Master’s Degree in Teaching Tanakh

 

M.A. in Teaching Tanakh & Parshanut 

Join the second year of Herzog College’s innovative online Master’s degree, designed for those who love learning and/or teaching 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. Our new online Master’s degree in Teaching Tanakh and Parshanut takes this program to a higher level for teachers in Israel and around the world, raising the standard of professional learning in the topic central to Judaic studies in educational institutions around the world. 

Teaching Tanakh is a multi-disciplinary endeavor, exploring Biblical verses and their commentaries drawn from multiple sources including Talmud, Midrash and Halachic literature. 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. Interpretations of Biblical stories can also be examined through engagement with contemporary literature, poetry, art, cinema and theater.   

STUDY IN ENGLISH OR SPANISH

Alongside the Hebrew-language Master’s course taught in Jerusalem, Herzog College offers Spanish and English-language versions of the MA program, with the additional option to take in-person classes in Hebrew in Jerusalem. 

Our two-year online Master’s program includes 14 hybrid and asynchronous courses, taught mostly online, with one two-week semester in Israel.  

Students in the M.A. 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.  

MA in Tanakh Teaching

Interested? Complete this form and our Admissions Director will contact you with more information.

    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, they 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, Yechezkel, 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 our existing Tanakh Teaching Courses are 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