Judaic Studies

The Judaic studies program consists of core courses taught under the REL and JDST subject codes and related courses taught in the disciplines of participating faculty members—anthropology, art history, English, geography, German and Scandinavian, history, landscape architecture, music, philosophy, political science, religious studies, Romance languages, sociology, and women’s and gender studies.

The focus on central issues in the humanities and the history of Western culture provides a liberal-arts background suitable to careers in a range of professional fields and prepares students for graduate work in Judaic studies or related fields.

Requirements. The major requires 68 credits. The 28 lower-division credits must include the three core courses that cover the development of Judaism and Jewish culture in a chronological sequence (REL 211, JDST 212 and 213). Majors must also take Introduction to the Bible I (REL 222). Majors satisfy the university’s foreign language requirement for the bachelor of arts with six terms of biblical Hebrew language and literature (HBRW 111–113, and three from among HBRW 311, 312, 313, and 399).

Upper-division requirements total 40 credits and include seven courses, one of which must concentrate on the American Jewish experience. The remaining courses must focus on significant issues in Judaic studies from the perspective of the instructor’s academic discipline. Recently offered courses include Women in Judaism (REL 318), Jewish Writers (ENG 340), American Jewish History (HIST 358), and Dead Sea Scrolls (REL 412). Other approved courses include The Bible and Literature (ENG 421), Geography of Religion (GEOG 446), Sociology of Religion (SOC 461), Philosophy of Religion (PHIL 320), Religious Life in the United States (HIST 359), Themes in German Literature (GER 368), and Europe in the 20th Century (HIST 428). A list of approved courses is available from the program director preceding each term; it also appears in the online class schedule and the program website.

Major Requirements

The major requires a minimum of 68 credits, including six terms of biblical Hebrew language and literature. As many as 4 credits in either Internship (JDST 404) or Practicum (JDST 409 or HBRW 409) may be used to satisfy major requirements.

Honors in Judaic Studies

A degree with honors in Judaic studies requires:

1. Satisfaction of the requirements of the major
2. A cumulative grade point average of 3.50 in courses taken to satisfy the major requirements
3. Satisfactory completion of an honors thesis

The candidate for honors must register for 4 credits in Research (JDST 401) winter term of the senior year in order to prepare for writing the thesis, and for 4 credits in Thesis (JDST 403) spring term for its completion. A faculty committee of two supervises the project. A first draft of the thesis must be submitted six weeks before the end of the term in which the student expects to graduate and the final draft two weeks before the end of the term.

Minor in Judaic Studies

The minor requires 28 credits, including 16 upper-division credits. As many as 4 credits in Internship (JDST 404) or Practicum (JDST 409 or HBRW 409) may be used to satisfy minor requirements.

Students are encouraged to establish a broad context for the Judaic studies minor by taking courses in some area of Western history and culture—e.g., Western Civilization (Hist 101, 102, 103) or courses in religious studies, art history, philosophy, or a combination thereof.

199 Special Studies: [Topic] (1–12R)

212 Medieval and Early Modern Judaism (4) Interdisciplinary introduction to Jewish life, literature, religion, culture, and thought in the Middle Ages and early modern times in both Muslim and Christian environments. Francesconi.

213 The Jewish Encounter with Modernity (4) Survey of Jewish encounters with modernity outside the Americas from 1700–1948; concentrates on transformations in political status, national identity, Jewish culture, and religious self-definition. Francesconi.

330 American Jewish Cultures (4) American Jewish culture, ritual, identity, institutions from 1880s to the present. Examines pluralism within American Jewish community and relationships with other religious and ethnic groups.

399 Special Studies: [Topic] (1–12R)

401 Research: [Topic] (1–12R)

402 Supervised College Teaching (1–12R)

403 Thesis (1–12R)

404 Internship: [Topic] (1–12R)

405 Reading and Conference: [Topic] (1–12R)

406 Special Problems: [Topic] (1–12R)

407 Seminar: [Topic] (1–16R)

408 Colloquium: [Topic] (1–16R)

409 Practicum: [Topic] (1–12R)

410/510 Experimental Course: [Topic] (1–16R)

415 Senior Project (4)

605 Reading and Conference: [Topic] (1–5R)

Hebrew Courses (HBRW)

111, 112, 113 Biblical Hebrew I,II,III (4,4,4) Prepares students to read biblical and postbiblical Hebrew texts. Emphasis on classical Hebrew grammar, vocabulary, and syntax. Green.

199 Special Studies: [Topic] (1–12R)

311 Biblical Narrative (4R) Readings in extended narrative prose passages from the Hebrew Bible; emphasis on reading, translation, vocabulary formation, and Hebrew syntax. Taught in Hebrew. Prereq: HBRW 113 or equivalent. R twice when topic changes. Green. 

312 Biblical Poetry (4) Readings in poetic passages from the Hebrew Bible; focus on reading, translation, vocabulary formation, Hebrew syntax, and biblical poetics. Taught in Hebrew. Prereq: HBRW 113 or equivalent. R twice when topic changes. Green. 

313 Post-Biblical Literature (4) Readings in postbiblical Hebrew texts of various genres from late antiquity and the Middle Ages, including legal writings, narratives, and poetry. Taught in Hebrew. Prereq: HBRW 113 or equivalent. R twice when topic changes. Falk, Green. 

399 Special Studies: [Topic] (1–12R)

401 Research: [Topic] (1–12R)

402 Supervised College Teaching (1–12R)

403 Thesis (1–12R)

404 Internship: [Topic] (1–12R)

405 Reading and Conference: [Topic] (1–12R)

406 Special Problems: [Topic] (1–12R)

407 Seminar: [Topic] (1–16R)

408 Colloquium: [Topic] (1–16R)

409 Practicum: [Topic] (1–12R)

410 Experimental Course: [Topic] (1–16R)