David Capes
In these other programs, you don’t earn a degree. They are more of a certificate program. But the graduate studies, you’re offering the full degree.
Baruch Kvasnica
Yes, that’s right. But our certificates are not lightweight, meaning that almost half of our students are Bible translators. Because I’ve been training Bible translators in the land of the Bible for about 15-20, years. They know about us, and they know, by God’s grace and for His glory, how incredible our School of Hebrew is. They are coming to learn online and in person in August. For example, every August for the past eight years, and diaspora Hebrew month-long intensives, we call them. So even though they’re certificates, they’re actually very serious.
David Capes
Yes, they can be. This is fascinating! All right, so if people have heard something today and they want to connect with you, how would they get connected with Jerusalem Seminary and you as President?
Baruch Kvasnica
Well, jerusalemseminary.org is our website, and that has our course catalog.
David Capes
jerusalemseminary.org.
Baruch Kvasnica
Yes. They can see the course catalog and can register for both individual classes. They can take them for credit. They can take them for audit. There are also certificate programs. And there’s also the new MA in Biblical Studies that requires them to be in the country twice. So, everything can be done online, except for two residential intensives in the land.
David Capes
Are those one week, or two weeks?
Baruch Kvasnica
Two weeks.
David Capes
Two weeks each. Do you have residences that they can occupy?
Baruch Kvasnica
Yes, as soon as we received money, that was given from here in Houston, back in 2017. As soon as I knew about this seed money, I immediately thought of the building that we’re in. It’s the Alliance Center. It’s where a number of institutions have been born, and it has eight dorm rooms. It has a beautiful chapel, it has classrooms, has offices. It’s right downtown in central Jerusalem.
David Capes
Oh, wow. So, this is not tin he Old City.
Baruch Kvasnica
It’s about a seven-minute walk from the Old City. On Prophet Street. It’s even biblical!
David Capes
Nevi’im the prophets! So, people can get to know the city of Jerusalem. Do they go up to the Galilee, over to the Dead Sea, and Jericho? Places like that.
Baruch Kvasnica
Yes, we often start our short-term courses down in the Negev just like the patriarchs and the wanderings in the wilderness and the manna. And then we move up to the Galilee at some point for a couple days or so and see the coast. Then focus at least half the time in Jerusalem. So yes, it’s definitely an active field trip and lecture combination for our short-term courses.
David Capes
How has the war affected you and your institution?
Baruch Kvasnica
It’s been a long journey. Not only the war, but COVID was tough for everyone. Israel tried to be really tough.
David Capes
Everything was shut down.
Baruch Kvasnica
Yes. Then the war has persisted in bringing challenges. It’s been a very difficult psychological challenge. We’ve had staff that have been involved in serving. They’ve been pulled out for reserves because about 75% of our staff are local, so that makes us a little unique too. There’s a number of institutions in the land. God is building us in such a way that we can be there, long term. We pray, so that we can have a lasting effect.
Some of my children are needing to serve because that’s required by law, boys and girls. That clipped our wings as far as bringing students in the land, but we’re looking forward to a new era. Now that there’s greater peace, we have a number of seminaries and Bible colleges interested in coming back to the land. Having short-term courses or a semester abroad or a year-long program. We’re looking forward to the future.
David Capes
I know some of the people who teach for you, but for our listeners, tell us a few people that teach for you. If I were to come and study, besides working with you and learning Hebrew, who could I study with?
Baruch Kvasnica
We have Dr. Gerald McDermott, who’s been with us from the beginning, Dr. Petra Heldt, who was my first teacher in Hebrew University in 1994 and she is amazing. We’re trying to get her to write a book. We have Randall Buth, who’s doing some of the lecturing for the gospels course. We have Dr. Halver Ronning, who has been here. Nick Aaronson is coming on board. Walter Kaiser is on our Advisory Council.
David Capes
What does the future look like over the next three to five years?
Baruch Kvasnica
We are looking forward to having hundreds of students come each year. Our goal is 1,000 a year in about 5-10 years, but looking for hundreds to come and be in the land or online. We have about 250 students now, each year, but only about 20% of them are in the country. We want to just expand that from 250-1,000.
David Capes
Your students are from different countries?
Baruch Kvasnica
Yes. This semester, I think we have 14 different countries. Last semester, we had 85 from 21 countries. This is mainly because we have so many Bible translators. But the wonderful thing about Bible translators is, often, they’re not just translating Bible. They’re also preaching, yeah. So we get two for one, preachers and Bible translators at the same time,
David Capes
All right, once again, for those who want to be in touch with you. Maybe they feel like they want to donate some money, or maybe they feel they’d like to study in the land. I’d like to go over there for two weeks and have some time or take a short-term course or be involved in a program of study. How would they do that?
Baruch Kvasnica
They can connect us with us at jerusalemseminary.org. They can write, email, call. If they’d like to donate, there’s a “Give” page. I totally believe that this is God’s doing. That the Kingdom needs to advance in the land of the Bible. Meaning that pastors can be rejuvenated. Seminarians can be rooted in the land and will have a much more fruitful ministry by being connected to the land and language of the Bible. If people would want to join what God is doing at Jerusalem Seminary, feel free to check us out at jerusalemseminary.org.
David Capes
That sounds great. Dr. Kvasnica, thanks for being with us today on “The Stone Chapel Podcast.”
Baruch Kvasnica
Thank you very much. My pleasure.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
