JCAT: Jewish Court of All Time

JCAT: Jewish Court of All Time enables students to delve into history by adopting a historical figure and acting in role, while interacting with a large cast of their peers and adults playing other characters. The program takes place mostly in a web-based forum, where students discuss cultural, social, and moral issues surrounding a fictional trial, using the voices of those characters. In doing so, JCAT provides students with an opportunity to practice historical research, deliberation, perspective-taking, genre and voice in writing, and other skills. Participants include middle-school students from different schools, who participate under the guidance of their teacher, along with university mentors taking a seminar structured around the project. Schools implement JCAT as a project within a class, whether in Judaics, English, History or another subject. The program takes place over a period of several months.

JCAT is the recipient of a prestigious Signature Grant from the Covenant Foundation. The program is a collaboration between RAVSAK and the University of Michigan School of Education, where a team of graduate students guided by professors encourage and challenge students to exercise their historical imagination. Additionally, faculty and graduate students from the University of Cincinnati work with JCAT teachers on an action research plan to maximize pedagogical reflection and learning.

Among the activities that students perform for JCAT are:

• Selecting a character
• Researching and writing a “resume” in the voice of the character
• Becoming the character through discussions, forums, plebiscites, and speeches online
• Participating in character in a fictional trial
• Responding to probing questions and challenges given by mentors

Mazal tov to participating schools in 2010-12!

• Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School (Northridge, California)
• Addlestone Hebrew Academy (Charleston, South Carolina)
• Austin Jewish Academy (Austin, Texas)
• B'nai Shalom Day School (Greensboro, North Carolina)
• David Posnack Hebrew Day School (Plantation, Florida)
• Donna Klein Jewish Academy (Boca Raton, Florida)
• El Paso Jewish Academy (El Paso, Texas)
• Hillel Academy of Tampa (Tampa, Florida)
• Jewish Day School of Metropolitan Seattle (Bellevue, Washington)
• N. E. Miles Jewish Day School (Birmingham, Alabama)
• Paul Penna Downtown Jewish Day School (Toronto, Ontario)
• Rockwern Academy (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Schools interested in taking part in JCAT should contact Dr. Elliott Rabin, RAVSAK’s Director of Educational Programs, at erabin@ravsak.org or 212-665-1320.