Abstract
This thesis is a study of the 'study circle' in the context of non-traditional adult Jewish religious education. The focus of the thesis is a case study of the Hadassah Israel Study Groups which are located in Jerusalem. The research questions query the types of interaction which take place in the study circle, the types of learning which take place, the social functions of the study circle and the implications of the findings for non-traditional religious adult Jewish education. Following an introductory chapter, a review of the literature relating to different definitions of the study circle which reflect a variety of educational philosophies is pursued. The review includes a the history of the study circle with emphasis on North America where the Hadassah study group originated. Thereafter in keeping with the traditional bias of the research, there is an analysis of Jewish texts and approaches which deal with the study circle in the context of traditional Jewish learning followed by an overview of the history of frameworks of Jewish learning which resemble the study circle. Given the open-ended nature of the research questions, qualitative research procedures have been used: observations and open-ended interviews. As well a background questionaire was submitted in order to determine the profile of the participants. On the basis of the observations three categories of interaction are identified and discussed. These are the text centered interaction mode, the social interaction mode and the self-help therapy group mode. Content analysis is used to determine the boundaries and sequences of each mode in the recorded sessions. On the basis of the interviews the types of learning in each mode of interaction are discussed as well as the social functions of the study circle. Finally the implications of the findings for adult Jewish education are discussed with recommended areas for future research.