Join the second cohort of Herzog College’s innovative online Master’s degree, designed for those who love learning and teaching Tanakh.

Herzog College and Herzog Tanakh

Teaching Tanakh has been the flagship educational degree program at Herzog College for over 30 years, training thousands of teachers for Israel’s religious schools.  We work with Judaic Studies teachers in Israel and around the world, with the goal of raising the standards of teaching in Jewish educational institutions. We also organize community education programs including the annual Yemei Iyun B’Tanakh every summer.

The Herzog approach to the study of Tanakh involves literary analysis of every chapter, understanding its historical context, the places where its events took place, and its philosophical messages.

Why take a Master’s Degree in Tanakh?

If you are looking to deepen your understanding of Tanakh, this MA course is for you. If you are looking to enhance your career prospects with an MA degree, you might as well study a subject that you enjoy! Our online Master’s degree in Teaching Tanakh and Parshanut is designed both for Judaic Studies teachers and for people who enjoy learning Tanakh and sharing their knowledge with their community, families and friends.

Our two-year online Master’s program includes 14 hybrid and asynchronous courses, taught mostly online, with one two-week semester in Israel with live lectures and tours of historical and archeological sites.  

The MA degree program presents the teaching of Tanakh as a multi-disciplinary endeavor, exploring Biblical verses and their commentaries drawn from multiple sources including Talmud, Midrash and Halachic literature. Students in the MA program will study passages from the Tanakh, expand their knowledge of its many classical interpretations, and explore opportunities for engaging multidisciplinary teaching. The program will combine traditional commentaries with new study methods, modern research and interpretative tools, while retaining an authentic religious Jewish commitment to the Torah text.  

This Master’s program is currently being taught in Jerusalem in Hebrew, and online in Spanish and English.

ONLINE COURSE CURRICULUM

During the first year of the program, the courses focus on exploring connections between the Biblical text and other Jewish traditional sources and developing pedagogy skills. During the summer program and second year courses, the courses are designed to develop techniques for interpreting, researching and teaching the Tanakh and its commentaries.

The Chumash and Navi courses focus on how to teach Sefer Shemot, David HaMelech, the Five Megillot, Shivat Tzion and Hassidut. The Education and Pedagogy courses include Parshanut, Ethics & Morals, Intrinsic Motivation, and Student-Centered Learning. There are also two courses geared towards writing a Master’s seminar paper. 

Many of Herzog Global’s existing Tanakh Teaching courses may be accredited as part of this degree. If you have taken online courses through Herzog College, you may already have earned credits toward the M.A. degree. Complete the form above and speak with our Admissions Director about your credits. 

M.A. Degree in Tanakh & Parshanut

Department Head: Professor Eli Hadad
Program Director: Rabbi Reuven Spolter – rspolter@herzog.ac.il
Admissions Director: Hadassah Levy – admissions@herzog.ac.il