Jewish Studies
Office: 449 Cabell Hall
Phone: (434)924-6722
Jewish Studies allows students to focus on 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. These contributions range from Biblical monotheism and ethics; to Rabbinic traditions of text study and interpretation; to Jewish literary responses to marginality, oppression, and suffering in modern times; and to monuments of the twentieth-century Jewish experience, including the revival of Hebrew as a living language, the establishment of Israel as an independent political state, and the thriving of diverse forms of Jewish community throughout the world. Students can take courses in Biblical and Modern Hebrew, Yiddish, Bible, Rabbinic literature, Jewish ancient and modern history, Jewish literature and culture, Holocaust studies, Jewish theology, and Jewish communities and cultures worldwide. As part of their studies, students can study abroad in Israel or in other centers of Jewry beyond America. The U.Va program in Jewish Studies also reflects the unique strengths and interests of the U.Va faculty, generating such areas of interdisciplinary inquiry 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 and Culture." Additional information may be found on the web site. The 100- and 200-level classes, appropriate for first-year students, are offered across all of the class categories.
A first year program in the Jewish Studies Program could include:
- HEBR 101-102 or 201-202 Hebrew Language (Placement in Modern Hebrew is determined by AMELC)
- RELJ 111-112 or 201-202 Biblical Hebrew
- RELJ 203 Introduction to Judaic Traditions
- HIEU 210 Modern Jewish History
- RELG 217 Philosophies of God and Religion
- RELJ 256 Great Books in Jewish Tradition
- AMELC/ANTH Jewish Languages and Communities
To major in Jewish Studies, students must take 10 courses and 2 semesters of Hebrew. Additional information may be found on the web site; students may also contact Vanessa Ochs, Program Director, at 924-6722 or