The Jewish Experience

Brandeis offers students unique flexibility in charting their academic path. Just over half of Brandeis undergraduates pursue two majors or minors, often from completely different areas of the academic spectrum.

For those interested in Jewish studies, there are many choices:

• Near Eastern and Judaic Studies
• Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies
• The Religious Studies Program
• Hebrew Language, Literature and Culture
• Yiddish and East European Jewish Literature and Culture

Where to begin!

There are Hebrew and Yiddish language classes, a course on "Who Wrote the Bible?" and one on "Jews on Screen: From "'Cohen’s Fire Sale' to the Coen Brothers."

Or how about: "Jewish Feminisms," "Power, Morality and Identity: Jewish Political Thought" and "Carnal Israel: Exploring Jewish Sexuality from Talmudic Times to the Present."

There are also courses on Israel, such as "Israeli Film, Literature and Culture," "Israeli Women Writers on War and Peace" and "Formative Moments in the Disputed Land of Israel-Palestine."

• Near Easterm and Judaic Studies courses
• Islamic and Middle Eastern Studes courses 
• Religious Studies Program courses

Browse the entire Brandeis course catalog.

• The Gilda Slifka Internship Program: Six undergraduate students from around the world are given an opportunity to learn about and research the work of Jewish women’s and gender studies. Interns live on the Brandeis University campus provided by the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute and receive a weekly stipend. 
• The George and Gertrude Gerzon Endowed Scholarship for Eastern European Holocaust Studies: A need-based scholarship that supports students studying in Eastern Europe, taking coursework related to Holocaust studies. Typical awards range from $500 to $1,500. 
• Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education Undergraduate Fellows Program: Under the mentorship of a master educator, students working at Hebrew schools explore their own Jewish journeys, reflecting on their teaching, developing new inquiry skills, and gaining insight into their Hebrew school students’ learning.
• Student-Centered Religious Learning and Literacy Lab (SCRoLL Lab): Provides opportunities for students to develop social science research skills as they participate in a range of collaborative empirical studies, all focused on how children read and understand sacred texts.

• Maurice and Marilyn Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies: A multi-disciplinary research center that incorporates the latest social-science concepts, theories and techniques to the study of contemporary Jewish life.
• Hadassah-Brandeis Institute: Develops fresh ways of thinking about Jews and gender worldwide by producing and promoting scholarly research, artistic projects and public engagement.
• The Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program: Trains and prepares the next generation of Jewish leaders for service in North American and international Jewish organizations.
• Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education: A research center dedicated to advancing the field of Jewish educational scholarship through extensive research on teaching and learning.
• Steinhardt Social Research Institute: Develops reliable and valid quantitative data about the American Jewish community.
• The Tauber Institute for the Study of European Jewry: Devoted to the study of modern European Jewish history, thought, culture and society.
• The National Center for Jewish Film: Founded in 1976, NCJF is recognized as a world leader in the collection, restoration and exhibition of Jewish art and culture. 

• Schusterman Center for Israel Studies: Dedicated to promoting exemplary teaching and scholarship in Israeli history, politics, culture and society at Brandeis University and beyond.
• Crown Center for Middle East Studies: Committed to conducting balanced and dispassionate research of the modern Middle East that meets the highest academic standards.
• The Israel Initiative: The Brandeis International Business School's program for engagement with Israel's academic and entrepreneurial communities.