34 “There’s an incredible interest in Jewish-Israeli society for knowledge about Jewish texts and culture. Young Israelis are studying in pre-army leadership academies, at secular yeshivot, in academic and informal programs and everywhere in between,” says Prof. Shmuel Refael, dean of Bar-Ilan’s Faculty of Jewish Studies. “They want to strengthen their individual and collective identity in an age of fast-changing concepts and shifting norms, and responding to that desire must be a national priority.” It's a particular priority for the faculty at Bar-Ilan, which is both the largest in the world and home tomany of the leading scholars in the field. Indeed, given its sheer abundance of expertise, the faculty’s biggest challenge at this moment in Israel’s history is how tomake the full spectrumof its scholars’ knowledge accessible to a wider cross-section of citizens— both to create more context for their learning, and to make of their heritage a richer, more compelling story. Refael believes that onemeans of opening the faculty toabigger and more diverse student body is encouraging collaboration between its 10 different departments, which together explore Jewish foundational texts, the Jewish nation’s history in the land of Israel and the larger region, and the language, literature, and art that define the global Jewish people today. To that end, Refael is working with the departments’ directors, the President’s and Rector’s Offices, and a strategic consultant to help the faculty’s more than 120 senior scholars synchronize their activities and see themselves as part of a coherent and purpose-driven narrative. In addition, he plans to renovate the building’s teaching and social spaces to make themmore welcoming. Refael believes the most significant step in the faculty’s advancement, however, will result from a new emphasis on the study of Judaism as a culture, as opposed foremost to a collection of texts. “When you widen the educational lens to include the full range of experiences and expressions that characterized Jewish life throughout time and place, you create more points of entry for outsiders, andmore opportunities for meaningful engagement,” Refael says. Faculty in Motion Jewish Studies Prof. Shmuel Refael Image generated by AI
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