Students Graduate JLI Courses at Lauder Business School in Vienna

Vienna, Austria — Over 80 Students from Austria, Russia, Hungary, Bulgaria and other countries recently completed the JLI track at the Jewish Leadership Program at the Lauder Business School in Vienna, Austria. For most, this was their first Jewish learning experience.

Led by Rabbi Shaya Boas and instructed by a team of JLI-trained teachers, 20 of the students studied JLI’s course “From Sinai to Cyberspace” during the twice-weekly, 2-hour sessions. Student assignments and exams were part of the curriculum and at the recent graduation ceremony, diplomas were issued to the students with an 80% passing grade.

The course was a real eye-opener for the students, says Rabbi Boas. “Many of them were under the impression that the level of sophistication in Jewish learning is similar to the rather primitive theology in other religions… They did not just gain knowledge; they gained respect and honor towards Jewish studies. This along with other factors led to an actual increase in practical Mitzvos.”

Rabbi Zalman Eidelman, Rabbi Ran Shapiro, Mrs. Sivan Boas, and Mrs. Liba Shapiro are instructors in this unique program. The univeristy has also successfully taught JLI’s “You be the Judge” course and plans to offer two more JLI courses in the upcoming fall semester.