Beit Berl College
K'far Saba 4490500
Israel
- Arts
- Others
- Youth and education
The Faculty of Education
With a national reputation for professionalizing the field of education, this Faculty specializes in the training and development of teachers and youth workers. From early childhood to primary and secondary education, through special education to youth at-risk, the Faculty merges theory and practice, working with over 230 Arab and Jewish schools and community centers to facilitate and supervise students in the field. Today, one in every five teachers in Israel’s secular public school systems, Jewish and Arab, is a graduate of Beit Berl College.
Within the Faculty, The Arab Academic Institute of Education distinguishes Beit Berl College as the only institution that trains teachers for both the Jewish and Arab education systems, offering studies for each group in its own native language, while providing ample opportunities for both groups to learn together. Some 90 nationally acclaimed Arab faculty members teach and conduct research in the Institute. The College is also proud to house Al Yanbuaa, a national research center, and extensive library facilities, dedicated to Arabic language and culture.
Beit Berl College offers B.Ed. degrees in a wide range of subject areas, from English to history and the sciences, and teacher certification courses. M.Ed. and M.A. programs facilitate further specialization. The M.Teach program attracts Israel’s best and brightest undergraduates to acquire a teaching certificate combined with a Master’s degree in education. Programs include educational counseling, advancing youth at-risk, curriculum planning and evaluation, teaching the learning disabled, educational administration, language instruction, and Arab culture.
Outstanding programs include:
• The Center for Haredi Educators: Bridges social disparities that separate the secular and ultra-Orthodox school systems in Israel.
• Tsevet: Prepares veteran officers of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and other security forces for second careers as educators.
• Above and Beyond: Upgrades the level of math instruction in Jewish and Arab high schools, with special emphasis on the empowerment of women.
The Faculty of Arts – HaMidrasha
In 2016, the celebrated Faculty of Arts-HaMidrasha marks 70 years of training generations of Israeli artists, filmmakers and teachers of the arts. Its 150 faculty members and thousands of graduates are pathmakers in Israel’s cultural arena. Faculty members have received prestigious awards including the 2014-15 Israel Prize for Fine Arts, represented Israel at the 2015 Venice Biennale, and are frequent winners at national and international film festivals.
HaMidrasha grants a B.Ed.F.A. with tracks in fine arts and film, and two graduate degrees: M.Ed. in Art Education and M.A.A.T. in Art Therapy, and also offers the Post-Graduate Fine Arts Program. The faculty’s innovative model encourages fresh explorations in the fields of art pedagogy, theory and criticism, digital media, installation art, curatorship, visual culture, and other avant-guard and cutting edge fields.
The Film Department is a vital part of the growing success of Israel’s film industry, shaping young filmmakers and training teachers in the full range of cinematic arts: photography, scriptwriting, directing and sound. Together with the Tel Aviv Cinematheque, HaMidrasha produces Cine Forte, a biennial festival showcasing the finest student films.
The Faculty of Society and Culture
As the central hub of Beit Berl College’s interdisciplinary studies, this dynamic Faculty integrates academic and practical knowledge on a wide range of cultural and social issues. Graduates engage in education, local government, law enforcement, business and the non-profit sectors. In cooperation with the Open University, the Faculty also provides mid-career professionals the opportunity to gain a degree while broadening their intellectual horizons.
Among its many groundbreaking programs, the Faculty offers:
• Public Policy Studies: With an emphasis on strengthening community through social change, the program combines studies in criminology and law enforcement, gender studies, conflict resolution, social policy and public administration.
• Studies in Israeli Culture: A multi-disciplinary approach to Israeli society that delves critically into geography, Hebrew and Arabic language and literature, Biblical studies, Israeli politics, and civics.
• Defense and Homefront Security Program: The first specialization track of its kind in Israel to prepare local and national officials to build integrated systems for public resilience during times of natural and man-made disaster.
Positioned on the cutting edge of science and technology, Israel is synonymous with daring innovation and bold achievement. Israel’s place in the global marketplace rests on a strong knowledge base, on creativity, and on the ability to communicate across cultures in English. With an alarming shortage of skilled math, technology, science, and English teachers, Israel’s entrepreneurial advantage is threatened. To address this challenge, Beit Berl College has embarked on an ambitious effort to recruit and train educators in these critical fields. Drawing on its vast experience in teacher development and 21st century educational models, the College is cultivating a whole new cadre of teachers and young professionals to bolster and sustain these vital areas.
To fuel the growth of quality teachers, the new M.Teach programs in the sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, environmental and computer sciences) and mathematics target talented Jewish and Arab university graduates in the relevant disciplines and offers them the opportunity to obtain a Masters of Education and a teaching certificate. These new programs, to be approved shortly by The Council of Higher Education, are forerunners in Israeli teacher education, drawing the best and the brightest, and ensuring the next generation of young women and men who will continue to lead Israel as the Start-Up Nation.
In the coming years, Beit Berl College plans to launch the integrated STEM approach (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) into the Israeli education curriculum for the first time, with an M.A. in STEM education. The new program will encourage a holistic blending of academic knowledge, hands-on experiential learning, and building skills across disciplines. Given the enormous impact that these fields have on the potential of the Israeli scientific, medical, economic, and industrial sectors, these initiatives are paramount for Israel’s future.
The Center for Education for Shared Society
In 2015, Beit Berl College launched the Center for Education for Shared Society to focus on three intersecting areas: education, creating shared campus life, and building an inter-communal hub. Focused on advancing cross-cultural understanding among the College's faculty and students, this new Center has become a national incubator for change. The Center develops Israeli models and practices to: adapt international experience for teaching democracy in a conflicted society, build shared education, teach across ethnic boundaries, and implement these methods within the education system nationwide. The Center helps deepen the experience of shared campus life, enriches curricula, encourages dialogue on sensitive issues, advances the use of Arabic language in signage and web material, and assists Arab students in mastering academic Hebrew.
With additional resources, the Center will develop a national teacher training curriculum and student teaching model, engage in international research, enhance shared campus life, and go beyond the campus to the surrounding Arab and Jewish communities to become a thriving hub for cultural and educational dialogue and experiences.
The Arts:
The Faculty of Arts–HaMidrasha, now entering its 70th year, is a source of pride to Beit Berl College and infuses the campus with excitement and energy. At HaMidrasha, more than just an outlet of aesthetic creativity, the arts are a basis for nurturing the individual and expressing the myriad, sometimes muffled, voices of society. As the leading academic institution for training art teachers and a hub for burgeoning young artists, HaMidrasha inspires our teachers and students to create a deeper commitment for grappling with and healing Israel’s divided society.
The vibrant Gallery HaYarkon 19 is HaMidrasha’s window onto the community, located at the nexus of Tel Aviv’s gallery district and disadvantaged southern neighborhoods. The Gallery’s striking displays and center for social outreach host thousands of visitors a year. Through its wide array of activities, including encounters with local and international artists, contemporary art exhibitions and installations, screenings, book launches, multi-media and musical happenings, HaYarkon 19 is a dynamic catalyst in the Israeli art scene. Bringing the power of art to the community and the power of the community to the artist, the Gallery interacts with local high schools and art teachers, and offers specially tailored programs for children and senior citizens.