Illustration by Isaac Peterson
Jewish Studies Program
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Faculty Director's Welcome
Welcome to Jewish Studies at Stanford! The Taube Center for Jewish Studies explores a wide range of topics related to Jewish peoples, including their cultures, religions, histories, literatures, and languages. Our diverse course offerings span Humanities & Sciences, the Graduate School of Education, and Stanford Law School. Jewish Studies students benefit from access to a world-class faculty and archival collections that include everything from American Jewish cookbooks to medieval coins.
The Taube Center invites scholars authors, and artists to present at public events each year that are open to all Stanford students. These events engage with significant questions about Jewishness in its broadest sense: What makes a historical moment, a work of fiction, a film, or a language "Jewish"?
In the coming year, we are excited to feature international conferences on sexuality and early Judaism and on the Jewish thinker Hannah Arendt. We will also explore the intersection of Jewish Studies and the environment and host several speaker series, including "How to Think About Antisemitism" and "Jewish Storytelling: Creating Communities through Stories."
We are particularly attentive to the issue of antisemitism and are developing a central resource hub for education and public engagement with this critical topic, which unfortunately remains a significant aspect of Jewish life. Our hope is that the challenges we face will be met with a collegial spirit of inquiry and collaboration that fosters continuous learning, reflection, and growth.
We anticipate a fruitful year filled with engaging courses and events in Jewish Studies, and we encourage you to get involved in any way you choose.
If you are interested in declaring a major or minor in Jewish Studies or in completing a Jewish Studies Certificate, please contact our Associate Director, Shaina Hammerman, at sjhammer [at] stanford.edu (sjhammer[at]stanford[dot]edu).
Faculty Director, Taube Center for Jewish Studies
Associate Director of Jewish Studies
Upcoming Events
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Spotlight
- Spotlight - Teaching
Degree Requirements
Major in Jewish Studies
The Jewish Studies major seeks to help students understand Jewish identities, thought, and self-expression within larger historical and social contexts, and to develop their ability to analyze human experience from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. Students have the opportunity to explore the multiplicity of racial, ethnic, and religious meanings claimed by or assigned to Jews historically and today.
To receive a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Jewish Studies, students must complete 60 units.
Required courses:
1 Introductory course
- CSRE100: Intro to Comparative Studies in Race & Ethnicity
1 Major Core Course
- JEWISHST77: “Jewish” in 7 Concepts
- or JEWISHST115: Understanding Jews
2 Comparative Core courses offering a foundation in race studies
- CSRE101A: Indigeneity and Colonialism
- CSRE101B: Institutions and Inequities
- CSRE101C: Resistance and Liberation
1 Methodology course in a discipline of your choosing
1 Community-Engaged Learning course or preapproved project
1 Capstone course
- CSRE 200X - CSRE Senior Seminar
- CSRE majors draw upon their interdisciplinary expertise and training in race studies to design and complete a public-facing research project or research paper.
- or CSRE 201X, 201Y & 201Z - CSRE Honors Seminar
- The Honors Thesis Seminar is a year-long research- and writing-intensive sequence designed to support students as they apply their skills, knowledge, and political commitments to the investigation of a focused research question.
Electives:
- At least 6 additional courses in Jewish Studies (30 units minimum)
- A maximum of 15 units of language study may be counted toward the Jewish Studies major. Jewish languages offer important insight into the histories and cultures of Jews, and students are strongly encouraged to enroll in Jewish language coursework. Languages counted toward the major include Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino, and other approved languages used for research into Jews and Jewishness.
To find a more detailed overview of this major please visit our Bulletin Page.
If you are ready to declare, please visit the How to Declare Page.
Minor in Jewish Studies
To minor in Jewish Studies, students are required to complete 30 units:
- CSRE100: Intro to Comparative Studies in Race & Ethnicity
- 1 Major Core Course
- JEWISHST77: “Jewish” in 7 Concepts
- or JEWISHST115: Understanding Jews
- At least 4 additional Jewish Studies courses (20 units minimum)
To find a more detailed overview of this minor please visit our Bulletin Page.
If you are ready to declare, please visit the How to Declare Page.
Affiliated Faculty
Current Courses
Autumn 2024
Autumn Courses
McLoughlin, S. (TA)
Karasinski-Sroka, M. (TA)
Beinin, J. (PI)
Hammerman, S. (GP)
Nugent, J. (PI)
Soeffner, J. (PI)
Winter 2025
Winter Courses
Mayse, E. (PI)
Shemtov, V. (PI)
Shemtov, V. (PI)
Nemerov, A. (PI)
Berman, R. (PI)
Spring 2025
Spring Courses
Eshel, A. (PI)
Barakat, N. (PI)
Summer 2025
Summer Courses
No courses offered this quarter.