Jewish Learning Anchored in Culture, History and Preservation
July 29th, 2016
Editor’s Note: The Jim Joseph Foundation supports Jewish educator training programs at institutions of higher education around the country. These programs help develop educators and education leaders with the skills to succeed in a variety of settings. This blog–the third in a series of reflections from participants in these training programs (read the first and second blogs)–is from Michael A. Morris, who will receive his Master’s Degree from George Washington University’s program in Experiential Education and Jewish Cultural Arts. He works as a Museum Tour Guide with the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington.
My journey in the George Washington University’s Experiential Education and Jewish Cultural Arts (EE/JCA) program began in August 2015. Now, in summer 2016, I’m completing my Capstone at the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, Massachusetts. The one-year journey included academic courses in Jewish history and culture, Experiential Jewish Education and Museum Studies, as well as on-site work experience at the DCJCC and the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington (JHSGW), all located in the great city of Washington, DC. As I near graduation, it is clear that the effect of the EE/JCA program is that I now think more critically and holistically about the visitor experience at cultural institutions and museums. Ultimately, my goal as an educator in the field of Experiential Jewish Education is to curate an experience that is an honest and comprehensive view of the particular Jewish concept under study and to encourage an understanding of how the subject fits into the larger mosaic of history and culture. One area in which I put this concept into practice was leading walking tours with the JHSGW.
As an individual who works in the field of history, it is important to know that learning opportunities are everywhere. When one walks down a street in any city, he/she is passing by structures that once housed businesses, residences, places of worship, etc. Some of the layers are visible, while others have vanished. A historical, experiential educator’s responsibility is to survey layers of life and create a narrative as well as learner-centered initiatives to convey the significance of the sites. Using this pedagogy should give participants a direct experience with the source under study rather than an unconnected, didactic experience. One of many ways to accomplish this is by way of walking tours, presentations or exhibits.
Now, at my Capstone at the Yiddish Book Center, I’m gaining additional experience and skills that encompass the entire visitor experience. This includes: reviewing docent notes to ascertain why visitors are coming and where are they coming from, drafting content for a future quarterly newsletter to publicize offerings, working with other members of the Yiddish Book Center staff to further enhance the visitor experience, designing and refining materials to help younger visitors experience the rich Yiddish history and culture on display and the general building tour for all ages. I’ve also strategized connections with my Capstone supervisor, the Director of Communications and Visitor Services, to meet with representatives from surrounding universities and cultural institutions to reach a larger audience. These experiences will allow me to further enhance my ability to convey educational material when I return to the DC area and resume my responsibilities with the JHSGW.
Assisting with Yidstock, the Festival of New Jewish Music at the Yiddish Book Center, was the final piece of my Capstone. This all-encompassing event took place from July 14th-17th, 2016. People from all over the world attended. Some sang, some danced, some just watched, but they all came to experience the premier performers in Klezmer and Yiddish music and had an opportunity to explore the exhibits at the Yiddish Book Center. As the audience enjoyed Yidstock, I joined the Yiddish Book Center staff behind the scenes to ensure that the guests were taken care of and that the performances and accompanying lectures and workshops ran efficiently.
All of this was the culmination of having a greater understanding of how to operate in an environment that offers an experience anchored in culture, history and preservation. Of course, I did not get here alone. In all facets of the EE/JCA program, the professors and on-site supervisors have demonstrated professionalism and innovation. While my classmates and I read and discussed history, culture and experiential education, we were guided by professors and professionals who created an atmosphere to learn and re-learn, question and discuss. For all of these reasons, the EE/JCA has meaningfully and significantly impacted my professional trajectory.
Michael A. Morris graduated in 2014 with an M.A. in Holocaust and Genocide Studies from Stockton University and continued his studies in 2015 with the George Washington University’s program in Experiential Education and Jewish Cultural Arts. He will graduate this summer with an M.A. in Education and Human Development. Currently, he works as a Museum Tour Guide with the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington.