Illustration by Isaac Peterson
Jewish Studies Program
Jump to: Events | Degree Requirements | Instructors | Courses
Faculty Director's Welcome
Welcome to Jewish Studies at Stanford! We offer a vibrant interdisciplinary program for the study and understanding of Jewish cultures, literatures, languages, religion, politics, and history. The Taube Center for Jewish Studies engages with the diverse range of Jewish people, cultures, and academic disciplines, and our course offerings reflect this diversity with listings in Humanities & Sciences, the Graduate School of Education, and Stanford Law School.
Majors and Minors in Jewish Studies have access to a world-class faculty and archival collections of everything from American Jewish cookbooks to medieval coins.
The Taube Center for Jewish Studies invites scholars, authors, and artists to present dozens of public events each year, open to all Stanford students. The events post big questions about "Jewishness" broadly defined: what makes a historical moment, a work of fiction, a film, or language "Jewish?" In the coming year, our events will explore Jewish folklore, Ottoman history, Jewish journalism, the life and work of Mel Brooks, Jews in the garment industry, the relationship of American Jews to Israel and much more. A highlight will be a visit from award-winning Israeli author Ayelet Gundar-Goshen, whose newest book, The Wolf Hunt, explores racial tensions in Palo Alto when a Jewish teenager–son of Israelis–is suspected of murdering a Black teenager.
We anticipate another exciting year of courses and events in Jewish Studies and encourage you to become involved in whatever way you like.
If you are a student interested in declaring the Jewish Studies major or minor, please reach out to Associate Director, Shaina Hammerman (sjhammer [at] stanford.edu (sjhammer[at]stanford[dot]edu)).
Director of Jewish Studies
The Daniel E. Koshland Professor in Jewish Culture and History
Associate Director of Jewish Studies
Upcoming Events
Spotlight
- Spotlight - Faculty Resarch
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)
Winter 2025
Winter Courses
Shemtov, V. (PI)
Nemerov, A. (PI)
Berman, R. (PI)
Spring 2025
Spring Courses
Eshel, A. (PI)
Barakat, N. (PI)
Barakat, N. (PI)
Summer 2025
Summer Courses
No courses offered this quarter.