The realities of Jewish life in the Diaspora are always changing, and the Melton Centre for Jewish Education is moving in new directions to adapt and to strengthen Jewish education in communities worldwide. We have therefore developed a program, taught entirely in English, that culminates in an M.A. in Education, specializing in Jewish Education.

 

The studies for the master's degree integrate face-to-face and distance learning elements. Most courses are conducted online, combining synchronous and asynchronous teaching: recorded lessons, interactive forums, and pre-designed assignments to facilitate and optimize distance learning. The program also includes intensive sessions via Zoom – two weeks, in February – and an intensive face-to-face summer seminar – two weeks, in July – on the campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

This is an international, non-thesis master's program designed for Jewish and non-Jewish educators in formal and non-formal educational settings interested in Jewish education and its dialogue with the social sciences and the philosophy of Jewish and Israeli education and studies. The program is intended primarily for educators abroad who, for whatever reason, are unable to spend an extended period in Jerusalem. Participants will have the opportunity to study with Melton Center faculty and enjoy the academic resources of the Hebrew University.

The program focuses on three main areas:

1. The Philosophy, Sociology and Psychology of Jewish Education and Israel Education:

This area deals with the great issues in Jewish Education and Israel Education: Who is the educated person and who, the educated Jew? What are the goals of Jewish Education and how can we reach them today? What is the role of Jewish educators? What is the place of Israel in Jewish Education, and what should be the relationship between a Jewish school and Israel? What is the role of Zionism in our times?

2. The Teaching of Jewish Texts:

This area of focus deals with the teaching of Biblical and Talmudic texts. In the program, lecturers will teach how to analyze examples of different texts, in order to give the participants the necessary tools to delve into them and teach them in schools and communities. In the courses, participants will learn about different perspectives, like Philosophy of the Child, Levinas’ ethical perspective, and others. This focus is both theoretical and practical, because the coursework involves both the fundamentals of various perspectives on education, and practical examples that can be implemented in the field.

3. Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Jewish Education:

In this focus area, participants will analyze their own personal visions of Jewish Education as well as their institutional visions, using the study of several theories to help them self-reflect. Vision, innovation and entrepreneurship are the three main components of this focus area. Students can enroll in the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Track in Jewish education, from theory to practice, to deepen their knowledge on social entrepreneurship concepts and their application to Jewish education.