Description of Research Expertise

Areas of Expertise

Religious education
Jewish education
Curriculum and instruction
Professional development in education
Teacher preparation and leadership

Professional Biography

Dr. Reiss Medwed received her Ph.D. in Jewish Education from the Steinhardt School of Education at New York University in 2005. She was the first graduate of the doctoral program in Jewish Education. Her work focused on curriculum and the teaching of Jewish texts in secondary day schools, an area which she continues to explore.

Upon completion of her degree she joined the faculty of the Jewish Theological Seminary as an adjunct, teaching methods for the teaching of Jewish text and developing coursework and professional development for curriculum and instruction in religious education. She is a member of the Network for Research in Jewish Education.

Research Interests and Current Projects

Dr. Reiss Medwed’s primary research interests focus on religious education, Jewish education, and teacher preparation for teaching in secondary school settings, with an emphasis on methods for teaching religious text.

In her research she expands on the work she conducted for her dissertation, exploring the various experiences of teachers of Jewish text in secondary school settings, identifying the spiritual knowledge brought to their classroom teaching, and examining the ways in which they navigate competing discourses when teaching religious texts.