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The first known plan to establish a school of higher learning for American Jews promised every graduate a reward. “Each Scholar,” the 1821 prospectus declared, “after having completed his Studies, shall be entitled to a piece of land, if he thinks proper to settle thereon.”
The school was the brainchild of a Jewish utopian named Moses Elias Levy, the father of America’s first Jewish senator, David L. Yulee. Fired with messianic hopes and inspired by the movement for Jewish enlightenment and religious reform in Europe, Levy embarked on what he considered to be a “sacred” mission. His goal was to establish a boarding school and agrarian settlement “to promote the perpetuity of our religion, and prove in a high degree beneficial to our brethren.”
Levy was ahead of his time. Though he and his supporters argued that the education of “both sexes, should be the care and concern of the Hebrew community at large,” nothing came of his educational initiative. America’s first properly chartered school for higher Jewish learning, Maimonides College in Philadelphia, was only established in 1867 (and it only graduated three students before closing in 1873).
Today, the American Jewish community boasts a wide range of higher education programs. The diverse offerings featured in the following pages testify to how far we have come since 1821. While graduates should not expect to be offered “a piece of land” as reward for their studies, the programs provide something even more valuable: the keys to Jewish learning and to positions of leadership in American Jewish life.
—Jonathan D. Sarna—Director, Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program & Joseph H. & Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History, Brandeis University
Pardes Educators Program,
The Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies
Location: Jerusalem, Israel; Contact: Dr. Judy Markose, Director, or Gail Kirschner, Pardes Educators Program Administrative Coordinator, Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, POB 8575, Jerusalem, 91084; 972-2-673-5210 or 888-875-2734; Email: gail@pardes.org.il; Website: www.pardes.org.il; Description of Program: The Pardes Educators Program, now in its 8th year, provides a unique opportunity for those planning careers in Jewish day schools. The two-year fellowship leads to a Certificate of Advanced Jewish Studies from the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies and an optional Master of Jewish Education from Hebrew College. The program is tailored to meet the needs of individual participants. In addition to the formal classes, students participate in seminars, trips, Hebrew Ulpan, and student teaching opportunities in Israel and North America. Pardes Educators currently serve as Jewish Studies teachers and department heads at over 30 day schools in North America. Graduates of the Program commit to teach for a minimum of three years in North America. The Program continues to support the graduates through mentoring, on-site visits, and Summer Curriculum Workshops in Jerusalem. Tuition and generous living stipends are provided to facilitate full-time participation in this intensive program. The Pardes Educators Program was developed with and is funded by The AVI CHAI Foundation.
ROHR Jewish Learning Institute
The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) is the largest and fastest-growing institute of its kind, with centers in over 250 cities. As the pre-eminent provider of adult Jewish education, JLI continues to set new standards in the field. Our mission is to inspire Jewish learning worldwide, and to create a global community of informed students connected by bonds of shared Jewish experience. To date, over 100,000 students have attended our program offerings. Our courses are appropriate for newcomers to Jewish learning as well as those who have studied before. JLI’s innovative presentation of traditional Judaism is both intellectually rigorous and highly accessible. JLI’s teaching is conveyed in an open, interactive environment that embraces every student. It inspires feelings of hope, purpose, meaning, and value. The Institute follows a powerful path of discovery and depth, touching the souls of its learners and leading them toward fresh thinking about the world. The Rohr JLI is the adult education arm of the Chabad Lubavitch movement.
Drisha Institute
Description of Program: Drisha Institute for Jewish Education empowers women to undertake the study of classical Hebrew and Aramaic texts in a rigorous and open environment. Women can enroll in one or three year full-time study programs or select individual courses that meet their intellectual and spiritual needs. Full-time options include the three year Scholars Circle in Talmud and Jewish law, the one year Beit Midrash, and the Yesodot program which focuses on building skills for serious learning. Special courses are available for teachers who wish to strengthen their skills in classical texts and Talmud. High school girls are invited to participate in a residential five week summer program and a three day winter program that combine text study and Talmud with extracurricular activities and community service. Among the unique programs available throughout the year are Bat Mitzvah and Beyond for mothers and daughters and special classes for engaged couples. Evening classes are open to men and women. For course information, visit the Drisha Website: www.drisha.org or call 212-595-0307.
Gratz College
Contact: www.gratz.edu; 7605 Old York Road Melrose Park, PA 19027; 800-475-4635 x148 College: 800-475-4635 x113; High School: admissions@gratz.edu; online@gratz.edu; Rothbart@gratz.edu; Dr. Jonathan Rosenbaum, President; Gratz College, a non-denominational academic institution in suburban Philadelphia, is a vibrant center for Jewish studies and professional education. Gratz College’ campus-based and online programs confer graduate and undergraduate degrees and certificates in various disciplines, including Jewish studies, Jewish education, Jewish music, Holocaust studies, Jewish early childhood, Jewish communal service and Jewish non-profit management. A part-time doctoral program in Jewish Education is offered at its suburban Philadelphia campus. Gratz College’s online program features a Master of Arts in Jewish Studies that can be earned completely online. The Jewish Community High School of Gratz College, one of the largest Jewish community high schools in the United States, recently launched the Kenneth I. Rothbart Distance Learning Program for Teens. Jewish high school students in English-speaking countries around the globe have access to the highest quality Jewish education. Juniors and seniors may qualify for a unique opportunity to take courses for college credit.
Vered Jewish Canadian Studies Program
Location: Ottawa, Canada; Contact: Rebecca Margolis; Email: rmargoli@uottawa.ca; Telephone: 613-562-5800 x2955; Description of Program: The Vered Jewish Canadian Studies Program at the University of Ottawa offers an array of courses that examine the Jewish Canadian experience. This year’s course offerings include: Introduction to Jewish Canadian Studies, History of the Jews in Canada, Canadian Jewish Writers, and two seminars on Canadian Responses to the Holocaust and the Montreal Jewish Community. The professors teaching these courses Irving Abella, Pierre Anctil, Rebecca Margolis, and Seymour Mayne are scholars of Jewish Canadian history, culture, and literature. In conjunction with the University‚s Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, the program also offers a six-week intensive course in Yiddish language and culture with a Canadian focus from May 1-June 13, 2008, which includes a strong cultural component. As of September 2007, the University is offering a minor in Jewish Canadian Studies. The Program also offers research opportunities for visiting scholars.
Hebrew College
Location: Boston, MA; Contact: Kate Nachman, Director of Admissions; Hebrew College, 160 Herrick Road, Newton; Centre, MA 02459; 617-559-8610; Fax: 617-559-8601; Email: admissions@hebrewcollege.edu; Website: www.hebrewcollege.edu; Description of Program: Located in Greater Boston since 1921, Hebrew College prepares Jewish educators and communal professionals who value diversity to lead and inspire today’s Jewish communities. A new, 47-credit Online Master of Jewish Education can be completed in two years, full-time, and in three years, part-time. The transdenominational Rabbinical School of Hebrew College offers a rigorous five-year, full-time course of study leading to rabbinic ordination within a model inclusive community. The Cantor-Educator Program combines a Master of Jewish Education with cantorial ordination in a transdenominational setting. Hebrew College graduates build successful careers as educators or administrators in Jewish day schools, congregational Hebrew schools, Jewish preschools, community centers, synagogues, Jewish camps and youth groups; find excellent placements as rabbis and cantors; and earn advanced degrees in Jewish scholarship. All degree and certificate programs place a strong emphasis on text study and Hebrew literacy. The Hebrew College Fellows Program provides merit fellowships for outstanding degree candidates. Financial aid is available.
Hillel
Imagining a More Civil Society, Summit 2008, March 24-26, Washington, D.C.; Join visionaries and innovators from academia, philanthropy, journalism and the Jewish world as we explore the role of the university and the Jewish community in imagining a more civil society. Confirmed speakers include Judy Woodruff, senior correspondent, NewsHour with Jim Lehrer; Robert D. Putnam, author of “Bowling Alone” and Tufts University President Lawrence S. Bacow, Summit co-chair, who will host ten university presidents. The Summit will be held March 24-26 at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Washington, D.C., close to museums and national monuments. For more information, visit www.hillel.org/summit; Hillel seeks to inspire every Jewish student to make an enduring commitment to Jewish life. Hillel’s mission is to enrich the lives of Jewish undergraduate and graduate students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world.
Center for Cultural Judaism
Modernity is deeply associated with secularization, and Jews have often been at the forefront of secular movements. Jews are heirs to a secular tradition stretching back to Baruch Spinoza, Theodore Herzl, and Ahad Ha-Am. The Posen Foundation is pleased to support new courses in the study of secular Jewish history and cultures. Since 2000, 36 North American, European and Israeli institutions have introduced courses that explore the phenomenon of Jewish secularization. For example, "The Spirit of Secularism" follows the rise of secularism from Spinoza to the present day. "Judaism between Modernity and Secularization" examines how Jews adapted to changes wrought by modernity. The new courses survey great Jewish thinkers; shifts in Jewish identity; and the impact of the Enlightenment on Jewish thinking and civilization. Posen Grants are awarded annually and administered in North America by the Center for Cultural Judaism; established programs in Jewish Studies, Philosophy, Literature, History, Sociology, Anthropology or related disciplines are encouraged to apply. For information on Posen Grants, Contact: Center for Cultural Judaism; 212-564-6711 x301; culturaljudaism.org.
Baltimore Hebrew University
Location: Baltimore, MD Contact: Director of Recruitment and Admissions, BHU, 5800 Park Heights Ave., Baltimore, MD 21215; 888-248-7420 or 410-578-6900; Email: bhu@bhu.edu; Website: www.bhu.edu; Description of Program: Baltimore Hebrew University offers programs leading to the Master of Arts (MAJS) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Jewish Studies; the Master of Arts in Jewish Education (MAJE); and the Master of Arts in Jewish Communal Service (MAJCS). Students may choose internal dual degree programs in Jewish Education and Jewish Studies (MAJE/ MAJS) and in Jewish Education and Jewish Communal Service (MAJE/MAJCS). Dual programs are also available in public policy, social work, pastoral counseling, teaching, nonprofit management, and business administration with area colleges and universities. Graduate certificates are available in education, communal service and nonprofit management. Excellent internship opportunities. Individualized programs and advisement. Full-and part-time students welcome. Financial aid available. BHU is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and the Maryland Higher Education Commission.
Rabbinical Seminary International
Founded by Rabbi Joseph H. Gelberman offers a unique individualized program for the training of the Modern Rabbi leading to Smicha in the most traditional of training and ordaining methods. This program guides the student in cultivating practical skills and knowledge that can enable him or her to serve as a Rabbi, counselor, worship facilitator, spiritual healer and teacher of faith. We prepare men and women of all streams of Judaism to serve as spiritual leaders within the context of the Jewish perspective. Description of Program: It includes instruction in the practical aspects of rabbinical service as well as extensive education in the Bible, Jewish history, philosophy, theology, and different Jewish spiritual experiences. Students are expected to enter the program with a high level of Jewish experience and knowledge and will complete most of the program through independent study. Students also work privately with experienced Rabbis and tutors which provides as many opportunities as possible to practice their skills in actual situations. The Rabbinical Seminary International is ready...Are You?
Jewish National Fund
Locations: National office is New York City, local offices across the country. Contact: Rebecca Kahn, Campus Programs Manager, Jewish National Fund, 42 East 69th Street, New York, NY, 10021; 212-879-9305 ext. 248; Fax: 212-288-7475; Email: collegeactivists@jnf.org; Website: www.jnf.org, www.caravanfordemocracy.org; Types of Participants: The Israel Advocacy and Education Department of JNF engages, educates and energizes the Jewish community of the United States to a deeper commitment to the land and people of Israel. We offer a variety of resources for Israel and Zionist programming. Our materials are appropriate for students from Pre-K through college. Description of Program: Caravan for Democracy (CFD) drives constructive and positive dialogue on college campuses throughout the United States by providing access to resources and opinions to encourage critical thinking about the issues affecting Israel, how it is covered in the media and its unique role in the region. The Lecture Series features prominent Israeli figures that represent a spectrum of political and philosophical thought. The High School Edition empowers Jewish teens to respond to anti-Israel rhetoric on their future college campus through exposure to speakers, interaction with college Israel activists, and Israel advocacy training sessions.
Jewish Theological Seminary
The Jewish Theological Seminary is a premier academic center, consisting of five schools and a world-renowned library. Located in the heart of New York City’s vibrant Jewish community, students flourish in an intellectual environment of warmth and creativity. Academic departments of unparalleled range and depth offer a rich selection of courses in nearly every field of Judaic studies. Founded in 1886, its original mission was to preserve the knowledge and practice of Conservative Judaism. Today that mission has blossomed into a prestigious hub of Jewish learning. JTS grants undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees through its schools, offers enriching programs for the Jewish community in the United States, Israel, and around the world, and enriches Jewish academic scholarship with its Hebraic and Judaic collection found in The Library, the western hemisphere’s most significant and outstanding compilation of texts, which extend from the tenth century to the present.
Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies
Location: Chicago, IL; Contact: 610 South Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60605; 888-322-1769; Email: college@spertus.edu; Website: www.spertus.edu; Description of Program: More than 80 years of celebrating Jewish learning and culture, now in stunning new facility. Includes innovative museum, important library and archive, and offers broad array of continuing education programming, as well as master’s degrees in Jewish studies, Jewish education, Jewish communal service, and nonprofit management, and doctoral degrees in Jewish studies. Degree programs available locally and through distance learning.
University of Pennsylvania GSE
The University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education is pleased to announce a new program in religious education. This innovative, 12 month M.S.Ed. degree program will prepare teachers to become reflective, collaborative, critically thinking teachers. The first strand of the program will prepare teachers to work in Jewish secondary day schools. In addition to foundational and content-specific methods courses in education, our program in Jewish Education incorporates field placements for all students throughout their coursework. The program’s sequence of methods courses will provide teachers with the knowledge and skills to teach Jewish primary sources (in the original and in translation) as windows into Jewish culture and civilization. The program also includes electives in Jewish Studies in Penn’s School of Arts and Sciences and culminates with a seminar on religion and modernity in Israel. Please visit our website: http://www.gse.upenn.edu/degrees_programs/fpe_seje.php.
Brandeis University—Hornstein Program
Location: Waltham, MA; Contact: Rise Singer, Program Manager Hornstein MS 037; Brandeis University Waltham, Massachusetts 02453-2728; 781-736-2990; hornstein@brandeis.edu; www.brandeis.edu/jcs.; Hornstein: The Jewish Professional Leadership Program at Brandeis University, founded in 1969, prepares leaders to confront the challenges of a rapidly changing Jewish community. Educationally robust and intellectually rigorous, the program offers three separate graduate-degree tracks: MA/MBA in Management and Jewish Leadership: An integrated program offered in collaboration with the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis, considered one of the top programs of its kind in the country. MA/MPP in Public Policy and Jewish Leadership: Expected to begin in Fall, 2008, the public policy degree program is offered in collaboration with the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. Double MA in Jewish Studies and Leadership: Offered jointly with the University’s world-renowned Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies. Each of the tracks combines top-quality scholarship, professional education, and carefully selected fieldwork experiences to equip leaders with the tools necessary to shape twenty-first-century Jewish life. Generous scholarships and stipends are available for outstanding candidates. Please see our website: www.brandeis.edu/jcs for additional information and contact the program for options regarding doctoral study.
School of Rabbinical Studies—HUC-JIR
Description of Program: Founded in 1875, HUC-JIR is the academic, spiritual, and professional leadership development center of Reform Judaism and the oldest institution of rabbinical education in North America. HUC-JIR educates men and women for service to North American, Israeli, and world Jewry as rabbis who transmit Judaism’s teachings, build communities, lead worship, offer pastoral care, and perpetuate Jewish continuity. The Rabbinical School offers a five-year program, including study toward a Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters or Master of Arts in Hebrew Literature degree, culminating in rabbinical ordination. The program begins with a required first year of study at HUC-JIR/Jerusalem and continues stateside for the following four years. Students may augment the rabbinical program with additional Master’s degrees in Jewish Education, Religious Education, Jewish Communal Service, and the Ph.D. HUC-JIR also offers the Israel Rabbinical Program for Israeli citizens, a four-year program in coordination with a M.A. program in Jewish Studies at an Israeli university. HUC-JIR offers fellowships and scholarships.
School of Sacred Music—HUC-JIR
Description of Program: Established in 1948 as the Reform Movement’s institution for the training of cantors and the sustaining of Jewish musical heritage after the Holocaust, the School of Sacred Music is a flourishing center dedicated to educating men and women to serve as cantors who inspire worship, innovate new modes of liturgy, teach, counsel, and sustain Judaism. The SSM offers a five-year program of full-time graduate study leading to the degree of Master of Arts in Sacred Music, culminating in investiture as cantor. Students are required to spend their first academic year at HUC-JIR/Jerusalem and continue their next four years of study at HUC-JIR/New York. The Cantorial Music Program in Los Angeles offers classes intended for students who want to become cantors and need additional training or seek to explore whether the cantorate is the appropriate career choice. HUC-JIR offers scholarships.
Rhea Hirsch School of Education—HUC-JIR/Los Angeles, School of Education—HUC-JIR/New York
Description of Program: The Rhea Hirsch School of Education in Los Angeles offers full-time degree programs with a three-year course of study leading to a Master of Arts in Jewish Education. The first year of intensive study of Hebrew language and texts is based at HUC-JIR/Jerusalem, followed by the two-year core program of academic course work and clinical education at the Los Angeles campus. Students wishing to combine the study of Jewish education with an emphasis on Jewish communal service may participate in a joint Master’s program, culminating also in the Master of Arts in Jewish Communal Service. The Ph.D. in Jewish Education is also available. Students have the opportunity to participate in the RHSOE’s Postgraduate Residencies in Day School Education, and in its national research projects, including the Experiment in Congregational Education and Day Schools for the 21st Century. The School of Education in New York offers a full-time, three-year program, which begins in Israel, or a full-time two-year and two summer program and flexible part-time degree programs leading to a Master of Arts in Religious Education. The program welcomes newcomers in the field as well as practitioners already in Jewish education who seek to upgrade their credentials, and general educators who wish to work in Jewish education. Students complete the core Judaica and Education core courses, in addition to a supervised practica in a chosen area of specialization: Family, Adult Education, Day School, and Informal Education. The NYSOE offers flexible continuing education and certificate programs, evening courses, and summer institutes for teachers and principals serving religious schools and for professionals in secular education who seek to redirect their careers to Jewish education. The NYSOE co-sponsors the Leadership Institute for Congregational School Educators with JTS. HUC-JIR offers scholarships.
School of Jewish Communal Service—HUC-JIR
Description of Program: Established in 1968 as the founding institution in the field, the School of Jewish Communal Service trains men and women to be professional leaders, innovators, practitioners, and mentors serving Jewish federations, community centers, Jewish family and children’s services, Jewish political organizations, synagogues, and other Jewish organizations. The SJCS is recognized for its interdisciplinary approach, which combines the study of Jewish tradition, history, and texts with pragmatic and effective tools from the fields of the social sciences and business. The two-year program offers a certificate and a Master’s degree in Jewish Communal Service. Drawing upon the resources of the University of Southern California, the SJCS also offers double degree programs within two years with USC: Business (MBA), Public Administration (MPA), Communications Management (MA), and Public Arts Studies (MPAS, MSW), as well as a joint degree in Jewish Education or Jewish Studies at HUC-JIR, and specialization in informal education or synagogue management. HUC-JIR offers scholarships.
The Schools of Graduate Studies—HUC-JIR/Cincinnati/New York, The Schools of Graduate Studies—HUC-JIR/Cincinnati/New York, The Magnin School of Graduate Studies—HUC-JIR/ Los Angeles
Description of Programs: The School of Graduate Studies in Cincinnati is a center for study, training, research, and publication in Judaic and Cognate Studies, awarding Master of Arts, Master of Philosophy, Doctor of Hebrew Letters, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees to men and women preparing for careers in teaching and scholarship. Major areas of study include: Bible, History of Biblical Interpretation, Ancient Near Eastern Languages and Literatures, Ancient History, Rabbinical Literature from the Hellenistic to Modern Periods, Jewish Religious Thought and Philosophy, and Modern European and American Jewish History. Also offered are a joint program with the University of Cincinnati’s Classics Department in Jewish and Christian Studies of the Greco-Roman World and Ph.D. and M.A. programs in Jewish Law and Ethics in conjunction with UC’s College of Law. The School of Graduate Studies in New York offers the Master of Arts in Judaic Studies program and the Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Counseling program, which combines the certification program in pastoral counseling at the Postgraduate Center for Mental Health and welcomes ordained or certified clergy of all faiths who have graduated from an accredited theological seminary with a Master’s degree.The Magnin School of Graduate Studies in Los Angeles offers programs leading to the degrees of Master of Arts, Doctor of Hebrew letters, and Doctor of Hebrew Studies. HUC-JIR offers scholarships.