Judaic Studies and Jewish Studies

Jewish studies also known as Judaic studies is a subject area of study available at many colleges and universities in North America.

Traditionally, Jewish studies was part of the natural practice of Judaism by Jews. The study of Torah, Tanakh, and Talmud was all part of every-day religious life for the Jewish people. Since the Renaissance and the growth of higher education through universities in modern times, and following the mass-secularization of most Jews today, many people, including people not of the Jewish faith, have chosen to study Jewish studies as a means of understanding the Jewish religion, heritage, and Jewish history.

For the minority of Jews who are religious, there are opportunities at Orthodox Judaism yeshivas or at institutions such as at Conservative Judaism's Jewish Theological Seminary and the Reform Judaism Hebrew Union College. For the majority of Jewish students attending regular academic colleges and universities there is a growing choice of Jewish studies courses and even degrees available at many institutions.

The subject of the Holocaust and the associated phenomenon of Anti-Semitism as well as the rise of the modern State of Israel and the revival of the modern Hebrew language have all stimulated unusual interest in greater in-depth academic study, research, reading and lecturing about these core areas of knowledge related to current events.

The political situation in the Middle East, especially the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has raised the profile of Jews, Judaism, and Zionism on campuses, spurring many on to study these subject for non-degree as well as for credits in obtaining a BA or MA degree. A growing number of mature students are even obtaining Ph.D.s in Jewish studies judging by the
quantity of courses and programs available. Many hope to obtain employment in the field of Jewish education.

Others are searching for spirituality and philosophy and therefore seek classes in Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) and Jewish philosophy. There are also those who have a genuine concern and attachment to modern Israel as Christian Zionists and therefore seek to learn more about the subjects related to their beliefs.

The following are only a few significant examples of places where Jewish studies are offered and flourish in an academic setting:

Touro College

Touro College has facilities that allow students to achieve their studies in academic and professional degrees. The College takes its name from Judah Touro and Isaac Touro, Jewish community leaders of colonial America, who represent the ideals upon which the College bases its mission.

Yeshiva University

Yeshiva University facilitates the study of academic and professional disciplines. Its leadership is Modern Orthodox Judaism and it offers a wide range of Judaic studies such as Talmud and Jewish law.

Harvard

Harvard University was the first major American university to establish a department of Judaic Studies and appointed Dr. Harry Austryn Wolfson as the first head of department:


The Center for Jewish Studies at Harvard University is the focal point for the study and teaching of Judaica through publications, fellowships, lectures, and symposia on topics of interest to scholars and to the general public. The Center sponsors visiting scholars and post-doctoral research fellows and coordinates undergraduate and graduate studies on an interdisciplinary basis...Harvard was
the first university in America to establish a Chair in Jewish Studies, the Nathan Littauer Professorship of Hebrew Literature and Philosophy (1925). Since then, Harvard's commitment to Jewish Studies has continued unabated, and its efforts to solidify and broaden the presence of this field in the curriculum ultimately resulted in the creation of Harvard's Center for Jewish Studies in
1978. The hope of the Harvard alumni, faculty and administration involved in this project was that the new Center would not only satisfy an unmistakable need for further growth within the University itself but would also benefit the study and teaching of Judaica throughout the country.