPR article excellently captured this high-level academic thinking about the Ten Commandments.

Near the article’s end, a concluding opinion was elicited from one of the scholars. “Hebrew Union College professor Kristine Henriksen Garroway opposes both the posting of the 10 Commandments in public schools and this playing fast and loose with the text, because doing so dishonors the very tradition from which the Commandments come.” NPR

“As a scholar of the ancient world,” she says, “this drives me nuts.” NPR

Her statement, as a former Hebrew School Teacher, drives me nuts! The NPR article’s premise was nuts. She, as well as the journalist who wrote the piece, fail to appreciate the law is directed towards children. These students are not at a university taking either a Hebrew Bible or Old Testament class.

As a former First Grade Hebrew School Teacher, I will offer a confession to Professor Kristine Henriksen Garroway. When teaching young children, Ten Commandments’ matters are watered down. For many of young students, my classroom might be the first time that they are introduced to the Decalogue. For some children, their counting ability might actually be ten! Hebrew School Teachers try to make the Ten Commandments’ content digestible for six-year olds as their juice box and cookie snack.

When teaching the Ten Commandments, I confess. I never went down to the synagogue and broke out a Torah. I never opened one up straight to Exodus, Chapter 20, and proceeded read to a class the Decalogue in Hebrew. Teaching children what they are not ready or capable to learn is more problematic than providing them limited information.

Watering down text so that it is edible for children is not only honorable but it is mandated by the Torah. The Torah commands parents to teach their children. Hebrew School Teachers are delegated that task. Judaism recognizes, as noted in the Haggadah, that there are all sorts of children. There is no one pedagogy when a classroom can have simple ones, the ones who do not know how to even ask questions, and of course the wicked ones! Age appropriate material is always important toward teaching.

Rather, these children’s Hebrew Bible experience was based upon Bible story books. Further, when teaching, I even simplified the Ten Commandments. My Hebrew School class’ goal was not that any of my students would take the materials presented and use them to write a doctoral dissertation on the Documentary Hypothesis.

Rather, the goal was that they had something to take away; they knew that there was a Ten Commandments and it told them that they should be nice to their parents, be truthful, and not to steal. In essence, my students got a taste- a survey.

The posting of the Ten Commandment’s end goal is really planting a seed in young children. Seeing the Ten Commandments on a wall alone should be considered a success. A child’s awareness that there laws dictating moral conduct is a foundational moment. At minimum, if children grasp the concepts that they should honor their parents, not steal, not murder, not lie and not covet, it is a great achievement. These items, of course, fall comfortably within the spectrum of secular values.

Giving a child a taste of the values and morals is essential. Mere contact with material can shape of lifetime of interest. Even a silly song or a fairy tale can be inspirational. While early education’s lack of academic accuracy is appalling to some, for others, it is capable of inspiring a prestigious academic career. In sum, early educators are not in the business of producing mature fruit bearing trees. Rather, their occupation is one of planting seeds for future growth.

Be well!!

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