Negotiating in Thirdspace An ethnographic study of Haredi (Jewish ultra-orthodox) teachers' perception of 'moving forward with the world without compromising on religion'

This dissertation explored Haredi (Jewish ultra-orthodox) teachers' negotiations of contemporary educational notions as these emerged in an Enrichment Center for Haredi children. Using the prisms of Multiple modernities (Eisenstadt, 2000; Schmidt, 2006), Hybridity (Bhabha, 1994, 2015) and Thirdspace (Soja, 1996, 2008), the goals of the current study were first, to explore tendencies of acceptance toward contemporary educational perceptions, second to examine the strategies involved in the negotiation process and third, to understand the cultural meanings of these strategies.
A two years ethnographic fieldwork was conducted including prolonged participant observation, in-depth interviews, and the collection of documents. Research participants comprised the planners of the Center, its staff, and 193 visiting kindergarten teachers.
The findings revealed teachers' twofold aspiration: to preserve and nurture their religious tradition while simultaneously adapting to the contemporary world. This was referred to by the teachers as 'moving forward with the world without compromising on religion'. The former was evident in the described Haredi versions of contemporary notions encompassing the seemingly conflicting worldviews. The latter was evident through the cultural strategies employed in amending contemporary notions to suit Haredi principals, by separating the suitable 'core' from its unsuitable 'shell' as guided by Haredi ancient sources.
The Haredi modality of Thirdspace thus described may have implications for educators in multicultural settings, underscoring the centrality of local traditions in the eyes of their beholders, with respect for children's diverse cultural backgrounds.