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.

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. 112
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 Units18
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.