Jewish Studies

The Jewish Studies sequence is an interdisciplinary program that examines Jewish life and thought through a range of disciplines including art history, history, literature, philosophy, politics, and religious studies.

Jewish Studies involves a critical engagement with the humanities and social sciences, and undertakes an examination of major historical and cultural issues, such as ethical beliefs and practices, and relations between minority communities and dominant political and social ideologies and systems. The sequence will provide students with the opportunity to gain a better understanding of Jewish history and life over the past three millennia. Coursework will include a study of the breadth of Jewish history, from antiquity to the present, in major centers of Jewish life (e.g., Middle East, Europe, United States), and in its various literary, social, and cultural forms.

The sequence will enable students to become better prepared and more competitive for a variety of academic and employment opportunities, including internships in the American Jewish community and in Israel, post-graduate studies in several fields, in particular history, international relations, literature, and religious studies, and programs in leadership and entrepreneurship.

The sequence will disseminate information about and assist students in locating related academic opportunities outside Claremont, such as study abroad programs in Israel and Europe, summer programs, and instruction in relevant languages, such as Modern Hebrew and Yiddish.

Primary Contact: Professor Gary Gilbert, Program Coordinator