NEW YORK—The Steinhardt School of Education at New York University announces the creation of a new doctorate program in Education and Jewish Studies beginning in the 2002-03 academic year. The program will prepare students for careers in research and leadership in Jewish educational institutions, such as day schools and supplementary schools, community organizations and universities.
“Our doctoral program is the first of its kind offered at a major research university in the United States,” said Ann Marcus, dean of The Steinhardt School of Education. “Jewish education is experiencing a revitalization as the American Jewish community embraces its educational institutions as key to strengthening the community,” said Robert Chazan, program director and Scheuer Professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies. “However, this revival has exposed a need for teachers, researchers and leaders with advanced professional credentials that combine both education and Jewish studies.”
The school of education is offering the program in partnership with the Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies in NYU’s College of Arts and Sciences. While the school of education provides training in teaching and learning, educational research, and administration, the Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies provides courses in Jewish history, culture and tradition. Students will specialize in an area of education and an area of Judaic studies, and will work to integrate these experiences in order to form a focused research and leadership agenda for Jewish education. A unique component of the program includes close, personalized mentorship by practitioners working in the Jewish education field in the New York City area.
“Students will greatly benefit from NYU’s strategic position of housing one of the nation’s leading schools of education, a preeminent Jewish studies program, and our location, New York City, the center of America’s major institutions and organizations of Jewish education and the heart of America’s Jewish community,” Marcus said.
The Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies offers one of the largest and most wide-ranging Jewish Studies programs in North America. The program includes Hebrew language and literature as well as all facets of Jewish history and culture, from the ancient through the medieval to the modern. Courses are taught by faculty whose specialties include ancient Judaism, medieval Jewish history, modern Jewish history, Biblical studies, Middle Eastern studies, Post-biblical and Talmudic literature, Jewish mysticism, Jewish philosophy, and related fields.
The Steinhardt School of Education prepares students for careers in education, health and nursing, communications, and the arts and to serve as a source of continuing education for working professionals who seek career advancement and enrichment. On the graduate level, specialized training is offered within the context of one of the country’s leading centers of research. The school is also a center for research and community service, especially committed to activities aimed at improving the urban environment.