Intentional Pluralism

פלורליזם מכוון

Look around at the complexity of our world. Amid a global exchange of ideas and trade, where our children will work, create, and travel without regard for borders or even--thanks to the Internet--distance, no one in the 21st Century can live in their own bubble. Communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity are all essential to a rewarding 21st century life.

Here in Boston and in Israel, the same is true: many Jewish families and Jewish communities carefully choose ways to learn, celebrate, and grow--while honoring and learning from others making different interpretations and choices.

The inclination and ability to seek out multiple perspectives, make sense of difference, refine and challenge ideas, and grow stronger in both your own identity and in empathy for others has a name: pluralism. Making this approach a deliberate part of daily life and discussion is what we at JCDS call intentional pluralism, or a pluralism of engagement.

At JCDS, we believe that pluralism of engagement is the Jewish future, and society's future.

Pluralism of engagement extends beyond the diversity of Jewish expression and commitments we seek to build into our community at JCDS. We therefore embrace pluralism as an underpinning of teaching and learning throughout the curriculum, from the math classroom to the Tanakh classroom; from our playground to our Beit Knesset (synagogue). Our students learn to navigate the nuances and complexities of difference from a very young age and by the time students graduate, they approach the world with a more open and sophisticated mind and a welcoming and discerning heart.