Masters Concentration in Israel Education

In a new partnership, seven American academic institutions have teamed up to offer their graduate students a Master’s Concentration Program in Israel Education.

Students study a common curriculum, gather together for eight colloquium days, receive individual mentoring, and create their own learning experience in Israel.

The program launched in May 2011, with its inaugural cohort of 19 students from:  

• Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education at Yeshiva University

• Davidson School of Jewish Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary

• Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program at Brandeis University

• The Schools of Education at Hebrew Union College

• The Jewish Education Program at the Steinhardt School of Education at New York University

• Jewish Professional Studies at Spertus Institute

• The Graduate Center for Education at American Jewish University

Program Components

1. Academic Study:

   • The Role of Israel in Jewish Life - tracing the evolving role of Israel as a force in Jewish history, thought and communal life from Biblical times until today.

   • Academic Courses in Israel Studies - students choose two additional content courses in Israel studies.

   • A Colloquium in Israel Education - over the duration of the program, students gather for a total of 8 seminar days devoted to the core issues of this field.

   • Hebrew Language Proficiency - students are expected to meet basic Hebrew proficiency standard by the end of the program and will be encouraged and supported in further developing their Hebrew language skills.

2. Individual Mentoring:

   • Students are paired with a professional mentor who is a quality reflective practitioner in the field.

   • Mentors meet regularly with students over the 18-month period.

3. Israel Learning Experience:

   • Students are provided the opportunity to learn in Israel - individually or as a group - in an area of professional interest.

4. Final Project:

   • Each student will produce an Israel education project to be determined by the student, the faculty, and the iCenter.

   • Final projects will be translatable into new ventures in Israel education to be implemented in the coming years throughout North America.

Sample Seminar Sessions:

Discussion of The State or (Statelessness) of Israel Education Today
The purpose of this session is to arrive at a clear picture of the sociology of the field in which we are working as a context for the creation of the field we want to create.

A New Starting Point: The Aleph-Bet of Israel Education
A discussion of the core fundamentals of Israel education developed by the iCenter Educational Advisory Team. The purpose of this session is to analyze and understand the building blocks for the field.

A Systems Approach to Israel Education
This session is dedicated to discussing a holistic approach to Israel education.

For more information about the Masters Concentration in Israel Education, please contact Michael Soberman or call 847.418.8326.

Read about the launch of the Masters Concentration program here.