The goal of the Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program Jewish Studies major is to enable students to understand the diversity and complexity of the Jewish experience. Students will acquire a sophisticated understanding of the historical, religious, philosophical, literary, sociological, and linguistic components that constitute the Jewish experience, as well as an armory of interpretative and analytical skills that can be applied within and across a broad range of disciplines. The program includes the Zucker/Goldberg Center for Holocaust Studies, and each year hosts a distinguished faculty member to occupy the Arnold Visiting Chair. The Sylvia Vlosky Yaschik Jewish Studies Center is home to a small Judaica library, faculty offices, lounges and meeting facilities that foster academic, cultural and social aspects of Jewish Studies and Jewish student life. The College’s Addlestone library houses the Jewish Heritage Collection, world-class archives on southern Jewish history and culture that offers research resources of exceptional depth to students and scholars.
To download a Jewish Studies Major declaration form, please click here.
For more information, please contact Dr. Joshua Shanes at 843.953.3929 or shanesj@cofc.edu.

 

Jewish Studies Major (B.A.)

(36-40 hours)

Requirements

HBRW 101 Elementary Modern Hebrew I

HBRW 102 Elementary Modern Hebrew II

HBRW 201 Intermediate Modern Hebrew I

HBRW 202 Intermediate Modern Hebrew II

Or equivalent as demonstrated by placement exam. Students placing out of any of HBRW 101-202 do not receive credit toward the major; they must substitute an additional elective course for each HBRW course they place out.

JWST 210 Jewish History I:  Ancient to Modern

JWST 215 Jewish History II: Modern to Present

JWST 450 Research Seminar in Jewish Studies

Five additional courses from the following list.  At least three of the five courses must be at the 300 level or above.

ENGL 354 Jewish-American Literature

FYSM 142* First-Year Seminar in Jewish Studies

HBRW 313 Advanced Modern Hebrew: Conversation and Composition

HBRW 314 Advanced Modern Hebrew: Conversation and Composition

HIST 213 American Jewish History: Colonial Times to the Present

HIST 244* History of Germany from 1866 to the Present

HIST 344* Modern European Cultural History

HIST 345* Modern German Cultural and Intellectual History

HIST 359 Modern Jewish History: French Revolution to the Present

JWST 200 The Jewish Tradition

JWST 230 The Holocaust

JWST 240 Jewish Philosophy

JWST 245/ENGL 191 Introduction to Jewish-American Literature

JWST 315 Southern Jewish History

JWST 300 Special Topics in Jewish Studies

JWST 310 Topics in Jewish History

JWST 315 Southern Jewish History (changed from JWST 280)

JWST 320 Topics in American Jewish Culture

JWST 325 Jewish Mysticism (changed from JWST 250)

JWST 330 Representations of the Holocaust

JWST 335 Modern Jewish Politics

JWST 400 Independent Study in Jewish Studies

PHIL 255* Philosophy of Religion

POLS 324 Politics of the Middle East

POLS 339* Special Topics in Comparative Politics

RELS 201 The Old Testament: History and Interpretation

RELS 225 The Jewish Tradition

RELS 310* Sacred Texts

*NOTE: These courses must have specifically Jewish content to count towards the Jewish Studies major.