jewishstudies.rutgers.edu

The Department of Jewish Studies at Rutgers University is an academic department that takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of Jewish life. Its website, jewishstudies.rutgers.edu, serves as the department's home for information on undergraduate and graduate programs, course offerings, faculty, and student resources. It is the right starting point if you want to understand what the department teaches, who teaches it, and how to study Jewish history, language, or culture at Rutgers.

What the department covers

According to the department's homepage, its courses address the historical, social, cultural, religious, linguistic, and political life of the Jewish people from antiquity to the present. They also examine the interactions of Jews with other peoples. This is what "interdisciplinary" means in practice: the department draws on history, religion, language, and cultural studies rather than treating Jewish life through a single lens.

The homepage also notes a statement on addressing antisemitism, describing courses such as Antisemitism; History of the Holocaust; Between Nazism and Communism; Jews, Heretics, and the Inquisition; Holocaust Memory; Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Medieval Spain; and Modern Jewish History. The department states that its faculty work to create a safe intellectual environment for all Rutgers students to learn about these subjects.

Programs and languages

The site's own description points to:

• Undergraduate programs in Jewish studies
• Master's graduate programs
• Hebrew language study
• Yiddish language study
• Jewish history as a central area of coursework

If you are a prospective student, the "Undergraduate Academics" and "Current Course Offerings" sections are the places to check what is actually being taught in a given term. The homepage also lists a "Transfer Credits" link, which matters if you are bringing coursework from another institution.

Who teaches and supports the department

The department describes its teaching capacity as:

The Bildner Center connection is worth noting because it indicates that the department's offerings extend beyond its own core faculty through visiting scholars and cross-departmental appointments.

What else you can find on the site

The homepage highlights several recurring sections and features:

• Student Awards, including a group photo from 2022
• Faculty bookshelf, showcasing books written and edited by faculty
• New and Noteworthy, a running list of faculty publications, lectures, and media appearances
• Study abroad imagery, such as a Spain 2022 photo, suggesting overseas study opportunities

The "New and Noteworthy" items on the homepage include a faculty article in Nashim: The Journal of Jewish Women's Studies and Gender Issues, a faculty book named among the top ten medieval studies books of 2023, the 2023 Ian Karten Memorial Lecture, and faculty commentary published in NBC News.

When this site is useful to you

• You are considering Rutgers and want to know whether Jewish studies is offered as a major, minor, or graduate field.
• You want to see current course titles before registering.
• You need to check how transfer credits are handled.
• You are looking for faculty expertise in a specific area, such as Yiddish, Holocaust history, or medieval Jewish life.
• You want to find public lectures and events connected to the department.

For course schedules, application requirements, and deadlines, use the links under "Undergraduate Academics" and "Current Course Offerings" rather than relying on the homepage summary, since those details change by term.

Rutgers Jewish Studies faculty research spans Jewish history, language, culture, and religion, and the department highlights it through a faculty bookshelf, recent publications, and named lectures. The department's site features books authored and edited by its faculty, articles in journals such as Nashim: The Journal of Jewish Women's Studies and Gender Issues, and recognition including a book named among the top ten medieval studies books of 2023 and another listed among the top 26 books in Jewish History to read in 2022. The department also hosts the Ian Karten Memorial Lecture, with the 2023 lecture given by Professor Nancy Sinkoff.

Faculty Bookshelf

The department maintains a "Jewish Studies Faculty Bookshelf" that collects books written and edited by its faculty members. The site describes these as the work of "accomplished faculty members" and links to more information about the books.

Recent Faculty Publications and Media

The department's "New and Noteworthy" section lists recent faculty activity, including:

• A faculty article published in Nashim: The Journal of Jewish Women's Studies and Gender Issues
• A faculty book named among the top ten medieval studies books of 2023
• A faculty book named in the top 26 books in Jewish History to read in 2022
• Professor Sinkoff's piece on the plight of refugee children from Ukraine
• Professor Raucher's op-ed published in NBC News
• A professor's work shedding light on the Yiddish revival that has young people "kvelling"

Lectures and Visiting Faculty

The department's core faculty is complemented by affiliated faculty from other departments and by visiting faculty sponsored by the Allen and Joan Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life. The Bildner Center sponsors named lectures, including the Ian Karten Memorial Lecture; the 2023 lecture was given by Professor Nancy Sinkoff.

Research Topics Reflected in Teaching

The department's course offerings indicate the research areas its faculty cover. Courses address the historical, social, cultural, religious, linguistic, and political life of the Jewish people from antiquity to the present, and examine interactions between Jews and other peoples. Specific course titles listed by the department include:

• Antisemitism
• History of the Holocaust
• Between Nazism and Communism
• Jews, Heretics, and the Inquisition
• Holocaust Memory
• Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Medieval Spain
• Modern Jewish History

The department also notes that Rutgers students have worked on deciphering the hieroglyphics of ancient Egypt, reflecting the broader interdisciplinary range of faculty and student work.

Where to Find More

To browse faculty books and recent activity, start from the department's home page and follow the "Jewish Studies Faculty Bookshelf" and "New and Noteworthy" links. For course-related information, the department lists Undergraduate Academics, Current Course Offerings, Student Awards, and Transfer Credits as separate sections.

The Department of Jewish Studies at Rutgers University addresses antisemitism by teaching students of all backgrounds about the complex history of antisemitism and its changing manifestations and consequences. According to the department's statement on the subject, the faculty works to create a safe intellectual environment for all Rutgers students to learn about these and other challenging subjects. This approach is academic rather than advocacy-based: it treats antisemitism as a subject of historical and interdisciplinary study, open to students regardless of their background.

What the Department Says

The department's published statement frames its response around three commitments:

• Teaching the history. Students learn about the complex history of antisemitism, including how its manifestations and consequences have changed over time.
• Encouraging thoughtful engagement. Students are encouraged to engage with these subjects seriously rather than avoid them.
• Protecting the learning environment. Faculty work to create a safe intellectual environment for all Rutgers students studying challenging material.

The statement applies to the department as a whole and reflects its interdisciplinary approach to the academic study of Jewish life — historical, social, cultural, religious, linguistic, and political.

Courses That Cover Antisemitism and Related Themes

The department names specific courses in its statement. These are the examples it cites:

The statement notes these are examples "and many others," so the list is illustrative rather than exhaustive. Course availability changes by term; the department maintains a Current Course Offerings page for the actual schedule.

Who This Is For

This information is most useful if you are:

• A prospective or current Rutgers student deciding whether the department's course offerings match your interests.
• Someone trying to understand how a public university Jewish Studies department handles a subject that is often politically charged.
• A student from any background — the statement explicitly addresses "students of all backgrounds," not only Jewish students.

If you want the department's exact current wording rather than a summary, read the full statement on the department site, since statements of this kind can be revised.

How to Verify Current Details

1. Go to the Department of Jewish Studies site and open the antisemitism statement (linked from the homepage article list).
2. Check the Current Course Offerings page to confirm which of the courses above are running in the term you care about.
3. For program-level questions — majors, minors, or the master's program — use the Undergraduate Academics section or contact the department directly.

The main limitation to keep in mind: the statement describes an educational approach, not a reporting or disciplinary process. If your question is about how a specific incident is handled, that falls outside what this page covers.

Rutgers Jewish Studies offers both undergraduate and master's graduate programs, taught through an interdisciplinary lens that covers Jewish history, religion, culture, language, and politics from antiquity to the present. It is a good fit if you want to study Jewish life across multiple departments rather than through a single disciplinary lens, or if you are looking for Hebrew and Yiddish language study alongside history and culture courses.

Degree and Program Options

The department describes its offerings at two levels:

• Undergraduate Academics — the bachelor's-level program, with a dedicated page for requirements and pathways.
• Master's Graduate programs — advanced study in the field.

The site's own description lists "Undergraduate and Masters Graduate programs, Hebrew, Yiddish, Jewish History" as the core academic scope. If you are weighing whether the department suits your goals, the two program pages above are the places to check specific requirements.

What the Coursework Covers

Courses address the historical, social, cultural, religious, linguistic, and political life of the Jewish people from antiquity to the present, and examine how Jews interacted with other peoples. That means you can expect to move between periods and regions rather than stay in one narrow specialization.

Named courses in the department's statement on antisemitism illustrate the range:

A Current Course Offerings page is maintained separately, so the list above is illustrative of themes rather than a complete or current schedule.

Language Study: Hebrew and Yiddish

Hebrew and Yiddish are both part of the department's stated scope. Yiddish in particular appears in the department's news coverage, including faculty work on the contemporary Yiddish revival among young people. If language study is your main reason for choosing a program, confirm current Hebrew and Yiddish course levels on the Current Course Offerings page before applying.

Who Teaches

The department has seven core faculty members, supplemented by twelve affiliated faculty from eight other departments, plus visiting faculty sponsored by the Allen and Joan Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life. That structure is what makes the interdisciplinary approach concrete: a large share of your instructors hold appointments elsewhere at Rutgers.

Practical Details to Check Before You Decide

• Transfer Credits — the department maintains a page for students bringing coursework from other institutions.
• Student Awards — the department recognizes student work, which may be relevant if you are looking for research or writing opportunities.
• Current Course Offerings — always verify against this page, since the courses named in departmental statements are not guaranteed to run every term.

How to Judge Whether It Fits You

Choose this department if you want:

• A program that treats Jewish life as an interdisciplinary subject spanning history, religion, culture, language, and politics.
• Access to faculty across multiple departments rather than a small closed roster.
• Both undergraduate and graduate pathways, with Hebrew and Yiddish available as language components.

Look elsewhere or ask the department directly if you need a program focused on a single discipline, or if you require a specific course that does not appear in the current offerings list. The department's own framing is broad and comparative — courses examine "the interactions of Jews with other peoples" — so a student wanting a narrowly textual or narrowly theological program should confirm fit with an advisor first.

The Department of Jewish Studies at Rutgers University publishes four navigation links on its homepage that lead directly to the practical information you need: Undergraduate Academics, Current Course Offerings, Student Awards, and Transfer Credits. All four appear as labeled sections or links on the department's home page, so you can reach them without digging through a site menu. The sections below explain what each one covers and how to use it.

Current Course Offerings

The Current Course Offerings link is the entry point for seeing what the department is teaching in a given term. According to the department, its courses address "the historical, social, cultural, religious, linguistic, and political life of the Jewish people from antiquity to the present" and examine "the interactions of Jews with other peoples."

Named courses listed by the department include:

• Antisemitism
• History of the Holocaust
• Between Nazism and Communism
• Jews, Heretics, and the Inquisition
• Holocaust Memory
• Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Medieval Spain
• Modern Jewish History

Use this section when you want to confirm whether a specific topic is being taught, check the term a course runs, or build a schedule around a subject area. If you are comparing courses before registering, start here rather than with a general university catalog, because this page is maintained by the department itself.

Transfer Credits

The Transfer Credits link covers how credit from another institution is handled toward Jewish Studies requirements. This is the section to open if you have taken a Jewish studies, history, religion, or language course elsewhere and want to know whether it counts.

Before you rely on it, gather the materials a transfer review typically needs:

1. The course title, number, and institution where you took it.
2. A syllabus or course description showing topics and readings.
3. Your official transcript or proof of completion.

The department page tells you where to send these and who reviews them. Confirm the outcome before you assume a course will satisfy a requirement, since transfer decisions are made case by case.

Student Awards

The Student Awards section recognizes student achievement in the department. The homepage references a student awards image ("Group_Student_Awards_2022.jpg") and a Student Awards link, indicating the department publicizes award recipients and related announcements.

Use this section if you want to:

• See what awards the department gives and to whom.
• Check whether a specific award has eligibility criteria you might meet.
• Find past recipients as a reference point for the department's areas of strength.

If you are a current student, this is also where award announcements are likely to appear, so it is worth checking near the end of an academic year.

Undergraduate Academics

Undergraduate Academics is the broader hub that ties the other sections together. It covers the undergraduate program in Jewish Studies, including the department's interdisciplinary approach and its course structure. The department describes itself as taking "an interdisciplinary approach to the academic study of all aspects of Jewish life," taught by seven core faculty members plus twelve affiliated faculty from eight other departments and visiting faculty sponsored by the Allen and Joan Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life.

Start here if you are:

• Considering a major or minor and want the overall program picture.
• Looking for how the department organizes its requirements.
• Trying to understand which faculty and affiliated departments support the program.

From this hub you can move to Current Course Offerings for term-specific listings and to Transfer Credits for credit questions.

Quick Reference

A Note on the Department's Scope

The department also maintains a public statement on addressing antisemitism, which explains that it teaches students of all backgrounds about the history and changing manifestations of antisemitism, and lists courses such as Antisemitism, History of the Holocaust, and Holocaust Memory among the ways it does so. That statement sits alongside the academic sections above and is useful context if you are choosing courses in this area.