Abstract
Masterclass: Israel (MCI) and Masterclass: Israel Xperience (MCIX) are initiatives of Hillel International’s Center for Jewish and Israel Education that aim to strengthen and improve campus professionals’ knowledge, skills, and confidence related to contemporary Israeli society and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Both MCI and MCIX are small cohort-based programs that emphasize teaching multiple perspectives and narratives about Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The report is based on findings from a multi-year, multi-method study of MCI and MCIX designed to assess change and growth over time in three core areas of professional learning: knowledge of contemporary Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, skills related to campus pluralism and educational pedagogy, and confidence engage in this work with students and colleagues. The study focuses on three cohorts of MCI: Cohort III (spring 2022), Cohort IV (spring 2023), and Cohort V (spring 2024), as well as one cohort of MCIX participants (August 2023).
The evaluation highlights the meaningful impact of MCI and MCIX on participants’ development as Hillel professionals and Israel educators. Participants consistently reported gains in content knowledge, skills, and confidence. MCI and MCIX helped equip professionals to better support students seeking an alternative to a polarized campus environment by creating a space for respectful and multi-faceted conversations. These outcomes are especially important given the heightened tensions on campus following October 7 and the Israel-Hamas war.