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 the School of Humanities and Sciences, the Graduate School of Education, and Stanford Law School. Studies in Jewish Studies benefit from access to world-class faculty and archival collections, ranging from American Jewish cookbooks to medieval coins.
Each year, the Taube Center invites scholars, authors, and artists to present at public events open to all Stanford students. These programs engage with essential questions about Jewish identity 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 several major events, including a series on Being Jewish Today, an event devoted to the playwright Hanoch Levin following the acquisition of his archive, and a celebration of the publication of Steven Zipperstein's new biography of Philip Roth, featuring leading Jewish American writers such as Nicole Krauss, Nathan Englander, and Molly Antopol. These are just a few highlights from the many events planned for the year.
We are also excited to launch this winter a new Jewish Studies Fellows Program, designed to enhance our teaching, strengthen our campus presence, and foster an intellectual community.
We anticipate a fruitful year filled with engaging courses and events in Jewish Studies and encourage you to get involved in any way you choose.
If you are interested in completing a Jewish Studies Certificate (3 courses), 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 2025
Autumn Courses
Xie, A. (TA)
Parasseri, N. (TA)
Ahmad, S. (TA)
Fonrobert, C. (PI)
Winter 2026
Winter Courses
Hammerman, S. (PI)
Berger, T. (PI)
Spring 2026
Spring Courses
Levenberg, A. (GP)
Summer 2026
Summer Courses
No courses offered this quarter.