program description

the bachelor of arts in modern jewish studies program is designed to provide an understanding of jews and judaism in terms of the interactions of culture, history, and religion. the challenge of modernity faced by jews and judaism over the last two hundred years has transformed traditional jewish societies and generated a great measure of difference and diversity. after a history of more than two millennia, jews have redefined religion, notions of identity, and social organization in contexts of a dominant culture (in israel) and a minority culture (elsewhere in the world). the broader dynamics of how ethnic, religious, or racial minorities interact with the majority societies are examined in both these contexts. courses explore the constants and variety of the jewish experience in different historical periods and geographical settings and include language study.