Discussion Guide

Organizing a discussion group

• Discussion groups may be organized by a community center; synagogue; havura; women's, men's, young adults or senior citizens organization; or just a group of interested friends.
• In order that every member of the group may have the opportunity to participate in discussions, it is advisable to limit the group to 15-30 persons. To the extent possible, it should be compatible in age, background and interests, although one will seldom have an "ideal" group. In any case, its members must be willing to commit themselves to participate regularly for the duration of the course.
• The group itself should hold a preliminary meeting and decide on a) The course; b) if necessary, the discussion leader; c) the type of sessions it wants to hold; and d) their frequency, time and place.
• Since each JPUA course (with two exceptions) consists of 13 lectures, the group should plan on meeting for no fewer than 14 sessions. The final session should be devoted to a general summation of the course by the discussion leader as well as for the discussion of questions which may have been overlooked in the previous sessions.
• The sessions may be in the form of just a discussion meeting, a Sunday morning breakfast, a luncheon club, etc.
• Sessions should last about 1-2 hours (since the cassette lecture itself lasts a half-hour), and they should be held once a week or at least twice a month. Spreading the course over a longer period of time will result in a diminution of interest and participation.
• It is advisable for the group to choose certain officers, namely: a secretary to keep its records and look after correspondence; a librarian to keep and circulate among the members the cassettes and whatever books on the course the group may acquire; a treasurer – if the group decides to charge a fee; and a person who will be responsible for seeing to it that the cassette-player, chairs, blackboard (if one is to be used), and displays are set up before the meeting.
• Refreshments may be served before or after the session, but never while the lecture and discussion are going on.
• Each participant should be provided with a copy of the Course Outline and bibliography and bring it to the lecture.

The discussion leader

• The discussion leader may be assigned by the institution or organization sponsoring the group, or he/she may be chosen by the group itself. Whether a professional teacher or staff-person, or a knowledgeable lay-person, and whether paid or volunteer, he/she must be interested in the subject of the course as well as in the discussion group and must have a sense of responsibility for its success.
• The discussion leader should familiarize himself/herself with the material by listening to the cassettes once or twice before the session. He/she should read the "required reading" and "suggestions for discussion" pertaining to the particular lecture and, whenever possible, do some additional reading on the subject . He/she should also assign individual books listed in the "suggested readings" in the Course Outline to different members of the discussion group.
• Each session should begin with a brief summary of the discussion of the previous session. The summary should be prepared in writing and read by a different member each time. It should last no longer than 10 minutes.
• This should be followed by playing the cassette of the next lecture. If, while playing the cassette, the discussion leader wishes to emphasize a point or make a passage clearer to the group, he/she may stop the cassette and play that part over again. But generally it is best to play the cassette straight through. The discussion should then be opened.
• A good discussion leader will not monopolize the discussion but seek instead to involve as many members as possible. He/she should have respect for, and sensitivity to, others and be a good listener. At the same time, while encouraging maximum participation, he/she must politely keep the group members from going off on tangents.
• The discussion leader should seek, wherever possible, to relate the material discussed to current events and contemporary issues of interest to the members of the discussion group.
• On occasion, The Buzz Session technique may be employed; viz. divide the group into smaller units with a roughly equal number of participants each. Each unit chooses a chairperson-reporter. A specific amount of time is allowed for the separate groups to discuss one or more central issues. Then all the groups are reassembled and the chairpersons present a brief summary of the discussion in each of the groups.
• Remember, a friendly atmosphere is essential for the success of any group. The discussion leader should feel responsible for the atmosphere and mood of each session.

Follow these steps:

• Come prepared.
• Encourage the group to read-up in advance.
• Lead – but do not dominate.
• Ask questions rather than make statements.
• Give everyone a chance to be heard.
• Do not let anyone "hog" the discussion.
• Keep it on track.
• Do not let it wane.
• End it at the fixed time.
• Sum up the main points
• Set the scene for the next session.