University Bulletin (2019-2020)

• B.A./M.A.
• Master of Arts

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, national and international 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.

MA/MBA program with the Heller School of Social Policy and Management

Knowledge

1. Understand the history, cultural context, and development of present-day Jewish communities in North America, Israel, and throughout the globe, with a focus on the contemporary status and futures of these Jewish communities.
2. Understand and compare leadership practices through for-profit, not-for- profit, and Jewish frameworks.
3. Examine the current structure and mission of Jewish organizations with a focus on change, innovation, and best practices.
4. Learn social-scientific methodologies to collect, analyze, apply, and evaluate data that informs both routine and critical decision-making.
5. Acquire fundraising and development expertise in support of community care, advancement, and innovation.
6. Explore the broad range of classical and contemporary Jewish texts as sources for leadership perspective and performance.
7. Apply and evaluate core learning in organizational settings through professional field placements in Jewish organizations.
8. Acquire reading, writing, understanding, and speaking skills in basic modern Hebrew.
9. Gain experiential understanding of world Jewish communities through educational travel seminars in New York City, Israel, and Eastern Europe.
10. Gain the knowledge and core skills prescribed by the dual-degree MBA guidelines in social impact management, financial literacy, communication, collaboration, mobilizing and developing capabilities of individuals and organizations, and integrative skills.

Core Skills

1. Articulate and help execute leadership vision for the Jewish community.
2. Understand trends, frame issues, and apply professional skills in new and creative ways.
3. Develop decision-making skills based on evidence, data, critical thinking, reflective practice, and collaboration.
4. Hone oral, written, listening, and multimedia communication skills to effectively convey knowledge, express perspectives, and present evidence- based, persuasive positions.
5. Develop facilitation, collaboration, and conflict management skills.
6. Demonstrate the ability to conceive and carry out an integrative, synthetic team consulting project that demonstrates graduate- and professional-level competencies in the knowledge and skills acquired in the dual-degree program of study.

Social Justice

1. Understand the broad diversities within the Jewish communities, engaging all its members as partners and planners.
2. Deepen understanding of diverse global communities, perspectives, and traditions, helping to advance positive and peaceful inter-group cooperation and helping to ensure the rights and well-being of all people.
3. Perform all research, leadership, teaching, social service, and community interactions following the highest ethical and professional standards of the field.

Graduate Outcomes

The dual-degree Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership MA/ Heller MBA program provides core knowledge and skills leading to a variety of careers and next steps.

One hundred percent of Hornstein graduates seeking Ph.D.s, rabbinic ordination, or employment upon graduation acquire excellent placements across the top range of graduate schools and Jewish organizations.

MA/MPP program with the Heller School of Social Policy and Management

Knowledge

1. Understand the history, cultural context, and development of present-day Jewish communities in North America, Israel, and throughout the globe, with a focus on the contemporary status and futures of these Jewish communities.
2. Understand and compare leadership practices through for-profit, not-for- profit, and Jewish frameworks.
3. Examine the current structure and mission of Jewish organizations with a focus on change, innovation, and best practices.
4. Learn social-scientific methodologies to collect, analyze, apply, and evaluate data that informs both routine and critical decision-making.
5. Acquire fundraising and development expertise in support of community care, advancement, and innovation.
6. Explore the broad range of classical and contemporary Jewish texts as sources for leadership perspective and performance.
7. Apply and evaluate core learning in organizational settings through professional field placements in Jewish organizations.
8. Acquire reading, writing, understanding, and speaking skills in basic modern Hebrew.
9. Gain experiential understanding of world Jewish communities through educational travel seminars in New York City, Israel, and Eastern Europe.
10. Gain the knowledge and core skills prescribed by the dual-degree MPP guidelines in communication, quantitative and qualitative research and reasoning, policy and program evaluation, historical understanding of policy formation, and the structure and functioning of government and policy- related organizations.

Core Skills

1. Articulate and help execute leadership vision for the Jewish community.
2. Understand trends, frame issues, and apply professional skills in new and creative ways.
3. Develop decision-making skills based on evidence, data, critical thinking, reflective practice, and collaboration.
4. Hone oral, written, listening, and multimedia communication skills to effectively convey knowledge, express perspectives, and present evidence- based, persuasive positions.
5. Develop facilitation, collaboration, and conflict management skills.
6. Demonstrate the ability to conceive and carry out an integrative, synthetic capstone policy paper that demonstrates graduate- and professional-level competencies in the knowledge and skills acquired in the dual-degree program of study.

Social Justice

1. Understand the broad diversities within the Jewish communities, engaging all its members as partners and planners.
2. Deepen understanding of diverse global communities, perspectives, and traditions, helping to advance positive and peaceful inter-group cooperation and helping to ensure the rights and well-being of all people.
3. Perform all research, leadership, teaching, social service, and community interactions following the highest ethical and professional standards of the field.

Graduate Outcomes

The dual-degree Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership MA/Heller MPP program provides core knowledge and skills leading to a variety of careers and next steps.

One hundred percent of Hornstein graduates seeking Ph.D.s or employment upon graduation acquire excellent placements across the top range of graduate schools and Jewish organizations.

MA/MA program with the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies

Knowledge

1. Understand the history, cultural context, and development of present-day Jewish communities in North America, Israel, and throughout the globe, with a focus on the contemporary status and futures of these Jewish communities.
2. Understand and compare leadership practices through for-profit, not-for- profit, and Jewish frameworks.
3. Examine the current structure and mission of Jewish organizations with a focus on change, innovation, and best practices.
4. Learn social-scientific methodologies to collect, analyze, apply, and evaluate data that informs both routine and critical decision-making.
5. Acquire fundraising and development expertise in support of community care, advancement, and innovation.
6. Explore the broad range of classical and contemporary Jewish texts as sources for leadership perspective and performance.
7. Apply and evaluate core learning in organizational settings through professional field placements in Jewish organizations.
8. Acquire reading, writing, understanding, and speaking skills in basic modern Hebrew.
9. Gain experiential understanding of world Jewish communities through educational travel seminars in New York City, Israel, and Eastern Europe.
10. Gain the knowledge and core skills prescribed by the dual-degree NEJS MA guidelines in historical knowledge, religious traditions, scholarly research methods and analytic skills, research language(s), and an appreciation of religious and cultural diversities.

Core Skills

1. Articulate and help execute leadership vision for the Jewish community.
2. Understand trends, frame issues, and apply professional skills in new and creative ways.
3. Develop decision-making skills based on evidence, data, critical thinking, reflective practice, and collaboration.
4. Hone oral, written, listening, and multimedia communication skills to effectively convey knowledge, express perspectives, and present evidence- based, persuasive positions.
5. Develop facilitation, collaboration, and conflict management skills.
6. Demonstrate the ability to conceive and carry out an integrative, synthetic final thesis or project that demonstrates graduate- and professional-level competencies in the knowledge and skills acquired in the dual-degree program of study.

Social Justice

1. Understand the broad diversities within the Jewish communities, engaging all its members as partners and planners.
2. Deepen understanding of diverse global communities, perspectives, and traditions, helping to advance positive and peaceful inter-group cooperation and helping to ensure the rights and well-being of all people.
3. Perform all research, leadership, teaching, social service, and community interactions following the highest ethical and professional standards of the field.

Graduate Outcomes

The dual-degree Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership MA/ Near Eastern and Judaic Studies MA program provides core knowledge and skills leading to a variety of careers and next steps.

One hundred percent of Hornstein graduates seeking Ph.D.s, rabbinic ordination, or employment upon graduation acquire excellent placements across the top range of graduate schools and Jewish organizations.

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.

Len Saxe, Chair
Jewish identity; socio-demography; evaluation research.

Ellen Smith, Director (on leave fall 2019)
Leadership; American Jewish history; visual and material culture of religion.

Matt Boxer
Research methods and statistics ; Jewish identity; socio-demography.

Fern Chertok
Evaluation Research.

Joseph Reimer
Jewish educational leadership.

Mark Rosen
Organizational Behavior; non-profit management.

Jonathan D. Sarna
American Jewish history; global Judaism and Judaism in the Americas.

Affiliated Faculty (contributing to the curriculum, advising and administration of the department or program)
Sharon Feiman-Nemser (Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education, Near Eastern and Judaic Studies)
Jonathan Krasner (Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education, Near Eastern and Judaic Studies)
Jon Levisohn (Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education, 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 website for related faculty.

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 management 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 approximately 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. Dual-degree students must meet the MBA second-year Team Consulting Project requirement and will generally focus on a Jewish community-related management challenge. TCP advisors will include one Heller and one Hornstein faculty member.

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 and organizations 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 (usually two credits each of the two fall semesters) and then travel to Israel (twice, 10 days each winter break) 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. Hebrew credits may count as elective credits, but not as required curriculum course credits.

Cocurricular Requirements

Hornstein Community Time
Meeting periodically throughout the year, these required sessions enable Hornstein community planning, bring innovative Jewish leaders into an intimate setting with Hornstein students for conversations about Jewish leadership and decision-making, and enable students to present their learning to one another. Students are involved in planning and coordinating the various Community Time activities.

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.

Optional Seminar in the Eastern Europe
An optional week-long seminar in a former Soviet Union or Eastern European country is periodically offered and examines the past, present, and future issues of Jewish communities in those regions.

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 and organizations 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 (usually two credits each of the two fall semesters) and then travel to Israel (twice, 10 days each winter break) 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. Hebrew credits may count as elective credits, but not as required curriculum course credits.

Cocurricular Requirements

Hornstein Community Time
Meeting periodically throughout the year, these required sessions enable Hornstein community planning, bring innovative Jewish leaders into an intimate setting with Hornstein students for conversations about Jewish leadership and decision-making, and enable students to present their learning to one another. Students are involved in planning and coordinating the various Community Time activities.

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.

Optional Seminar in the Eastern Europe
An optional week-long seminar in a former Soviet Union or Eastern European country is periodically offered and examines the past, present, and future issues of Jewish communities in those regions.

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. First year students are required to participate in a weekly for-credit graduate Proseminar (NEJS 231a) during the fall. Students must also complete a final 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 and organizations 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 (usually two credits each of the two fall semesters) and then travel to Israel (twice, 10 days each winter break) 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 Hebrew. Please see the 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 Community Time
Meeting periodically throughout the year, these required sessions enable Hornstein community planning, bring innovative Jewish leaders into an intimate setting with Hornstein students for conversations about Jewish leadership and decision-making, and enable students to present their learning to one another. Students are involved in planning and coordinating the various Community Time activities.

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.

Optional Seminar in the Eastern Europe
An optional week-long seminar in a former Soviet Union or Eastern European country is periodically offered and examines the past, present, and future issues of Jewish communities in those regions.

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

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 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:

1. Approximately thirty-six total Hornstein credits are required, approximately sixteen of which are taken during the undergraduate senior year and the remainder during the graduate year.
2. 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.
3. 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 and organizations 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.
4. HRNS 350f (Myra Kraft Seminar in Israel)
   Students take a classroom seminar (usually two credits each of the two fall semesters) and then travel to Israel (twice, 10 days each winter break) as a required part of the curriculum to examine contemporary issues in Israeli society and its relationship with diaspora communities.
5. 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 Community Time
Meeting periodically throughout the year, these required sessions enable Hornstein community planning, bring innovative Jewish leaders into an intimate setting with Hornstein students for conversations about Jewish leadership and decision-making, and enable students to present their learning to one another. Students are involved in planning and coordinating the various Community Time activities.

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.

Optional Seminar in the Eastern Europe
An optional week-long seminar in a former Soviet Union or Eastern European country is periodically offered and examines the past, present, and future issues of Jewish communities in those regions.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.
Joseph Reimer

HRNS 206f Informal Jewish Education
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. May not be taken for credit by students who took HRNS 206b in prior years.
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.
Joseph Reimer

HRNS 216f The Sabbath: A Textual Exploration
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Introduces the Sabbath through translated classical Jewish texts that depict its traditional design and meaning. Class discussion will explore how these texts are interpreted today by varying Jewish religious communities. Usually offered every second year.
Joseph Reimer

HRNS 227b Contemporary Issues in Jewish Life: Using Social Science in Jewish Communal Policy-Making
Recommended prerequisite: One statistics course.
Enhances students’ understanding of how information about individuals and programs can be used to develop social and communal policy. The course will take a case study approach and will consider a set of specific policy issues. Through in-depth exploration of specific issues, students will develop more sophisticated ways to understand the Jewish community and policy problems. Usually offered every second year.
Len Saxe

HRNS 230a Managing Jewish Nonprofits
Yields half-course credit. Open to graduate students from other departments with permission of instructor.
Presents an overview for non-MBA students of the most widely-used principles, tools, and practices employed by managers of Jewish nonprofit organizations. Covers such topics as: mission, governance, strategic planning, human resource management, financial resources, marketing, and communications. Usually offered every year.
Staff

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.
Jonathan Sarna

HRNS 234a Human Resources Management in Jewish Nonprofits
Human resource management (HRM) aligns people with the mission of an organization. This course considers general principles of HRM and their application to Jewish and other non-profit organizations. Focuses on concepts and strategies that increase organization effectiveness (e.g., dealing with lay leaders, religious-secular differences) to enhance the value of people in organizations served. Usually offered every year.
Staff

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. Usually offered every year.
Mark Rosen

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.
Staff

HRNS 246a Statistics for Jewish Professional Leaders
Core course required of all Hornstein students.
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.
Matt Boxer

HRNS 247a Program Evaluation for Jewish Professional Leaders
Prerequisite: HRNS 246a or equivalent course in statistical research methods. Core course required of all Hornstein students.
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.
Fern Chertok and Len 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.
Joseph Reimer

HRNS 256a Stata for Jewish Professionals
Prerequisite: HRNS 246a. Corequisite: HRNS 247a.
Builds on the research method course sequence required for Hornstein students. In this course, we will review the statistical concepts learned in research methods and take them to the next step - by conducting basic statistical analysis using Stata. This course covers the types of statistical analysis that Jewish professionals are likely to encounter in their work with organizations, researchers, and funders. Usually offered every year.
Janet Aronson

HRNS 260f Jewish Community and Identity
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
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.
Staff

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.
Mark Rosen

HRNS 299a Master's Thesis
Staff

HRNS 328a Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Sharon Feiman-Nemser

HRNS 329f Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Sharon Feiman-Nemser

HRNS 332a Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Joseph Reimer

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

HRNS 334a Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Mark Rosen

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

HRNS 338a Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Jonathan Sarna

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

HRNS 340a Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Ellen Smith

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

HRNS 342a Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Len Saxe

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

HRNS 344a Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Rachel Fish

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

HRNS 346a Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Jon Levisohn

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

HRNS 348a Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Matt Boxer

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

HRNS 350a Myra Kraft Seminar in Israel
Required core course for all Hornstein students. Yields full-course credit.
Examines contemporary issues in Israeli society and its relationship with Diaspora communities. Course begins with on-campus sessions and culminates in Israel. Usually offered every year.
Staff

HRNS 350b Myra Kraft Seminar in Israel
Yields half-course credit. Formerly offered as HRNS 350a.
An intensive examination of contemporary issues in Israeli society and its relationship with Diaspora communities. Course culminates in Israel. Usually offered every year.
Staff

HRNS 351a Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Barry Shrage

HRNS 352f Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Barry Shrage

HRNS 353a Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Janet Aronson

HRNS 354f Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Janet Aronson

HRNS 355a Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Fern Chertok

HRNS 356f Readings in Jewish Professional Leadership
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Fern Chertok

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.
Ellen 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.
Ellen Smith

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.
Staff

NEJS 156a Modern Responsa Literature: The Sephardic Tradition
[ hum ]
The genre of Jewish literature known as Responsa has long been central to Jewish law. This course will focus on a large spectrum of responsa with significant attention being given to ones written by Israeli rabbis on a host of contemporary issues. Usually offered every second year.
Zvi Zohar

NEJS 169a Inside the Religious School Classroom
[ hum ]
This course offers a 2-credit optional Experiential Learning practicum for students teaching in an area religious school.
Examines the purposes, pedagogies and outcomes of religious education broadly refined by analyzing records of practice (e.g. classroom videotapes, student work, curricula). Usually offered every second year.
Sharon Feiman-Nemser

NEJS 170b Inside Jewish Education
[ hum ]
Combines autobiography, classroom videotapes, curriculum investigation and fieldwork to explore the purposes, practices and effects of contemporary Jewish education in its many forms and venues. Usually offered every other year.
Sharon Feiman-Nemser

NEJS 171a Teaching and Learning Modern Jewish History, the Holocaust, and Israel
[ hum ]
Examines why we teach history, how students learn history, the uses of public history, and what history means within a Jewish context. Special emphasis is placed on teaching with primary sources, digital resources, and oral history. Includes an oral history project in cooperation with the Jewish Women's Archive and Keshet (a Jewish LGBTQ organization), and an introduction to Holocaust education with Facing History and Ourselves. Usually offered every third year.
Jonathan Krasner

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.
Jon Levisohn