Jewish Studies

专业详情

1. WHAT IS JEWISH STUDIES AT PENN?

The Jewish Studies Program at Penn provides students the opportunity to explore Jewish culture, history, language, and literature from the era of the Bible through the contemporary period. The major aims to introduce students to the broad chronological and disciplinary scope of Jewish Studies and to familiarize them with the diverse expressions of Jewish culture in different times and places. Those who complete the major will have a firm grasp of the role of Jewish culture within world civilization.

Majoring in Jewish Studies is an organic part of a liberal arts education. Students study Jewish culture in dialogue with other disciplines in the humanities. The Program provides opportunities for interaction with faculty members who specialize in a wide range of fields and offers students the chance to pursue individual research, both inside and outside the classroom.

2. WHAT CAN I DO WITH A JEWISH STUDIES MAJOR?

The Jewish Studies major helps to develop useful career skills. Students learn how to read critically, to communicate clearly, and to write effectively. By training students to understand different societies and cultures and the interactions among various religious and ethnic groups, the major prepares students to meet the demanding standards of admissions committees and potential employers who are looking for people capable of addressing the needs of an increasingly global and multicultural society.  Graduates of our program have gone on to careers in medicine, law, publishing, finance, international relations, politics, the rabbinate, social work, education, and many other professions.

3. WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE JEWISH STUDIES MAJOR?

The Jewish Studies major is structured to provide students with a broad knowledge of Jewish history, literature, language, religion, and culture. The major integrates these different dimensions of Jewish experience and includes the range of disciplinary perspectives that constitute the field of Jewish Studies. 

Specific requirements of the major are detailed below, but it is important to understand the rich array of courses offered by the Jewish Studies Program. Students may study traditional Jewish texts, such as Bible, Midrash, and Talmud, in courses taught both in the original language and in translation. They have the opportunity to explore the full gamut of Jewish history – from ancient Israel to the Golden Age of Spain, from Eastern Europe to Western Europe, from the United States to modern Israel. Our faculty teach courses in Jewish literature written in many languages – Hebrew, Yiddish, English, German, and even Ladino – offered both in the original language and in translation. Students also have the chance to study Jewish culture in all its varieties, from Jewish mysticism to Jewish humor, from Jewish thought to Holocaust memory, from Jewish languages to Jewish films, produced in Israel, Europe, and the United States.