The Paul Baerwald School of Social Work, Versailles, France
The Paul Baerwald School of Social Work was established for the first time by the Joint at the Château de la Maye in Versailles, France. It operated as a school between 1949 and 1953. Technically, it continued to exist until 1955, but instead of a central school, the staff engaged in various programs for training social services and consulting Jewish organizations in Europe, North Africa and Iran.
In 1955, the status of the school was changed to a division of the Joint-, the Division of Social Services and Human Resource Development named after Paul Baerwald, which continued the training and counseling activities.
Around the same time, a process began to transfer the training of social work to Israel under the auspices of the Hebrew University and to expand its scope. The Paul Baerwald School of Social Work at the Hebrew University was opened in 1958 with the participation of JDC on the Givat Ram campus in Jerusalem.
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Video: The Barwald family visits the school in Versailles 1950 |
The Bearwlad family together with the school principal, Dr. Henry Silver, 1950 |
Château de la Maye, 1949 |
The Establishment in Israel
The Paul Baerwald School of Social Work at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem was founded in 1958 and offered a study program for a bachelor's degree in social work. The program was operated in collaboration with the Joint Organization, the Ministry of Welfare and the Tel Aviv Municipality.
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The cornerstone laying for the establishment of the school on the Givat Ram campus, Jerusalem |
The school building, Givat Ram campus The 60s |
The establishment and activities of the school until this very day reflect the joint effort of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Joint. This organization provided the initial funding for the establishment of the school and the construction of the building on Givat Ram (where the school was located for a few years) and also contributed greatly over the years to the various programs that were developed in it. Since the academic year 1982, the school is located in the university campus on Mount Scopus. Paul Baerwald (1871-1961), after whom the school is named, was one of the leaders of American Jewry and a founder of the World Joint. He devoted himself to many humanitarian and philanthropic activities for the Jewish people.
*The pictures and video are taken from the JDC archive.
Bachelor's program
The "Bachelor of Social Work" program, which was established as mentioned already with the establishment of the school, trains academic social workers to work with individuals and families and to work in the community, with the aim of integrating into the welfare and social service systems in Israel.
In the sixties, a special program was developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Labor to train immigrants with academic degrees for social work, and in 1974, in collaboration with the Ministry of Aid, the "Program for Training Academics for Social Work" was established, which awarded a bachelor's degree in social work to holders of an academic degree who demonstrated practical experience in social work or in a related field. A similar program was also established in 1977 in Beersheba under the auspices of the school. These programs ended in 1980. In addition, over the years, the school has run several conversion programs.
Master's programs
Since 1970, the school also offers a master's degree program, which prepares students for roles in the academic field of teaching and research in social work, planning and management of welfare services and direct treatment of individuals and families.
In the seventies, two certificate programs were established within the Joseph J. Schwartz program and in collaboration with the School of Education: one for training managers and senior staff for community centers and one for training human resources for early childhood. In the nineties, the two programs were upgraded and became master's programs that grant an advanced degree: one is the master's program in early childhood, which has been operating since the academic year 1994-95 and grants a master's degree in early childhood studies. The studies are based on an interdisciplinary approach and are designed to train professional staff for the development and management of programs in the field of early childhood.
The other program is the master's program in management of human services and community organizations, which was opened in the academic year 1996-97. Its main purpose is to provide extensive theoretical knowledge and skills required for policy-making processes and advanced and professional management of community organizations and non-profit organizations, organizations that belong to the "third sector" and are part of civil society.
From then until today
In 2009, the school celebrated its 50th anniversary.
During its years of existence, the school's teaching staff grew, the fields of research and teaching were expanded, the professional training methods were improved, and new study programs were added. Today, about 850 students study in the school's undergraduate, master's and doctoral programs. In recent years, the school has opened a program that offers the possibility of certification in social work and a master's degree in social work for graduates in other fields. In addition, the school offers joint degrees at the undergraduate level with the faculties of law, humanities and social sciences at the university. The school's staff includes an academic staff of researchers in various fields of knowledge, a field guidance staff and an experienced administrative staff.
Within the school, various research centers and research groups operate. The school's staff and research students are at the forefront of research in social work and social welfare; The staff also play central roles in shaping social policy and welfare services in Israel, maintain close ties with the field of social work, and are an integral part of the academic community of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.