Why Jewish Studies?
A truly Jewish response to this question would be, "Why not Jewish studies?" The Jewish people and their faith have existed and evolved since approximately 1800 BC. In nearly 4,000 years, traditions have been lost while others have been reclaimed. The Jewish people have suffered periods of extreme persecution. Today, there are between 12 and 14 million Jews in the world, two-thirds of whom live in the United States and Israel.
While the Jewish people were once synonymous with both an ethnicity and a religion, today’s Jews represent a diverse group of people, many of whom have converted to the Jewish faith and adopted the culture and customs of the Jewish people.
Faculty members in the Jewish Studies program come from a wide range of backgrounds. They teach subjects such as Middle Eastern thought and politics; the Hebrew language; Israeli history and development; Judaic, Christian and Arab religions; Germany and the Third Reich; Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust and more.
A Jewish Studies minor equips you with the knowledge and open heart required to relate to and respect people of all cultures and religions—whether they are Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist. Students learn what persecution and perseverance look like firsthand in the hopes that, with knowledge and understanding, genocides against any and all people will never go ignored.
