Certificate in Jewish Communal Service

Academic Certificates

Jewish Communal Service

Social Work with Latinos/as

Trauma Response and Recovery

Animal-Assisted Social Work

Couples and Family Therapy

To work effectively as a professional in the Jewish community today requires unique skills, as well as knowledge of, and sensitivity to, Jewish culture.  While some professionals may have an informal understanding gained from personal experience, few receive graduate level training that focuses comprehensively on the issues, areas of knowledge and competencies needed for Jewish communal work.  Based upon the concept of Tikkun Olam (“repairing the world”), the Certificate in Jewish Communal Service (CJCS) will provide students with knowledge about the social, historical, political and religious dimensions of the Jewish community and will teach critical skills needed to work successfully in this field.  

Offered in collaboration with the University of Denver Center for Judaic Studies, the CJCS adds two specialized courses and several leadership seminars to the MSW curriculum.  It also includes a field internship offering opportunities for practice within Jewish communal organizations and/or congregations.

Admission Requirements

Students who wish to be considered for admission to the Certificate in Jewish Communal Service must meet all of the general requirements for admission to certificate programs listed in the introductory section.  In addition, they must complete the introductory course listed below in the Fall Quarter of the concentration year prior to taking the leadership and advocacy course in the Winter Quarter.  In the Spring Quarter, they must attend a series of scheduled leadership seminars.

Field Internship Requirements

Students enrolled in this certificate program are required to complete fifteen (15) hours of concentration-year field internship (five in each of the three quarters) in a Jewish organization or congregation.  The internship must fulfill the requirements of the concentration practice track, as well as those of the certificate.

Course Requirements

Within their course of study, CJCS students must include the following courses:

SWOK 4971*	Foundations of Jewish Communal Service	3
SOWK 4971*	Social Work Leadership and Advocacy in Diverse Jewish Communities	3
SWOK 4960 or	Concentration Field Practicum	15
SWOK 4961
Total		21

*GSSW courses offered for the first time are assigned course # SOWK 4971.  Permanent course numbers will be assigned later.

Course Descriptions

Foundations of Jewish Communal Service

This course orients students to major historical themes and contemporary communities of American Jews, then explores the diverse and complex landscape of Jewish life in the United States. Using a case study approach, we will examine various kinds of organizations, their missions and their relationships to social work practice. We will explore the development, range and changing nature of Jewish agencies that have provided philanthropic, religious, educational and social services to American communities for the past 150 years. 

Social Work Leadership and Advocacy in Diverse Jewish Communities

Leadership models are rapidly changing, along with the characteristics and demographic profiles of American Jewish communities. This course addresses the ways that professionals in Jewish communal organizations can provide effective leadership and advocacy in the context of Jewish diversity and pluralism.

Additional leadership seminars will integrate course work, field internships, skill-building, leadership development and contemporary issues.

Financial Assistance

Scholarships and stipends may be available for students participating in the Certificate in Jewish Communal Service. 

For more information about the Certificate in Jewish Communal Service, contact Lorie Bohm Klumb (303-871-7462 or lklumb@du.edu), program coordinator.