The Jewish Theological Seminary
Campus Life
Modern Jewish Studies
Professors
David Fishman, Jewish History, Program Adviser, fall 2007 (on leave, spring 2008)
Alan Mintz, Jewish Literature
David G. Roskies, Jewish Literature, Program Adviser, spring 2008
Associate Professor
Barbara Mann, Jewish Literature (on leave, fall 2007)
Ginor Visiting Professor
Tamar El-Or, Jewish History, fall 2007
The program in Modern Jewish Studies is designed to provide the student with multidisciplinary training in the study of the modern Jewish experience (approximately 1750–1980), with an emphasis on religion and culture. Students take courses in a variety of fields but major either in history or literature.
The Amos and Zvia Ginor Chair in Israeli Society and Culture, designed to deepen our understanding of contemporary Israel, enables JTS to invite Israeli scholars to teach for a semester in the Modern Jewish Studies program. Past occupants of the chair include Gideon Shimoni, Charles Leibman, Gideon Ofrat, and Yoram Bilu.
Degrees
Bachelor of Arts
Master of Arts
Doctor of Hebrew Literature
Doctor of Philosophy
Bachelor of Arts
Admission Requirements
For admission to List College, please click here.
Degree Requirements
From the Core Curriculum
- HIS 1012: Modern Jewish History
- LIT 2033: Classics of Modern Jewish Literature
For Modern Jewish Studies Majors
Twenty-one credits (seven courses) beyond the core curriculum requirements, distributed as follows:
- Two courses in Jewish history of the modern period
- Two courses in Jewish literature of the modern period
- One course in a modern Jewish language (i.e., Introduction to Yiddish Language or an advanced Hebrew language course)
- One course in modern Jewish philosophy or a second semester of Yiddish or advanced Hebrew
- One elective chosen in consultation with the adviser
Master of Arts
Admission Requirements
For admission to The Graduate School, please click here.
Degree Requirements
Courses
In addition to courses required of all students in The Graduate School, thirty graduate credits are required as follows:
- Nine credits (three courses) surveying early modern, modern, and American Jewish history
- Six credits (two courses) in Jewish literature: one surveying modern Jewish literature and one focusing on Jewish literature prior to 1948
- Three credits (one course) surveying modern Jewish thought or modern Jewish art
- Twelve credits of electives
All MA students doing course work must register for the departmental seminar. All courses will be determined in consultation with the program adviser. Students must demonstrate proficiency in Hebrew reading by the end of their course work.
Comprehensive Examination
Students must take an oral comprehensive examination, which tests their understanding of a list of required readings and their ability to place the readings in the broader contexts covered in coursework.
Doctor of Hebrew Literature
Admission Requirements
For admission to The Graduate School, please click here.
Degree Requirements
Language
Students must demonstrate satisfactory reading comprehension of Hebrew prior to matriculation.
Courses
In addition to courses required of all students in The Graduate School, thirty graduate credits beyond the MA are required as follows:
- Fifteen credits (five courses) in the major discipline (modern Jewish history or modern Jewish literature)
- Six credits (two courses) in the non-major discipline (modern Jewish history or modern Jewish literature)
- Three credits (one course) in a third department
- Six credits (two courses) of electives
Comprehensive Examination
Upon satisfactory completion of all course work, students must take an oral comprehensive examination, which tests their understanding of a list of required readings and their ability to place the readings in the broader contexts covered in course work.
Dissertation
An original monograph-length dissertation on a topic in modern Jewish studies, to be approved by a faculty committee.
Doctor of Philosophy
Admission Requirements
For admission to The Graduate School, please click here.
Degree Requirements
Languages
In addition to languages required of all students in The Graduate School, students must demonstrate satisfactory reading comprehension of Hebrew prior to matriculation. Students must also demonstrate satisfactory knowledge of German and either French or Yiddish prior to taking the comprehensive exam. Additional languages may be required depending upon research needs.
Courses
In addition to courses required of all students in The Graduate School, thirty graduate credits beyond the MA are required as follows:
- Fifteen credits (five courses) in the major discipline (modern Jewish history or modern Jewish literature)
- Six credits (two courses) in the non-major discipline (modern Jewish history or modern Jewish literature)
- Three credits (one course) in a third department
- Six credits (two courses) of electives
A course in medieval Jewish history must be among the courses selected. All PhD students doing course work must register for the departmental seminar. Each student will develop a coherent concentration with the adviser, focusing on a particular geographic area, and will be required to take cognate courses through the consortium.
Comprehensive Examination
Upon satisfactory completion of all course work, students will take an oral examination based on a list of readings compiled by each student in consultation with members of the orals board. Examiners will question the students on the broader field of modern Jewish studies, an area of disciplinary and geographic concentration, and in cognate studies.
Dissertation
An original monograph-length dissertation on a topic in modern Jewish studies that demonstrates the ability to pursue original research in at least two disciplines, to be approved by a faculty committee.