MA in Education - Blended Program specializing in Jewish Education The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

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With the changing reality of Jewish life in the Diaspora, the Melton Centre for Jewish Education is moving in new directions to adapt to these changes and to offer solutions to strengthen Jewish education in communities abroad.

Using the M.A. track offered at the Melton Centre as a strong base, we have developed a blended On-Site and Distance MA Program (non-research intended for students’ resident overseas) in Jewish Education, which is offered to Jewish educators in Jewish communities around the world. The program is designed for educators in both formal and informal frameworks who are interested in Jewish Education and its dialogue with the Social Sciences, Educational Philosophy, and Jewish and Israel Studies. Studies integrate on-site and distance learning elements and require 40 credits for graduation.

About the program

This is an international program taught entirely in English mainly intended for students who reside outside of Israel. All the lectures and course material are in English. Contributions to forum discussions and written assignments must be written in English. A high level of English proficiency is therefore a requirement for participation in this program. Many of the courses are focused upon challenges and issues facing Jewish education in Diaspora communities.

The principal advantage of this program is that educators abroad who, for various reasons are not able to spend a long period in Jerusalem, will have the opportunity to study with Melton Centre faculty and enjoy the unique academic resources of the Hebrew University.

Courses in the MA in Education program are intended to familiarize students with research in Jewish education and to enable the clarification of the goals, methods, practices, and challenges involved in transmitting Jewish culture and teaching Jewish and Israel studies.

The program is conducted at a high academic level at the Hebrew University, which is ranked among the top 100 universities in the world.

Program Foci

The Program focuses on three main areas:

1. The Philosophy, the Sociology, and the Psychology of Jewish Education and Israel Education:

This focus deals with the great issues in Jewish Education and Israel Education: Who is the educated person and who, the educated Jew? Which are the goals of Jewish Education and how can we adapt them to the issues we face today? What is the role of the Jewish educator, and how can the institution help him? What is the place of Israel in Jewish Education? How must the relations between Jewish School and Israel be? What is the role of Zionism in our times?

2. The teaching of Jewish texts:

This focus deals with the teaching of Biblical and Talmudic texts. In the program, a few lecturers will give examples of different texts, how to analyze them in order to give the participant the necessary tools to deal with them and teach them in schools and communities. In the courses, participants will learn about different perspectives, like Philosophy of the Child, Levinas’ ethical perspective, and others. This focus is theoretical and practical because studies involve both the fundamentals of all perspectives and practical examples that could be implemented in the field.

3. The entrepreneurship and innovation in Jewish Education.

In this focus, participants will analyze their own personal vision of Jewish Education as well as their institutional vision. In the program, they will study several theories that will help them to reflect on their own Jewish educational vision. Vision, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship are the three main components of this focus.

Program Structure

The program consists of 36 credits of which 10 credits will be offered on-site at the Hebrew University and 26 credits will be offered as distance courses. The program consists of 14 required credits and 22 elective credits.

Participants must submit two seminar papers. One seminar paper must be related to a course taught on-site at the university.

The program may approve up to 8 credits taken outside the Jewish Education track either from among other Hebrew University distance courses or from universities recognized for credit by the Hebrew University. Prior approval must be obtained for courses outside the Jewish Education track.

The Blended Masters Program is in the non-research track and does not provide for the writing of a thesis which is normally a prerequisite for admission to a doctoral program at The Hebrew University.