Jewish Studies Program Details - Undergraduate
The University of Virginia Jewish Studies Program is an interdisciplinary program that emphasizes Jewish civilization and community. In coursework with over 25 faculty members from diverse departments and in extracurricular lectures, colloquia and cultural programs, students learn to examine all aspects of Jewish society, literature, language, culture, and history.
The cross-fertilization of ideas is an inherent part of the Jewish Studies Program. Jewish theory of community, for example, sheds light on our understanding of social organizations. Furthermore, studies of the interpretive practices in the Jewish tradition mesh well with the current interest in reading and textual analysis. Jewish Studies can also provide a context for understanding the long history of relations among Jewish, Christian, and Islamic cultures. The nature of the Jewish experience and the methods of Jewish thought are in their essence multidisciplinary. As a result, the Jewish Studies program raises the level of scholarship and inquiry at the University, thereby opening new and promising avenues for research and education.
Students who have studied in the program have gone on to pursue a variety of paths. Thus far, they include rabbincial school, graduate school, research, governmental work, and education.
Undergraduate Study: Undergraduates may major or minor in Jewish studies; they may also choose Judaism as their area of primary or secondary concentration in the Department of Religious Studies. All UVa students and community members (through the Community Scholars Program) may enroll in individual classes in Jewish Studies. For more information, contact Professor Vanessa Ochs, director of Undergraduate Studies in the Jewish Studies Program (vochs@virginia.edu).
Graduate Study: Graduate students may work towards the MA or PhD in Modern Judaism through the Department of Religious Studies. For more information, visit the Graduate Program Details page, or contact Professor Peter Ochs or Professor Asher Biemann, co-directors of Graduate Studies in Modern Judaism.
Overview of the Jewish Studies Undergraduate Program
The undergraduate major in Jewish Studies will introduce students to the history, languages, and literature of the Jewish people; the beliefs and practices of Judaism; and the enduring contributions of Jewish wisdom to human civilization.
The program includes:
Reflect the unique strengths and interests of the U.Va. faculty.
Foster and generate interdisciplinary inquiry such as "Community Insiders and Outsiders in Jewish Tradition," "Local Jewish Community in Virginia," "Interpretive Practices in Jewish Tradition," "Language, Ethics and Suffering," and "European Twentieth-Century Jewish History."
Requirements for the Major
To declare a Jewish Studies major, student must be U.Va. undergraduate with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0.The major consists of 10 courses plus a minimum of two semesters of Modern or Biblical Hebrew.
Hebrew Language Requirements
If the student has fulfilled the College's foreign language requirement with Hebrew or places out of HEBR 202, no additional Hebrew language is needed.If the above does not hold, the student must take two semesters of Hebrew.
Placement will be assessed by the Hebrew Language faculty.
The following sequences are possibilities:
Course Requirements
1. Core Courses2. Distribution Requirement Courses
One (1) course from each of the following three (3) categories as approved by the major advisor:
3. Elective Courses
Five (5) additional courses selected as electives in conjunction with the major advisor.
No more than four (4) 200-level courses will count toward the major; all others must be 300-level or above.
Requirements for the Minor
The minor consists of 6 courses totally 18 credits.
Course Requirements
1. Core Course2. Distribution Requirement Courses
One (1) course from each of the following three (3) categories as approved by the minor advisor:
3. Elective Courses
Two (2) additional courses selected as electives in conjunction with the minoradvisor.
No more than two (2) 200-level courses will count toward the minor; all others must be 300-level or above.
Distinguished Majors Program in Jewish Studies
The Distinguished Majors Program (DMP) in Jewish Studies affords qualified students the opportunity to do advanced research, and to receive, at graduation, the honor of distinction, high distinction or highest distinction.
Entry into the Program
Students who meet the following criteria are eligible to participate in the Distinguished Majors Program:
1. Students qualify for the program if they have achieved an average of 3.4 in all university course work as well as in all major course work prior to application for the program.
2. Application should be made to the Director of the Jewish Studies Distinguished Majors Program or to the Director of the Undergraduate Major Program.
3. Admission into the program will be considered by the program's Committee on Curricular Issues, the Director of the Undergraduate Major Program and the Director of the Distinguished Majors Program.
Requirements for Completion of the Program
1. Completion of the Hebrew language requirement (minimum of two semesters) and all major requirements (30 credits).
2. Students must enroll in JWST 497 (directed reading; 3 credits) in the fall semester and JWST 498 (writing; 3 credits) in the spring semester. These courses are in addition to the 30 required credits and the Hebrew language requirement.
3. Students are responsible for selecting two members from the Jewish Studies faculty to serve as committee members; one member shall serve as the primary reader and chair.
4. The thesis shall be thirty to fifty pages in length.
Contact Information: Executive Committee
Ida and Nathan Kolodiz Director of Jewish Studies Program, Director of Undergraduate Major
Vanessa Ochs, Associate Professor of Religious Studies
Phone: (434) 924-6722
E-mail: vanessa@virginia.edu
Co-Director of Graduate Studies
Peter Ochs, Edgar Bronfman Professor of Modern Jewish Thought
Phone: (434) 924-6718
E-mail: pochs@virginia.edu
Co-Director of Graduate Studies
Asher Biemann, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies
Phone: (434) 924-3643
E-mail: ab5j@virginia.edu
Elizabeth Shanks Alexander, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies
Phone: (434) 924-6711
E-mail: esa3p@virginia.edu
Jeffrey Grossman, Assistant Professor of German
Phone: (434) 924-6693
E-mail: jg2t@virginia.edu