Judaic Studies Track
Brandeis faculty have expertise in the Bible and Ancient Near East, the modern Middle East, Jewish civilization from its beginnings through historical and contemporary times, Israel studies, Rabbinic Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and other topics.
The depth and breadth of Brandeis University's offerings in Judaic studies and Israel studies allow visiting students to choose from course offerings taught by leading scholars. Sample courses for students on the Judaic Studies track include:
- Power and Powerlessness in Jewish History
- Minorities and Others in Israeli Literature and Culture
- Cloistered Life: Masculinity, Monasticism, and Material Religion
- Carnal Israel: Exploring Jewish Sexuality from Talmudic Times to the Present
- Religious Education in America
- Formative Moments in the Disputed Land of Israel-Palestine
Brandeis also offers undergraduate courses in Hebrew and Yiddish for language learners, subject to placement and availability.
Don't want to take a full course load of classes in Judaic studies? Students are eligible to take any undergraduate courses at Brandeis with availability. The list above is provided as a suggested list of courses that students in Judaic Studies may be interested in.
View all upcoming course offerings (subject to change)
Outside the Classroom
At Brandeis, the Jewish community is our campus community. Visiting students will join student clubs through Hillel and receive invitations to monthly colloquia hosted by the Tauber Center for the Study of European Jewry.
Living a Jewish Life at Brandeis
Brandeis was founded by the American Jewish community as a university that would offer an accessible education to all, including Jewish students facing discrimination. The Jewish community at Brandeis is thriving and observant students studying at Brandeis will find a litany of resources available to support their practice, including:
- A strictly kosher dining hall
- Weekly Shabbat and holiday meals
- Services for Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, and Shira Chadasha community
- Shabbat keys for residence halls with electronic card access
- For fall students, High Holy Day services on campus (and, of course, no class)
- For spring students, spring break aligned with Passover
“The field of American Jewish history is at once continuous and discontinuous; there are persistent themes, but there are always new developments that challenge older interpretations and demand fresh approaches.”
Dr. Jonathan Sarna, University Professor and the Joseph H. & Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History