The use of video games in education has been a topic of great discussion ever since the medium was invented. The military made use of the arcade game Battlezone in training experiments with soldiers, and in the years since, it has been proven that video games can have a positive effect on cognitive skills and critical thinking. Many educators now seek to use video games, in some form, in order to reach their students, and many feel it is particularly well suited to those who learn differently. By this, I mean those with learning difficulties or simply those whose skills are in different areas. When it comes to Judaism, and passing down our teachings, video games can actually be of use there as well. Video games could become the vehicle needed to pass tradition down to the next generation.
Before I go any further, I want to say that there are a few different things meant by passing down Judaism to the next generation. One of these is obviously teaching the Torah, Mishnah and Gemarah to younger students, and yes, video games can be of use here as well. Another way would be to use video games to pass down Jewish history in general, in terms of important moments in history and significant figures that young Jews should know about. The last way I want to mention, would be to talk about traditions and customs of the various Jewish groups and how each community has a unique aspect to them.
Today I want to look at that last aspect and talk about the various Jewish groups and how video games can be used to educate young Jews about the diversity of Judaism and the rich history of the various communities. Going even further, we can look at lesser-known groups within well-known communities. For instance, many are aware of the Russian Jewish community, and by extension the Ukranian Jewish community. This all being said however, not many are as aware of the various Sephardic communities from Russia and Ukraine, such as the Kavkazi Jews and the Krymchaks. The Kavkazi Jews are descended from the Persian Jewish community, while the Krymchaks are the Jews of Crimea. Both communities have long histories, and both were deeply impacted by the holocaust as well, along with the Ashkenazi community.
But what sort of game would this be exactly, what would allow one to explore the different cultures of Judaism and delve into their traditions? Well, there are a few options, and in a variety of different genres and styles. One possibility could be an adventure game set in the various communities, perhaps a game about the Indian Jewish community, and have a player character interact with characters meant to be representative of that community. Since adventure games are inherently puzzle based, the puzzles and their solutions could be based around concepts unique to that particular Jewish group. This could be related to their synagogues, the way they pray, foods they eat, or clothing they wear. There are a lot of possibilities for game puzzles and interactions that can be based around this concept, and this idea can be reused a number of times for different groups, such as perhaps the Jews of China.
Another possibility is a visual novel dealing with interactions between different communities and the tensions between them, along with friendships that exist as well. It would be dramatized but it would also allow young Jewish gamers to be drawn into the story and learn more that way. Perhaps teaching about the history of the Jews that were expelled from Arabic countries and their struggles over the years to acclimate to life in Israel. This is an important topic that needs to be learned in Jewish history, and the use of video games could be an excellent way to educate the younger generation about this.
A third possibility would be to have an experimental type game based on the unique folklore from that particular community of Jews. We previously published a piece here on Tribe Herald about why horror games based on Jewish folklore would be an incredible idea and work well, and we stand by that. When most people hear the words Jewish Folklore, they think of Eastern European Jewish folklore, and while there are many stories to be told there, another large source of Jewish folklore is the Jewish Moroccan community. The Moroccan Jewish community has an incredibly rich cultural history; libraries devoted to Jewish folklore have noted that the Moroccan Jewish community is the second largest source of Jewish folklore, right behind Poland. A video game based on Mizrahi Jewish folklore would be a nice contrast to the folktales we typically see discussed when it comes to Judaism.
I would also note that these would not necessarily need to be horror games either, despite our earlier piece, but could take on a variety of genres. A nice action-adventure game based on the fantastical tales of the Moroccan, Iraqi ,Indian, or Persian Jewish communities for example, would be very welcome and could be depicted in a variety of manors. Perhaps a side scroller, or a small-scale 3D game. In any case, the game should depict the folklore and stories of the communities in a way that reflects the culture authentically.
This is not to say the various Ashkenazi cultures should not be reflected as well, as there are many details in Ashkenazi communities that do not get told properly. For instance, the Chasidic tales of Rabbis using Kefitzat Haderech, or shortening of the path, which are depicted in some tales as teleportation. Some of these stories influenced the writer Frank Herbert when writing the legendary novel Dune, and a depiction of the concept in a video game would be a great way to connect youths with their traditional lore and stories.
Whatever style a game based on the various Jewish communities would take, there is one other detail that needs to be present. Any such game should have members of the actual community involved in the production so that the story would be authentic to the community and not full of misconceptions. There is much room for error here, and a proper touch is needed in these matters.
While this is one way to pass on Judaism to the next generation, it is not the only way and, next time we will discuss the others, such as general and specific history, and the passing on of Torah knowledge. The potential for video games to be used in Jewish education is vast, and something Jewish groups should be looking into. It could be the best way to preserve our varied culture.
