The Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program

Jewish Studies is an interdisciplinary academic program at the College of Charleston. As such it offers courses from several different academic departments that focus on the Jewish tradition, past and present. Some representative offerings are Hebrew (Languages), Jewish Tradition (Religious Studies), Jewish Thought (Philosophy), Jewish History (History), Holocaust (History), Hebrew Bible (Religious Studies), The Jewish-American Novel (English), and The Modern Middle East (Political Science). These courses are taught by professors from a wide variety of disciplines with very different perspectives.

Students can earn a minor in Jewish Studies by completing eighteen credit hours of Jewish Studies courses. They may also fulfill their language requirements by completing four semesters of Hebrew.

For those interested in studying abroad, the Jewish Studies Program offers a travel course in the summer to Israel, Jordan, and Egypt focusing on Biblical sites and history, and gives credit for relevant coursework done through junior year abroad programs. Many of our students have spent a semester, a year, or even longer at universities in Israel.

By far, the majority of students taking Jewish Studies courses are not themselves Jewish. Most students take Jewish Studies courses as a way to appreciate the cultural diversity within the Western tradition. Understanding such diversity fosters a deeper and more self-conscious appreciation of one's own traditions.