“In the modern university, the academic study of Jews and Judaism is a core component of a liberal arts education, the humanities and the social sciences, and the understanding of diverse civilizations and cultures.”
  Association for Jewish Studies

The Jewish Studies program offers the opportunity to explore the history, cultures, and religion of the Jewish people in a wide variety of contexts. Because of the geographic, ethnic, racial, and cultural diversity of the Jewish people and the long timeline of Jewish history, the field of Jewish Studies provides rich possibilities for cross-cultural and comparative study. The program explores the evolving interactions between Judaism and Christianity, Islam, and other religions, as well as the multifaceted interactions between Jewish communities and the majority cultures within which they have lived.

Why Jewish Studies?

• Judaism, an evolving religious civilization, is the world’s oldest monotheistic religion.
• The Jewish experience is characterized by cultural and ethnic diversity reflected in a wide range of expressions of music, art, and literature.
• The key elements that shape the Jewish experience (religion, ethnicity, history, culture, nationality) are also essential to understanding today’s complex and diverse society. Jewish Studies introduces students not only to the theory behind these concepts but also to how they shape everyday lives.
• Students who major or minor in Jewish Studies are prepared for jobs in education, social services, politics, museums and archives, synagogues, and many other fields.
• In Jewish Studies classes, students explore vitally important subjects such as identity, assimilation, culture, religion, and social justice and acquire the tools and knowledge for a more critical and analytical understanding of the religious and secular world around them.
• Familiarity with Judaism is necessary for a full understanding of Western society.
• Jewish Studies classes are welcoming to all, regardless of identity or background!