2009
ISSUE 72 | 61
ing with a Jewish Heart: Text Study and Good
Leadership Practices for Congregational Lead-
ers
(
forthcoming),
Portraits of Schooling: A
Survey and an Analysis of Supplementary
Schooling in Congregations
(1998),
How to be
a Jewish Teacher: An Invitation to Make a
Difference
(1988),
and
Jews and the Founding
of the Republic
(1985),
and has published
more than fifty articles in the areas of educa-
tion and leadership.
Relationship with Xavier University
One of Rabbi Joseph’s greatest achieve-
ments at HUC-JIR is the establishment of
an academic relationship with Xavier Uni-
versity, a Jesuit Catholic university in
Cincinnati. As there is no school of educa-
tion on the Cincinnati campus, rabbinical
students who wish to engage in deeper study
in this field may earn a Master of Arts in Ed-
ucation degree through a joint program with
Xavier University, which can be completed
within the five years of the rabbinical course
of study.
Rabbi Joseph was inspired to begin
working with Xavier as a result of his stu-
dents’ needs. “Over the years I’ve had a few
students each year who wanted to do more
in education than you can at the Cincinnati
campus and were unable to attend HUC-
JIR’s Rhea Hirsch School of Education in
Los Angeles or New York School of Educa-
tion. They would go on their own to Xavier
or the University of Cincinnati to earn a
Master’s degree in Education. I had very lit-
tle control over that, and there was no
communication or coordination between the
HUC-JIR program and those of the other
universities.”
Several years ago, Rabbi Joseph discussed
with Xavier administrators the possibility of
creating a joint program with the College-In-
stitute, and they welcomed the idea. Since
1999-2000,
students are able to apply directly
to a program at Xavier that culminates in a
Master of Education degree in Educational
Administration. The M.A. requires that they
take courses at Xavier University and courses
with Rabbi Joseph at HUC-JIR, and Rabbi
Joseph offers electives geared toward the stu-
dents in the joint program.
Rabbi Loren Filson Lapidus, a 2007
graduate of the Xavier program who received
her rabbinical ordination in May 2008, elab-
orates on the content and value of the
program: “The program balances educa-
tional theory and educational topics,
personnel and administration issues, and
trends in Jewish education. We learned how
to empower teachers and staff, provide
meaningful feedback, formulate curricula
and long-term visions for a school, and
make our instructional time most effective.
Rabbi Joseph provides an essential Jewish
angle, making us aware of the innovations of
schools and congregations in the field of ed-
ucation and current issues being discussed.
I feel that the HUC-JIR–Xavier program has
given me the tools to be a better teacher, a
better educational resource to congregations,
and a better rabbi.”
The success of the HUC-JIR–Xavier
endeavor is evident in its rapid growth, with
14
graduates and 5 current students. Stu-
dents and alumni praise the program
and appreciate the unique opportunity to
learn with diverse students in a different en-
vironment. Rabbi Adam Grossman, a 2008
alumnus of the program, remarks that
“
Xavier students and professors come with
different perspectives and knowledge bases,
which can expand our thinking and give us
new ideas to incorporate into Jewish set-
tings.” Xavier students also benefit from
what Grossman calls “the ultimate interfaith
dialogue.” He adds, “A rabbi is a teacher, so
as a rabbinical student I felt it was important
to learn as much as I could about the educa-
tion process and Jewish education today.”
Rabbi Joseph notes that Xavier profes-
sors often comment on the joy of teaching
full-time graduate students of the caliber
of HUC-JIR rabbinical students, and hopes
to build on the success of the HUC-
JIR – Xavier program by extending the
relationship between the institutions, which
this past year launched a joint Jewish
and Interfaith Studies Program (see
). Xavier has
one of the top M.B.A. programs in the coun-
try, and Rabbi Joseph would like to develop
a certificate for rabbinical students in the
area of organizational behavior and leader-
ship. There is interest on the part of Xavier’s
business school administrators, and Rabbi
Joseph hopes this will lead to further coop-
eration and partnership between the two
institutions.
After thirty years in the field, Rabbi
Joseph retains an abiding passion for his
work. “I still run to work everyday. I love
what I do, and I consider myself incredibly
privileged to teach the next generation of Re-
form rabbis. It is our job to help rabbinical
students learn to be reflective leaders, who
can build community and work for change.”
He considers his ability to combine practice
and theory one of the greatest assets of his
job. “I’m quite lucky to do a tremendous
amount of consulting with rabbis and lay
leaders all over the world, and within days
I’m back in the classroom with rabbinical
students, so I can talk with them about
what’s happening, get their ideas and reflec-
tions, and take them back into consulting,”
said Rabbi Joseph. “I think I have the best of
every world.”
Rabbi Sam Joseph and students at
HUC-JIR/Cincinnati.
