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xiphiasSo, I've been talking about this to a couple people in person, and it's been mentioned obliquely in this journal a few times, but I wanted to actually talk about what I'm planning on doing with my life, at least, the next step in it.
I'm now working on my application to Hebrew College in Newton, for their combined BA/MA program.
As many of you know, I don't have a bachelor's degree. Yet. And this has actually held me back from doing things I've wanted to do (I can't teach in the public schools, for instance.) It's not been terrible, but it has been an annoyance. I flunked out of Brandeis (I looked at my Brandeis transcript when I was looking at grad school -- it's downright embarrassing, I failed just about every class for three semesters before they asked me to leave.)
I went through the readmissions process for Brandeis, and was readmitted, and then chose not to go back. (So why did I go through readmissions? So that I need not say I flunked out of Brandeis if I don't want to.)
A few years later, I went to Bunker Hill Community College (that's the one in Good Will Hunting), and, after that, did a couple years at Northeastern. And I did a lot better.
But I never finished my degree. Not entirely sure why not: I really enjoyed my Speech and Rhetoric major, even more than I'd enjoyed my Computer Science major. But I never finished it.
So, remember when I was talking about seeing my old rabbi and folks on the last night of Channukah? When I got home from that, I took a look at the website of The Academy for Jewish Religion. That is a non-denominational rabbinical school. They had degree requirements listed. I looked at them. I looked at the course listings. I realized that there are no classes listed for their rabbinic program that I don't want to take.
And I started thinking about it.
There are so many things I'd need to learn before I could even start such a program. I'd need a bachelor's degree, for instance. I'd need to be fluent in Biblical Hebrew. I'd need a lot more backround in Judaica. And, besides, the Academy is in New York. What could I do closer to home?
So I started looking at <a href="http://www.hebrewcollege.edu/>Hebrew College</a> in Newton, seeing if I could complete my bachelor's there, and get my Hebrew up to snuff. And noticed that they had a combined BA/MA program, which covered a lot of the things I'd need to learn, anyway. And they have programs in Jewish Education. Which is what I'm doing, anyway. So I need to decide whether I'm applying for the BA/MA in Jewish Studies (which is, sorta, a generalized pre-rabbinate program), or the BA/MA in Jewish Education. So, I've signed up for an online Hebrew class to take while I'm going through the admissions process, and I've got the admission materials, and I'm starting to work on the essays. And one of them is, basically, "why the heck are you doing this?" And so I'm thinking about that, and would love to bounce ideas off of you guys, using this journal, seeing your reactions to my answers to that question. See, I don't know if I'm going to end up as a rabbi. I don't know if that's what I want. But I have a feeling that going to Hebrew College is a good next step, for where I do want to go. Hey, Ford? I gotta joke for you: a rabbi and a druid walk into a bar. I don't know what the next line of the joke is, but, in seven years, ya wanna find out?
I'm now working on my application to Hebrew College in Newton, for their combined BA/MA program.
As many of you know, I don't have a bachelor's degree. Yet. And this has actually held me back from doing things I've wanted to do (I can't teach in the public schools, for instance.) It's not been terrible, but it has been an annoyance. I flunked out of Brandeis (I looked at my Brandeis transcript when I was looking at grad school -- it's downright embarrassing, I failed just about every class for three semesters before they asked me to leave.)
I went through the readmissions process for Brandeis, and was readmitted, and then chose not to go back. (So why did I go through readmissions? So that I need not say I flunked out of Brandeis if I don't want to.)
A few years later, I went to Bunker Hill Community College (that's the one in Good Will Hunting), and, after that, did a couple years at Northeastern. And I did a lot better.
But I never finished my degree. Not entirely sure why not: I really enjoyed my Speech and Rhetoric major, even more than I'd enjoyed my Computer Science major. But I never finished it.
So, remember when I was talking about seeing my old rabbi and folks on the last night of Channukah? When I got home from that, I took a look at the website of The Academy for Jewish Religion. That is a non-denominational rabbinical school. They had degree requirements listed. I looked at them. I looked at the course listings. I realized that there are no classes listed for their rabbinic program that I don't want to take.
And I started thinking about it.
There are so many things I'd need to learn before I could even start such a program. I'd need a bachelor's degree, for instance. I'd need to be fluent in Biblical Hebrew. I'd need a lot more backround in Judaica. And, besides, the Academy is in New York. What could I do closer to home?
So I started looking at <a href="http://www.hebrewcollege.edu/>Hebrew College</a> in Newton, seeing if I could complete my bachelor's there, and get my Hebrew up to snuff. And noticed that they had a combined BA/MA program, which covered a lot of the things I'd need to learn, anyway. And they have programs in Jewish Education. Which is what I'm doing, anyway. So I need to decide whether I'm applying for the BA/MA in Jewish Studies (which is, sorta, a generalized pre-rabbinate program), or the BA/MA in Jewish Education. So, I've signed up for an online Hebrew class to take while I'm going through the admissions process, and I've got the admission materials, and I'm starting to work on the essays. And one of them is, basically, "why the heck are you doing this?" And so I'm thinking about that, and would love to bounce ideas off of you guys, using this journal, seeing your reactions to my answers to that question. See, I don't know if I'm going to end up as a rabbi. I don't know if that's what I want. But I have a feeling that going to Hebrew College is a good next step, for where I do want to go. Hey, Ford? I gotta joke for you: a rabbi and a druid walk into a bar. I don't know what the next line of the joke is, but, in seven years, ya wanna find out?