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Student Profile: Tamara Cohen, Master of Arts in Jewish Studies/Certificate in Jewish Education
Tamara Cohen of Miami, Florida never planned to study for a Master of Arts degree in Jewish Studies. But courses at Gratz Online fueled her passion for Judaism that had been nurtured during her college years as a Hillel Board member. Tamara’s commitment to serious Jewish learning began in earnest three years ago -- when she accepted a position teaching in a Jewish early childhood education program in the Miami area. She holds an undergraduate degree in Child Development and Family Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as well as a Master's in Education. But at that time, her only post-secondary Jewish education consisted of two semesters of Biblical Hebrew as an undergraduate student. After performing a Web search in Spring, 2003, Tamara enrolled in a Gratz Online course in Jewish early childhood education, “Building a Jewish Life: Concepts and Curriculum in the Jewish Early Childhood Classroom,” taught by Lyndall Miller, Instructor and Coordinator, Program in Jewish Early Childhood Education at Gratz College. “My first course with Lyndall Miller really stands out,” explains Tamara. “It was my first online experience and I remember being so impressed with the organization of the course and the delivery via the web. Also, that course was extremely relevant to my work in the classroom.” Tamara enjoyed the course so much that she took two very important steps: First, she matriculated into the Certificate in Jewish Education program. Second, she decided to take a course in residence at Gratz College in Philadelphia with Dr. Saul Wachs in the Summer of 2003. “I really treasure my week of learning with Saul Wachs on campus, and it was nice to put a real face to so many of the Gratz community that I usually only ‘see’ online.” Flash forward to 2006. Tamara has completed requirements for the Certificate in Jewish Education and is now enrolled in the Master of Jewish studies program, the only MAJS degree that can be earned completely online. “I'm not sure how long it will take me to complete the M.A. program, but I hope to continue taking one or two classes per semester after the baby is born,” says Tamara, who is expecting her second child. “For me, that is the number one advantage of Gratz Online at the moment - I can take as few or as many courses as I want. As a pregnant mother of a toddler, that is so important to me!” For Tamara, life is now about balance. Online study and part-time work let her achieve this balance and stay home with her young daughter. She is an adjunct professor in the early childhood department at Miami Dade College, coordinates the post b'nai mitzvah program at Temple Beth Sholom in Miami Beach, and also teaches professional development workshops for Jewish early childhood educators. “One of the things I like about the online program is that students are able to study with full-time faculty, as well as adjunct professors. It means a lot to me to be able to learn with people like Carol Harris-Shapiro, Ruth Sandberg, and Joseph Davis, in an online environment,” explains Tamara. “The quality of the online courses is equal to any college course I have ever taken on campus.” Gratz Online has accelerated Tamara’s career, enabling her to apply her graduate Jewish education directly to her professional work. In summer 2006, Tamara presented a workshop at CAJE 31 at Duke University, “God is Hiding in the Sandbox: Exploring Spirituality in the Early Childhood Classroom.” She also served as an editor for the first issue of Chazak, the newsletter of the CAJE Early Childhood Department, where she published the article, “How Early is Early Education?". Tamara looks forward to completing the master’s program, and enrolling in additional courses at Gratz Online after she receives her degree. She hopes to continue her involvement in CAJE, to contribute professionally to the Union for Reform Judaism, and eventually teach Jewish studies or Jewish education in a college setting. For now, Tamara, and her husband, Brian, await the birth of their second child due in early December, 2006. “I find that my Gratz Online experience is perhaps most meaningful in my role as a parent; I am very confident in my role as a Jewish parent and as a Jewish teacher to my own children” |
Name: Tamara Cohen