It speaks to the universe but does not claim to speak for it. Noddings offers us her own theory of community based on her concept of caring, and offers us a list of qualifying communities, some more acceptable than others. She does not include the Jewish community or even Jewish subcommunities and one must wonder why. There is a misunderstanding somewhere, either on Noddings' part or ours. The quality and intensity of our commitment to community is an issue hotly discussed among many circles within Jewish life and in a variety of ways.
Responses are varied and often contradictory.
Nonetheless, what is never in question is our commitment to some form of community as an essential configuration of our being in the world. As a people we are often accused of being clannish or isolationist. This dilemma, however complex, should always remain a moral concern of the highest order, one that must be responded to, even if paradoxically, with a fully concerned heart and a heartful mind. As for Noddings and her feelings about schools adopting community models, she remains hesitant. She tends more toward gesselschaft than gemeinschaft and recommends we seek the better aspects of community such as solidarity, loyalty, and common goals and introduce them into our schools.