Jews & Education

Literacy in Ancient Israel

The total literacy rate of Jews in Israel in the first centuries c.e. was "probably less than 3%". While this may seem very low by today's standards, it was relatively high in the ancient world. If we ignore women (on the ground of their not participating in society), take into consideration children above the age of seven only, forget the far-away farmers and regard literacy of the non-educated people (e.g., one who cannot read the Torah but reads a bulla, that is: pragmatic literacy), then the literacy rate might be even a high rate in traditional society.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_education_in_ancient_Israel_and_Judah

Beginnings of Jewish Schooling

This image of the "sea of Halacha" by Abba Kovner represents the flow of "batai midrash" or "houses of learning" through Jewish history, beginning with the "Great Assembly" established around 500BCE. The Great Assembly provided a public school in Jerusalem to secure the education of fatherless boys of the age of sixteen years and upward. However, the school system did not develop until Joshua ben Gamla (64 CE) the high priest caused public schools to be opened in every town and hamlet for all children above six or seven years of age (Bava Batra 21a).

Tanna'im, Amoraim, & Stammaim

The early Rabbis who wrote the Mishnah from approximately 10–220 CE are known as the Tanna'im. The Tannaim, as teachers of the Oral Law, transmitted the oral tradition passed from teacher to student that was written and codified as the basis for the Mishnah.


Following the Tanna'im, the Amoraim continued the Oral tradition from about 200 to 500 CE. The Stammaim codified what we know as the Talmud.


These Rabbis taught aloud, and their thoughts were codified by their students and the Stammaim. 

Geonim, Rishonim, & Acharonim

The Geonim taught the newly codified Talmud from 589 CE to 1038. The Rishonim were Rabbis who lived during the 11th to 15th centuries. The period of the Acharonim begain in 1563 CE with the emergence of the Shulkan Aruch.


The distinction between the Rishonim and the Geonim is meaningful mostly because of the norm that the Acharonim generally cannot dispute the rulings of rabbis of previous eras unless they find support from other rabbis in previous eras.

The Ashkenaz

Ashkenazim, Jews in central and eastern Europe since about 900CE, are commonly thought to have had high rates of literacy among men and near-universal male education due to the Cheder. Attendance in a Cheder, the Jewish schoolroom of Eastern Europe, was traditionally mandatory for boys, and larger Jewish communities had communally-funded Chederim for orphans and poor families.


This was a relatively rudimentary education- boys had to learn enough to read and understand Chumash (Torah stories), understand basic Midrash, and be able to fulfill Mitzvot such as building a Sukkah and observing Shabbat.

Contemporary Jews and Education

According to Pew, Jews are the most highly educated of the world’s major religious groups today. Nearly all Jewish adults ages 25 and older around the world (99%) have at least some primary education, and a majority (61%) have post-secondary degrees. Men and women have similar levels of education, although achievement of higher education among Jews varies regionally.

Educated Jews vs. Jews with Education

Pew's statistics include secular education, which is not always mirrored by Jewish literacy. Thus, many Jews from secular or post-halachic may hold advanced degrees, but may also be only semi-literate in Jewish terms. Many of these Jews attended secular schools, and may have had some supplemental religious school. Supplemental schools are often extremely limited in intensity, and their lessons may not be much reinforced at home or by the suburban environment. Many Jews outside of Israel cannot read Hebrew at all; of those who can, many can sound out the words without comprehension.