The Millstone Scholars Program is a one-year trimester sequence between September and June, aligned with the public-school calendar. Millstone features educational programming that advances Tikvah’s mission of teaching students about (i) Jewish thought and philosophy, (ii) Zionism and Modern Israel, (iii) the spirit of American Democracy, and (iv) the Great Books of Western Civilization. Our programming includes:
Through this intensive Millstone Scholars program, our mission is to train and network a group of learned and confident young American Jewish leaders of tomorrow. Read more about the Millstone Scholars Program curriculum below, or contact Rabbi Dr. Abraham Unger at aunger@tikvahfund.org to learn more.
The Millstone Scholars curriculum is rooted in the following beliefs: that Jewish ideas shaped Western civilization and the world; that young American Jews have the right and responsibility to understand their own exceptional Hebraic heritage; and that young men and women in middle school are capable of college-style seminars and discussions.
Every Millstone Scholars student will participate in our core seminar—a weekly discussion class, in-person, in your local community. Together with a master teacher, students will read carefully chosen selections from the formative texts of the Jewish people—ranging from the Torah to the Talmud and medieval period to modern thinkers and leaders —in an intellectual adventure that explores how Jewish ideas changed the world. We will discuss the Biblical Creation story and the Apollo 8 astronauts; the story of Abraham and the ideas of Aristotle; the leadership of Rebekah and the longings of Homer’s Penelope; the Exodus from Egypt and the American Founding; the teachings of the Ten Commandments and the paintings of Rembrandt; the foundational stories of the Jewish people and the writings of Edgar Allen Poe; the rise of the ancient Israelites and the heroic leaders who created modern Israel.
Tikvah’s “four pillars” are: (i) Jewish thought and history, (ii) Zionism and modern Israel, (iii) the spirit of American democracy, and (iv) the great ideas of Western Civilization. Millstone scholars will gain a broader understanding of each pillar and will gain a better sense of how Jewish thought underpins the Western tradition.
Why are these four pillars so important? Because we believe that:
The CLASSIC TEXTS OF JEWISH CIVILIZATION—including the Hebrew Bible, rabbinic thought, and Jewish philosophy—offer enduring wisdom about the meaning of being human.
The ZIONIST PROJECT is one of the great moral, cultural, and political triumphs in human history, and every young Jew should understand the achievements and challenges of modern Israel.
AMERICA IS AN EXCEPTIONAL NATION, influenced by Hebraic ideas from the colonial era onward and affording Jews unprecedented liberty and equality.
The FOUNDATIONAL IDEAS OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION—from Greek philosophy to Renaissance art to political economy—are essential ingredients in shaping modern Jewish citizens.
Millstone Scholars courses focus on reading primary texts carefully as a way to explore the great ideas, leaders, and stories that help us understand who we are—as Jews, as Zionists, as citizens, and as part of Western civilization. Click the images below to view sample units.
Dean and Founding Executive Director, Millstone Scholars and Head of School, Emet Classical Academy
aunger@tikvahfund.org