39 and an internship at an agency or organization that gathers intelligence on the Middle East. Areas of focus include Islamic radicalization in the digital age, communications in the Arab world, and the acquisition of spoken Persian and Arabic. Last, the Department of Jewish Art opened a new program in “Visual Arts Therapy,” designed to train graduates to treat diverse populations through painting, drawing, sculpture, and crafts. The only academic programof its kind in Israel, the study track includes a clinical component and a year of training in the field. Ladino, intelligence gathering, art therapy—is there any area not covered by the Jewish studies faculty? “The faculty has always been a central part of the Bar-Ilan experience. As the university grows in its reach and ambition, it’s only right that the faculty grow, too, and demonstrate its relevance to all aspects of modern life,” Prof. Refael says. “Serious research in the Faculty of Jewish Studies can have a meaningful impact, in Israel and the world at large. And it will.”
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