Jewish Studies (BA)

College of Arts and Sciences

Program Website

Program Description

The major in Jewish Studies will provide students of all backgrounds the opportunity to critically analyze Jewish cultures, histories, literatures, media, thought, and religion. Students who major in Jewish Studies will be exposed to the long arc of Jewish history, while learning the skills of close textual analysis and discovering the complexity behind the formation of religious, ethnic, and cultural identities. At Cornell, students can study Jewish culture, history, media, and texts from: ancient Israel; late antique Mesopotamia; medieval Iberia; the Shoah; Modern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas; and beyond.

The Jewish Studies major is designed to put the study of Jewish experiences in a comparative context. The range of courses available to Jewish studies majors highlight Jewish diversity: cultural, ethnic, geographic, linguistic, and racial. Jewish Studies majors can take courses in a variety of disciplines, including archaeology, film, gender studies, history, law, literature, philosophy, politics, race, and religion. Through these courses, and through the fulfillment of the related course requirement, students will gain insight into larger questions of global concern, including the problems of constructions of otherness, inequality, and colonialism—among much else. The major is constructed with a great deal of flexibility, not only to accommodate a range of student interests, but also to make it possible for Jewish Studies students to double major in Jewish Studies and another field.

Policies

No prerequisites are required to enter the Jewish Studies major.

To complete the major, students must successfully complete ten courses.

All courses for the major must be taken for a letter grade and students must receive a grade of C or better in order for it to count toward the major.

Honors Program

Students with at least a 3.5 GPA in the major may apply for the honors program.

All Jewish Studies majors enrolled in the honors program will be required to conduct independent research and produce a senior project. Students may opt for a one-semester senior project (JWST 4769 Research in Jewish Studies), or a two-semester honors research sequence (JWST 4998 Honors Research I and JWST 4999 ).

If there are not enough students to form a class for JWST 4769 Research in Jewish Studies will designate an existing 4000-level course as the senior research seminar. If no "Senior Project" course is offered, students may complete this requirement with an independent study.

In the fall semester, honors students will register for JWST 4998 Honors Research I, which will co-meet with JWST 4769 Research in Jewish Studies. In the Spring, honors students would continue in JWST 4999 under the direction of their thesis advisor.

Double Majors

We anticipate that some Jewish Studies majors will carry a second major. The Jewish Studies major requires only two specific courses, granting students flexibility in selecting from a range of major elective course offerings. This structure should make it possible for interested students to fulfill the requirements of two majors simultaneously. In keeping with college requirements, students will only be permitted to count two courses toward both majors. It would also be possible for students to double major in Jewish Studies and either Near Eastern Studies or Religious Studies without duplication. While some Jewish Studies courses are crosslisted with Near Eastern Studies and Religious Studies, the academic fields and the pathways through the respective majors are distinct. There are many Jewish Studies courses about Jewish histories and cultures of Europe and the Americas, that fall outside of the area-studies field of Near Eastern Studies (and are parented by other units on campus). There are also many Jewish Studies courses about forms of cultural expression that are not engaged with the discipline of Religious Studies.

Study Abroad

Students are encouraged to consult with their advisor about options and eligibility to study abroad. With appropriate advance consultation and approval upon return, JWST will accept credits earned abroad toward the major. Students are reminded that the College of Arts and Sciences requires that they carry a minimum of 15 credits during a semester abroad.