Milken Announces Change in Graduation Requirements

A new change to graduation requirements for Milken students was announced today. For the first time, students enrolled at Milken will have an option for engaging in Jewish studies that does not require what has been a formal and annual study of the Hebrew language as a graduation requirement. This change will go into full effect in fall 2018.

“As a pluralist Jewish school, it is our sacred duty to fully engage each of our students in Jewish learning and life, while celebrating our community’s diversity of cultural and spiritual practice,” said Head of School Gary Weisserman. “To that end, we offer a wide range of coursework and co-curricular opportunities, along multiple tracks within Jewish and Israel Studies that foster both tradition and exploration. This addition to our program and change to our graduation requirements adds a third track of study that we believe will have a major and positive impact on our ability to provide the finest Jewish education in the world—for our students and for our community.”

Historically, students have chosen one of two tracks of study that allowed them to pursue either a traditional Jewish studies pathway or a more intensive Beit Midrash fellowship. Both of these tracks include the formal, yearly study of the Hebrew language as an absolute requirement for graduation. Students for whom an intensive Hebrew language program of study is not the preferred pathway to Jewish engagement may now opt for a third track of study that allows students to select a different world language offering and enroll in five new courses that focus on Jewish language, history, values, and culture.

“To be clear: Hebrew as a World Language will continue to be a priority at Milken,” assured Weisserman. “It always will, and we are committed to continually improving our practice in this area.” Even students who are not enrolled in Hebrew as a World Language will still be meaningfully exposed to the Hebrew language. “But our primary obligation as a Jewish school is to engage all our students in meaningful and authentic Jewish learning, and we wish to celebrate the fact that there are multiple paths to achieving that goal with joy, intensity, and rigor.”
 
Weisserman noted that there was much discussion and consideration surrounding this decision. In the end, he said, “We fundamentally believe students and their families should have the ability to exercise choice, within some obvious parameters, as to how they can demonstrate fulfillment of our Portrait of the Graduate.”
 
To learn more about this program change, we welcome you to attend one of our upcoming events. Current parents may learn more about this program at our upcoming MPA Meeting on September 13, and prospective parents can register to attend one of our Parent Coffees or Open House events.
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At Milken Community School, we think education is more than what you know. Our School, founded on Jewish values, is about who our children can become and how they can help others become who they might be. Because the world our children will create tomorrow is born in the School we build today, our mission is to educate our children so they can surpass us.
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