The Shalem College Cheat Sheet

Shalem College is a project to ensure, in every generation, a core of leading Israeli citizens with an unyielding commitment to democracy, and an equally unshakeable belief in the historical imperative of a Jewish state.

(And it’s also an elite institution of higher education, established in Jerusalem in 2013.)

For starters, by cultivating citizens who believe their country is worth preserving.

Over the course of a transformative, four-year liberal education, our students learn that the Jewish people’s return to sovereignty after two millennia is a historical anomaly not to be taken for granted, and that democracies are more fragile than they appear. They learn to be wary of dogma and parochialism, skeptical of the conventional wisdom, and civil in their discourse. And most of all, they learn to act on behalf of the public interest, as opposed to merely their own.

In short, to be a great nation, Israel needed a great college. So we built one.

That’s ridiculous. Your sister must be incensed.

You know, the Hebrew Bible, the Koran, the New Testament, Homer, Aristotle, Aquinas, John Locke, and David Hume: The works that form the basis of the Judeo-Christian tradition, modern liberalism, and the dominant cultures in our region. We also learn biology, physics, cognitive science, and economics—keys to understanding both the natural world and human nature. Finally, we read books by Dante, Shakespeare, and Jane Austen, and other works of the Western canon that explore questions of enduring significance.

And because we’re an Israeli college, we study texts by Theodor Herzl, A.D. Gordon, Ze’ev Jabotinsky, Martin Buber, Shai Agnon, and Natan Altermann, all of whose ideas are key to developing a Jewish and democratic vision for the country’s future.

As we say in Hebrew, halevai. Currently, Shalem is the only institution of higher education in Israel to offer a broad core curriculum alongside a specific major of study. At other institutions, nearly all of a student’s courses are in the department to which he or she was admitted. So, if you’re reading Hume, you’re definitely not reading Herzl. And even if you are reading Herzl, you’re not studying the historical and intellectual contexts in which his ideas took shape.

Two things. Our dual-major Bachelor of Arts consists of a mandatory major in the liberal arts (Jewish thought, Western philosophy, literature, history economics, the sciences, and more) and a choice of one of the following three majors: Philosophy and Jewish Thought; Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies; and, beginning this year, a new program in Strategy, Diplomacy, and Security.

The major in Philosophy and Jewish Thought prepares students to wrestle with Israel’s competing Jewish and democratic identities through the examination of the intellectual, political, and moral foundations of the Jewish state. The major in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies provides a religious, historical, ideological, and cultural prism through which students can understand the neighborhood in which they live—and the Arabic skills with which to engage in it deeply. Finally, the major in Strategy, Diplomacy, and Security is designed to cultivate strategic thinkers who can meet Israel’s geopolitical and domestic challenges with historical perspective, big-picture thinking, and effective leadership.

Funny you should ask: We plan to apply for a fourth major, in Economics and Policy, in the coming years. Just like our current majors, this one will also be unique in Israel’s landscape of higher education and address the most complex challenges to the flourishing of the Jewish state.

There are many exceptional departments of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies in Israel, but only one requires fluency in Arabic: ours.

Thanks to weekly, one-on-one tutorials with native-Arabic speakers; an intensive summer immersion program, including field trips to Arab towns; and courses that swap textbooks for Arabic news sites, social-media posts, and popular television programs, Shalem has become, in just seven years, one of the leading Israeli departments in the field, and the place at which a disproportionate number of former soldiers in the IDF’s elite intelligence units want to earn their degree.

Alongside courses on classical theories of statesmanship and war; modern military thought and foreign policy; and economics, international law, and conflict resolution, the Program in Strategy, Diplomacy, and Security also includes encounters with high-level practitioners, the analysis of Israeli and international case studies, the close reading of primary texts—and, yes, participation in crisis simulations, for which we’ve noted your very gracious offer to help out.

“Shalem’s elite four-year degree—which is one year more than every other degree in Israel—features a broad core curriculum in subjects selected for their contribution to the development of leaders for a Jewish and democratic state; small, dynamic seminars at which attendance is mandatory (frankly, we could stop right there) and smartphones strictly banned (ditto); a faculty-to-student ratio that enables genuine and meaningful interaction; a proud Zionist bent; a serious emphasis on Jewish peoplehood; and a vibrant intellectual culture that is unlike any other.” (Thank you, semi-colon!)

Actually, we do place a strong emphasis on excellent writing skills. After all, writing well requires developing and clarifying ideas. And if our graduates are going to take up positions of leadership in society, they’ll need to be able to communicate those ideas effectively. That’s why we have required writing courses for all freshmen, and are home to a first-of-its-kind writing center whose take-no-prisoners tutors whip students’ essays into shape.

Shalem students are secular and religious, come from every socioeconomic background and region of the country, and express the full range of ideologies and worldviews.

They are models of academic excellence and drive, who rank among the top five percent of undergraduates in the state. They include five times the national average of commanders, officers, and combat soldiers in elite units, or have spent a year or more fulfilling Israel’s national service. They’ve launched companies, nonprofits, and large-scale initiatives, engaged in sustained volunteer work, and studied in Israel’s celebrated pre- and post-military leadership academies.

For starters, and unlike other Israeli colleges and universities, we don’t just look at the numbers. Shalem students are admitted on the basis of their GPA, their performance on an array of special admissions tests and interviews, and their demonstrated commitment to citizenship and service. We’re in the business of building a nation here. We need excellent raw material.

Take your pick:

First, through a specially designed, mandatory course for freshmen covering the most complex moral and political challenges confronting the Jewish state. The tension between democracy and religion, Arab-Israeli identity, Haredi integration into society, and illegal immigration to the Jewish state—students study these and other topics in-depth, from every angle, and ultimately in the field itself, through full-day tours of relevant sites and regions around the country.

Our Impact Office, a comprehensive program funded by the Paul E. Singer Foundation, takes a holistic approach to leveraging students’ idealism, talent, and entrepreneurship. It includes a volunteer component, with local and national initiatives established by students themselves; an internship program, which integrates our students into leading companies and nonprofits throughout Israel; and an accelerator for socially-minded start-ups, which teaches the nuts and bolts of turning great ideas into successful, self-sufficient enterprises, and offers guidance and mentorship from leading players in the field.

No more than 50 per academic class.
Cultivating visionary leadership is an intense business.

If a country has just 9 million citizens and a political, economic, cultural, and intellectual leadership of fewer than 1,000 people, and if an elite college designed to cultivate leaders for that country graduates 50 students per year, what are the odds that many of those graduates will go on to occupy positions of enormous influence in fields critical to shaping Israel’s character? [Hint: This is not a trick question.]

Smart, forward-thinking philanthropists who share our Zionist commitments, and believe the right kind of leadership is key to Israel’s survival and flourishing.

Bold, savvy investors who believe that Israel is a project still in the making, and that its human capital is its greatest resource.

And thoughtful partners, who recognize that the same intellectual tradition that gave rise to the West can find fertile ground in the Jewish state.

Really. To be sure, most private colleges in Israel do not receive government funding. But most also charge high tuition. They also, how shall we put it? Cram their lecture halls full.

By contrast, Shalem provides all its students with generous scholarships for tuition and living expenses, so they can devote themselves fully to both their studies and their community engagement. To us, a certain type of learning experience is non-negotiable.

Actually, our graduates have already entered promising positions in a range of fields. And as a network of influential citizens, all of whom are committed to making a meaningful contribution to their country and people, they reach into almost every area of Israeli public life.

The National Union of Israeli Students’ Annual Student Satisfaction Survey is Israel’s only national ranking of institutions of higher education. In a field of 63 schools, which included The Hebrew University, Tel Aviv University, the Technion, and IDC Herzliya, Shalem was ranked number one for the fourth year in a row, sweeping first place in 14 of the survey’s 18 categories.

Exactly. With the support of the Koret Foundation, Shalem leads an ambitious, multi-faceted effort to develop leaders for Israel devoted to the preservation of a single Jewish people. The initiative includes an annual student delegation to the Bay Area; an annual, policy-oriented mission to Washington, DC; support for Shalem courses in the Western political tradition; and support for Shalem’s rigorous English-language program.

Ideally, by visiting. Come by! We’d love to host you.

In Jerusalem. Where else? As befitting a college that’s cultivating Israel’s future leaders, we’re located close to the country’s seat of government and leading cultural assets.

Also, rumor has it that from the fourth floor of our newly renovated building, there are fabulous views of the Old City.

You can check out our website, sign up for our newsletter, or reach out to Rachel Gold, vice president for fund development, at [email protected]. We promise she’ll take excellent care of you.