• It studies Judaism as a religion and Jews as a civilization in its own right, but also contemplates Jews as an ethnic group that has made significant contributions to Western thought. It considers cultures and civilizations, texts and languages, philosophy and literature, religion and history, majority and minority groups, universally shared and particular values. Courses in Jewish Studies help develop critical skills, hone comparative approaches, and build bridges between the universal and the particular.
  • The Jewish Studies Program offers about forty-five courses annually in nine departments or programs and can satisfy the entry-level student with no background and also intellectually challenge a sophisticated student with a solid foundation in Jewish texts. Offerings span many academic departments and programs, including Anthropology, Art History, Comparative Literary Studies, English, German, Hebrew Language, History, Political Science, Religious Studies, Spanish, and Sociology. Subjects range from the Hebrew Bible to the Arab-Israel conflict and modern Jewish thought, history, literature, and culture.