New Course Development in the Masters of Jewish Education Program

Through this grant, Hebrew College will develop two graduate special education courses. The content of these courses will include how to work with neurodiverse learners in Jewish education and how to support aging adults with autism in Jewish contexts. To accomplish this, faculty will update a pre-existing course on “Encountering Neurodiversity within Jewish Education” and develop a new course on the “Lifecycle of Jewish Education”. The goal of the former is for students to learn to deepen their understanding of the field of Jewish special education through reflection, research, and the application of neurodiversity to the design of nurturing and inclusive environments. The goal of the latter is to look at the lifespan of special education programs through the lens of case studies of existing programs serving learners at each life stage. It will also link the coursework to Jewish ritual and practice.