The Jewish Studies minor is an interdisciplinary liberal arts program focusing on the study of the Jewish peopletheir history, their literature, their language (Hebrew) and their culture.
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The program aims to enhance the student's knowledge of the Jewish people.
Students interested in the Jewish Studies Program should contact Dr. Herbert Fink, Department of Psychology, 137 Holmes Hall, (585) 395-5635.
Requirements (18 Credits)
Completion of the interdisciplinary Jewish Studies minor requires the completion of six of the courses listed below, from at least two different disciplines, selected with advisement.
- HBR 111 Beginning Hebrew I
- HBR 112 Beginning Hebrew II
- ENL 353 The Bible and Modernism
- ENL 354 The Bible as Literature
- ENL 495 Literature of the Holocaust
- HST 304 History of the Jewish People
- HST 351 Nazi Germany
- PLS 383 The Middle East in World Politics
- PSH 437 Psychology and Jewish Studies
- Relevant overseas courses (in Israel)
Jewish Studies Courses
HBR 111 Beginning Hebrew I (A). Provides an introduction to modern Hebrew. Emphasizes oral use. 3 Cr.
HBR 112 Beginning Hebrew II (A). Prerequisite: HBR 111 or instructor's permission. Continuation of HBR 111. 3 Cr.
ENL 353 The Bible and Modernism. Prerequisite: ENL 112 or equivalent. Provides an interdisciplinary investigation of controversies surrounding the Bible in the modern world. 3 Cr.
ENL 354 The Bible as Literature (A). Provides an extensive examination of the design, moral, ethical and historical significance of the Bible, as well as its major literary forms, including short story, myths, proverbs, psalms, historical narrative and apocrypha. 3 Cr.
ENL 495 Literature of the Holocaust (A, J,W). Prerequisite: ENL 112 or equivalent. Provides for readings and discussions concerning Hitler's attempted destruction of the European Jews, both fiction and non-fiction, including the work of survivors and victims. Incorporates esthetic, moral, and political perspectives, with special emphasis on the Holocaust's relevance for our time. 3 Cr.
HST 304 History of the Jewish People (A). Provides a survey of the political, cultural and religious history of the Jews, from 586 B.C. to the present. Covers Rabbinic Judaism, the Jewish Middle Ages, the Holocaust, and the emergence of modern Israel. 3 Cr.
HST 351 Nazi Germany (A). Explores the creation and destruction of Hitler's Germany within the con text of 20th-century Europe, and the ironies and complexities of this modern catastrophe. 3 Cr.
PLS 383 The Middle East in World Politics (A). Studies political conflict of global issues and inter national politics. Covers the Arab-Israeli conflict. 3 Cr.
PSH 437 Psychology and Jewish Studies (A). Explores psychological factors related to Jewish people, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the Holocaust. 3 Cr.