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MAJOR IN JEWISH STUDIES: EDUCATION TRACK
Major in Jewish Studies
Major in L&S: Minimum of 30 credits in Jewish Studies. Students are responsible for reaching the level of fourth semester proficiency in Hebrew necessary for the required courses in Hebrew texts. Language Requirement: 4th level proficiency in Hebrew is necessary. Credits will not count toward 30 required for major. – 4th level of Hebrew language or higher. Biblical Hebrew includes 103, 104, 323, 324. Hebrew 101-202 do not count toward the 30 credits required in the Major.
- Introduction to Judaism – 3 credits
- Hebrew Texts – 6 credits
Two courses in Hebrew texts at the level above 202 in Modern Hebrew (Hebrew 301, 302, 401, 402, 533, 534) or above 324 in Biblical Hebrew (Hebrew 448, 513, 514, 641, 642, 651, 652, 653, 654)* - Literature – 6 credits
Two courses in Jewish literature, at least one of which should be literature of the diaspora written in a language other than Hebrew, e.g., English, French, German, Russian. (Courses taken to satisfy the requirement in Hebrew texts cannot be used to satisfy this requirement.) - Diaspora Literature
- 225 The Jew In Russian Literature [in Translation] (with Lit Trans)
- 279 Yiddish Literature in the United States [In Translation] (with Lit Trans)
- 355 Representations of Women in 20th Century Jewish Literature (with Hebrew St)
- 490 New Voices in Jewish American Fiction; Jewish Fictions from 19th C NY, Jewish American Literature in the 1940s, Post-Holocaust Literature and Theory: The Survivor
- 519 Englishness and Jewishness (with Hebrew St & Medieval St)
- 591 Jewish Fictions from 19th-century London to early 20th-century New York
- 593 American Autobiography: Jewish Identity and the “Melting Pot” (with English)
- Hebrew Literature
- 227 Intro to Biblical Literature (in English) (with Hebrew St)
- 228 Survey (in English) of Hebrew Literature: Medieval to Modern Periods (with Hebrew St)
- 237 Biblical Poetry in Translation (with Hebrew St)
- 301/2 Introduction to Hebrew Literature (with Hebrew St)
- 328 Classical Rabbinic Literature in Translation (with Hebrew St)
- 332 Prophets of the Bible (with Hebrew St)
- 346 Jewish Literature of the Greco-Roman Period (with Hebrew St)
- 367 Israeli Fiction [in Translation] (with Hebrew St)
- 417 History-telling of the Bible
- 401/2 Survey of Modern Hebrew Literature (with Hebrew St)
- 446 Holy Places and Sacred Times in Rabbinic Literature (with Hebrew St)
- 448 Classical Rabbinic Texts (with Hebrew St and Relig St)
- 460 Medieval Hebrew Biblical Commentaries
- 513/4 Biblical Texts, Poetry (with Hebrew St)
- 533/4 Readings in Contemporary Hebrew Literature (with Hebrew St)
- History – 6 credits
Two courses in Jewish history to include one course in American Jewish History**
- 202 Topics in Jewish Studies – American Jewish History (with History)
- 219 The American Jewish Experience: From Shtetl to Suburb (with History)
- 220 Introduction to Modern Jewish History (with History)
- 371 Topics in Jewish Civilization: Jews of Eastern Europe, 19th and 20th Century, Eastern European Jewish Immigrant Experience, 1800s-1920s (with Anthropology)
- 373 Modern Political History of the Jews, Part I (with History)
- 374 Modern Political History of the Jews, Part II (with History)
- 377/78 Jewish Cultural History (in English) (with History)
- 416 Eastern European Jews in the United States, 1800s-1930s (with History)
- 473 Jewish Civilization in Medieval Spain (in English) (with Hebrew & Medieval)
- 490 Topics in Jewish Studies: American Jewish History (with History), Eastern European Jewry: 1648-1945; Jews and Economy in Modern Times; Hasidism: Origins to Mass Movement; Historical Thinking in Collective Memory
- 515 Holocaust: History, Memory and Education
- 518 Anti-Semitism in European Culture (with German & History)
- 529 Intellectual and Religious History of European Jewry – 1648-1870 (with History)
- Disciplinary Perspectives – 6 credits
Two courses chosen from any of the following:
- 202 Yiddish Music: Folk Songs, Film & Theater
- 229 Representation of the Jew in Eastern European Culture (with Lit Trans)
- 236 ***Bascom Courses
- 241 Introduction to Biblical Archaeology (with Hebrew St)
- 258 The Jews, States, and Citizenship: A Sociological Perspective (with Sociology)
- 356 Zionism in Thought, Culture, and Literature: From the Inception to the State (with Hebrew St)
- 371 Topics in Jewish Civilization: Modern Jewish Thought, Dead Sea Scrolls and Hellenistic Literature (with Hebrew St)
- 372 Jews of Central and Eastern Europe (with Anthro)
- 376 Ancient Jewish Psychology and Ethics (with Hebrew St)
- 410 Holocaust Theme in Western Drama (with Theatre and Drama)
- 420 Antisemitism: History, Literature, and the Arts
- 421 Seminar: Introduction to Jewish Studies
- 435 Jewish Philosophy from Antiquity to the Seventeenth Century (with Philosophy)
- 442 Moral Philosophy and the Holocaust (with Philosophy)
- 450 Undergraduate Seminar in Judaism and the Arts
- 451/2 Biblical Archaeology (with Hebrew St)
- 475 Education and Jewish Civilization (with Ed Pol)
- 490 Topics in Jewish Studies: Studying American Jews Through Film and Television (with Anthropology); Modern Jewish Thought and Education (with Education);Education and Jewish Civilization (with Education);The Holocaust: History, Memory and Education (with Curriculum and Instruction); and Seminar in Education and Jewish Studies (with Curriculum and Instruction); Yiddish Language and Culture (with German); Jewish Politics 19th & 20th Century Europe (with Political Science), Eastern European Jewry: 1648-1945 (with History), Rhetoric and Pedagogy of the Holocaust, Law Theology and the State (with Law), Theory of the Holocaust: Writing and Teaching; Teaching Jewish Studies; Literature of the Holocaust; Jewish Pop Music in America: Berlin to Kravitz; Law, Theology and the State; Yiddish, Language and Culture; Jewish Politics in the 19th and 20th Century Europe; Out of Europe: Post 1945 Literature and Film; Writing Rhetoric and Ethics After Auschwitz
- 515 Holocaust: History, Memory and Education (with C&I)
- 518 Anti-Semitism in European Culture (with German and History)
- 613 Jewish Law and Ethics in Comparative Perspective (with Law)
- 625 The Holocaust: Facts, Trials, Verdicts, Post Verdicts (with Law)
- 665 Israeli Politics & Society (with Political Science)
- Capstone Course – 3 credits
The capstone course is intended for students nearing the end of their course work. It will be designated as the capstone course or by Directed Study, which will require prior consent of the Undergraduate Advisor in Jewish studies and the relevant instructor. Students may then be allowed to use one directed study course to satisfy a requirement for the Major.
- 675 Research Colloquium for Majors; 1 cr.
- 677 Independent Research for Majors; 3 cr (Students must register concurrently in Jewish Studies 675).
Honors Option available:
681/2 Senior Thesis
691/2 Senior Honors Thesis
* In the future, an “Introduction to Classical Hebrew Texts” course may be used to satisfy this portion of the major.
** A one-year survey of Jewish cultural and intellectual history is under development.
*** Bascom Courses are small (20 students or fewer) and generally focus on one particular topic, that would generate substantial in depth papers throughout the semester. Current topics: Jewish Composers: Early Modern to Modern (with Music); Modern American Jewish Fiction (with English); and Writing (and) the Holocaust (with English)
Major in Jewish Studies – Education Track
(Degree awarded in College of Letters and Science)
A total of 33 credits — 18 in Jewish Studies and 9 in Education. Students electing the Education track are responsible for reaching the level of fourth semester proficiency in Hebrew necessary for the required courses in Hebrew texts.
- Jewish Studies Requirements. 18 credits in the following five areas in Jewish Studies, distributed as follows:
- Introduction to Judaism (3 credits)
- Jewish Literature (3 credits)
- Jewish history (6 credits)
- Hebrew Texts, including both modern and Classical texts (6 credits)
- Education-related requirements. A total of 9 credits distributed as follows:
- Developing a philosophical stance (3 credits)
- EPS 540, Modern Philosophies of Education, or
- EPS 545, Philosophical Conceptions of Teaching and Learning, or
- EPS 550, Philosophy of Moral Education
- Education in Jewish Studies in a democratic, pluralistic society (3 credits)
- EPS 460, Cultural Pluralism and Education, or
- Curric/Ed Pol/Relig St 516, Public Education, and the Curriculum
- Pedagogical/Curricular issues pertinent to Education in Jewish Studies (3 credits)
- Curric 359, Teaching of History and the Other Social Studies, or
- Curric/Jewish 515, The Holocaust: History, Memory, and Education (C&I),* or
- Curric 431, Young Adult Literature
- Education and Jewish Studies requirements. A total of 6 credits will satisfy the disciplinary perspectives requirement for the major and is as follows:
- Seminar in Education and Jewish Studies (Ed Pol/Curric)* and
- Ed Pol/Jewish 475, Education and Jewish Civilization
* Formal course proposal under development.
Certificate in Jewish Studies
The Certificate in Jewish Studies provides students with an opportunity for a broadly conceived course of study. Jewish Studies includes a range of disciplines to interpret some 3500 years of the Jewish experience. The subject matter is by definition highly diverse, encompassing multiple aspects of the Jewish experience (e.g., religion, culture, society, politics) as well as relationships with numerous cultures and societies in many periods and in many parts of the world. The aim of the certificate is to acquaint students with a number of significant aspects of the Jewish experience and to introduce them to some of the tools required for its study.
The Certificate will complement the studies of students majoring in any subject in the College of Letters and Science. It will also strengthen the applications of those students who intend to pursue careers or graduate study in a field related to Jewish Studies.
Language Requirement
Although the Jewish experience has ranged widely in time and space, one unifying element has been the Hebrew language. Study of the Hebrew language is integral to a curriculum in Jewish Studies. Students are required to take at least one year (two courses) of Hebrew instruction (either Biblical or Modern). Students with a prior knowledge of the language are also required to take one year of instruction at the appropriate level. Students whose prior knowledge is equivalent to four semesters or more of Hebrew language instruction are required to take two courses in Hebrew texts (Bible and/or Modern). (The Department of Hebrew and Semitic Studies, 1346 Van Hise, administers placement examinations.)
[Lower division Hebrew Language courses (Hebrew Studies 101, 102, 103, 104, 201, 202) can be used to satisfy the language requirement but, because they are not crosslisted with Jewish Studies, they cannot be used to satisfy any other requirements for the Certificate in Jewish Studies. In contrast, Hebrew Literature courses (301 and above), since they are crosslisted with Jewish Studies, can be used to satisfy other requirements for the Certificate.]
Course Requirements
A Certificate in Jewish Studies requires seven courses, two of which must be in Hebrew language. These courses must reflect the chronological and disciplinary diversity of the Center for Jewish Studies. Students must take one course in each of the two disciplinary clusters indicated in the following document. In addition, one course on a subject prior to the modern period (Biblical, rabbinic or medieval) and two additional courses of your choosing must be taken which completes the seven course requirement. Independent study (299 or 699) may be used to satisfy only one cluster requirement, but may not be used to satisfy the requirement for a course prior to the modern period. Independent (directed) student has to go through the Center, with permission and consent of the advisor. It should be noted that the Certificate is updated continuously. Please contact the Center for any current revisions.
Cluster One: Literature, Philosophy and the Arts:
JS 202/Music 201 (Yiddish Music: Folksongs, Film & Theatre), JS/Hebr/Relig 211 (Intro to Judaism), Hebr 217-JS/Relig/LitTrans 227 (Literature in Translation: Biblical Literature [in English]), Hebr 218-JS/LitTrans 228 (Survey [in English] of Hebrew Literature: Medieval to Modern Periods), JS/LitTrans 225 (Jews in Russian Literature, in Translation), JS/LitTrans 229 (Representation of the Jew in Eastern European Culture), JS/Music 236 (Jewish Composers in the Early Modern to Modern Eras), JS/English 236 (Modern American Jewish Fiction), JS/English 236 (Writing and the Holocaust), JS/Hebr 237 (Biblical Poetry in Translation), JS/LitTrans 269 (Yiddish Literature in Eastern Europe, in Translation), JS/LitTrans 279 (Yiddish Literature in the United States [in Translation]), JS/Hebr 301-2 (Intro to Hebrew Literature), Hebr 323/4 (Biblical Texts), JS/Hebr/Relig/Lit Tran 328 (Classical Rabbinic Literature [in Translation]), JS/Hebr 332 (Prophets of the Bible), JS/Hebr/Relig 346 (Jewish Literature of the Greco-Roman Period), JS/Hebr 355 (Representations of Women in 20th Century Jewish Literature), JS/Hebr 356 (Zionism in Thought, Culture, and Literature: From the Inception to the State), JS/Hebr 367 (Israeli Fiction, in Translation), JS/Hebr 401-2 (Survey of Modern Hebrew Literature), JS/Theatre 410 (Holocaust Theme: Western Drama), JS/Relig/Hebr 417 (History-telling in the Bible), JS/Theatre 420 (Anti-Semitism: History, Literature, and the Arts), JS/Philos 435 (Jewish Philosophy from Antiquity to the 17th Century), JS/Philos 442 (Moral Philosophy and the Holocaust), JS/Hebr/Relig 446 (Holy Places & Sacred Times in Rabbinic Lit), JS/Hebr/Relig 448 (Classical Rabbinic Texts), JS 450 (Undergraduate Seminar in Judaism & the Arts), JS/Hebr/Medieval 460 Medieval Hebrew Biblical Commentaries, JS/Ed Pol/Relig 475 (Education and Jewish Civilization), JS/Varied 490 (Topics in Jewish Studies; Rhetoric & Pedagogy of the Holocaust, New Voices in Jewish Am. Fiction, Yiddish Music: Folk Songs, Film and Theater), JS/German 510 (German-Jewish Culture Since the 18th Century), JS/Hebr 513-14 (Biblical Texts: Poetry), JS/German/Hist 518 (Anti-Semitism in European Culture), JS/Hebr/Medieval 519 (Englishness and Jewishness), JS/Hebr 533-34 (Readings in Contemporary Hebrew Literature), JS 591 (Jewish Fictions from 19th-century London to early 20th-century New York), JS/Eng 593 (American Autobiography: Jewish Identity and the “Melting Pot”), or Philos 831 (Medieval Jewish Philosophy).
Cluster Two: History and Social Science (Archaeology, Anthropology, Sociology, Political Science, Law
JS/Hist 202 (Special Topics in American History), JS/Hebr/Relig 211 (Intro to Judiasm), JS/Hist 219 (The American Jewish Experience From Shtetl to Suburb), JS/Hist 220 (Intro to Modern Jewish History), JS/Hebr 241 (Intro to Biblical Archaeology), JS/Soc 258 (The Jews, States, and Citizenship: A Sociological Perspective), JS/Hebr 356 (Zionism in Thought, Culture, and Literature: From the Inception to the State), JS/Varied 371 (Topics in Jewish Civilization: Modern Jewish Thought), JS/Anthro 372 (Jews of Central and Eastern Europe), JS/Hist 373-4 (Modern Political History of the Jews: I & II), JS/Hebr 377-378 (Jewish Cultural History [in English]), JS/Hist 416 (Eastern European Jews in the United States, 1880s-1930s), JS/Hebr 451-2 (Biblical Archaeology), JS/Hebr 473 (Jewish Civilization in Medieval Spain), JS/Ed Pol/Relig 475 (Education and Jewish Civilization), JS/Varied 490 (Topics in Jewish Studies: Yiddish Language & Culture; Law, Theology and the State), JS/German/Hist 509&518 (Anti-Semitism in European Culture, 1700-1945), JS/C&I/Hist 515 (Holocaust: History, Memory and Education), JS/German/Hist 518 (Anti-Semitism in European Culture), JS/Hist 529 (Intellectual and Religious History of European Jewry: 1648-1870), JS/Relig/Law 613 (Jewish Law and Ethics in Comparative Perspective), or JS/Law and 625/Law 919 (The Holocaust: Facts, Trials, Verdicts, Post-Verdicts), JS/Pol Sci 665 (Israeli Politics and Society)
Courses satisfying requirement of one course prior to the modern period:
JS/Hebr/Relig 211 (Intro to Judaism), Hebr 217-JS/Relig/LitTrans 227 (Intro to Biblical Literature, Medieval to Modern Periods), Hebr 218-JS/LitTrans 228 (Survey (in English) of Hebrew Literature: Medieval to Modern Periods), JS/Hebr 237 (Biblical Poetry in Translation), JS/Hebr 241 (Intro to Biblical Archaeology), Hebr 323/4 (Biblical Texts), JS/Hebr/Relig/LitTran 328 (Classical Rabbinic Literature in Translation), JS/Hebr 332 (Prophets of the Bible), JS/Hebr/Relig 346 (Jewish Literature of the Greco-Roman Period), JS/Hebr 351 (Religions of the Ancient Near East), JS/Lit Trans 362 (Survey (in English) of Hebrew Lit, Medieval to Modern Periods), JS/Varied 371 (Topics in Jewish Studies), JS/Hebr/Relig 376 (Ancient Jewish Psychology & Ethics), JS/Hebr 377-378 (Jewish Cultural History [in English]), JS/Philos 435 (Jewish Philosophy from Antiquity to the 17th Century), JS/Hebr/Relig 448 (Classical Rabbinic Texts), JS/Hebr 451-2 (Biblical Archaeology), JS/Hebr 473 (Jewish Civilization in Medieval Spain), JS/Ed Pol/Relig 475 (Education and Jewish Civilization), JS/Varied 490 (Topics in Jewish Studies), JS/Hebr 513-14 (Biblical Texts: Poetry), JS/Hist/Relig 529 (Intellectual and Religious History of European Jewry: 1648-1939), JS/Relig/Law 613 (Jewish Law and Ethics in Comparative Perspective), or Philos 831 (Medieval Jewish Philosophy).
Jewish Studies courses taken at Israeli Universities may also satisfy the Certificate requirements. Students who have taken such courses should consult with the Certificate Advisor.
Advising
Students should consult with the appropriate faculty member of the Center for Jewish Studies in order to select a coherent group of courses. Specific questions concerning the Major or Certificate should be addressed to one of the Center’s Undergraduate Advisors:
Tony Michels, Mosse Professor of American Jewish History
608-265-2521, 5220 Mosse Humanities Building, 455 North Park Street
[aemichels@wisc.edu]
Anita Lightfoot, Center for Jewish Studies Administrator
608-265-4763, 308 Ingraham Hall, 1155 Observatory Drive
[allightf@wisc.edu]
Students must fill out an application form and receive approval from the Director of Jewish Studies. Students will be awarded the Certificate in Jewish Studies once they have submitted a transcript showing that they have completed the required courses and fulfilled their requirements for graduation. An independent study course used to satisfy a cluster requirement must be approved in advance by the Director of Jewish Studies.
For information on the Certificate, please contact the Center for Jewish Studies, 308 Ingraham Hall, (608) 265-4763; or email: [allightf@wisc.edu].
