LSJS leads way with BA and MA options

BY DAVID SAFFER

The London School of Jewish Studies leads the way when it comes to the next generation of Jewish Studies tutors.

LSJS is enrolling students for the BA (Hons) Jewish Education for September 2023 and MA Jewish Education for January 2024.

The BA (Hons) part-time four-year degree programme offers flexibility for a school leaver or mature student. Those enrolling combine study with work and/ or family responsibilities. The course is validated by Middlesex University with an option of studying online or attending lectures at the London campus (one three-hour session per week).

LSJS also offers a two-year MA for educators seeking professional development or to progress a career.

Dr Helena Miller is Director of Degrees and Teacher Training Programmes at LSJS.

A Senior Research Fellow, Helena has a PhD in Jewish Education and has taught, researched and written widely in the UK and overseas.

She observed: “The (BA Hons) course is specifically geared to anyone with an interest in Jewish education. Students can go at their own pace. Most participants that enrol on the programme are teaching assistants or unqualified teachers in schools. The degree gives them an opportunity to become fully qualified teachers. It’s an access course for people that want to study and work at the same time.”

The course is also applicable for a pupil that doesn’t want to be a teacher.

Helena said: “It’s useful for many careers that are to do with education, community, youth or any related career. One of the things we always say is having a degree opens doors to what you want to do next. As a graduate going forward you have much more flexibility in career choices.”

LSJS currently has 27 students spread across different parts of the BA (Hons) programme.

Helena commented: “We normally take six to eight new students a year so have small cohorts. One of the advantages at LSJS is students get lots of personal support and we cater to individual needs.

“The majority of students have some connection to a Jewish school, are in youth work or working for a shul. They will have something to do with working with children. This undergraduate degree attracts people who have been to a Seminary or Yeshiva, or they have come straight from school, or had never been to university and decided that after bringing up a family it was time to get a degree. There are also people that take the degree but don’t want a teaching qualification however its essential that everyone has an interest in Jewish education to make the most of the degree.”

Modules in the curriculum cover a plethora of topics for students.

They include child development, understanding learning theories, Jewish approaches to learning, inclusion in a Jewish Studies classroom, Jewish Studies curriculum and resourcing classrooms.

“It’s varied and classes are taught by experts with assignments in between,” noted Helena.

Once the course has been completed and degrees handed out students benefit Jewish communities.

Helena observed: “Many graduates get their qualified teacher status through our programme ‘Assessment Only’. Within 12 weeks of completing their BA they can be a fully qualified teacher.

“Other graduates go on to a teacher training route called Schools Direct, which we also run. Within a year they can be a fully qualified teacher. It depends on prior experience, which route they take.

“Other pupils continue what they are doing or move on to roles in education our with special needs children. Also, for students who get married and have children during the course they have the degree when they have time in their lives to pursue a career.”

Away from the BA (Hons) option with Middlesex University, LSJS is developing a distance learning version for potential students living outside of London in the UK or overseas.

Helena explained: “It’s a great opportunity and will be available September 2023.

“We started the programme two years ago so there will be three years of the course online. For the coming year group, the whole course will be available to them, which is great news.”

LSJS’ two-year MA programme is specially designed for Jewish Studies teachers and school leaders, rabbis, informal and adult educators, and school governors.

Offered on-campus and via distance learning, the MA is quality assured by Middlesex University and forms an essential part of an educator’s development.

Helena, who received the Max Fisher Prize for outstanding contribution to Jewish Education in the Diaspora in 2012, commented: “Students undertake six modules that include looking at traditional Jewish approaches to Jewish education, theories of teaching and learning, management and leadership. They also do a case study and dissertation.

“An amazing thing about this programme is that it attracts people increasingly from all over the world. We have pupils from the UK, Israel, America, Switzerland, the Netherlands and South Africa.

“It’s a very exciting opportunity. It also means that we are only place in the UK that offers a BA (Hons) and MA in Jewish Education.”

Aside from degrees, Helena heads a ‘Jewish Lives’ longitudinal study which follows a cohort of young people who started in UK Jewish secondary schools in 2011.

Springer Publications published LSJS’ original two volume study, International Handbook of Jewish Education (2011) and are set to take on the updated work. Helena, collaborated with Dr Alex Pomson on the work.

She enthused: “We have been going back every couple of years to see how participants lives have developed. Students are 23 years of age so we have seen them through school and university.

“The next time we get data is 2024/25. As we are in between data collection periods we are writing a book on the first 10 years of the project. Springer are publishing the material and the manuscript will be ready by the end of 2023. It’s very exciting to see our work coming together.”

Helena added: “When you do longitudinal research, you have a burst of activity then a quiet period and another burst of activity. Putting it in a book gives it a life of its own so we are looking forward to seeing it in print. Hopefully it will be out when we are ready to do the next lot of data selection. There will then hopefully be another sequel in 10 years when our cohort are in their mid-30s making decisions about their own children about Jewish education.”

The cost of the BA is £4,800 a year, the MA is £3,500 a year. Means tested bursaries are available.

LSJS have a flexible approach for instalment payment systems over the period of the course.

Anyone interested should email helena.miller@lsjs.ac.uk