2000-01 Bulletin Entry for:


The Hornstein Program in Jewish Communal Service


Objectives


The two-year program leading to the Master of Arts degree in Jewish communal service or Jewish education integrates Jewish studies and professional training through courses, fieldwork, 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 two-year master's degree program, there are three variants: a three-year joint degree program leading to the M.A. in Jewish communal service and the M.A. in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies; a 27 month (spans three summers) double degree program in conjunction with The Heller Graduate School leading to the M.A. in Jewish communal service and the M.A. in management of human services; and a special one-year M.A. degree program that is available to students with graduate degrees in social work, Jewish studies, or a related field.


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 Bulletin, apply to candidates for admission to the Hornstein Program in Jewish Communal Service. In addition, applicants are expected to submit results of the Graduate Record Examination, a statement that describes the applicant's Jewish background and future professional plans and a sample of written material. Applicants are expected to arrange for a personal interview.


Faculty


Susan Shevitz, Director

Jewish education. Organizational behavior and leadership.

Judith Elkin

Jewish Education.

Sharon Feiman-Nemser

Jewish education.

Sherry Israel

American Jewish community and demography.

Bernard Mehlman

Jewish traditional sources.

David Mersky

Philanthropy and fundraising.

Joseph Reimer

Jewish life cycle. Jewish identity. Jewish education.

Marlene Schultz

Fieldwork. Group work.

Carl Sheingold

American Jewish Community. Organizational change. Philanthropy.

David Starr

Zionist history.

Lawrence Sternberg

Jewish advocacy and community relations.

See the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and the catalog for The Heller School for related faculty and course offerings.


Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts


Program of Study

Students are expected to complete a minimum of 16 courses, at least 12 of which are Hornstein courses, 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). Students may concentrate in Jewish education or specialize in advocacy or fundraising and philanthropy.

Fieldwork

Students have two supervised fieldwork experiences in Boston-area Jewish educational or communal service organizations. 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 middle of May and to plan for a shorter winter intersession than indicated in the University's Academic Calendar.

Joseph and Esther Foster Seminar in Israel on Contemporary Jewish Life

This four-week program, held during May and June after a student's first year, is a combination of classes and field visits designed to provide an in-depth understanding of Israel and its relationship with diaspora communities. It is sponsored in cooperation with the JCC (Jewish Community Centers) Association of Israel. Costs are partially subsidized by scholarships provided by the Joseph and Esther Foster Fund, the Kraft Israel Initiative, and the Jewish Agency.

Summer Study in Israel Program (SSIP)

Required of Jewish education concentrators and open to other students. SSIP takes place at the conclusion of the Foster Seminar. This heavily subsidized program affords students the opportunity of additional study in Judaica and Hebrew language at one of several institutions in Israel.

Substantive Paper

Students are required, during the second year, to submit a major substantive paper growing out of some aspect of their fieldwork experience. The paper analyzes a practical issue in Jewish communal service in light of 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

All students are expected to have mastered the Hebrew alphabet prior to beginning their studies. Fluency in Hebrew at a level comparable to two years of college training is required for graduation. Students not meeting this requirement upon entrance are required to enroll in courses in Hebrew language in their first year and, if necessary, during the summer after the first year. A preparatory program in the summer before enrollment is available through the Brandeis Hebrew Program.

Cocurricular Requirements

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 contemporary Jewish agenda. Required of all first-year students.

Tisch Seminars

Students participate in special seminars focusing on professional skill development.

Betty Starr Colloquium

First-year students spend three days in New York City visiting the national offices of major Jewish organizations to explore aspects of the communal agenda with agency leaders.

Milender Seminar in Jewish Communal Leadership

First- and second-year students participate in a three-day seminar on campus on Jewish communal leadership with an outstanding professional leader of the Jewish communal world.


Three-Year Joint 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. It is required of students concentrating in Jewish education. Students who enroll in the three-year program devote most of their first year to 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 complete six NEJS courses and one JCS course. In their second year, students complete one NEJS course and seven JCS courses and in the summer complete the Israel Seminar (JCS 350b Foster Seminar in Israel on Contemporary Jewish Issues) and individualized Judaica study in Israel (SSIP). In their third year, students complete one NEJS course (that may be a reading course to prepare for the comprehensive exam) and six JCS courses.

Admission

Applicants must submit a single application in duplicate to the Hornstein/NEJS joint masters' program.

Language Requirement

All candidates are required to demonstrate proficiency in biblical or modern Hebrew.


Twenty-seven month Double Master's Program: Hornstein/Heller


This program prepares professional leaders who combine a high level of management skills with broad knowledge of the contemporary Jewish world. The program blends The Heller Graduate School's management curriculum with the Hornstein Program's integrated approach to Jewish communal work. Graduates of the double degree program receive two master's degrees: a Master of Arts in Jewish Communal Service from the Hornstein Program and a Master of Management from The Heller Graduate School. The double degree program spans a 27 month period beginning in June.

Admission

Students applying to this program must demonstrate professional and academic capability and the capacity for sustaining an intensive program of study. Applicants must submit a single application in duplicate to the Hornstein/Heller double-degree program.

Program of Study

There are 27 required 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 for a local nonprofit agency.

Residence Requirement

Spans a 27 month period starting in June.

Language Requirement

Candidates are expected to establish competence in Hebrew, as described above.


One-Year Certificate Program in Jewish Education


A one-year certificate program is offered to NEJS Ph.D. students who have completed their residence requirement and at least one comprehensive examination


Courses of Instruction



(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 205b Continuity and Change in Contemporary Jewish Life

Assuming this is a period of watershed change in American Jewish life, we explore the nature of the significant changes now occurring and identify critical issues that currently perplex American Jewry. Issues include conversion, homosexuality, euthanasia, women's participation, and who is a Jew. Texts and primary documents (in translation) will be used. Usually offered in even years.

Staff

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. Reimer

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 216a Philosophy of Jewish Education

At a time when the Jewish community is pinning hopes on the promise of Jewish education, we will raise philosophic questions about the nature of Jewish education. These include: What is Jewish education? What are its legitimate goals? What makes someone a "Jewish educator?" How do formal and informal education differ? How is philosophy of education manifest in the actual work of Jewish educators. 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.

Mr. Starr

JCS 218b The Cycle of the Jewish Year: Text Studies

The Jewish calendar is almost totally mandated by the Hebrew Bible, yet the Sages gave shape and substance to the holiday celebrations. Focuses on the Scriptural texts, taken from the Torah, the Prophets, and the Hagiographa, which the Sages assigned for reading on holidays and assess what the Sages wanted to communicate--historically, theologically, and spiritually. Uncovers the rabbinic agenda which has shaped the practice of Judaism. Usually offered in odd years.

Mr. Mehlman

JCS 222b Teaching Jewish Texts

Examines a variety of ways that Jewish educators and communal professionals teach and present Jewish texts to different audiences. Usually offered in odd years.

Staff

JCS 228b Jewish Communal Institutions in Transition: New Paradigms and New Structures

Major changes are taking place in the American Jewish community. We explore these developments on their own terms and as reflections of deeper paradigm shifts taking place in the relationship of individual Jews to their Jewish identity and their relationship to the Jewish community. Particular attention is paid to four arenas of change: Jewish identity; Israel/Diaspora relations; organizational structures and relationships; and philanthropy. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Sheingold

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 among 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 234b Curriculum Theory and Development

Developing effective programs and courses requires an understanding of participants, concepts, contexts, and processes. Students gain an understanding of how programs and curricula are developed for formal and informal Jewish educational settings. Family education programming is used as the focus of the course. Usually offered in even years.

Ms. Elkin

JCS 235a and b Seminar: The Culture of Jewish Educational Settings with Implications for Change

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. Elkin

JCS 237b Organizations: Theory and Behavior

Organizations, even when carefully designed to be effective and 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 every year.

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 fundraising 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 Seminar in Professional Skill Development

Required of all first year students.

What does it mean to develop a professional identity, or for that matter, a Jewish identity? That question is explored in several contexts: (a) as interns in a field placement; (b) as members of a group of students; (c) as aspiring professionals in a community that promotes a variety of Jewish journeys. Much of the reading and course work is based on the literature on the development of Jewish identities in the contemporary period. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Reimer and Ms. Schultz

JCS 250d Seminar in Planning and Leadership

During the first semester a series of case studies to explore the processes of planning and the skills of community organization, politics, and planning at the organizational and communal levels is used. Students apply their knowledge of various communal organizations to revisit and reassess previous efforts as well as to envision and create new initiatives. Particular emphasis is given to the roles played and skills needed by professionals in the complex process of change. The second semester focuses on images of, requisite skills for, and diverse models of leadership, all of which provide paradigms for professional practice in the Jewish community. Usually offered every year.

Messrs. Sheingold and Sternberg

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 odd years.

Ms. Israel

JCS 287b Management Modules for Jewish Communal Professionals

Provides an introduction to fundamental management skills, including managerial communication and supervision, budgeting, marketing, conflict resolution, and peer consultation in the context of Jewish communal service. Emphasis on theory, fundamental concepts, vocabulary, and practice in the application of the skills in Jewish communal work settings. Classes and assignments involve case analysis, skill practice and application exercises as well as background reading. 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 Jewish Community Centers Association (JCCA) and the Melton Centre at Hebrew University. Usually offered every year.

Staff


Practica


Practicum in Jewish Advocacy, Jewish Philanthropy, and Fundraising

Required of concentrators. Not for credit.

Practica for students specializing in Jewish advocacy or fundraising/philanthropy or for students concentrating in Jewish education are held to discuss field-based issues.

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 biweekly. Sets up a framework for exploring the dynamics of an effective learning group and examines the Israel-Diaspora relationship in relation to selected contemporary issues and to students' personal and professional commitments. Usually offered every year.

Ms. Israel