The new Master of Educational Leadership (MEdL) aims to prepare change-makers and meaning-makers for the field of Jewish education. 

Our Master of Educational Leadership (MEdL) is designed for creative, dynamic, passionate educators who are eager to lead change, design meaningful Jewish experiences, and transform the world through education

Do you love a new challenge? Do you enjoy sparking aha moments for others? Do you find fulfillment in rolling up your sleeves and seeing the impact of your work? Are you looking for the right place to launch your career in Jewish education?

Whether you already have experience working in your community, or are still exploring the right fit, pursuing a graduate degree in Jewish educational leadership is the creative, impactful, and spiritual work you’ve been seeking.

Be empowered to step into the in-demand leadership role you were meant to have. Your journey towards a stable, purposeful and respected career path filled with a lifetime of emotional and professional rewards starts at HUC-JIR. Emerge from this innovative program with the ability to manage, and educate courageously in a time of uncertainty and opportunity.

Program Details:

Let us guide you along a path to an unconventional workplace that values vision, play, experimentation, and true interpersonal bonds. Conduct transformative professional work while pursuing your graduate studies that will advance your career and help you grow into an effective change-maker. During your two to three years at HUC-JIR, you will:

• • Access world-class academics, researchers and thought leaders, in addition to an assigned faculty mentor, with whom you will be personally matched for one-on-one supervision and study.
  • Gain hands-on skills, peer mentorship, and career-long connections through your graduate residency, a salaried 20-25 hour/week position in one of HUC-JIR’s partner educational institutions.
  • Attend engaging academic courses and lectures that complement your work in our living laboratories, where you will build your resume, portfolio and professional network.
  • Apply your studies directly to institutions open to new and sophisticated thinking.
  • Bring Jewish content, ideas, inspiration, and practices to life with a variety of age groups.
  • Expand your capacity for creativity, inquiry, problem-solving, and collaboration.
  • Renew your own spiritual connection through a deep exploration of Jewish texts, history, and culture.

The program takes place in Los Angeles or New York. Israel engagement is a core component of all HUC-JIR programs. All School of Education students have a study experience in Israel. Students who chose to do the single degree MEdL will participate in an Israel Seminar, a ten-day intensive study experience that focuses on the place of Israel and Jewish Peoplehood in Jewish education.  Through forums with Israeli leaders in the field and visits to Israeli schools and programs focusing on Jewish education, you will establish ties with Israeli educators and understand the role that you can play in connecting Jewish communities around the world as well as bring Israel home to the individuals at the institutions you lead. Students who chose to do the dual MEdL and MAJL degrees are required to participate in our Year In Israel program, which brings rabbinic, cantorial and MEdL students together to the Jerusalem campus.

Other Master’s programs in Jewish Education at all campuses. See the website for information.