Open Minds, Devoted Hearts [Hardcover]

How do religious educators meaningfully engage adult learners? How do they invite adults to begin a learning journey and inspire them to stay on it? In an era of spiritual but not religious, how can religious educators, and clergy in particular, respond to the yearnings of adults for connection, wholeness, and purpose? Open Minds, Devoted Hearts offers the examples of three outstanding congregational rabbis whose teaching answers that call to action. Through innovatively incorporating biographical portraits and educational scholarship the book provides a comprehensive exploration of how the themes of narrative, transformation, and spirituality bring adult religious educators and learners into a powerful interactive educational process. The portraits and accompanying analysis reveal how constructing personal meaning and building sacred community through study situates adult learning as a dynamic centerpiece of an energized congregational life. An alluring portrait of the rabbinate as lifelong teaching, learning, and living, with important ramifications for the nature of rabbinic education. Sarah Tauber's luminous study, written with grace and empathy, is a model of empirical research enriched, validated, and critiqued by the judicious application of theoretical constructs. --Ismar Schorsch, Chancellor Emeritus and Distinguished Service Professor, Jewish Theological Seminary In her skillful portraiture of three rabbis who care deeply about teaching and learning in their congregations, Tauber shows the value and potential of theories of adult education. This book holds extraordinary promise for clergy of all religious traditions--and for all educators in religious settings. --Mary C. Boys, Dean of Academic Affairs, Union Theological Seminary Sarah Tauber is Assistant Professor of Jewish Education at the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.