On Sunday, the Israeli Government granted official accreditation to Shalem College, the first liberal arts college in the country. this has been a dream come true for the institution’s founders, who have been striving to teach Western and Jewish ideas alongside foundational knowledge of Islam and Middle Eastern history, economics, the natural sciences, and the arts.
The model of learning offered by Shalem College draws from the tradition of schools such as Yale, Columbia, St. John’s, Oxford and Cambridge: learning through in-depth encounters with the philosophical, literary, religious, and artistic masterpieces, and with the best thinking and research in the humanities, social and exact sciences, in order to give students a foundation on which to formulate their world view.
In the coming weeks, the college will begin to review applications from interested candidates, seeking students who meet the highest standards of academic excellence. The college plans to award accepted applicants generous scholarships, so if you know a potential student, please send them to the new, Hebrew-language Shalem College website.
The President of Shalem College, Middle East scholar Dr. Martin Kramer, said: “These students will be Israel’s new pioneers. They will open another chapter in the remarkable project that is the Jewish state, by studying at a college founded in its service.”