(file last updated: [8/10/1998 - 15:26:1])
The two-year program in Jewishcommunal service or Jewish education leading to the Master ofArts degree integrates Jewish studies and professional trainingthrough courses, fieldwork, and cocurricular activities. It preparesstudents for leadership positions in a variety of settings, includingfederations, synagogues, community centers, Hillel foundations,schools, and other communal organizations.
In addition to the basic two-yeardegree program, there are three M.A. programs: a three-year jointdegree program leading to the M.A. in Jewish communal serviceand the M.A. in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies; a two-year (includingsummers) double degree program in conjunction with The HellerGraduate School leading to the M.A. in Jewish communal serviceand the M.A. in management of human services; and a special one-yearM.A. degree program that is available to students with graduatedegrees in social work, Jewish studies, or a related field.
The general requirements foradmission to the Graduate School, as specified in an earlier sectionof this catalog, apply to candidates for admission to the HornsteinProgram in Jewish Communal Service. In addition, applicants areexpected to submit results of either the Graduate Record Examinationor the Miller Analogies Test, a statement that describes the applicant'sJewish training and background and future vocational plans anda sample of written material. Applicants are expected to arrangefor a personal interview.
Susan Shevitz, Director
Jewish education. Organizationalbehavior.
Nancy Bloom
Fieldwork. Social work.
Sherry Israel
American Jewish community anddemography. Jewish community research.
Daniel Margolis
Jewish education.
Bernard Mehlman
Jewish traditional sources.
David Mersky
Philanthropy and fund-raising.
Joseph Reimer
Jewish life cycle. Jewish identity.Jewish education.
Bernard Reisman
American Jewish communal studies.
David Starr
Zionist history.
Lawrence Sternberg
Jewish advocacy and communityrelations.
See the Department of NearEastern and Judaic Studies and the catalog for The Heller Schoolfor related faculty and course offerings.
Program of Study
Students are expected to completea minimum of 16 courses, at least 12 of which are Hornstein courses,in the following areas: professional studies, contemporary Jewishstudies, and classical Jewish studies. Students may take coursesat other Boston-area graduate schools (Boston University, BostonCollege, Tufts University, and The Heller School at Brandeis).Students in the Hornstein Program may concentrate in one of thefollowing:
A.Jewish communal service (with specializations in group work andcommunity organization or management) or
B.Jewish education (formal or informal)
C.Jewish advocacy
D.Fund-raising and philanthropy
Fieldwork
Students have two supervisedfieldwork experiences in Boston-area Jewish educational or communalservice organizations. In the first year, fieldwork is 15 hoursa week; in the second year, 20 hours. This schedule requires studentsto be in residence through the end of May and to plan for a shorterwinter intersession than indicated in the University's AcademicCalendar.
Joseph and Esther FosterSeminar in Israel on Contemporary Jewish Life
The four-week program, heldduring May and June after a student's first year, is a combinationof classes and field visits designed to provide an in-depth understandingof Israel and its relationship with diaspora communities. Sponsoredin cooperation with the JCC (Jewish Community Centers) Associationof Israel. Costs are partially subsidized by scholarships providedby the Joseph and Esther Foster Fund and the Jewish Agency. Studentspay the remainder of the cost.
Summer Study in Israel Program(SSIP)
Required of Jewish educationconcentrators and open to a limited number of other students.It takes place at the conclusion of the Foster Seminar. This heavilysubsidized program affords students the opportunity of additionalstudy in Judaica and Hebrew language at one of several institutionsin Israel.
Substantive Paper
Students are required, duringthe second year, to submit a major substantive paper growing outof some aspect of their fieldwork experience. The paper analyzesa practical issue in Jewish communal service in light of the student'sown experience and the relevant literature.
Residence Requirement
The residence requirement istwo years of full-time study or the equivalent thereof in part-timestudy.
Language Requirement
Fluency in Hebrew is requiredat a level comparable to two years of college training. Studentsnot meeting this requirement upon entrance are required to enrollin courses in Hebrew language.
Cocurricular Requirements
Seminar on ContemporaryJewish Issues
During the fall term this seminarmeets once each week with guest speakers on a range of subjectson the contemporary Jewish agenda. Required of all first-yearstudents.
Tisch Seminars
Students participate in specialseminars focusing on professional skill development.
Betty Starr Colloquium
For first-year students. Duringintersession three days are devoted to visiting the national officesof major Jewish organizations in New York City to meet with professionalleaders and explore the communal agenda.
Milender Seminar in JewishCommunal Leadership
First- and second-year studentsparticipate in a three-day seminar on Jewish communal leadershipwith an outstanding professional leader of the Jewish communalworld.
Brin Forum on Critical Issuesin Contemporary Jewish Life
An exploration of criticalissues facing the Jewish community with students, community professionals,and researchers.
Program of Study
This degree is for studentsaccepted into the Hornstein Program who seek a more intensivelevel of Judaic studies than is normally available in the two-yearcurriculum. It is especially appropriate for students concentratingin Jewish education. Students who enroll in the three-year programdevote most of their first year to Judaic studies and must takeat least one additional NEJS course in each of their remainingtwo years. These must be regular graduate (100- or 200-level)NEJS courses and HBRW courses, not courses primarily geared forJewish communal service students, and only one of the coursesmay deal primarily with the contemporary period. NEJS and HBRWcourse selections must be approved by the NEJS faculty memberoverseeing this program.
In their first year, studentscomplete six NEJS courses and one JCS course. In their secondyear, students complete one NEJS course and seven JCS coursesand in the summer complete the Israel Seminar (JCS 350b) and individualizedJudaica study in Israel (SSIP). In their third year, studentscomplete one NEJS course (that may be a reading course to preparefor the comprehensive exam) and six JCS courses.
Admission
Applicants must submit a singleapplication in duplicate to the Hornstein/NEJS double-degree program.
Language requirement
All candidates are requiredto demonstrate proficiency in biblical or modern Hebrew.
This program prepares professionalleaders who combine the highest level of management skills withbroad knowledge of the contemporary Jewish world. The programis a blending of The Heller School's rigorous management curriculumwith the Hornstein Program's integrated approach to Jewish communalwork. Graduates of the double degree program receive two master'sdegrees: one in Jewish Communal Service from the Hornstein Programand the other in Management of Human Service from The Heller School.The Double Degree Program requires 24 months of study: two academicyears and two summers. The course begins in June. There are 27core courses--15 at Heller and 12 at Hornstein, including onein Israel. In addition there are two academic years of supervisedfieldwork experiences in Boston-area Jewish organizations anda team consulting project.
Admission
Students applying to this programare expected to have demonstrated professional and academic capabilityand the capacity for sustaining an intensive program of study.Applicants must submit a single application in duplicate to theHornstein/Heller double-degree program.
Residence Requirement
Two full years (24 months)residence are required.
Language Requirement
Candidates are expected toestablish competence in Hebrew.
JCS 202b Jewish Life Cycle
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Focusing on central momentsof transition in the Jewish life cycle, this course explores thetraditional basis for celebrating life cycle events and the psychologicalsignificance of these events. Usually offered in odd years.
Mr. Reimer
JCS 203b Jewish Family Dynamics
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Every person emerges from afamily experience that leaves its mark on personal and professionalidentity. Explores the dynamics of Jewish family life, the growthand changes in family life, and the ways to educate Jewish families.Usually offered in odd years.
Mr. Reimer
JCS 206b Informal Educationin Jewish Settings
Theory and skills of informaleducation as these would be applied in different types of programsand organizations in the Jewish community. Usually offered inodd years.
Mr. Reisman
JCS 211a Jewish Adaptationto American Life
How American Jews' understandingof Jewish identity, ethnicity, and community reflect and are affectedby the American milieu. Is Jewish continuity possible in an opensociety? 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 studentswith some of the basic terms, concepts, and texts of traditionalJudaism. Aims to give a deeper understanding of Judaism that wouldallow students greater effectiveness in dealing with a religiouslydiverse Jewish community. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Mehlman
JCS 215a The DevelopingLearner in a Jewish Educational Setting
Focuses on the developing child,adolescent, and adult who come to learn about themselves and theirworld in a Jewish context. The main theme of the course is developinga Jewish identity in a changing world. Usually offered in oddyears.
Mr. Reimer
JCS 216a Philosophy of JewishEducation
A close examination of centralphilosophic issues in the teaching of Judaism. Draws on traditionalas well as modern philosophic texts. Usually offered in even years.
Mr. Reimer
JCS 217b Issues in ContemporaryIsrael
Explores the rise of the Zionistmovement in the 19th and 20th centuries, the early history ofthe State of Israel, and issues such as religion, ethnicity, women,and Arab-Jewish relations in contemporary Israeli culture. Usuallyoffered every year.
Mr. Starr
JCS 221b Foundations ofAmerican Jewish Education: Historical and Political Analysis
An introductory course thatexamines how the Jewish community is organized to provide voluntaryeducation in an open society. Types of formal and informal Jewisheducation, organizational structures, and their communal dimensionsare explored. Special attention is given to the implications ofnew educational settings, demographic shifts, and social changesin American society. Usually offered in even years.
Messrs. Elkin and Margolis
JCS 222b Content and Curriculumfor Teaching Text
Examines various approachesto the study of the Hebrew Bible and their curricular implicationsfor schools and informal settings. Selected biblical texts (e.g.,the Akedah, the Ten Commandments, Jonah) are examined. Usuallyoffered in odd years.
Messrs. Brettler and Margolis
JCS 228b Emerging JewishCommunal Issues
Significant new developmentsin Jewish life and their implications for communal policy andprogramming. Topics include the changing demography of the Jewishcommunity, pluralism and religious factionalism, women's statusand roles, philanthropy, and emerging special interest populations.Usually offered in odd years.
Ms. Israel
JCS 229a The Structure andAgendas of the American Jewish Community
Examines the structure andfunction of the organized Jewish community, with special attentionto key issues such as leadership, decision making, organizationalculture, and the relations among the many elements of the community.Primary focus is on the American Jewish community with some attentionto Israel/overseas organizations and other diaspora communities.Usually offered every year.
Ms. Israel
JCS 234b Curriculum Theoryand Development
Students gain an understandingof the considerations and constraints of curriculum design forthe formal and informal Jewish educational settings. Curriculumtheory is considered as students confront the process of curriculumdesign and deliberation. Usually offered in even years.
Messrs. Margolis and Elkin
JCS 235a and b Seminar:The Culture of Jewish Educational Settings with Implications forChange
Provides models for understandingthe culture of the fieldwork agency and the community in whichit functions in order to understand the change process in formaland informal Jewish educational settings. Theoretical literatureis applied to a series of cases that focus on institutional leadershipand change. Usually offered in even years.
Ms. Shevitz
JCS 236a and b Teachingin a Jewish Setting
Applies learning theory, pedagogicprinciples, and research to the challenges of working in formaland informal Jewish educational settings. Through readings, structuredobservations, and a micro-teaching laboratory, students gain awarenessof 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 carefullydesigned to be effective and/or benign environments, have characteristicsthat sometimes confound and frustrate the most dedicated professional.This course examines major theories of organization, with specialattention to the implications they hold for understanding andmanaging what goes on. By applying different analytic frameworksto real and simulated organizational dilemmas, students will gainperspectives and skills to help them productively work in communalinstitutions. Usually offered in even years.
Ms. Shevitz
JCS 239b History and Philosophyof Jewish Philanthropy and Fund-raising
Utilizing classical texts toilluminate the history and values of tzedakah, this courseexplores different presentation techniques employed in the contemporaryJewish communal setting. Students will learn how to bring enduringJewish values to bear upon the different tasks involved in theprocess of fund-raising and development in Jewish organizationallife. Usually offered in odd years.
Mr. Mersky
JCS 240a Jewish Advocacy:History, Issues, and Trends
Using case studies, this courseexamines the Jewish community relations organizations in NorthAmerica, their early development, changing agendas, and stylesof operation. The major focus is on the current issues facingthe American Jewish community and the strategies to address them.Usually offered in odd years.
Mr. Sternberg
JCS 241a Skills and Techniquesin Jewish Philanthropy and Fund-raising
Provides a conceptual frameworkand develops a community organizational approach to organizingand implementing fund-raising campaigns for Jewish communal organizations.Usually offered every fall.
Mr. Mersky
JCS 242a Applied Skillsin Jewish Advocacy
This course uses case studiesas a method of understanding the underlying concepts of advocacyand exploring and utilizing essential skills in the practice ofadvocacy. Skills developed include coalition building, the skillof politics (affecting public policy and influencing decision-makers),the skill of organization (mobilizing the Jewish community andthe general community), and the skills of leadership. Usuallyoffered in even years.
Mr. Sternberg
JCS 243b Financial ResourceDevelopment for the Nonprofit Agency
Prerequisite: JCS 241a.
Explores the strategic approachto funding the nonprofit agency in the Jewish community with anemphasis on major gifts management. Students will learn the processof planning, developing, and soliciting leadership support throughreadings, lectures, guest speakers, simulations, and role plays.Usually offered in even years.
Mr. Mersky
JCS 248a and b Methods inJewish Communal Service
Provides students with theopportunity to integrate and develop their individual professionalstyles and skills within a communal agency setting. The goal isto help them understand the range of skills needed for practicefrom individual to group to community organization and the interrelatednature of these skills. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Bloom and Ms. Shevitz
JCS 250d Professional IntegrativeSeminar
Seeks to develop common theoreticalbases for Jewish communal professionals who will work in Jewisheducational and communal settings. The theory is applied to aseries of practical professional tasks with the objective of enrichingprofessional skills. The seminar meets weekly in the fall termand biweekly in the spring term. Usually offered every year.
Messrs. Reisman and Sternberg
JCS 287a Methods in JewishCommunity Research
Designed to help students understandthe uses and limitations of social research in the Jewish community.Research examples from Jewish communal settings will be used tolearn the concepts, vocabulary, and methods of a variety of approaches--includingdemographic studies, needs assessments, market research, and programevaluation. Usually offered in even years.
Ms. Israel
JCS 287b Planning and PolicyAnalysis for the Jewish Communal Professional
Develops a conceptual frameworkand practical skills needed to facilitate planning and decisionmaking processes in Jewish organizations. Applies principles andmethods of planning and policy analysis to various areas of Jewishcommunal work. Usually offered in odd years. Last offered in thefall of 1997.
Staff
JCS 350b Foster Seminarin Israel on Contemporary Jewish Issues
Offered every year from mid-Maythrough mid-June in Israel in cooperation with the JCCA (JewishCommunity Centers Association) and the Melton Centre at HebrewUniversity. Usually offered every year.
Staff
Practicum in Jewish Advocacy,Jewish Philanthropy, and Fund-raising
Required of concentrators.Not for credit.
Focuses on specialized topicsin Jewish advocacy and fund-raising. Topics are chosen in consultationwith advocacy and fund-raising students. Usually offered everyyear.
Mssrs. Mersky and Sternberg
Practicum in Direct Service
Required of concentrators.Not for credit.
A practicum offered to studentswho wish to develop their interpersonal skills in working withclients and colleagues.
Ms. Bloom
Perspectives on Israel
Required of all first-yearstudents who will be participating in the Foster Seminar on ContemporaryJewish Life. Not for credit.
Meets biweekly. Sets up a frameworkfor exploring the dynamics of an effective learning group andexamines the Israel-Diaspora relationship in relation to selectedcontemporary issues and to students' personal and professionalcommitments. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Israel