Department
of Judaic Studies
Faculty
Professor
Emeritae/i
Judith
R. Baskin. Ph.D.
Yale University
Jerome
Eckstein, Ph.D.
Columbia University
Professors
Associate
Professors Emeritae/i
Daniel
Grossberg, Ph.D.
New York University
Stanley
J. Isser, Ph.D.
Columbia University
Associate
Professors
Joel
Berkowitz, Ph.D.
City University of New York Graduate Center
Mark
A. Raider, Ph.D.
Brandeis University
Assistant
Professors
Barry
Trachtenberg, Ph.D.
University of California, Los Angeles
Affiliated
Faculty
Donald
Birn, Ph.D.
Department of History
Sarah
Blacher Cohen, Ph.D.
Department of English
Toby
W. Clyman, Ph.D.
Department of Languages, Literatures
and
Cultures
Martin
Edelman, Ph.D.
Department of Political Science
Robert
J. Gluck, M.H.L., M.S.W., M.F.A.
Department of Music
Martha
Rozett, Ph.D. (Collins Fellow)
Department of English
Edward
L. Schwarzschild, Ph.D.
Department of English
Sharona
R. Wachs, M.A., M.L.S.
University Libraries
Dan
S. White, Ph.D.
Harvard University
The
Department of Judaic Studies offers courses in Hebrew language and
literature, Yiddish language and literature, and in the full range of
Jewish history and civilization.
The
department offers both a major and a minor in Judaic Studies, with
the expectation that majors will acquire a good command of the Hebrew
language and an extensive knowledge of Jewish history, philosophy,
literature and culture.
Careers
Many
recipients of the B.A. in Judaic Studies pursue careers in social
welfare, Jewish communal administration, or education, often after
appropriate graduate training. Others undertake Rabbinic or Cantorial
studies or enter Ph.D. programs leading to careers in college
teaching.
Many
students find Judaic Studies to be a broad-based liberal arts major,
leading to a variety of careers, including law, medicine, journalism,
library science, and business.
Special
Programs or Opportunities
The
State University system has arrangements with the University of
Haifa, the Hebrew University, Ben-Gurion University, Tel Aviv
University, and Bar-Ilan University for students who desire to spend
a semester or an academic year studying in Israel; credits toward the
major or minor in Judaic Studies, or minor in Hebrew will be awarded
for suitable courses. This program is administered from the Albany
campus and is available for majors and nonmajors.
Degree
Requirements for the Major in Judaic Studies
General
Program B.A.: 36 credits with at least 12 credits at the 300
level or above, to include:
Hebrew
Language and Literature: a minimum of 6 credits in Hebrew
beyond A Heb 102, plus either 3 credits at the 300 level or
above from courses with an A Heb rubric (excluding A Heb
450 and 497) or one of the following: A Jst 372, 372Z, 373,
373Z, 374, 374Z
Judaic
Life and Thought: a minimum of 18 credits from the following
categories:
Judaic
Studies Survey: 3 credits (1 course)
A Jst
150 Jewish Civilization
A Jst
155 Traditions and Practices
Foundations,
Ancient and Medieval: 6 credits (2 courses) representing two
of the three areas: Biblical, Hellenistic and Rabbinic, Medieval
Biblical
A Jst
240 Archaeology, Biblical
A Jst
242 Bible as Literature
A Jst
251/341 Biblical History
A Jst
280 Torah
A Jst
281 Prophets
A Jst
282 Late Biblical, Apocryphal Literature
A Jst
285 Hero and Antihero in Jewish and Christian Scripture
A Heb
390 Biblical Readings
A Heb
391 Wisdom Literature
A Heb
392 Love Poetry
Hellenistic
and Rabbinic
A Jst
241 Archaeology, Greece-Rome
A Jst
252/342 Hellenistic History
A Jst
282 Late Biblical, Apocryphal Literature
A Jst
285 Hero and Antihero in Jewish and Christian Scripture
A Jst
325 Talmudic Literature
Medieval
A Jst
253/343 Medieval History
A Jst
285 Hero and Antihero in Jewish and Christian Scripture
A Jst
325 Talmudic Literature
Modern
Jewish Experience: 6 credits (2 courses) representing two of
the three areas: America, Israel, Europe and Holocaust:
America
A Jst
221 American Jewish Experience
A Jst
230/330 American Philosophy
A Jst
244 Zionism, Palestine, and Israel in Historical Perspective
A Jst
254/344 Modern Jewish History
A Jst
260 Immigrant Experience
A Jst
261 Hollywood and Jews
A Jst
351 Jew/American Ethnic Groups
A Jst
367 Jew/American Literature
Israel
A Jst
243 People and Culture of Middle East
A Jst
244 Zionism, Palestine, and Israel in Historical Perspective
A Jst
254/344 Modern Jewish History
A Jst
272/372 Modern Hebrew Lit in Translation
A Jst
273/373 Arab in Israeli Literature
A Heb
308 Readings in Hebrew Literature
A Heb
309 20th Century Hebrew Literature
A Heb
310 Contemporary Narrative
A Heb
311 Agnon
A Jst
359 Israeli Politics
Europe and Holocaust
A Jst
244 Zionism, Palestine, and Israel in Historical Perspective
A Jst
250 Holocaust in History
A Jst
254/344 Modern Jewish History
A Jst
255 Holocaust Lessons
A Jst
257 West Europe Jewry
A Jst
258 East Europe Jewry
A Jst
335 Holocaust Philosophy
A Jst
377 Existential Philosophy
Themes
and Issues: 3 credits (1 course)
A Jst
231 Modern Jewish Thought
A Jst
248 Women in Jewish History and Literature
A Jst
256 World Jewry since Holocaust
A Jst
270 Jewish-Christian Relations
A Jst
274/374 Love and Sex in Hebrew Literature
A Jst
275 Antisemitism in Historical Perspective
A Jst
286 Jerusalem: City and Idea
A Jst
291 Messiah and Messianism in Judaism and Christianity
A Jst
360 Autobiographies
Electives:
9 credits from any category.
No
more than a total of 4 credits from among A Heb 450, A Jst
450, and A Jst 490 may be applied toward the major.
Credit
from Independent Study courses (A Heb 297 and 497, A Jst
497), the Honors Colloquium (A Jst 495) and Topics courses
(A Jst 299, 499) may be applied to categories appropriate to
their subject matter as determined by the Judaic Studies chair or
major adviser. Relevant courses offered by other departments or
transferred from other institutions may also be approved for credit
toward the major by the chair or the Judaic Studies major adviser.
Honors
Program
Students
may file an application for admission to the honors program in the
department office in the second semester of the sophomore year or in
the junior year. Junior transfers may apply at the time of their
admission to the University.
The
minimum requirements for admission include completion of at least 12
credits of course work applicable to the major, a minimum overall
grade point average of 3.25, and a minimum 3.50 grade point average
for all courses applicable toward the major.
Students
in the program are required to complete all of the requirements for
the major in Judaic studies. During the fall semester (preferably in
the senior year,) students need to complete A Jst 495,
Colloquium in Judaic Studies. In addition, 6-12 credits of
intensive work culminating in a major project must be satisfactorily
completed. This project will begin as a research paper in a 300- or
400-level course, including the colloquium, and will be completed
through 3 or 4 credits of independent study. The honors committee
will rule on the acceptability of the project at the end of the
initial course (for which a grade of I is unacceptable) and
will assign a faculty member, usually one selected by the student, to
supervise the completion of the project. The project will be formally
evaluated by the end of the third quarter of the senior year and will
be submitted in final form by the end of the fourth quarter before
the examination period.
Students
in the honors program are required to maintain overall grade point
averages of 3.25 or higher during the junior and senior years and
overall grade point averages of 3.50 or higher for all courses
applicable toward the major. Students not meeting the above standards
may be precluded from continuing in the program.
After
completion of the above requirements, the records of the candidate
will be reviewed by the department, which will recommend candidates
for the degree with honors in Judaic studies.
