The Academy launches degrees in Jewish education

RABBI RAMON WIDMONTE

Over the past five years, the Academy – a modern orthodox programme for Jewish thought, scholarship and education – has expanded its role to also offer training for teachers in the largest Jewish day schools in South Africa. We have developed a curriculum for use in those schools.

The Academy then realised that South Africa has one of the few significant Jewish communities worldwide who do not enjoy the benefits of a Jewish university.

Unlike the US, which has institutions such as Yeshiva University, South Africa has not yet been able to afford adult educators, school teachers, informal educators and rabbis and rebbetzins the opportunity to gain a BA, MA or PhD in fields such as Jewish Education.

Besides degree programmes, countries with Jewish universities have centres for research and continuing professional development for educators. So, for example, a teacher or rabbi graduating from Yeshiva University has done courses in psychology, counselling, educational psychology, curriculum development, public speaking, classroom management, mentoring and more.

As a result of all this, very few Jewish Studies curricula are developed in South Africa. Instead, we import. Additionally, many of our teachers, informal educators, principals, rabbis and rebbetzins do not have the substantial benefit of the knowledge, professionalism and networking that a university experience in Jewish education would afford them.

One of our seminal experiences entailed meeting with Jews from Mexico, a country with a population smaller than our own, but which boasts a Jewish university. It crystallised our decision to create something similar for South Africa.

And so, after four years of hard work, this month, the Academy is launching NED (the National Educators’ Development project). The NED Programme aims to enable excellence in Jewish education within the Jewish day school, as well as in adult and rabbinic spaces, and to catapult South Africa’s Jewish educational environment to the forefront worldwide.

The key to success in education lies in the hands of the people, our educators – and, with the right training and management, we could fly.

The NED Programme includes continuing professional development courses on a variety of levels and in a range of subjects. These include training courses on Israel, Zionism, Jewish history, Jewish philosophy, Jewish ethics, art, Holocaust education, and South African legal, pedagogic and historical perspectives on Jewish and general education.

Additionally, the Academy is working with the London School of Jewish Studies (LSJS) to enable South African students to access bachelors and master’s degrees in Jewish Education provided by LSJS. These are internationally recognised degrees in Jewish education. They are all part time and are designed to be undertaken by working men and women. The MA programme offers sub-specialisations such as leadership of Jewish educational organisations, school teaching, informal education and community education.

The NED Programme will be the first of its kind in South Africa, combining the best of the Academy experience and faculty on the ground in South Africa, with international recognition.

An important part of the NED Programme is our ability to give credit for courses for educators, rabbis and rebbetzins who have tremendous teaching experience, but lack undergraduate degrees.

• For more information, contact the Academy on 010 140 2099 or email info@theacademy.org.za