Modern Jewish Studies, BA

Zachary J. Braiterman, Director
zbraiter@syr.edu
509 Hall of Languages
315-443-5719

Faculty

Zachary J. Braiterman, Erella Brown, Miriam Fendius Elman, Ken Frieden, Lauara Marhoefer, Yukself, Sezin, Harvey Teres, Laurence Thomas, Karina Von Tippelskirch,James W. Watts

This interdisciplinary major explores Modern Jewish culture and religion. Faculty research and teaching focus on the Hebrew and Yiddish fiction, European and American literature, Jews and Judaism in modern Europe and America, the arts, thought and culture, Israel, and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The major provides broad, interdisciplinary knowledge of Jewish experience both historical and contemporary, and is meant to prepare students for further pursuits in Jewish culture, history, and religion upon graduation, either academically or in private life. The Jewish Studies Program offers courses and advising to students, and a range of events (lectures, films, musical performances, etc.) for students, faculty, and the larger community. Graduate students are eligible to apply for the Benjamin Fellowship, and all students may submit Holocaust-related papers to the undergraduate and graduate Kalina Prize competition.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Be able to “define,” “describe,” and “classify” information (ideas, concepts, texts, arguments) based on key terms basic to the students’ course of study. Students should be expected to “identify” a text, idea, concept, genre, and/or argument in relation to its geographical place and historical time

2. Produce formal written work, and to be able to “write” critically. Critical writing demands that students know how to and be able to advance arguments about any given topic (a text or argument) relevant to the course material, and to know how and to be able to marshal evidence from that material

3. Examine texts and arguments by “comparing” and “contrasting” them with other texts and arguments, and to “criticize” these texts and arguments on the basis of criteria defined by the faculty instructor

4. Judge and justify arguments and texts in order to “appraise” the value or cogency or coherence of said argument or text

5. Submit an informal essay reflecting back on their course of study heretofore as minor and majors in the JSP. They can be expected to develop a corrigible set of reflections that represent their understanding of Jewish culture (literature, religion, politics, and/or history). Students should be able to identify what they mean by “Judaism” or “Jewish culture,” isolating component features and tensions based on their program of study

Major Requirements

The major requires 24 credits of appropriate work. Because of the interdisciplinary character of Jewish Studies courses, it is crucial that the following clusters be delineated and approved in consultation with the Director.

1. Students take two courses selected from

2. Upper-Division Courses

Students will demonstrate proficiency at the level of HEB 202 (by way of coursework or a placement exam), and will take 18 credits in the following HEB and/or JSP upper-division courses. Among these courses students are required to take the Judaic Studies Senior Seminar (JSP 439 /REL 439 ).