Teaching Jewish identity and the Israeli context through historical–critical literacy

Purpose This paper aims to examine what it means for educators to approach Jewish identity and the Israeli context through historical literacy rather than simplified or inherited narratives. It advances a historical–critical literacy framework that integrates disciplinary historical thinking with critical analysis of power, perspective and representation. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on qualitative findings from a prior content analysis of advocacy-oriented children’s literature (Reisboard, 2026), the study identifies patterns of simplification, omission and limited contextual grounding in representations of identity and conflict. Findings These patterns shape how history is understood and, when unaddressed, may constrain opportunities for inquiry and critical engagement. The paper outlines classroom-based applications of the framework, demonstrating how educators can support questioning, evidence-based reasoning and engagement with multiple perspectives. In doing so, it positions critical historical literacy as a central component of effective multicultural teaching. Research limitations/implications This study is limited to a purposive sample of advocacy-oriented children’s literature and should be interpreted as illustrative of patterns in representation and framing rather than generalizable across all texts or contexts. Practical implications Positions critical historical literacy as central to effective multicultural teaching. Social implications The paper outlines classroom-based applications supporting questioning, evidence-based reasoning, and engagement with multiple perspectives. Originality/value This paper extends multicultural education scholarship by introducing a historical–critical literacy framework that addresses a persistent gap in how educators are prepared to engage identity, representation and conflict through disciplined inquiry.