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Aggadah as Storytelling

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Ancient Jewish storytelling traditions known as aggadah hold untapped potential as powerful teaching tools for modern Conservative Judaism. By analyzing classical aggadic texts through the lens of narrative theory, particularly Kieran Egan's framework of teaching as storytelling, this research reveals how these stories function as both communal and personal vehicles for transmitting Jewish values. The methodology centers on examining canonical texts like the Talmudic Oven of Akhnai story to uncover how narrative structures embed theological messages. A novel four-step pedagogical approach emerges: recalling stories, recovering meaning, reconstructing personal significance, and sharing narratives within community contexts. To demonstrate this framework's effectiveness, three contemporary aggadot were developed around Hebrew language acquisition, egalitarianism, and lifelong Jewish practice. The findings indicate that successful aggadic education must intentionally weave together imagination, cultural relevance, and emotional engagement to nurture Jewish identity formation. As Conservative Judaism confronts modern challenges, aggadah must continuously evolve while maintaining roots in traditional sources, with caring community relationships remaining central to value transmission. This research advances Jewish educational theory by providing concrete frameworks for implementing narrative pedagogy in religious education settings.

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    Published 2006

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    Karen Reiss Medwed