The world is changing so fast and our youth are confronted with more information on a daily basis. There is nothing that we can do about it. Circling the wagons to bolster indoctrination will only chase them away. We need to take a lesson from Devarim – which is not to say that Jewish life will become a free-for-all. We are not re-inventing the wheel every generation. There is a tradition of textual interpretation that defines who we are as a culture. Yet, within that textual tradition there is more room for questions than we often allow.
Jewish leaders, educators, teachers: Allow students to “own” the material. Don’t shy away from conflict. Don’t feel a need to provide all the answers. We need only provide students with the skills to conduct their own search. The best thing that we can do as educators is facilitate the questions.
Think about it, if Devarim were an exact replica of what came before it, would anyone read it? The nuances and differences are what makes, not just Devarim, but the entire Jewish textual tradition interesting. As we pass Judaism on to the next generation we must drive home that it doesn’t need to be uniform to be worthy of study. A truly rich Jewish life, a life that will inspire the youth of today’s world, is one filled with discovery and reflection – not memorization.