The Hornstein Program in Jewish Communal Service
G = Objectives
The two-year program in Jewish communal service or Jewish education leading to the Master of Arts degree integrates Jewish studies and professional training through courses, internships, and cocurricular activities. It prepares students for leadership positions in a variety of settings, including federations, synagogues, community centers, Hillel foundations, schools, and other communal organizations. In addition to the basic program in Jewish communal service, students can concentrate their studies in (1) fund-raising and philanthropy, (2) Jewish advocacy, or (3) Jewish education. Part-time study is permitted, but students must complete the program in no more than four years. A special one-year master's degree program is available to students with graduate degrees in social work, Jewish studies, or a related field. In addition, a three-year double degree program leading to the M.A. in Jewish communal service and M.A. in Near Eastern and Judaic studies is also offered; it is recommended to students interested in careers in Jewish education. There is also a two-year (including summers) double degree program in conjunction with the Heller School leading to the M.A. in Jewish communal service and M.A. in management of human service.
G = How to Be Admitted to the Graduate Program
The general requirements for admission to the Graduate School, as specified in an earlier section of this catalog, apply to candidates for admission to the Hornstein Program in Jewish Communal Service. In addition, applicants are expected to submit results of either the Graduate Record Examination or the Miller Analogies Test, a statement that describes the applicant's Jewish training and background and future vocational plans and a sample of written material. Applicants are expected to arrange for a personal interview.
S = Faculty
Joseph Reimer, Director
Jewish life cycle. Jewish identity.
Jewish education.
Nancy Bloom
Fieldwork. Social work.
Sherry Israel
American Jewish community and
demography.
Daniel Margolis
Jewish education.
Bernard Mehlman
Jewish traditional sources.
David Mersky
Philanthropy and fund-raising.
Bernard Reisman
American Jewish communal studies.
Susan Shevitz
Jewish education. Organizational
theory.
Lawrence Sternberg
Jewish advocacy and community
relations.
Gary Tobin
Jewish community research and
planning.
See the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and the catalog for the Heller School for other faculty and course offerings.
G = Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts
Students in the Hornstein Program
may concentrate in one of the following:
A.
Jewish communal service (with specializations in group work and
community organization or management) or
B.
Jewish education (formal or informal)
C.
Jewish advocacy
D.
Fund-raising and philanthropy
Academic Studies
Students are expected to complete
a minimum of 16 courses, at least 12 of which are Hornstein courses,
including study in the following areas: professional studies,
contemporary Jewish studies, and classical Jewish studies. Students
may take courses at other Boston-area graduate schools (Boston
University, Boston College, Tufts University, and the Heller School
at Brandeis).
Cocurricular Courses
Seminar on Contemporary Jewish Issues
During the fall term this seminar
meets once each week with guest speakers on a range of subjects
on the Jewish agenda today. Required of all first-year students.
Tisch Seminars
Once each year both first-
and second-year students participate in an intensive institute
focusing on an area of professional skill.
Betty Starr Colloquium
For first-year students. During
intersession three days are devoted to visiting the national offices
of major Jewish organizations in New York City.
Milender Seminar in Jewish Communal Leadership
Each year both first- and second-year
students participate in a three-day seminar on Jewish communal
leadership with an outstanding professional leader of the Jewish
communal world.
Brin Forum on Critical Issues in Contemporary Jewish Life
An all-day forum on a critical
issue facing leaders of the American Jewish community.
Joseph and Esther Foster Seminar in Israel on Contemporary Jewish Life
This seminar is sponsored in
cooperation with the JCC Association of Israel. All first-year
students are expected to attend at the completion of their first
year of study. The four-week program, held during May and June,
is a combination of classes and field visits designed to provide
an in-depth understanding of Israel. Costs for the Israel seminar
are partially subsidized by scholarships provided by the Joseph
and Esther Foster Fund and the Jewish Agency. Students are expected
to pay the remainder of the cost.
Summer Study in Israel Program
(SSIP) is required of Jewish education concentrators (and is also
open to a limited number of other students) and takes place at
the conclusion of the Foster Seminar. This partially subsidized
program affords students the opportunity of additional study in
Judaica and Hebrew language at one of several institutions in
Israel.
Practica
Practicum in Jewish Philanthropy and Fund-raising
Required of concentrators. Not for credit.
Provides an opportunity to integrate experience in fieldwork with course work. Focusing on topics developed by both students and faculty, we take a problem solving approach as we explore issues of practice. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Mersky
Practicum in Jewish Advocacy
Required of concentrators. Not for credit.
Focuses on specialized topics in Jewish advocacy. Analyzes specific areas of knowledge and/or techniques utilized by advocacy professionals. Topics are chosen in consultation with advocacy students. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Sternberg
Practicum in Direct Service
Required of concentrators. Not for credit.
A practicum offered each spring semester for first- and second-year students who are generalists in Jewish communal service and wish to develop their interpersonal skills in working with clients and colleagues. Using a case method methodology, students learn to identify and present dilemmas in their professional work, receive feedback on their response, and hear alternative possible responses from the group.
Ms. Bloom
Perspectives on Israel
Required of all first-year students who will be participating in the Foster Seminar on Contemporary Jewish Life. Not for credit.
Meets bi-weekly. Examines the Israel-Diaspora relationship in relation to selected contemporary issues and to students' personal and professional commitments. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Israel
Fieldwork/Internship
Students have two fieldwork
experiences in a Boston-area Jewish educational or communal service
organization. In the first year, fieldwork is 15 hours a week;
in the second year, 20 hours. This schedule requires students
to be in residence through the end of May and to plan for a shorter
winter intersession than indicated in the University's Academic
Calendar.
Substantive Paper
Students are required, during
the second year, to submit a major substantive paper growing out
of some phase of their fieldwork experience. The paper should
analyze a practical issue in Jewish communal service in light
of both the student's own experience and the relevant literature.
Residence Requirement
The residence requirement is
two years of full-time study or the equivalent thereof in part-time
study.
Language Requirement
Fluency in Hebrew is required at a level comparable to two years of college training. Students not meeting this requirement upon entrance are required to enroll in courses in Hebrew language--
not for credit.
G = Three-Year Double Master's Program: Hornstein/NEJS
Program of Study
This degree is for students
accepted into the Hornstein Program who seek a more intensive
level of Judaic studies than is normally available in the two-year
curriculum (especially for students specializing in Jewish education).
Students who enroll in the three-year program devote most of their
first year to general Judaic studies and must take at least one
additional NEJS course in each of their remaining two years. These
must be regular graduate (100- or 200-level) NEJS courses and
HBRW courses, not courses primarily geared for Jewish communal
service students, and only one of the courses may deal primarily
with the contemporary period. NEJS and HBRW course selections
must be approved by the NEJS faculty member overseeing this program.
In their first year, students
must complete six NEJS courses and JCS 205a (Introduction to Jewish
Communal Service). In their second year, students must complete
one NEJS course and seven JCS courses and in the summer complete
the Israel Seminar (JCS 350a) and individualized Judaica study
in Israel (SSIP). In their third year, students must complete
one NEJS course (that may be a reading course to prepare for the
comprehensive exam) and six JCS courses. Graduates of the double
degree programs receive two masterís degrees.
Language requirement
All candidates are required
to demonstrate proficiency in biblical or modern Hebrew.
G = Two-Year Double Master's Program: Hornstein/Heller
This program prepares professional
leaders who combine the highest level of management skills with
broad knowledge of the contemporary Jewish world. The program
is a blending of the Heller School's rigorous management curriculum
with the Hornstein Program's integrated approach to Jewish communal
work. Graduates of the double degree program receive two master's
degrees: one in Jewish Communal Service from the Hornstein Program
and the other in Management of Human Service from the Heller School.
The Double Degree Program requires 24 months of study: two academic
years and two summers. The course begins in June. There are 27
core courses--15 at Heller and 12 at Hornstein, including one
in Israel. In addition there are two academic years of supervised
fieldwork experiences in Boston-area Jewish organizations and
a team consulting project.
Admission
Students applying to this program
are expected to have demonstrated professional and academic capability
and the capacity for sustaining an intensive program of study.
Applicants must submit separate applications to each program.
Residence Requirement
Two full years (24 months)
residence are required.
Language Requirement
Candidates are expected to establish competence in Hebrew.
S = Courses of Instruction
G = (200 and above) Primarily for Graduate Students
JCS 202b Jewish Life Cycle
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Focusing on central moments of transition in the Jewish life cycle, this course explores the traditional basis for celebrating life cycle events and the psychological significance of these events. Usually offered in odd years.
Mr. Reimer
JCS 203b Jewish Family Dynamics
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Every person emerges from a family experience that leaves its mark on personal and professional identity. Explores the dynamics of Jewish family life, the growth and changes in family life, and the ways to educate Jewish families. Usually offered in odd years.
Mr. Reimer
JCS 206b Informal Education in Jewish Settings
Theory and skills of informal education as these would be applied in different types of programs and organizations in the Jewish community. Usually offered in odd years.
Mr. Reisman
JCS 211a Jewish Adaptation to American Life
How American Jews' understanding of Jewish identity, ethnicity, and community reflect and are affected by the American milieu. Is Jewish continuity possible in an open society? A contemporary look at classic issues of assimilation, adaptation, and accommodation. Usually offered in odd years.
Ms. Israel
JCS 213b Basic Jewish Literacy
Designed to familiarize students with some of the basic terms, concepts, and texts of traditional Judaism. Aims to give a deeper understanding of Judaism that would allow students greater effectiveness in dealing with a religiously diverse Jewish community. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Mehlman
JCS 215a The Developing Learner in a Jewish Educational Setting
Focuses on the developing child, adolescent, and adult who come to learn about themselves and their world in a Jewish context. The main theme of the course is developing a Jewish identity in a changing world. Usually offered in odd years.
Mr. Reimer
JCS 216a Philosophy of Jewish Education
A close examination of central philosophic issues in the teaching of Judaism. Draws on traditional as well as modern philosophic texts. Usually offered in even years.
Mr. Reimer
JCS 217b Issues in Contemporary Israel
Explores the rise of the Zionist movement in the 19th and 20th centuries, the early history of the State of Israel, and issues such as religion, ethnicity, women, and Arab-Jewish relations in contemporary Israeli culture. Usually offered every year.
Staff
JCS 221b Foundations of American Jewish Education: Historical and Political Analysis
An introductory course that examines how the Jewish community is organized to provide voluntary education in an open society. Types of formal and informal Jewish education, organizational structures, and their communal dimensions are explored. Special attention is given to the implications of new educational settings, demographic shifts, and social changes in American society. Usually offered in even years.
Messrs. Elkin and Margolis
JCS 228b Jewish Communal Issues in the Nineties
Significant new developments in Jewish life and their implications for communal policy and programming. Topics include the changing demography of the Jewish community, pluralism and religious factionalism, women's status and roles, philanthropy, and emerging special interest populations. Usually offered in odd years.
Ms. Israel
JCS 229a The Structure and Agendas of the American Jewish Community
Examines the structure and function of the organized Jewish community, with special attention to key issues such as leadership, decision making, organizational culture, and the relations between the many elements of the community. Primary focus is on the American Jewish community with some attention to Israel/overseas organizations and other diaspora communities. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Israel
JCS 233b Program Evaluation for the Jewish Communal Practitioner
Communal practitioners must know how to get quick and accurate information about programs and their effects on participants. Students will become familiar with aspects of program evaluation, will learn methodologies for accurately gaining and interpreting information, and will evaluate a program offered at the fieldwork site. Usually offered in odd years.
Ms. Shevitz
JCS 234b Curriculum Theory and Development
Students gain an understanding of the considerations and constraints of curriculum design for the formal and informal Jewish educational settings. Curriculum theory is considered as students confront the process of curriculum design and deliberation. Usually offered in even years.
Messrs. Margolis and Elkin
JCS 235a and b Seminar: The Culture of Jewish Educational Settings
Provides models for understanding the culture of the fieldwork agency and the community in which it functions in order to understand the change process in formal and informal Jewish educational settings. Theoretical literature is applied to a series of cases that focus on institutional leadership and change. Usually offered in even years.
Ms. Shevitz
JCS 236a and b Teaching in a Jewish Setting
Applies learning theory, pedagogic principles, and research to the challenges of working in formal and informal Jewish educational settings. Through readings, structured observations, and a micro-teaching laboratory, students gain awareness of the craft of teaching while developing their own teaching abilities. Usually offered in odd years.
Ms. Shevitz
JCS 237b Organizations: Theory and Behavior
Organizations, even when carefully designed to be effective and/or benign environments, have characteristics that sometimes confound and frustrate the most dedicated professional. This course examines major theories of organization, with special attention to the implications they hold for understanding and managing what goes on. By applying different analytic frameworks to real and simulated organizational dilemmas, students will gain perspectives and skills to help them productively work in communal institutions. Usually offered in even years.
Ms. Shevitz
JCS 239b History and Philosophy of Jewish Philanthropy and Fund-raising
Utilizing classical texts to illuminate the history and values of tzedakah, this course explores different presentation techniques employed in the contemporary Jewish communal setting. Students will learn how to bring enduring Jewish values to bear upon the different tasks involved in the process of fundraising and development in Jewish organizational life. Usually offered in odd years.
Mr. Mersky
JCS 240a Jewish Advocacy: History, Issues, and Trends
Using case studies, this course examines the Jewish community relations organizations in North America, their early development, changing agendas, and styles of operation. The major focus is on the current issues facing the American Jewish community and the strategies to address them. Usually offered in odd years.
Mr. Sternberg
JCS 241a Skills and Techniques in Jewish Philanthropy and Fund-raising
Provides a conceptual framework and develops a community organizational approach to organizing and implementing fund-raising campaigns for Jewish communal organizations. Usually offered every fall.
Mr. Mersky
JCS 242a Applied Skills in Jewish Advocacy
This course uses case studies as a method of understanding the underlying concepts of advocacy and exploring and utilizing essential skills in the practice of advocacy. Skills developed include coalition building, the skill of politics (affecting public policy and influencing decision-makers), the skill of organization (mobilizing the Jewish community and the general community), and the skills of leadership. Usually offered in even years.
Mr. Sternberg
JCS 243b Financial Resource Development for the Nonprofit Agency
Prerequisite: JCS 241a.
Explores the strategic approach to funding the nonprofit agency in the Jewish community with an emphasis on major gifts management. Students will learn the process of planning, developing, and soliciting leadership support through readings, lectures, guest speakers, simulations, and role plays. Usually offered in even years.
Mr. Mersky
JCS 248a and b Methods in Jewish Communal Service
This seminar will provide students with the opportunity to examine, integrate, and develop their individual professional styles and skills within a communal agency setting. It will help them to understand the range of skills needed for practice from individual to group to community organization and the interrelated nature of these skills. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Bloom
JCS 250d Professional Integrative Seminar
Seeks to develop common theoretical bases for Jewish communal professionals who will work in Jewish educational and communal settings. The theory is applied to a series of practical professional tasks with the objective of enriching professional skills. The seminar meets weekly in the fall term and biweekly in the spring term. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Reisman and Ms. Shevitz
JCS 287a Methods in Jewish Community Research
Designed to help students understand the uses and limitations of social research in the Jewish community. Research examples from Jewish communal settings will be used to learn the concepts, vocabulary, and methods of a variety of approaches--including demographic studies, needs assessments, market research, and program evaluation. Usually offered in even years.
Ms. Israel
JCS 350a Foster Seminar in Israel on Contemporary Jewish Issues
Offered every year from mid-May through mid-June in Israel in cooperation with the Center for Jewish Education in the Diaspora at The Hebrew University. Usually offered every year.
Staff