WELCOME TO THE JEWISH STUDIES PROGRAM
In Memoriam. Bluma Goldstein, Pioneer of Jewish Studies at UC Berkeley.
Bluma Goldstein, who was the first professor to teach German-Jewish literature at UC Berkeley, passed away on January 14 at age 93. Goldstein came to Berkeley in 1960, one of very few new women on the faculty. She loved to tell the story of how the reception for new faculty was held in the Men’s Faculty Club and, as a woman, she was barred from attending. The only reason she was sent the invitation was that the organizers of the reception did not know that “Bluma” was a woman’s name. Never willing to take no for an answer, she created a scandal and was let in. (Read more by clicking here.)
Spring 2023 Classes
Philology in Exile
Zionism and Israel
Contemporary Judaism in Israel: State, Religion, and Gender
Religion and State in Israel and the Middle East: A Comparative Perspective
History of Jewish Law and Ritual
Antisemitism and Jewish Responses
History of the Holocaust
European Intellectual History 1870 to the Present
Student Awards
Congratulations to Meghana Kumar and Juliette Rosenthal, winners of this year’s Anne and Benjamin Goor Prize in Jewish Studies, and to Madeline Wyse, who was awarded the 2022 William Ze’ev Brinner Graduate Fellowship! (Read more about our students here.)
Academic Degree Programs
DESIGNATED EMPHASIS (DE) FOR PhD STUDENTS
The DE in Jewish Studies provides curricular and research resources for students who want to concentrate on Jewish Studies within their respective disciplines and have their work formally recognized in their degree designation. Designed to bring together faculty and students from different departments, the DE is administered by the Graduate Group in Jewish Studies and provides a unique context for rigorous cross-disciplinary research. Students applying to the DE must be prepared to integrate high-level research in Jewish Studies into their coursework, qualifying exam, and dissertation. Click here to learn more.
MINOR IN JEWISH STUDIES FOR UNDERGRADUATES
The minor in Jewish Studies is designed to give students an overview of some of the major themes in Jewish Studies, and cultivate the potential of budding Jewish studies scholars among the undergraduate population. In addition to gaining a certain minimum breadth of acquaintance with the field, students have the opportunity to explore a particular interest among the varied topics and areas presented by Jewish Studies. The Jewish Studies minor is open to all UC Berkeley students. Click here to learn more.
