I went to a Conservative Hebrew school which also didn't do much except teach by rote and only excerpts from the Siddur. As we got older, we engaged in philosophical conversations but I never learned Hebrew there except to read.
I had a report card that must have had 50 categories on it originally and I got A's an A+'s but quite frankly it was a joke. I didn't even know the portions of the week (my family didn't go to Sabbath services expept when my grandfather died).
>From: rahel
>Reply-To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
>To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
>Subject: [HANASHIR:14903] Reform and informed choices
>Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2003 17:14:43 -0400
>
>At 10:43 AM 7/17/2003 -0400, you wrote:
>You should read the book, Rachel's Daughters (don't remember the
>author
>off-hand.)
>My personal philosophy is that, the beauty of reform Judaism, is the
>freedom to uphold any tradition that is meaningful to us, based on
>an
>informed understanding of its meaning.
>-Amy
>
>
>
>I agree with you about this. But there is one key word that I find
>is not always the case in Reform Judaism: informed.
>
>
>I work in a Reform synagogue and do my best to help my students
>become informed in order to make their choices. Do the students, or
>congregants, know the complete Amidah, Shma and blessings, and other
>prayers? Do they know that the Reform movement has chosed to delete
>parts of these prayers and others? Do they know why? Do they know
>the history of kippah, tallit, etc. and why men or women choose to
>don them or not in Reform? Do they know the difference between
>minhag, halacha, tradition etc?
>
>I find that many of the members, at least at the synagogue I am at,
>as well as others in the area, are UN-informed about their heritage
>and traditions. How, therefore, can they make educated and informed
>decisions and choices?
>
>I also admit that I, too, am uninformed about many of the above and
>am happy when the subjects are addressed on this list and on others.
>
>Rahel
>
>
>"It is a great mitzvah to be happy all the time." - Rebbe Nachman of
>Breslov
>"The Holy One, blessed be He, will be the Head of the dance circle
>of the tzaddikim in time to come."
>- Yerushalmi Succah, Lulav veAravah and Vayikra Rabbah 11 end
>
>www.geocities.com/rahelmusic, www.geocities.com/bneishalom
>
>