A Jewish Pedagogy of Creative Wellbeing: Connection through Wonder

Wonder and creativity have long been integral to Jewish practice, contributing to continuity, resilience, and a sense of wholeness or wellbeing. This aligns with studies showing that participating in creative activity in a community is a potent tool for helping individuals develop a sense of positivity, purpose, and connection. Nurturing student creativity fosters inquisitiveness, persistence, curiosity, self-reflection, and collaboration. Creative expression and the arts are areas that welcome students’ perspectives expansively, allowing for nuance and for experiencing learning and sharing through a multitude of modalities. Creative experiences also invite students’ personal backgrounds and varied experiences. Creative expression in the classroom is built upon a culture of curiosity and wonder, a sense of openness toward one another and the world around us. In young student classrooms, in particular, collective creative experiences can help support peer relationships which form the building blocks for students’ continued social-emotional skills. Connecting through creative expression can be most successful in spaces in which the ongoing culture of connection is visibly valued and practiced.