Contact Information
(541) 346-5288
(541) 346-4118 fax
Undergraduate degree: B.A.
Undergraduate minor
The Jewish experience in cultural contexts
The Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies provides a comprehensive undergraduate curriculum in the history, religion, and civilization of the Jewish people, and offers two years of instruction in Hebrew language and literature. The program, stresses Program Director Judith Baskin, is “open and accessible to all students, regardless of their personal background.”
The program offers students with diverse interests and backgrounds a deeper understanding of the history of Western civilization through the Jewish perspective.
“To study the Jewish experience is to gain a central example of the survival of a minority group in a variety of cultural contexts,” says Baskin. “To study one minority is to gain an understanding of the larger dilemmas of minority ethnic, cultural, racial, and religious groups.”
Associate Professor Daniel Falk, an expert on biblical studies and ancient Judaism, says that the program attracts diverse students with different reasons for studying Judaism. “Some students are interested in Judaic studies as a personal exploration,” he says. “Others are interested in general subjects such as religious studies, sociology, and history; they find in Judaism a fascinating case study.”
The Judaic studies major is highly interdisciplinary, allowing you to create your own focus by choosing classes in departments such as anthropology, history, geography, Germanic languages and literature, women’s studies, and philosophy.
In addition, you’ll take core classes in Judaic studies, including biblical Hebrew, introduction to the study of the Bible, the American Jewish experience, and a three-part series about Jewish history.
By offering students a venue to study the history of Judaism, the program contributes to increased cultural awareness on campus.
“For many students, [Judaic studies] awakens their consciousness of what it means to be an ‘other’ in the larger society,” says Baskin. “And by looking at the ‘other,’ you gain a better sense of individuality.”
Points of Interest
- Guest speakers and special visitors—
such as cultural historian Sander Gilman, author Helen Epstein,
and Israeli folk artist
Dov Noy—enrich on-campus resources. - Seniors can receive credit for a variety of internships and practicums.
- Program flexibility allows students to take classes in more than a dozen departments and programs.
- Associate Professor Daniel Falk is renowned for his expertise on the Dead Sea Scrolls.
- Courses offer an opportunity to discuss: Anthropology,Sociology, Cultural tradition, Narrative and poetry in the Bible