Jewish Studies Major
Goals for the Jewish Studies Major
Developing an understanding of the breadth and diversity of Jewish civilization through interdisciplinary learning in the arts, humanities, and social sciences
- Learning to contextualize Jewish civilization within its broader milieu
- Understanding the foundation texts and central ideas and institutions of Judaism
- Building specialized knowledge in one area: e.g., among others, Biblical studies; ancient, medieval, early modern or modern Jewish history; European or Eastern Jewry; Hebrew language and literature; Israel studies
- Establishing proficiency (equivalent to two years of undergraduate instruction) in Hebrew, either Biblical or modern, or if relevant Yiddish, Arabic or Spanish, or Ladino
- Interpreting primary texts critically, developing writing skills, and learning to identify essential links among disciplines and cultures
Jewish Studies Major
For the nine-course major in Jewish Studies, students must take courses pertaining both to the ancient and modern worlds and show proficiency in a Jewish language (equivalent to at least two semesters at the second-year level).
Required courses: Majors must take JWST 102/REL 102, Introduction to Jewish Studies, by the end of their junior year, as well as two 300-level courses.
Concentration: Students are expected to concentrate in some area or aspect of Jewish Studies (such as religion, European Jewish history, American Jewish studies, Sephardic studies, or comparative literary studies) by taking four courses above the 100 level, including at least one 300-level course. Majors devise their own concentrations in consultation with the director of the Jewish Studies program and another faculty member with expertise in a relevant area.
Language proficiency: Students are expected to show proficiency (equivalent to at least two semesters at the intermediate level) in a language relevant to their concentration. Most typically the language counted will be a Jewish one (Hebrew, Yiddish, or Ladino), but in certain cases, non-Jewish languages (such as Arabic, French, Spanish, or German) may be accepted, where relevant to the student’s concentration, in consultation with the student’s major advisor. Up to two language courses at the intermediate level can count toward the Jewish Studies major.
Courses outside of Wellesley: Up to three relevant courses taken outside of Wellesley—at Brandeis or other institutions in greater Boston, during study abroad, or in accredited summer programs—may be counted toward the major.
Honors: The only route to honors in the major is writing a thesis and passing an oral examination. To be admitted to the thesis program, a student must have a grade point average of at least 3.5 in all work in the major field above the 100 level; the program may petition on her behalf if her GPA in the major is between 3.0 and 3.5. See Academic Distinctions.
Courses for Credit Toward the Jewish Studies Major
| A Nation in Therapy |
1.0 |
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| Racial Regimes in the United States and Beyond |
1.0 |
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| Gotham: New York in Literature & Art |
1.0 |
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| Romans, Jews, and Christians in the Roman Empire |
1.0 |
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| Economics of Immigration |
1.0 |
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| The Nineteenth-Century Novel |
1.0 |
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| FREN 232 | Occupation and Resistance: The French Memory and Experience of World War II |
1.0 |
| GER 385 | Seminar: Cultural Production in the Berlin Republic |
1.0 |
| HIST 213 | Conquest and Crusade in the Medieval Mediterranean |
1.0 |
| HIST 233 | In Search of The Enlightenment |
1.0 |
| HIST 242 | After Fascism: Germany since 1945 |
1.0 |
| HIST 245 | The Social History of American Capitalism from Revolution to Empire |
1.0 |
| HIST 254 | The United States in the World War II Era | 1.0 |
| HIST 284 | The Middle East in Modern History | 1.0 |
| HIST 285 / REL 266 | Ottoman State and Society (1300-1923) | 1.0 |
| HIST 302 | Seminar: World War II as Memory and Myth | 1.0 |
| HIST 364 / MES 364 | Seminar: Film and Narratives of Social Change in the Modern Middle East and North Africa | 1.0 |
| HIST 366 / MES 366 | Seminar: 'Greater Syria' under Ottoman and European Colonial Rule, c. 1850-1950 | 1.0 |
| HIST 369 / MES 369 | Histories of “Ethnic” and “Religious” Violence | 1.0 |
| MER 248 / SPAN 248 | Cordoba: City and Myth | 1.0 |
| MES 358 / PEAC 358 / POL2 359 | Palestinian Israeli Peace Prospects |
1.0 |
| MUS 209 | A History of Jazz |
1.0 |
| MUS 276 | American Popular Music |
1.0 |
| MUS 300 | Music and the Holocaust |
1.0 |
| MUS 309 | A History of Jazz |
1.0 |
| PEAC 217 / POL2 217 | Politics of the Middle East and North Africa |
1.0 |
| REL 105 | Study of the New Testament |
1.0 |
| REL 111Y | First Year Seminar: Jesus of Nazareth: Fact, Faith, Fiction, and Film |
1.0 |
| REL 242 | Archaeology of the Biblical World | 1.0 |
| REL 243 | Women in the Biblical World |
1.0 |
| REL 244 | Jerusalem: The Holy City |
1.0 |
| REL 342 | Archaeology of the Biblical World |
1.0 |
| REL 345 | Seminar: Enslavement and the Bible |
1.0 |
| SPAN 252 | The Making of Spain: Christians, Jews, and Moslems |
1.0 |
| THST 200 | That's What She Said: Trailblazing Women of American Comedy |
1.0 |