Hebrew University: M.A in Jewish Education

Imagine this.

You’re sitting in a school… but it’s not your school.

You listen to how they teach. You talk with their educators. You share Shabbat with a local family.

You encounter questions that exist in your own community too — identity, belonging, tradition, change — but you discover answers you may never have considered.

And something shifts.

You stop thinking there is only one way to educate.

Because sometimes, to see our own community with fresh eyes, we first need to experience someone else’s.

Very soon, students in our M.A. program will have a new opportunity to do exactly that.

An international experience designed to explore, connect, question, and return home with a different perspective.

🌍 Jewish education grows when we learn from one another.

👀 Stay tuned. We’ll be sharing more very soon.

After seven years with our program, the time has come to bid farewell to our Deputy Director, Ariel Dajczman, as he begins a new chapter in his professional journey.

Ari joined the M.A. in Jewish Education program as the coordinator of the Spanish-language track and, over the years, took on new challenges, eventually becoming the program's Deputy Director.

Throughout this journey, he left his mark on countless projects and initiatives—and, above all, on the development and growth of the community we are today.

Yet, perhaps his most significant impact is on the people around him:
His colleagues, our students and alumni, the faculty, and everyone who had the opportunity to work, converse, or share a path with him.

Those of us who know Ari are well aware of his charisma, his ability to listen and communicate, the depth of his ideas, and that special quality of making every conversation—whether professional or personal—something that stays with you.

That is why, after seven years, Ari leaves behind more than just a mark on our program; he leaves a profound impression on all of us.

We will miss you dearly, Ari.

Thank you for these years, for everything we built together, and—above all—for the person and colleague you have been to us all.

Wishing you tremendous success in everything that lies ahead! ❤

What can the languages around us tell us about Jewish identity?

Think about a Jewish school, camp, synagogue, or community center for a moment. What languages do you see on the walls? Which ones do you hear in the hallways? Is Hebrew everywhere? What about English, Yiddish, Spanish, Russian—or the languages students speak at home?

Those choices can tell us a lot about identity, belonging, and who feels represented in our Jewish spaces.

In her latest article, ** Lipp** brings her background in language education into the world of Jewish education and introduces the idea of *linguistic landscapes*: looking closely at the languages that surround us and what they communicate, often without us even noticing.

Her experience also raises a broader question we care deeply about: **What happens when Jewish education learns from other fields?**

Sometimes, bringing a different professional background to Jewish education is exactly what allows us to see familiar questions in a new way.

We invite you to read Chiara’s *“Crossing Fields: Bridging Language Didactics and Jewish Education”* and join the conversation.

👉 Read the full article in the comments.



🇧🇷⤵

O que os idiomas ao nosso redor revelam sobre a nossa identidade judaica?

Pense por um instante em uma escola judaica, uma sinagoga, um movimento juvenil ou qualquer outro espaço comunitário. Quais idiomas aparecem nas paredes? Quais são ouvidos nos corredores? Onde está o hebraico? E que lugar ocupam o português e os outros idiomas que fazem parte da vida de nossos alunos e de suas famílias?

Essas escolhas dizem muito sobre **identidade, pertencimento e sobre quem se sente representado em nossos espaços judaicos**.

Em seu novo artigo, **Chiara Lipp** traz sua experiência na área de ensino de idiomas para a educação judaica e apresenta o conceito de *paisagem linguística*: observar os idiomas presentes nos espaços que habitamos e refletir sobre as mensagens que eles transmitem — muitas vezes sem que sequer percebamos.

Sua experiência também nos convida a pensar em uma questão mais ampla: **o que a educação judaica pode aprender quando dialoga com outras áreas do conhecimento?**

Às vezes, é justamente um olhar vindo de outra área que nos permite enxergar de uma nova maneira questões que já fazem parte do nosso cotidiano como educadores.

Convidamos você a ler *“Cruzando campos: construindo pontes entre a didática de línguas e a educação judaica”* e participar dessa conversa.

👉 Leia o artigo completo em nosso blog.

🇧🇷 **Another diploma has arrived in Brazil! 🎓**

Today we celebrate **Guita Sobel**, one of our newest graduates, receiving her MA in Jewish Education diploma at home in São Paulo.

Guita is the **Pedagogical Coordinator of the Jewish Studies Department at Iavne in São Paulo**, bringing what she has learned throughout the program directly into her work as a Jewish educator and educational leader.

From Jerusalem to São Paulo, our community keeps growing — and so does the impact of our graduates around the world. 🌎💙

**Mazal Tov, Guita! Welcome to our global alumni community! 🎓**



🇧🇷 Mais um diploma chegou ao Brasil! 🎓

Hoje celebramos Guita Sobel, uma de nossas mais recentes graduadas, que recebeu em sua casa, em São Paulo, o diploma do Mestrado em Educação Judaica.

Guita é Coordenadora Pedagógica da Área Judaica da Escola Ivane, em São Paulo, levando tudo o que aprendeu ao longo do programa diretamente para seu trabalho como educadora e líder educacional.

De Jerusalém a São Paulo, nossa comunidade continua crescendo — e também o impacto de nossos graduados ao redor do mundo. 🌎💙

Mazal Tov, Guita! Bem-vinda à nossa comunidade global de graduados! 🎓

Many Hebrew teachers work in very different contexts.

However, they share similar questions:

How do we motivate our students?
How do we strengthen the bond with the language?
How do we create meaningful experiences?

That is why professional communities matter.

Because learning from colleagues facing similar challenges helps us grow as educators.

With which country would you like to exchange experiences regarding the teaching of Hebrew?

👉 https://masterjewishprogram.huji.ac.il/program-overview

There is often a disconnect between the experiences of the Jewish people inside and outside of .
And that distance can be very difficult to bridge.

How can we share the same feelings when thousands of miles separate us?

And yet, in our communities, some people dedicate the best of themselves to trying to make space for compassion, to stepping into someone else’s shoes for a moment, and to reaching out a hand.

In our latest blog article, our student Bruno Cygiel shares an experience that brings us closer to the meaning of Tikkun and Arevut: repair and mutual responsibility.

Bruno writes:
“The concepts of Tikkun and Arevut are always present. The act of repairing after rupture—in the world and in our brothers and sisters who have given so much for us—is something I could not put out of my mind for a single moment.”

He determines with a reflection that resonates deeply with us as :
the importance of educating toward and , and of forming individuals who are committed to their communities and willing to help repair what they can.

👇 Read Bruno’s full below 👇

From the International M.A. in Jewish Education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, we stand with the people of Colombia and with our dear Colombian Jewish community during this incredibly difficult time.

Thankfully, our students and members of our community are safe. However, many of their friends, neighbors, and loved ones have not been as fortunate: some families have lost loved ones, while others have lost their homes and belongings.

Their pain touches us deeply, too.

We therefore join the call of the Confederation of Jewish Communities of Colombia and share their relief campaign, coordinated through Fundación CADENA.

At moments like these, mutual responsibility and solidarity stop being concepts and become actions.

We stand with Colombia. 🇨🇴💙

Information on how to contribute can be found in the image.

Today, we're celebrating one of our newest graduates, Kuszer, as he receives his diploma in Brazil—a milestone that reflects years of dedication, perseverance, and a deep commitment to Jewish education.

There's something special about seeing our graduates receive their diplomas in their home!

Congratulations on this incredible achievement! Wherever your journey takes you next, you'll always be part of the Hebrew University: M.A in Jewish Education family.

🇧🇷🎓 Mazal Tov, Jaime!

*Can artificial intelligence interpret Jewish texts for us?*

Perhaps.

*But should it?*

This question lies at the heart of Dr. Ehud (Udi) Tsemach's latest article.

In Jewish education, learning is about much more than finding the "right" answer. It is about interpretation, dialogue, identity, and the personal encounter with texts, traditions, and values.

So what happens when AI begins doing that work for us?

Rather than rejecting AI—or embracing it uncritically—Dr. Tsemach explores a different path.

What if educators designed AI not to replace learners, but to deepen reflection, encourage meaningful conversations, and create new ways of engaging with Jewish learning?

Through an innovative project, Jewish educators developed educational chatbots tailored to their own communities and classrooms, demonstrating that technology can support learning when pedagogy—not technology—leads the way.

The future of Jewish education will be determined by the educational choices we make. Either with AI or not.

Read the full article in the first link in the comments.


AI Chatbots as Gateways to Jewish Learning?

🔔🔔🔔 Happening Today 🔔🔔🔔

Jerusalem changes more than what you know.

It changes the questions you ask.

Every summer, Jewish educators from around the world come together at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem—not simply to study, but to challenge assumptions, exchange ideas, and rethink what Jewish education can become.

If you've ever wondered what your next step as an educator could look like, our Digital Open Day is the perfect place to begin.

Discover our flexible online master's program, explore three specializations, learn about scholarships, and experience what makes studying with a global cohort—and spending two transformative weeks in Jerusalem—unlike any other graduate program.

📅 Sunday, August 2.
🕗 7:00 pm Israel 🇮🇱 |
12:00 pm EST 🇺🇸 | 11:00 am PST 🇺🇸
🇬🇧 17:00 | 🇦🇷 13:00 hs | 🇧🇷 13:00 | 🇲🇽 10:00

Register here 👉 https://hujimelton.inwise.net/openday02082026