The Minor In Jewish Studies

Participating Faculty:

Professors: Robert S. Schine, (religion/Classics, on leave 2011-12); O. Larry Yarbrough (religion); Associate Professors: Anne K. Knowles (geography), Theodore Sasson, Director (international studies); Assistant Professors: Rebecca Bennette (history), Natasha Chang (Italian), Natalie Eppelsheimer (German); Lecturer: Orna Goldman (international studies, Hebrew). Department Coordinator: Martha Baldwin

What is Jewish Studies?

Jewish Studies ranges over the study of Jews and Judaism from the Biblical period to the present.  It takes Judaism not only as a "religion," but as a civilization and culture encompassing a rich textual tradition, literature in several languages, philosophy and theology, customs and ritual, art, music and film.  Jewish Studies is by its nature interdisciplinary and can be approached, for example, from within the disciplines of history, religion, sociology and anthropology, or literary study.  The program also sponsors a wide array of lectures and other events, including the annual Hannah A. Quint Lecture in Jewish Studies and the Silberman Symposium in Jewish Studies.

A distinguishing aspect of Middlebury's program is the depth of study possible in Hebrew.  Middlebury also offers a Hebrew Minor, with courses in both Modern and Classical Hebrew.  Introductory Modern Hebrew is offered every year, and Introductory Classical Hebrew in winter term in alternate years.  Students with at least one year of modern or classical Hebrew at the college level may enroll in a special discussion section of RELI 0280 (Hebrew Bible), in which selected texts covered in the lecture are studied in the original. See the course description for details. (For Hebrew course descriptions, click on the link to “Courses,” upper left.)

Requirements

This program offers a minor in Jewish Studies to students who complete the following requirements:

(1) One of the following courses that offer a broad introduction to the study of Judaism:

RELI 0160 The Jewish Tradition

RELI/CLAS 0162 The Formation of Judaism in Antiquity

(2) Three additional courses pertinent to Jewish Studies from among the following:

GRMN 0325 Representing the Unthinkable: The Holocaust in Art and Literature

HEBM 0220 Modern Hebrew Culture in Translation

HIST 0250: The Jews in Modern Europe

HIST 0257 The Holocaust

HIST 0424 Readings in Modern European History: The Nazis and the Jews

INTL 0343 State and Society in Contemporary Israel

RELI 0260 Classical Jewish Texts

RELI 0180 Biblical Literature

RELI 0280 Hebrew Bible / Old Testament

Up to two courses in Hebrew language or texts (HEBR 0201 and higher) may count toward the requirements for the minor

(3) A 0300-level seminar in Jewish Studies;

RELI 0360 Seminar in Jewish Thought

RELI 0362 Zionism: Idea and Realities

RELI 0380 Seminar in Biblical Studies

Other appropriate courses may be substituted for courses in categories (2) or (3) with the permission of the program director.