The Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program

Last updated: August 14, 2014 at 4:30 p.m.

Objectives

The Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program prepares leaders to understand and confront the challenges of a rapidly changing Jewish community, and to help shape its future. Intellectually robust, and experientially varied, the program offers four separate dual-degree tracks which students complete in approximately 21 months (4.5 semesters):

  • MA/MBA program with the Heller School of Social Policy and Management.
  • MA/MPP program with the Heller School of Social Policy and Management.
  • MA/MA program with the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies.
  • BA/MA program with the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies

All programs combine top-quality scholarship, professional education, travel, and carefully selected field experiences to equip leaders with the tools necessary to help craft twenty-first-century Jewish life.

Students in the Hornstein program have the opportunity to study with outstanding scholars and practitioners whose work shapes Jewish discourse, policy, and professional practice. The curriculum integrates courses in Jewish studies, nonprofit management, and Jewish communal leadership, and highlights the roles of research, evaluation, and reflective practice in achieving professional success.

How to Be Admitted to the Graduate Programs

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 dual-degree programs. Applicants must submit a single application to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, demonstrating professional and academic capability, and the capacity for sustaining an intensive program of study.

In addition, applicants are expected to submit results of either the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). The Hornstein-Heller MBA program accepts either GMAT or GRE scores. The Hornstein-Heller MPP program and the Hornstein-NEJS program accept the GRE. Applicants must also submit a statement that describes their Jewish interests and future professional plans, and a sample of written material. Applicants are required to arrange for a personal interview. Contact hornstein@brandeis.edu for further details.

Faculty

Jonathan D. Sarna, Chair
American Jewish history. Judaism in the Americas.

Ellen Smith, Director
Visual and material culture of religion. American Jewish history. Professional leadership.

Matt Boxer
Research methods and statistics. Jewish identity. Socio-demography.

David Mersky
Philanthropy and fundraising.

Joseph Reimer (on leave spring 2015)
Jewish educational leadership.

Mark Rosen
Organizational Behavior; non-profit management.

Amy Sales
Jewish identity and institutions. Demography. Planning and evaluation.

Len Saxe
Jewish identity. Socio-demography. Evaluation research.

Affiliated Faculty (contributing to the curriculum, advising and administration of the department or program)
Sharon Feiman-Nemser (Near Eastern and Judaic Studies)
Jon Levisohn (Near Eastern and Judaic Studies)

See the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies in this Bulletin, and the Heller School for Social Policy and Management Web site, www.heller.brandeis.edu, for related faculty.

Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts


Requirements for the Dual Degree of Master of Arts/Master of Business Administration (Hornstein MA in Professional Jewish Leadership, and the Heller School for Social Policy and Management MBA)


Program of Study
This program prepares professional leaders with the full complement of business and nonprofit skills, as well as specialized knowledge of Judaic studies and contemporary Jewish life. The program blends the Heller School's management curriculum with the Hornstein program's integrated approach to Jewish leadership training. Graduates of the dual-degree program receive two master's degrees: a Master of Arts in Jewish professional leadership from the Hornstein program and an MBA from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management.

Degree Requirements
The dual degree requires eighty course credits comprised of specific Hornstein courses totaling approximately thirty-six credits, and specific Heller courses totaling thirty-eight credits. The remaining credits are taken as electives. The program is usually completed in four and a half semesters, including the summer between years one and two.

Supervised Professional Field Experience
Supervised professional field experience forms an important part of the Hornstein program. It is designed to immerse students in the best professional practices within the Jewish community, and to help students refine their practical skills, learn to turn theory into action, and become self-reflective and effective practitioners.

Field experience usually takes place in the summer and/or second year of the program and consists of approximately 150-250 hours of work managing a project jointly created by the student, the Hornstein faculty, and the supervisor in the field organization.

Myra Kraft Seminar in Israel
Students take a classroom seminar and then travel to Israel as a required part of the curriculum to examine contemporary issues in Israeli society and its relationship with diaspora communities.

Language Requirement
All students are expected to know the Hebrew alphabet prior to beginning their studies. Proficiency in modern Hebrew at a level comparable to one year of Brandeis University training is required for graduation. Students not meeting this requirement upon entrance are required to enroll in courses in Hebrew language during their academic residency. Students may fulfill the Hebrew language requirement by passing (B- or above) a 20-level or higher Hebrew course.

Cocurricular Requirements

Hornstein Leadership Forum
Meeting periodically throughout the year, this required forum brings innovative Jewish leaders into an intimate setting with Hornstein students for conversations about Jewish leadership and decision-making. Students are involved in the planning and coordination of the seminar.

Betty Starr Colloquium
Students spend four days during their first academic year in New York City visiting the national offices of major and start-up Jewish organizations to explore aspects of the communal agenda with agency executives.

Milender Seminar in Jewish Communal Leadership
Students participate in a three-day seminar about Jewish leadership with an outstanding leader of the Jewish communal world.

Residence Requirement
The residence requirement is 4.5 semesters of full-time study or the equivalent thereof in part-time study.


Requirements for the Dual Degree of Master of Arts/Master of Public Policy (Hornstein MA in Professional Jewish Leadership, and the Heller School for Social Policy and Management MPP)


Program of Study
This program prepares professional leaders with the full complement of policy analysis and development skills, as well as specialized knowledge of Judaic studies and contemporary Jewish life. The program blends the Heller School's public policy curriculum with the Hornstein program's integrated approach to Jewish leadership training. Graduates of the dual-degree program receive two master’s degrees: a Master of Arts in Jewish professional leadership from the Hornstein program and a Master of Public Policy from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management.

Degree Requirements
The dual Master of Arts in Jewish Professional Leadership/Master of Public Policy in Social Policy is a rigorous, interdisciplinary degree program that provides students with the skills necessary for advanced careers in the government, nonprofit, and private sectors.

The dual-degree requires eighty course credits comprised of specific Hornstein courses totaling approximately thirty-six credits, and specific Heller courses totaling approximately thirty-six credits. The remaining credits are taken as electives. The program is usually completed in four and a half semesters including the summer between years one and two.

Dual-degree students must meet the MPP second-year capstone requirement and will generally focus their papers on Jewish community-related policy. Capstone advisors will include the instructor of the capstone seminar and a designee from the Hornstein program.

Supervised Professional Field Experience
Supervised professional field experience forms an important part of the Hornstein program. It is designed to immerse students in the best professional practices within the Jewish community, and to help students refine their practical skills, learn to turn theory into action, and become self-reflective and effective practitioners.

Field experience usually takes place in the summer and/or second year of the program and consists of approximately 150-250 hours of work managing a project jointly created by the student, the Hornstein faculty, and the supervisor in the field organization.

Myra Kraft Seminar in Israel
Students take a classroom seminar and then travel to Israel as a required part of the curriculum to examine contemporary issues in Israeli society and its relationship with diaspora communities.

Language Requirement
All students are expected to know the Hebrew alphabet prior to beginning their studies. Proficiency in modern Hebrew at a level comparable to one year of Brandeis University training is required for graduation. Students not meeting this requirement upon entrance are required to enroll in courses in Hebrew language during their academic residency. Students may fulfill the Hebrew language requirement by passing (B- or above) a 20-level or higher Hebrew course.

Cocurricular Requirements

Hornstein Leadership Forum
Meeting periodically throughout the year, this required forum brings innovative Jewish leaders into an intimate setting with Hornstein students for conversations about Jewish leadership and decision-making. Students are involved in the planning and coordination of the seminar.

Betty Starr Colloquium
Students spend four days during their first academic year in New York City visiting the national offices of major and start-up Jewish organizations to explore aspects of the communal agenda with agency executives.

Milender Seminar in Jewish Communal Leadership
Students participate in a three-day seminar about Jewish leadership with an outstanding leader of the Jewish communal world.

Residence Requirement
The residence requirement is 4.5 semesters of full-time study or the equivalent thereof in part-time study.


Hornstein-Near Eastern and Judaic Studies Dual MA Program


This program prepares future Jewish leaders to understand contemporary issues within the context of Jewish history, culture, and tradition. The program provides the knowledge, research skills, and practical tools necessary to envision and help shape twenty-first-century Jewish life. Graduates of this dual degree program receive a Master of Arts in Jewish Professional Leadership from the Hornstein Program, and a Master of Arts from the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies.

Degree Requirements
The dual degree requires eighty course credits, usually completed in four and a half semesters, including the summer between years one and two. Approximately thirty-six credits are taken as Hornstein courses, thirty-six credits (100-level or above) as NEJS courses (of which at least 24 credits are taught by NEJS faculty members) with the remaining credits taken as electives. All NEJS graduate students (regular 2-year MA and PhD) are required to participate in a weekly for-credit graduate Proseminar (NEJS 231a) during the first fall semester and a biweekly non-credit Proseminar in the spring. Students must also complete a comprehensive examination, thesis, or capstone project related to both Hornstein and NEJS learning. The remainder of each student’s program is individualized and is created in conjunction with advisors from Hornstein and NEJS.

Supervised Professional Field Experience
Supervised professional field experience forms an important part of the Hornstein program. It is designed to immerse students in the best professional practices within the Jewish community, to help students refine their practical skills, learn to turn theory into action, and become self-reflective and effective practitioners.

Field experience usually takes place in the summer and/or second year of the program and consists of approximately 150-250 hours of work managing a project jointly created by the student, the Hornstein faculty, and the supervisor in the field organization.

Myra Kraft Seminar in Israel
Students take a classroom seminar and then travel to Israel as a required part of the curriculum to examine contemporary issues in Israeli society and its relationship with diaspora communities.

Language Requirement
All candidates are required to demonstrate language proficiency in modern Hebew. Please see modern Hebrew language requirement for MA degree under Near Eastern and Judaic Studies in this Bulletin.

Capstone Project
Students must complete one of the three capstone options listed under the requirements for the NEJS MA, in a manner that reflects and integrates their study in this joint program.

Cocurricular Requirements

Hornstein Leadership Forum
Meeting periodically throughout the year, this required forum brings innovative Jewish leaders into an intimate setting with Hornstein students for conversations about Jewish leadership and decision-making. Students are involved in the planning and coordination of the seminar.

Betty Starr Colloquium
Students spend four days in New York City visiting the national offices of major and start-up Jewish organizations to explore aspects of the communal agenda with agency executives.

Milender Seminar in Jewish Communal Leadership
Students participate in a three-day seminar about Jewish leadership with an outstanding leader of the Jewish communal world.

Residence Requirement
The residence requirement is 4.5 semesters of full-time study or the equivalent thereof in part-time study.

Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts / Master of Arts in Jewish Professional Leadership

The Hornstein BA/MA degree supplements undergraduate study in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, Hebrew, or Yiddish with a master’s degree in Jewish Professional Leadership. Achieved in a fifth (graduate) year of study, the Hornstein MA provides the professional skills and deep knowledge of the American and world Jewish communities that position graduates for work in a wide range of careers in the Jewish community.

Highly motivated and academically successful Brandeis undergraduates who are NEJS majors or minors (and for students who enrolled prior to the academic year 2011-12 and are Hebrew majors or minors, or Yiddish minors), are invited in the spring of their junior year to apply for admission to the five year BA/MA. Students must complete all requirements for the BA at the end of the fourth year, including successful completion of the major or minor in NEJS, Hebrew or Yiddish.

Program of Study
Fifty-six course credits are required:

A. Approximately thirty-six total Hornstein credits are required, sixteen of which are taken during the undergraduate senior year and the remainder during the graduate year.

B. Approximately twenty additional credits at the 100-level or above are taken during the summer, fall, and spring semesters of the fifth year of study, in a tailored program of study constructed with the Hornstein adviser.

C. HRNS 297a (Hornstein Professional Field Experience)
Supervised professional field experience forms an important part of the Hornstein program. It is designed to immerse students in the best professional practices within the Jewish community, and to help students refine their practical skills, learn to turn theory into action, and become self-reflective and effective practitioners.

Field experience usually takes place in the summer and/or final year of the program and consists of approximately 150-250 hours of work managing a project jointly created by the student, the Hornstein faculty, and the supervisor in the field organization.

D. HRNS 350f (Myra Kraft Seminar in Israel)
Students take a classroom seminar and then travel to Israel as a required part of the curriculum to examine contemporary issues in Israeli society and its relationship with world Jewish communities.

E. Completion of a significant final thesis or capstone project during the last semester of the fifth year. All final projects must be approved by the student’s Hornstein advisor.

Language Requirement
All candidates are required to demonstrate proficiency in modern Hebrew at a level comparable to one year of Brandeis training in order to graduate. Students not meeting this requirement upon entrance are required to enroll in courses in Hebrew language during their academic residency. Students may fulfill the Hebrew language requirement by passing (B- or above) a 20-level or higher Hebrew course.

Cocurricular Requirements

Hornstein Leadership Forum
Meeting periodically throughout the year, this required forum brings innovative Jewish leaders into an intimate setting with Hornstein students for conversations about Jewish leadership and decision-making. Students are involved in the planning and coordination of the seminar.

Betty Starr Colloquium
Students spend four days in New York City visiting the national offices of major Jewish organizations to explore aspects of the communal agenda with agency executives.

Milender Seminar in Jewish Communal Leadership
Students participate in a three-day seminar about Jewish leadership with an outstanding leader of the Jewish communal world.

Residence Requirement
One year (summer, fall, spring) of full-time residence (the fifth year) is required after completing the BA.

Affiliated Institutes

The Hornstein program is affiliated with several Brandeis institutes and programs that promote research and continuing professional education in the field of Jewish professional leadership and Jewish education. Students have access to research projects, training, courses, and professionals associated with the following.

Brandeis Genesis Institute: established in 2009 to prepare Russian-speaking Jews from around the world to become effective community leaders fortified by Jewish knowledge, a systematic understanding of Russian Jewry, and a commitment to the future of the Jewish people. For more information, please see www.brandeis.edu/bgi.

Crown Center for Middle East Studies: A research center committed to proving that it is possible to produce balanced, objective, and dispassionate research regarding all aspects of the contemporary Middle East. For more information, please see www.brandeis.edu/crown.

Institute for Jewish Philanthropy and Leadership: Brings academic expertise to the study and practice of fundraising, philanthropy, and leadership in the American Jewish community. For more information, please see www.brandeis.edu/ijpl.

Genesis: A summer program for high school students empowering teens to relate their secular interests to Judaism by integrating their studies of the arts and humanities with social and political action. It provides a laboratory for work in informal Jewish education. For more information, please see www.brandeis.edu/genesis.

Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education: The Mandel Center is dedicated to the study and improvement of Jewish education. Through its initiatives in Jewish education, the Mandel Center contributes to a flourishing Jewish present and future. For more information, please see www.brandeis.edu/centers/mandel.

Maurice and Marilyn Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies: The Maurice and Marilyn Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies (CCMJS) is a multidisciplinary research center dedicated to bringing the concepts, theories, and techniques of social science to bear on the study of modern Jewish life. For more information, please see www.brandeis.edu/cmjs.

Schusterman Center for Israel Studies: The Schusterman Center for Israel Studies is dedicated to promoting exemplary teaching and scholarship in Israeli history, politics, culture, and society at Brandeis and beyond. For more information, please see www.brandeis.edu/israelcenter.

Steinhardt Social Research Institute: Collects, analyzes, and disseminates unbiased data about the Jewish community and about religion and ethnicity in the United States. For more information, please see www.brandeis.edu/ssri.

Courses of Instruction

(200 and above) Primarily for Graduate Students

HRNS 205f Summer Camp: The American Jewish Experience
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
How did American summer camps evolve? How did Jews appropriate this form for their communal needs? How did leadership develop and what are the pressing issues of today? These questions will be examined from historical, educational, and managerial perspectives. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Reimer

HRNS 206b Informal Education in Jewish Settings
Explores what we mean by ‘informal education’ and how serious Jewish educators have brought "informal education" and "experiential learning" to settings as diverse as summer camps, Israel trips, arts programs, and community service initiatives. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Reimer

HRNS 229a Jewish Polity and Organizational Life
Open to undergraduate seniors and to graduate students from other departments with permission of instructor.
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. A significant component focuses on field observation and experience. Usually offered every fourth year.
Mr. Saxe

HRNS 231b The American Jewish Community in Historical Perspective
Uses history to shed light on the issues and challenges facing the contemporary American Jewish community. This course asks how the community assumed its current shape, and uses a series of historical case studies to examine past crises and the lessons that might be learned from them. The goal of this course is to help students craft a "usable past" - one that employs the hindsight of history to understand the present and plan ahead for the future. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Sarna

HRNS 237b Organizational Behavior in Jewish Nonprofits
Core course required for all Hornstein students. Also open to undergraduates and to graduate students from other departments with permission and signature of instructor.
Presents contemporary management theories, case studies, skill-building exercises, and traditional Jewish teachings to provide a conceptual understanding of individual and group behavior in Jewish nonprofit organizations. Covers such topics as motivation, trust, ethics, group dynamics, decision-making, power, conflict, influence, negotiation, lay-professional relations, leadership, organizational culture, and organizational change. Offered every year.
Mr. Rosen

HRNS 239b History and Philosophy of Jewish Philanthropy and Fundraising
Open to undergraduate students with permission of the instructor.
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 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 every third year.
Mr. Mersky

HRNS 241a Skills and Techniques in Jewish Philanthropy and Fundraising
Core course required of all Hornstein students.
Provides a conceptual framework and develops a community organizing approach, implementing fundraising campaigns for Jewish communal enterprises. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Mersky

HRNS 246a Statistics for Jewish Professional Leaders
Core course required of all Hornstein students. Yields half-course credit. May not be repeated by students who took HRNS 246f.
Provides an introduction to statistical thinking and analytical methods. Focus is on understanding statistical reasoning and interpreting analyses. Topics include descriptive and inferential statistics applied to understanding survey research, evaluation, and policy studies relevant to Jewish organizational leadership. Usually offered every year.
Staff

HRNS 247a Program Evaluation for Jewish Professional Leaders
Prerequisite: HRNS 246a or equivalent course in statistical research methods. Yields half-course credit. Core course required of all Hornstein students. May not be repeated for credit by students who took HRNS 247f in previous years.
Provides participants with an understanding of the basic concepts of evaluation research and their application to Jewish communal policy. Emphasizes methodological issues and their application to social interventions and program delivery using exemplars from the Jewish communal sphere. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Saxe

HRNS 248f Jewish Texts for Professional Leaders
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Introduces Jewish Text study in English on themes from Biblical, rabbinic, medieval and modern sources. Students gain appreciation for how these texts grapple with key questions still alive for world Jewry. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Reimer

HRNS 260f Jewish Community and Identity
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Open to undergraduate seniors and to graduate students from other departments with permission and signature of instructor. May not be repeated by students who took HRNS 260a.
Focuses on an understanding of Jewish identity from a social science perspective. Socio-psychological theories of identity will be considered in the context of Jewish identity development and expression. Students will gain an understanding of the literature on identity and its implications for Jewish communal policy and practice. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Sales

HRNS 297a Hornstein Professional Field Experience
Open to Hornstein students who have completed at least one semester of course work in the program. Course yields half-course credit.
Students work 150-250 hours under the mentorship of a leader in a Jewish nonprofit organization. Placements are carefully designed to advance professional leadership skills and match students' interests and career goals. Each student is advised by a faculty member and by the manager of fieldwork and alumni relations. Usually offered every semester.
Staff

HRNS 298a Advanced Professional Field Experience
Prerequisite: HRNS 297a or permission of the instructor. Course yields half-course credit.
For Hornstein students who wish to pursue an additional elective field experience beyond the requirement of HRNS 297b. Students work a minimum of 125 hours in a Jewish nonprofit organization, and are required to conduct a literature review and submit a related paper that is connected to their fieldwork project. Fieldwork projects are carefully designed to provide students with practical experience as well as guidance and mentoring from experienced Jewish professionals. Each student is advised by the Director of Field Experience Programs. Usually offered every semester.
Mr. Rosen

HRNS 299a Master's Thesis
Staff

HRNS 330a Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Mr. Mersky

HRNS 331f Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Mr. Mersky

HRNS 332a Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Mr. Reimer

HRNS 333f Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Mr. Reimer

HRNS 334a Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Mr. Rosen

HRNS 335f Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Mr. Rosen

HRNS 336a Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Ms. Sales

HRNS 337f Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Ms. Sales

HRNS 338a Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Mr. Sarna

HRNS 339f Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Mr. Sarna

HRNS 340a Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Ms. Smith

HRNS 341f Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Ms. Smith

HRNS 342a Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Mr. Saxe

HRNS 343f Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Mr. Saxe

HRNS 344a Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Ms. Fish

HRNS 345f Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Ms. Fish

HRNS 346a Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Mr. Levisohn

HRNS 347f Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Mr. Levisohn

HRNS 348a Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Mr. Boxer

HRNS 349f Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Mr. Boxer

HRNS 350a Myra Kraft Seminar in Israel
Required core course for all Hornsten students. Yields half-course credit.
An intensive examination of contemporary issues in Israeli society and its relationship with Diaspora communities. Course begins with on-campus sessions and culminates in Israel.
Ms. Fish

HRNS 380a Proseminar: Issues, Structure, and Perspectives of the American Jewish Community
Required course for all Hornstein students.
An introduction to key issues in the structure and perspectives of the American Jewish community. Students will develop a shared background, language, and experiences in their first semester to serve as a foundation throughout their career--both at Brandeis and in the field. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Smith

HRNS 390a Independent Study
Staff

HRNS 391a Independent Study
Yields half-course credit.
Staff

HRNS 399a Capstone
Yields half-course credit.
The final course in the Hornstein curriculum, the class transitions Hornstein learning to the coming professional workplace in the Jewish community through faculty "last lectures," critical assessments of current issues, and student presentations. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Smith

HRNS/HS 232a Team Consulting Project Workshop
Corequisite: Concurrent registration with HS 299b. Yields half-course credit.
A series of sessions designed to provide students with the team building and consulting skills necessary to meet the team consulting projects client needs and provide them with tools that will be useful throughout their careers. Several sessions will enable teams to share their experiences with other teams and problem solve as a group. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Bailis, Ms. Carlson and Ms. Smith

Cross-Listed in the Hornstein Program

NEJS 145a History of the State of Israel
[ hum ]
Examines the development of the State of Israel from its foundation to the present time. Israel's politics, society, and culture will be thematically analyzed. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Troen

NEJS 169a Reading the Classroom as Text
[ hum ]
Yields six semester-hour credits towards rate of work and graduation. Prerequisite: Student must have a teaching position in an area religious school which serves as a "lab" and "experience" site.
In this experiential course, students analyze "records of practice" from their own and other's classrooms and situate their classroom experience in a broader conversation about the purposes, pedagogies and outcomes of religious education and the role of supplementary schools. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Feiman-Nemser

NEJS 170b Jewish Education in Modern America
[ hum ]
Draws on history, philosophy, and education to explore how Jewish education has changed from the late 19th century to the present, where and why it has succeeded and failed, what kind of Jewish education is needed now and in the future. Usually offered every other year.
Ms. Feiman-Nemser

NEJS 235b Philosophy of Jewish Education
What should Jewish education be? What are its legitimate goals? What are the competing visions of an educated Jew, and how do these influence educational practice? How is Jewish education similar to and different from other kinds of religious education? Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Levisohn