UK's first Jewish education research conference is a huge success

Over 100 people took part in the UK's first ever conference on research in Jewish education last week on Thursday 29 April 2010. The all-day event at the Avenue House Estate in Finchley was organised by UJIA and attended by leading education practitioners, academics and students - putting UK Jewish educational research on the map.

Delegates from all of the major Jewish educational organisations in the UK took part, including the London School of Jewish Studies, Leo Baeck College, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Jewish Volunteering Network, London Jewish Cultural Centre, Tzedek and UJIA. They were joined by head teachers and postgraduate students, as well as the Pears Foundation and the Institute of Education, University of London.

Twenty papers were presented on topics ranging from Anglo-Jewish history in UK universities and Holocaust education, to Limmud and the Jewish identity of Reform teenagers.

Dr Helena Miller, UJIA Research and Evaluation Director, said:

"For the first time, academics and practitioners have come together to raise the profile of Jewish educational research in the UK. We showed that Jewish educational research is not only happening in North America and Israel, but is alive and well in Britain too. I hope that this conference was the beginning of a conversation that will continue to focus on research in this field."