Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Janush Korczak’s Life and Legacy for Jewish Education

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
International Handbook of Jewish Education

Part of the book series: International Handbooks of Religion and Education ((IHRE,volume 5))

Abstract

Janush Korczak (1878, Warsaw–1942, Treblinka) was well known for his heroic stand of nonviolent opposition to the Nazis’ deportation of all of Warsaw’s Jews to the death camp of Treblinka and was one of the outstanding humanist educators of the twentieth century. In this chapter I present four major features of Korczak’s legacy strongly relevant to Jewish and general education today. These features are (1) the central role of “implicit religion” in Korczak’s search for the meaning of life; (2) Korczak’s indefatigable efforts to “humanize” the world; (3) Korczak’s facilitation of the growth of children enabled to realize relationships that integrate justice-seeking with care-lending ethics; and (4) Korczak’s existential struggle with the meaning(s) of his Jewishness, which is a generative story of Jewish identity in the twentieth century, since Korczak was a “born assimilated” Jew whose Polishness was natural to him. These features are deeply connected to the concerns of religious, civic, moral, and cultural education.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 429.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 549.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Bibliography

  • Arnon, Y. (1962). Janush Korczak’s educational system Merhavia: Sifriat Ha’Poalim (in Hebrew) (Shitato ha’chinuchit shel Janush Korczak).

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernheim, M. (1989). Father of the orphans – The story of Janush Korczak. New York: Lodestar Books/E.P. Dutton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernholtz, Y. (1988) An educational intervention plan towards schools as just communities (Tochnit hitarvut chinuchit likrat chevra hogenet be’beit ha’sefer), Summations from a conference on Janush Korczak’s legacy and on children’s society held at Beit Berl (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  • Bruner, J. (1985). Narrative and paradigmatic modes of thought. In E. Eisner (Ed.), Learning and teaching the ways of knowing (pp. 79–115). Chicago: National society for study of education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buber, M. M. (1963). In the secret space of dialogue – On human beings and their standing before Being (Be’sod siach: Al ha’adam ve’amidato nochach ha’havaya). Jerusalem: Bialik institute publications (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  • Calderhead, J. (1992). The role of reflection in learning to teach. In L. Vali (Ed.), Reflective teacher education: Cases and critiques (pp. 79–115). Albany, NY: State university of New York press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, A. (1988). To be the sun, to be a light: Education as love (Lihyot shemesh, lihyot or: Ha’chinuch ke’ahava). Haifa: University of Haifa (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  • Dewey, J. (1933). How we think. Boston: Heath and Co.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dewey, J. (1960). Experience and education (Nisayon ve’chinuch – Kleinberger, trans.). Jerusalem: Hebrew University School of Education (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  • Eden, S. (2000). Henrik Goldsmith – Janush Korczack. Jerusalem: Israeli Korczak association (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  • Erikson, E. H. (1950). Childhood and Society. New York: W. W. Norton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Flohr, P. M. (1991). Divided passions – The Jewish intellectual in European society. Detroit, MI: Wayne state university press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frost, S. (1983) Humanism: A Leitmotif in Korczak’s world outlook (an unpublished essay)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hagar-Poznanski, E. (1989). The stubborn person Janush Korczak up-close ( Ha’ish ha’akshan Janush Korczak me’karov). Tel Aviv: Ha’Kibbutz Ha’meuchad (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hecht, Y. (2005). Democratic education (Chinuch democrati). Jerusalem: Keter and the Israeli institute of democracy (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  • Joseph, S. (1999). A voice for the Child. London: Thorsons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirchner, M. (2002). Janush Korczak: Child as text of hieroglyphs, paper presented at international conference on Janush Korczak in Warsaw, September 19–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohlberg, L. (1981). Education for justice: The vocation of Janush Korczak. In Essays in moral development (Vol. 1). San Francisco: Harper and Row.

    Google Scholar 

  • Korczak, J. (1972). Writings-Volume 4 – From the Ghetto ( Ketavim 4 – Min Ha’getto) (Z. Adar, Trans.). Tel-Aviv: Beit Lochamei Ha’getaot and Ha’Kibbutz Ha’meuchad (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  • Korczak, J. (1974). Writings-Volume 1 – With a child ( Ketavim 1 – Im Ha’Yeled) (Z. Adar, Trans.). Tel-Aviv: Beit Lochamei Ha’getaot and Ha’Kibbutz Ha’meuchad (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  • Korczak, J. (1976). Writings-Volume 2 – A childhood of respect ( Ketavim 2 – Yaldut shel Kavod) (D. Sadan & S. Meltzer, Trans.). Tel-Aviv: Beit Lochamei Ha’getaot and Ha’Kibbutz Ha’meuchad (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  • Korczak, J. (1978). Writings-Volume 3 – The religion of childhood ( Ketavim 5-Dat Ha’Yeled), (Z. Adar & D. Sadan, Trans.). Tel-Aviv: Beit Lochamei Ha’getaot and Ha’Kibbutz Ha’meuchad (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  • Korczak, J. (1989). The asylum of the insane (Senat ha’meturafim). S. Eden, A. Y. Cohen, & R. Yatziv (Eds.), Studies in Janush Korczak’s legacy – 2 (Iyunim be’morashto shel Janush Korczak-2). Haifa: Haifa University, Israeli Korczak Association and Beit Lochamei Ha’getaot (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  • Korczak, J. (1995). The school of life (Beit sefer shel ha’chaim). S. Eden, A. Cohen, Y. Guttman, & Y. Rotem (Eds.), Studies in Janush Korczak’s legacy – 5 (Iyunim be’morashto shel Janush Korczak-5). Haifa: Haifa university, Israeli Korczak association and Beit Lochamei Ha’getaot (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  • Korczak, J. (1996). Collected works ( Vol. 1) (Ketavim 1, Y. & A. Sand, Trans.). Tel-Aviv: Yad Va’Shem, Beit Lochamei Ha’getaot and Ha’Kibbutz Ha’meuchad (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  • Korczak, J. (1996a). Collected works ( Vol. 2) (Ketavim 2, U. Orlev, Trans.). Tel-Aviv: Yad Va’Shem, Beit Lochamei Ha’getaot and Ha’Kibbutz Ha’meuchad (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  • Korczak, J. (1999). Collected works ( Vol. 5) (Ketavim 5, U. Orlev, Trans.). Tel-Aviv: Yad Va’Shem, Beit Lochamei Ha’getaot and Ha’Kibbutz Ha’meuchad (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kurzweil, Z. (1969). Dr. Yanush Korczak’s educational thought (Mishnato Ha’chinuchit shel Doktor Janush Korczak). Tel-Aviv: Israeli ministry of culture and education (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  • Langhanky, M. (2002) The ethnography of childhood: Korczak’s contribution to modern childhood research, paper presented at international conference on Janush Korczak in Warsaw, September 19–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lickona, T. (1996). Eleven principles of effective character education. Journal of Moral Education, 25(1), 93–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lifton, B. J. (1988). The king of children – A biography of Janush Korczak. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martel, Y. (2001) Life of Pi.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mckernan, J. (1988). The countenance of curriculum action research: Traditional, collaborative, and emancipatory-critical conceptions. Journal of curriculum and supervision, 3, 173–200.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mortakovich-Oltzakova, H. (1961). Janush Korczak’s life (Chayei Janush Korczak). Tel-Aviv: Ha’Kibbutz Ha’meuchad (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  • Perlis, Y. (1986). A Jewish man from Poland (Ish Yehudi me’Polin). Tel-Aviv: Beit Lochamei Ha’getaot and Ha’Kibbutz Ha’meuchad (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  • Power, C. (1988). The just community approach to moral education. Journal of Moral Education, 17(3), 195–208.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Regev, M. (1996). To touch a person: Korczak’s personhood and thought (Laga’at Be’adam: Demuto ve’haguto shel Janush Korczak). Jerusalem: Akademon (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ring, Y. (1985). The taste of life ( Ta’am ha’chaim). Tel-aviv: Sifriat Ha’poalim (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  • Sartre, J. P. (1988). Existentialism is humanism (Existentialism hu Humanism, Y. Golomb, Trans.). Jerusalem: Carmel press (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  • Schon, D. A. (1987). Educating the reflective practitioner. San Francisco: Josey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwab, J. (1970). The practical: A language for curriculum. Washington, DC: National Education Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharshevsky, M. (1990). Two homelands: Janush Korczak’s national identity ( Shtei molodot: Al zehuto ha’leumit shel Janush Korczak). Tel Aviv: Tel-Aviv university.

    Google Scholar 

  • Silverman, M. (1999) How to lend respect to human others? Janush Korczak’s humanist pedagogy, Be’shvilei Ha’zikaron (Down the paths of memory) – No. 32, April–May/Nissan-Iyaar, pp. 23–28 (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  • Silverman, M. (2004). Korczaks Weltanschauung und Gottesbild. In Janush Korczak in Theorie und Praxis (pp. 45–67). Gutersloh: Gutersloher Verlagshaus (in German).

    Google Scholar 

  • Silverman, M. (2005). Korczak’s anti-theory of education (Ha’anti teoria chinuchit shel janush korczak). In Educational deliberations – A collection of research papers in honor of Shlomo Fox (Ma’aseh be’chinuch: kovetz mechkarim le’chvod Shlomo Fox) (pp. 210–229). Jerusalem: Bialik institute and Mandel institute for leadership.

    Google Scholar 

  • Silverman, M. (2006). Janush Korczak’s implicit religiosity: Its place in his educational approach and its relevance to education today. In Studies in Jewish Education (Vol. XI, pp. 289–324). Jerusalem: Magnes Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simon, E. (1949). Pestalotzi and Korczak: Pioneers of social-pedagogy (Pestalotzi ve’Korczak: Halutzim shel ha’chinuch ha’chevrati). Tel-Aviv: Urim. Tractate Nezikim (Damages), Ethics of the fathers 5–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Manen, M. (1977). Linking ways of knowing with ways of being practical. Curriculum Inquiry, 6, 205–228.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Manen, M. (1995). On epistemology of reflective practice. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 1, 33–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Waskow, A. (1978). God wrestling. New York: Schoken.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zaks, S., & Cahana, Y. (1989). Korczak: memories and reflections (Korczak: Zichronot ve’hagigim). Tel-Aviv: Papirus (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel

    Marc Silverman

Authors
  1. Marc Silverman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marc Silverman .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. United Jewish Israel Appeal (UJIA), Kentish Town Road 37, London, NW1 8NX, United Kingdom

    Helena Miller

  2. Jewish Inst. Religion, Brookdale Center, Hebrew Union College, West 4th St. 1, New York, 10012, New York, USA

    Lisa Grant

  3. Melton Centre for Jewish Education, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91905, Israel

    Alex Pomson

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Silverman, M. (2011). Janush Korczak’s Life and Legacy for Jewish Education. In: Miller, H., Grant, L., Pomson, A. (eds) International Handbook of Jewish Education. International Handbooks of Religion and Education, vol 5. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0354-4_9

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation