Undergraduate Programs
Jewish Studies – Major
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Jewish Studies offers all students from varied backgrounds and disciplines a comprehensive and interdisciplinary perspective on the study of Jews and Judaism. In learning about the geographic, temporal, philosophical, and cultural diversity of the Jewish experience, students gain critical skills that complement any direction of study and can be applied to myriad future aspirations.
Major in Jewish Studies
50 credits, to include the following:
1. Jewish Language. Students must do one of the following:
- Complete two years of college-level coursework in one Jewish language or demonstrate second year college-level proficiency in one Jewish language through a proficiency exam;
- Complete one year each of college-level coursework in two different Jewish languages or demonstrate first year college-level proficiency in two different Jewish languages through a proficiency exam.
Jewish languages may include Biblical Hebrew, Modern Hebrew, Ladino, or Yiddish. Learn more about Jewish language offerings at UW here. Contact Professor Ahuvia, the Jewish Studies faculty adviser, with additional questions regarding approved Jewish languages.
2. Introductory Courses (15 credits total):
- RELIG 145: Introduction to Judaism (5 Ssc; AUT)
- JEW ST 250/HSTCMP 250: Jewish Cultural History (5 Ssc; WIN)
- One of JSIS 200, JSIS 201, or JSIS 202 (5 Ssc; AUT/WIN/SPR)
3. Minimum 35 credits of Jewish Studies courses from an approved list of electives, to include a minimum of 25 credits completed at the 300-400 level. May include a maximum of 10 credits from the second year of Jewish language courses.
4. Maximum 15 credits (exclusive of language) from an approved UW study abroad program may be counted towards the major.
5. Minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA for courses applied to the major.
To major in Jewish Studies, please schedule an appointment with a Jackson School Undergraduate Adviser for Jewish Studies majors.
Approved electives for the Jewish Studies major and minor
Contact an adviser with questions or for clarification.
| Course # | Title | Credits | Type of Credit | Instructor |
| MODHEB 100 | Introduction to Hebrew Language and Culture | 2 | A&H/Ssc
C/NC |
Khazzam-Horovitz |
| RELIG 145 | Introduction to Judaism (required for major/minor) | 5 | Ssc | Ahuvia/Pianko/Naar |
| JEW ST 175/ GERMAN 195 |
Popular Film and the Holocaust | 5 | A&H/ DIV |
Block |
| MODHEB 200 * | Hebrew Conversation | 2 | A&H/ Ssc |
|
| ARAMIC 201 * | Biblical Aramaic | 5 | A&H | |
| ARAMIC 202/ 522 | Aramaic Texts in Antiquity | 5 | A&H/ SSc | Scott Noegel |
| RELIG 201 | Introduction to Introduction to World Religions: Western Traditions | 5 | Ssc | Ahuvia |
| BIBHEB 201 * | Biblical Hebrew Poetry | 5 | A&H | |
| BIBHEB 202 * | Inscriptions From Biblical Times | 5 | A&H | |
| BIBHEB 203 * | Biblical Prophetic Texts | 5 | A&H | Scott Noegel |
| BIBHEB 206 * | Magic and the Bible: Tales of Cult and Wonder | 5 | A&H | Scott Noegel |
| BIBHEB 208/ 508 | The Art of Biblical Narrative | 5 | A&H | Scott Noegel |
| MODHEB 201 * MODHEB 202 * MODHEB 203 * |
Intermediate Modern Hebrew | 5 | A&H | Khazzam-Horovitz |
| JEW ST 210 | Funny Jews: Jewish Humor and American Identity | 5 | A&H | Pianko |
| JEW ST 215/ SPAN 294/ LING 372 | Ladino Language and Culture | 5 | Ssc | |
| HSTEU 234 | Nazi Germany | 5 | Ssc | Marhoefer |
| RELIG 240/ NEAR E 202 | Introduction to Hebrew Bible: Old Testament | 5 | A&H/ Ssc |
|
| HSTEU 252/ JSIS A 252 | The Bloodlands: East Central Europe Under Hitler And Stalin | 5 | Ssc | Felak |
| CHID 206/ JEW ST 206 | Modern Thought in Dark Times: History and Memory After Auschwitz | 5 | Ssc/ DIV |
Barr |
| JEW ST 269/ HSTCMP 269 | The Holocaust: History & Memory | 5 | Ssc/ DIV |
Naar |
| JEW ST 270/ HSTCMP 270 | From the Mediterranean to America: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Migrations in Global Context | 5 | Ssc/ DIV |
Naar |
| NEAR E 287 | Near East in Song: Israel & Popular Music | 2 | A&H/ DIV |
Sokoloff |
| JEW ST 289 | Special Topics in Jewish Studies | Varies | Varies | |
| JEW ST 295/ GERMAN 295 |
Contributions of German Jews to German Culture | 5 | A&H/ Ssc/ DIV |
Block |
| NEAR E 302 | Religions of the Ancient World | 3 | SSc/td> | Scott Noegel |
| RELIG 306/ NEAR E 306 | History of Biblical Interpretation | 3 | A&H/ Ssc |
|
| ENGL 311 | Modern Jewish Literature (in translation) | 5 | A&H | |
| NEAR E 311 | Archaeology of Biblical Israel | 5 | Ssc | Selover |
| JEW ST 3XX | Global Jewish Literatures | 5 | Sasha Senderovich | |
| JEW ST 312/ ENGL 312 / NEAR E 310 | Jewish Literature: Foundations & Reimaginings | 5 | A&H/ Ssc/ DIV |
Naomi Sokoloff |
| JSIS A 314/ NEAR E 315/ POL S 314 | History of Israel/Palestine | 5 | Ssc/ DIV |
Halperin |
| RELIG 315/ NEAR E 305 | The Biblical Prophets | 3 | A&H/ Ssc |
Noegel |
| JEW ST 318/ NEAR E 317 | Jewish Life in Literature and Film | 5 | A&H/ Ssc |
Sokoloff |
| NEAR E 318/ C LIT 318 | Literature and the Holocaust | 5 | A&H/ DIV |
Sokoloff |
| NEAR E 320 | Poetry in the Jewish Tradition | 5 | A&H/ Ssc |
Sokoloff |
| JEW ST 325 | Contemporary Judaism in a Global Context | 5 | Ssc | Pianko |
| POL S 325 | The Arab-Israel Conflict | 5 | Ssc | |
| JEW ST 330 | Th Sages: Foundations of Classical Judaism | 5 | Ahuvia | |
| NEAR E 333 | Prophecy in Judaism, Christianity and Islam | 3 | Ssc | Zafer |
| RELIG 334/ GWSS 334 | Gender, Sex and Religion | 5 | Ssc/ DIV |
Ahuvia |
| JEW ST 336/ HSTAA 336 | American Jewish History | 5 | Ssc | Pianko |
| NEAR E 336 | Islam in Jewish Contexts, Judaism in Muslim Contexts | 3 | Ssc/ A&H |
Zafer |
| JEW ST 337/ HSTAA 337 | The Holocaust and American Life | 5 | Ssc/ DIV |
Glenn |
| JEW ST 339/ B H 339 / NEAR E 328 / PHIL 301 | Bioethics: Secular and Jewish Perspectives | 3 | Ssc | Khazzam-Horovitz |
| JEW ST 357/ ENGL 357 / RUSS 320A / C LIT 396A | Jewish American Literature and Culture | 5 | A&H/ DIV |
Senderovich |
| JEW ST 358/ HSTCMP 368 | Jewish Thought: Religion and Nationalism | 5 | Ssc | Pianko |
| HSTEU 361 | Spain and its Golden Age, 1469-1700 | 5 | Ssc | Schmidt |
| JEW ST 362/ SPAN 362/ GEOG 373 | Food and Community: Cultural Practices in the Hispanic World (taught in English) | 5 | Ssc | Gomez-Bravo |
| JEW ST 367/ HSTAM 367 | Medieval Jewish History | 5 | Ssc | |
| JEW ST 368/ HSTEU 368 | Modern European Jewish History | 5 | Ssc/ DIV |
Naar |
| JEW ST 369/ HSTCMP 369 | The Jewish Twentieth Century in Film | 5 | Ssc/ A&H/ DIV |
|
| JEW ST 377/ SOC 377 | The American Jewish Community | 5 | Ssc/ DIV |
Friedman |
| JEW ST 378/ SOC 378 | Contemporary Jewish American Identities | 5 | Ssc/ DIV |
Friedman |
| JEW ST 379/ SOC 378 | Doing Jewish Identity Studies | 5 | Ssc | Friedman |
| MODHEB 401 MODHEB 402 MODHEB 403 |
Introduction to Hebrew Literature | 3 | A&H | Sokoloff |
| MODHEB 404 | Hebrew Poetry | 5 | A&H | Sokoloff |
| MODHEB 405 | Hebrew Fiction | 5 | A&H | Sokoloff |
| MODHEB 406 | Hebrew Poems and Prayers | 5 | A&H | Sokoloff |
| MODHEB 407 | Hebrew in Song | 5 | A&H | Sokoloff |
| MODHEB 408 | Hebrew in Prose | 5 | A&H | Sokoloff |
| CLAS 405 | Biblical Narrative | 5 | A&H | Clauss |
| JEW ST 418/ PHIL 418 | Jewish Philosophy | 5 | Ssc | |
| JEW ST 427/ RUSS 427 / C LIT 496 | Russian Jewish Experience | 5 | A&H/ Ssc/ DIV |
Senderovich |
| JEW ST 438/ GWSS 438 | Jewish Women in Contemporary America | 5 | Ssc/ DIV |
Friedman |
| RELIG 440 | Angels: From the Bible to American Spirituality | 5 | Ssc | Ahuvia |
| JSIS A 458 | Israel: Politics and Society | 5 | Ssc/ DIV |
|
| JEW ST 459/HSTAFM 459 | History of Jewish-Muslim Relations | 5 | Ssc | Halperin |
| JEW ST 460/ SPAN 360 | Sephardic Culture before 1492 | 5 | Ssc/ A&H |
Naar |
| JEW ST 462 | Anti-Semitism As a Cultural System | 5 | Ssc/ DIV |
|
| JEW ST 463 | Enlightenment, Emancipation, Antisemitism: History of the Jews, 1770-1914 | 5 | Ssc/ DIV |
|
| JEW ST 465/ HSTEU 465 | The Jews of Eastern Europe | 5 | Ssc | |
| JEW ST 466/ HSTCMP 469 | The Sephardic Diaspora: 1492-Present | 5 | Ssc/ DIV |
Naar |
| JEW ST 468/ HSTEU 464 | The Jews in Spanish History | 5 | Ssc | |
| JEW ST 490 | Advanced Topics in Jewish Studies | 1-5, max 15 credits | Ssc | |
| MODHEB 490 | Supervised Modern Hebrew Study | 3-5, max 15 credits | A&H | |
| JEW ST 491 | Seminar: Topics and Issues in Judaism | 5 | Ssc | |
| JEW ST 495 | Seminar in Jewish Studies | 5 | Ssc | |
| MODHEB 496 | Special Topics in Modern Hebrew | 1-6, max 18 credits | ||
| Special Topics | For any course prefix when topic is appropriate; check with adviser for approval | Varies | Varies |
* = Second year language class. Majors may include a maximum of 10 credits from the second year of Jewish language courses. Minors may include up to 5 credits from Jewish language courses.
Jewish Languages at UW
UW offers courses in Biblical Hebrew and Modern Hebrew. Students who wish to study a Jewish language not currently offered at the UW should contact Professor Mika Ahuvia, undergraduate faculty adviser for Jewish Studies and coordinate with Jackson School academic advising office.
Students who wish to satisfy language requirements of the Jewish Studies major by demonstrating sufficient previous knowledge should contact the Office of Educational Assessment website and then notify the Jackson School academic advising office with the results.
Biblical Hebrew
Biblical Hebrew is offered in a two-year sequence at the UW. After completing BIBHEB 101, 102, and 103, students may take higher level BIBHEB courses (i.e., BIBHEB 201, BIBHEB 202, BIBHEB 203) in any order. For more information, click here or contact Professor Scott Noegel.
| Course # | Title | Credits | |
| ARAMIC 201 | Biblical Aramaic | 5 A&H | |
| §BIBHEB 101 §BIBHEB 102 |
Elementary Biblical Hebrew | 5 | |
| §BIBHEB 103 | Biblical Hebrew Prose | 5 | |
| BIBHEB 105 | Intensive Biblical Hebrew (SUM only) | 15 | |
| BIBHEB 201 | Biblical Hebrew Poetry | 5 A&H | |
| BIBHEB 202 | Inscriptions From Biblical Times | 5 A&H | |
| BIBHEB 203 | Biblical Prophetic Texts | 5 A&H | |
| BIBHEB 206 | Magic and the Bible: Tales of Cult and Wonder | 5 A&H | |
| § Preparatory course; credits do not count toward the requirement for the Jewish Studies major | |||
Modern Hebrew
Modern Hebrew at the UW offers opportunities for new language learners to native Hebrew speakers. For FAQs about Modern Hebrew at the UW and information pertaining to placement, native speakers, and proficiency tests, click here.
| Course # | Title | Credits | Instructor |
| §MODHEB 101 §MODHEB 102 §MODHEB 103 |
Elementary Modern Hebrew | 5 | Khazzam-Horovitz |
| §MODHEB 105 | Intensive Elementary Modern Hebrew (SUM only) | 15 | Khazzam-Horovitz |
| MODHEB 201 MODHEB 202 MODHEB 203 |
Intermediate Modern Hebrew | 5 A&H | Khazzam-Horovitz |
| MODHEB 401 MODHEB 402 MODHEB 403 |
Introduction to Hebrew Literature | 3 A&H | Sokoloff |
| MODHEB 404 | Hebrew Poetry | 5 A&H | Sokoloff |
| MODHEB 405 | Hebrew Fiction | 3 A&H | Sokoloff |
| MODHEB 406 | Hebrew Poems and Prayers | 3 A&H | Sokoloff |
| MODHEB 407 | Hebrew in Song | 5 A&H | Sokoloff |
| § Preparatory courses; credits do not count toward the requirement for the Jewish Studies major. | |||