Jewish Studies Minor
Program Director: Dr. Gilad Sharvit
Liberal Arts Building 4125
Phone: 410-704-2571
Email: gsharvit@towson.edu
The Jewish Studies minor introduces students to the full range of the Jewish experience. Focusing on the breadth and depth of Jewish civilization, the minor illuminates the history, literature, values and religion of Judaism from its inception in Biblical times to today. Moreover, the Jewish Studies program places Judaism and Jewish civilization within its broader world context and examines its interaction with surrounding societies from antiquity to today.
This interdisciplinary minor draws on the resources of many departments across the curriculum and is designed for students who want to deepen their knowledge of Jewish history, literature and religion in an organized, directed manner. Such knowledge may also lead to a fuller understanding of the inception and development of Christianity and Islam.
Students in the program may gain additional opportunities, such as study abroad and away, departmental internships and work within the greater Jewish community. Finally, Jewish Studies students have gone on to pursue careers in journalism, education, fundraising, social work, counseling, Jewish organizational work and community leadership.
Students from throughout the university are welcome to undertake the minor, despite its course concentration in the College of Liberal Arts.
The Jewish Studies minor will be subject to revision and expansion in the future, as courses are evaluated by an advisory committee which will monitor the program. New courses, special topics or Minimester courses may be accepted for the minor, or counted toward it, with the approval of the advisory committee.
A minimum of 18 units is required for the minor in Jewish Studies.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| Choose two from the following: | 6 | |
| MODERN JEWISH LITERATURE | ||
| A SURVEY OF JEWISH HISTORY | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO JUDAISM | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select four courses from minimum two different departments from the following. Minimum two courses must be upper (300-400) level. 1 | 12 | |
| English | ||
| ETHNIC-AMERICAN LITERATURE | ||
| THE BIBLE AND LITERATURE | ||
| HISTORY AND LITERATURE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT | ||
| TOPICS IN WORLD LITERATURE 2 | ||
| Geography | ||
| GEOGRAPHY OF THE MIDDLE EAST | ||
| Hebrew | ||
| ELEMENTS OF HEBREW I | ||
| ELEMENTS OF HEBREW II | ||
| BIBLICAL HEBREW I | ||
| BIBLICAL HEBREW II | ||
| HEBREW INTERMEDIATE I | ||
| HEBREW INTERMEDIATE II | ||
| BIBLICAL HEBREW III | ||
| BIBLICAL HEBREW IV | ||
| CONTEMPORARY HEBREW LITERATURE | ||
| HEBREW COMPOSITION AND CONVERSATION I | ||
| HEBREW COMPOSITION AND CONVERSATION II | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN HEBREW | ||
| History | ||
| MODERN MIDDLE EAST HISTORY | ||
| THE MIDDLE EAST: AN URBAN PERSPECTIVE | ||
| THE MAKING OF THE MODERN MIDDLE EAST | ||
| ISRAEL/PALESTINE: CONFLICTING PAST, CONFLICTING PRESENT | ||
| THE HOLOCAUST IN HISTORICAL AND COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE | ||
| Philosophy and Religious Studies | ||
| PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION | ||
| EXPLORING BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF RELIGION | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO THE HEBREW BIBLE | ||
| JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO JUDAISM | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO JEWISH THOUGHT | ||
| AMERICAN JEWISH HUMOR | ||
| JEWISH LAW AND ETHICS | ||
| EXPLORING GENESIS | ||
| JEWISH GRAPHIC NOVELS | ||
| PROPHETS AND PROPHECY IN ANCIENT ISRAEL | ||
| GLOBAL JEWISH LITERATURE | ||
| RACE, GENDER, SEXUALITY, AND JUDAISM | ||
| Political Science | ||
| THE POLITICS OF ETHNICITY AND NATIONALISM | ||
| Sociology and Anthropology | ||
| PEOPLES OF THE MIDDLE EAST | ||
| Total Units | 18 | |
- 1
Other courses related to Jewish Studies, including special topics courses not listed above, may be selected with the permission of the Jewish Studies Program Director. Maximum two courses from Hebrew (HEBR) may be applied toward the minor.
- 2
Topics related to Jewish Studies accepted with permission of the Jewish Studies Program Director.