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University of Florida

Hamilton Center for Classical and Civic Education announces the Robert M. Beren Program on Jewish Classical Education

Angélique Talmor
February 12, 2025

The University of Florida Hamilton Center for Classical and Civic Education announces the launch of the Robert M. Beren Program on Jewish Classical Education, a major new endeavor focused on the intersection of Jewish, Western, and American civilization.

In partnership with the Rosenthal-Levy Scholars program, these two new initiatives are supported by a total of $15 million in generous philanthropic support from the Robert M. Beren Family Foundation, Gary and Lee Rosenthal, and Paul and Karen Levy.

The Hamilton Center for Classical and Civic Education at the University of Florida is dedicated to the study of the great ideas, great books, and great leaders that have shaped the Western world and American political order. With the creation of the Robert M. Beren Program on Jewish Classical Education, the Hamilton Center is giving Jewish ideas and Jewish history a foundational place in the Hamilton Center’s growing academic program.

"The establishment of the Robert M. Beren Program will make a significant contribution to liberal education in America," said Professor William Inboden, Director of the Hamilton Center. "By making Jewish classical texts and history a core pillar of our curriculum, we're creating a unique opportunity for students to understand how Hebraic ideas have shaped Western civilization and the American founding. And by creating a study abroad program in Israel, UF students will have the chance to learn in one of the world’s most interesting, dynamic, and strategic nations." 

The Robert M. Beren Program will have several pillars:

  • A cluster of undergraduate courses that explore the classical texts of the Jewish canon, the historical experience of the Jewish people in shaping the Western world and the American experiment, and the political and cultural history of modern Zionism and Israel.
  • A new study abroad initiative in Israel, allowing students to understand Jewish thought and history, modern Hebrew language and culture, and the political and military development of Israel and the Middle East.
  • A program of visiting speakers, conferences, and public debates on key aspects of Jewish, Western, and American civic life.
  • A unique faculty devoted to teaching and research on the contribution of Jewish ideas to our understanding of the good life and free society.

The Robert M. Beren Program will be working in collaboration with the Rosenthal-Levy Scholars initiative, an independent scholarship program run by Tikvah. The Rosenthal-Levy Scholarship will support exceptional undergraduates interested in studying political theory, history, literature, strategy, philosophy, and Jewish thought at the Hamilton Center.

“The Hamiton Center is a new citadel for the study of Western civilization,” said Eric Cohen, chairman of the Rosenthal-Levy Scholars program and CEO of Tikvah. “We are thrilled to help encourage students with true leadership ability to study the most important ideas in history with some of the finest teachers, thinkers, and practitioners in the world.”

The Robert M. Beren Program will also be working in close partnership with the Bud Shorstein Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Florida to incorporate additional courses into the program, hold joint campus events, and provide modern Hebrew language instruction.
 
"The Bud Shorstein Center for Jewish Studies is most pleased to work with the Robert M. Beren Program," said Norman JW Goda, Bud Shortsein Center director. "We cannot wait for the Rosenthal-Levy scholars to arrive. We have first-rate faculty, plus a truly excellent program in Modern Hebrew that centers on Israeli history, literature, and culture."

The Robert M. Beren Program, named in honor of the late Jewish leader and philanthropist Robert M. Beren, will integrate Jewish classical education throughout the Hamilton Center's new academic majors and minors, reflecting his lifelong commitment to Jewish excellence, his profound love of America and Israel, and his commitment to training civic leaders.

“My sisters and I are privileged to honor this founding gift our father agreed to just months before he passed away and to partner with Tikvah and the Hamilton Center,” said Adam Beren on behalf of the Robert M. Beren family. “Our dad was determined and committed that young students learn of the riches of Jewish classical thought and its relevance to the issues facing our world these days. In the ongoing struggle against antisemitism and perhaps even for the future of our civilization, serious academic Jewish learning is core, especially at one of America’s great universities."

To learn more about the Robert M. Beren Program on Classical Jewish Education, visit: https://hamilton.center.ufl.edu/robert-m-beren-program/.

To learn more about the Rosenthal-Levy Scholars Program, visit: https://rosenthallevyscholars.org/.