Judaic Studies

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Jews have lived and flourished over thousands of years in a variety of social contexts, stretching from the Land of Israel and the eastern Mediterranean to Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.  Concentrators will have the opportunity to study Jews in these contexts, getting to know their social structures, and what they have created.  The subjects of study cover an astonishing range, including history and society, Jewish law and philosophy, and Jewish literature and ritual.  Students will learn to unlock this wealth in both the ancient and the modern worlds through a number of academic disciplines - History, Religious Studies, and Literature.  These also provide tools for studying and analyzing human societies and cultures in general, for which Jewish experiences provide an important perspective.

PROGRAM IN JUDAIC STUDIES

Required Coursework for concentrators declaring in Spring 2013 and beyond

The Program in Judaic Studies offers two paths (detailed below).  Please note that the following apply to each concentrator:

1)           All students are required to take a total of ten courses.

2)            All students must take one full year of Hebrew (two of the ten required courses).  Generally, this requirement will consist of two courses in Elementary Hebrew (JUDS 0100/JUDS 0200) or the equivalent as determined by a proficiency examination.  Fulfillment of the Hebrew requirement through examination does not reduce the requirement to take ten courses for the concentration.

3)            Upon declaring a concentration in Judaic Studies, each student must define his or her primary disciplinary track (History, Religious Studies, or Language/Literature).  Concentrators will then be assigned a faculty mentor in that discipline (within the Judaic Studies faculty) to help students select courses and construct a coherent concentration plan.

Program in History or Religious Studies:

For this track, students are expected to complete a minimum of four courses in their area of disciplinary focus (History or Religious Studies), at least one of which must and no more than two of which may be outside the Program in Judaic Studies in the department of disciplinary focus (preferably methods courses, such as in the History department or RELS 1000).  Students in this track, in consultation with the concentration adviser and faculty mentor, may apply up to two additional Hebrew language courses (JUDS 0300, JUDS 0400, or JUDS 0500) to the additional four required courses for the concentration.

Program in Language/Literature:

For this track, students are expected to complete five courses in Hebrew language (JUDS 0100 /JUDS 0200; JUDS 0300/JUDS 0400; JUDS 0500).  In addition, students will take Israeli Literature in Hebrew (JUDS 1810) and one further course in Judaic Studies (within the disciplinary focus).  Two additional courses in the disciplinary focus, at least one of which must be outside the Program in Judaic Studies in a department of shared disciplinary focus (e.g. English or Comparative Literature), are also required.  Fulfillment of the Hebrew requirement through proficiency examination does not reduce the requirement to take ten courses for the concentration.

4)            Of the courses required in the Program in Judaic Studies, at least one should focus on the ancient period and one should focus on the modern period.

5)            Each student, in discussion with his/her mentor, is required to designate an advanced course (1000 level) in his/her senior year either within the Judaic Studies program or in the corresponding disciplinary department as the capstone for his/her concentration.  Within the frame of this capstone course, the concentrator will write a final paper on a topic in Judaic Studies that displays in an appropriate way the theoretical and interpretive issues of the concentration focus.  If students opt to fulfill this requirement in a course outside the Program in Judaic Studies, the student must get permission in advance both from his/her mentor and from the professor of the course in question since the student's final project will address a Judaic Studies topic or theme.

6)            Students who study at other institutions, either in the United States or abroad, may apply a maximum of four courses (two topical and two language courses) to the concentration.

7)            Double concentrators may count up to two courses that they have used to complete their concentration requirements in another department towards their concentration in Judaic Studies.

Honors Thesis

A candidate for honors in Judaic Studies will write a thesis in the senior year.  In order to be considered a candidate for honors, students will be expected to maintain an outstanding record (at least an A-) in Judaic Studies courses.  The honors thesis, which fulfills the capstone requirement, will normally be written as a two-semester individual study project (numbered Judaic Studies 1975/1976).  At the end of the senior year, the thesis adviser (a faculty member of the Program in Judaic Studies), and a second reader, chosen by the thesis adviser in consultation with the student, will evaluate the thesis, and the Judaic Studies faculty will determine if it is worthy of honors in Judaic Studies.  Students interested in honors should approach a potential adviser by the spring registration period of their junior year.  When taken as preparation of the honors thesis, 1975/1976 count towards the ten required courses in the concentration.

Further Information

Students who are interested in further information about the concentration should contact the Judaic Studies Office at 163 George Street to make an appointment with the undergraduate concentration adviser. [Tel: 401.863.3912] or Judaic@brown.edu.

Required Coursework for concentrators declaring prior to Spring 2013:

  • Six Topical Courses in Judaic Studies
  • JUDS 0110 and JUDS 0120 Introduction to Modern Hebrew
  • Two additional JUDS courses either topical or language

Topical courses (non-language courses)

  • Upon declaring a concentration in Judaic studies, students must define the area of study that will be the primary focus of their program. The field may be defined as an historical period (ancient/modern), as a discipline (humanities/social science), or as a topic (religion, culture, history, language/literature, etc.). Students are expected to complete a minimum of four courses in their area of focus, but the final number will be finalized in discussion with the concentration advisor.
  • Of the six required topical courses, four must be taken in the Judaic Studies Program at Brown.
  • Of the six required topical courses, at least one should focus on the ancient period and one should focus on the modern period.
  • Of the six required topical courses, at least one should be a 1000-level seminar or another advanced course (including independent study) approved by the concentration advisor in the student's area of focus.
  • All students are required to designate an advanced departmental course as the capstone for his or her concentration. Within the frame of this capstone course, the concentrator will write a final course paper, which displays the student's concentration focus, addressing in an appropriate way the theoretical and interpretive issues of the concentration focus.
  • In consultation with the concentration advisor, students may petition for the right to apply up to two courses taken in other departments/programs at Brown to the ten required for the Judaic Studies concentration. These courses must relate directly to the student's focus and provide a comparison of a Judaic topic with some other relevant topic.
  • Students who study at other institutions, either in the United States or abroad, may apply a maximum of two topical courses to their concentration in Judaic Studies. Hebrew language courses may also be transferred.
  • In consultation with the concentration advisor, students may apply up to two advanced language courses ( or ) to the six required topical courses for the concentration.

Language Courses

  • One full year of Elementary Hebrew. Generally, this requirement will consist of two courses in Modern Hebrew ( and ) or the equivalent as determined by a proficiency examination. Students who pass the proficiency exam are encouraged, but are not required, to continue the study of Hebrew (for example, Intermediate Hebrew, and ; Writing and Speaking Hebrew, ). Fulfillment of the Hebrew requirement through examination does not reduce the requirement to take ten courses for the concentration.

Honors Thesis

A candidate for honors in Judaic Studies will write a thesis in the senior year. In order to be considered a candidate for honors, students will be expected to maintain an outstanding record (at least A-) in Judaic Studies courses. The honors thesis, which fulfills the capstone requirement, will normally be written as a two-semester individual study project (JUDS 1970). At the end of the senior year, the thesis advisor (a faculty member of the Judaic Studies Program), and a second reader, chosen by the thesis advisor in consultation with the student, will evaluate the thesis, and the Judaic Studies faculty will determine if it is worthy of honors in Judaic Studies. Students interested in honors should approach a potential advisor by the spring registration period of their junior year. When taken as preparation of the honors thesis, JUDS 1970 count towards the ten required courses in the concentration.