A major concern of Jewish Studies is the study of ethics in society, art and literature. In particular, Jewish Studies will address the philosophical, political and religious questions posed by racism and genocide in present and past centuries. For the past few years, Jewish Studies has offered a number of new classes in the 300 series, cross listing them with the Departments of English, History and Comparative Literature. These courses are not reflected in the present catalogue, but they have included such offerings as American Jewish Writers, the Bible, the Bible and its Stories, Biblical Myth in the Modern Novel, the History and Psychology of Religion, Kabbalah, the Arab-Israeli Conflict, the Modern Middle East, Confessional Urban Literature, Ethnic and Religious Minorities, Theory and Practice of Genocide in the Twentieth Century, and History of the Afterlife. The Program coordinates a study abroad program for undergraduates and graduates at Tel Aviv University and Ben Gurion University.
Financial assistance is available to qualified students.
Requirements for Majors Students are urged to acquire an elementary knowledge of Hebrew. It is not a requirement of the program but study of the language makes it possible to do independent scholarly research. Although there are presently no course offerings in the study of the Yiddish language, tutorials can be arranged for those interested. Recent faculty in Jewish Studies have included Elie Wiesel, Rabbi Irving Greenberg, H. Z. Szubin, Rabbi Meyer Fund, and Paul Ritterband. Distinguished Jewish writers like Harold Brodkey, Cynthia Ozick, Grace Paley, Jakov Lind, Joseph Heller and Barbara Solomon have also taught in the Humanities and Arts Division on thc City College campus.