Center for Jewish Studies

WELCOME TO THE JEWISH STUDIES PROGRAM

Background image: Welcome to the Jewish Studies Program

Center for Jewish Studies Appoints New Executive Director

We are delighted to welcome Jessica Rosenberg as the new Executive Director for the Center for Jewish Studies, starting on July 20, 2026. Bringing a wealth of experience in academic administration, strategic leadership, and community engagement, our new Executive Director will oversee the Center's daily operations, academic programming, fellowship awards, and public events. In this role, Jessica will work closely with our faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and visiting scholars to continue advancing Berkeley's vibrant contribution to the field of Jewish Studies. (Read more by clicking this link.)

Retirement of CJS Executive Director Etta Heber

Etta Heber retired from her position as Executive Director of the Center for Jewish Studies at Berkeley, effective July 20, 2026. Having held her position since 2014, shortly after the founding of the CJS, Etta leaves Jewish Studies at Berkeley with its position on the campus having been radically transformed during her tenure. When she arrived, the center was at its inception, with a small number of faculty, few classes, and many basic challenges. Today, it is a thriving, nationally recognized program that continues to grow from strength-to-strength. (Read more by clicking this link.)

Fall 2026 Classes are Here: Register Today!

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Jews and Their Neighbors

CLICK FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT JEWISH STUDIES 100

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Psychoanalysis, Autotheory, and Jewish Modernity

CLICK FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT COMLIT 258

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Protest and Activism in Israeli Society: A Study of Social Movements

CLICK FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT JEWISH 175E.001

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Elementary Hebrew

CLICK FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HEBREW 1A

Elementary Judeo-Spanish (Ladino)

CLICK FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT JEWISH 102

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Elementary Yiddish

CLICK FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT YIDDISH 101A

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On the Move: Modern Yiddish Literatures in Global Migration

CLICK FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT JEWISH 110 (COMLIT 155)

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History of Modern Israel: From the Emergence of Zionism to Our Time

CLICK FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT JEWISH 175.002

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Elementary Biblical Hebrew

CLICK FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HEBREW 106A

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Sleep With Me: Literature, Rest, and the Politics of Wakefulness

CLICK FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT JEWISH STUDIES 120A.002

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Jews in the Modern World

CLICK FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT JEWISH STUDIES 121A

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Mizrahim in Israel: History and Culture

CLICK FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT JEWISH STUDIES 121B

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Hebrew Bible in Translation: Disentangling Scripture, Discovering Literature

CLICK FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MIDDLE EASTERN LANGUAGES & CULTURES (MELC) 34

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Intermediate Hebrew

CLICK FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HEBREW 20A

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War!

CLICK FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT POLI SCI 124A

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.