Jewish Studies Major

A Jewish Studies major was approved by the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences in October, 2008.

Requirements for the major.

             Prerequisite: Students must complete second-year Hebrew or place out of second-year Hebrew before completing the major.

            Courses: The major in Jewish Studies will require the successful completion of twelve courses, at least six of which must be at the 300 level. These courses must include:

• Any two courses from the following list:  
  • Third-year Hebrew. (A single quarter of third-year Hebrew will suffice to satisfy this requirement.)   
  • A course on a classical Jewish text in Hebrew in the Department of Religion.           
  • A course on Hebrew literature read in Hebrew.

    Students who complete two years of Yiddish language are exempted from this requirement and need only complete ten courses to complete the major.

• Religion 230: Introduction to Judaism.
• One course covering the biblical period.
• One course covering the rabbinic period.
• Two courses covering the post-rabbinic periods (viz., post-800 C.E.)
• Five other courses listed by Jewish Studies as counting for major or minor credit. (Third-year Hebrew and third-year Yiddish can count toward this requirement.)

Of these twelve courses, at least one must be in the Department of History and one in a department that focuses on the study of literature.