{"id":4,"date":"2022-11-02T18:09:55","date_gmt":"2022-11-02T18:09:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/jewishstudies\/?page_id=4"},"modified":"2026-03-16T12:16:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T19:16:27","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/jewishstudies\/","title":{"rendered":"Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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\n \n Welcome to Jewish Studies\n\n <\/h3>\n \n \n
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Welcome to the Jewish Studies Program at the University of Southern California. Jewish Studies is an interdisciplinary field and USC is proud to offer a major in Jewish Studies as well as two minors, one in Jewish Studies and one in Jewish American Studies. In our courses you will explore how Jews have interacted with other religious, social and ethnic groups. You will see the connections between the history of the ancient world and contemporary society. You will discover the connections between Judaism and food, Judaism and sex, and Judaism and magic. And you can gain enough Hebrew fluency to converse with Israelis and read Hebrew poetry. Whether you want to learn religion, history and culture from the beginning or augment your current major and minors, you have come to the right place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div>\n \n

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\n \n Why Jewish Studies?\n\n <\/h3>\n \n \n
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An undergraduate program of Jewish studies can prepare you for a variety of careers and further educational opportunities. Our program creates a broad foundation of cultural and intellectual diversity upon which you can build upon an interdisciplinary approach to learning. Jewish Studies offers multidisciplinary courses in history, philosophy, religious studies, literature, sociology, and linguistics that aid students in gaining an understanding of the Jewish past and present.<\/p>\n

As a Jewish Studies student, you will learn how to deal with multicultural societies sensitively and respectfully. Whether you are interested in going into business or education, politics or social work, a Jewish Studies education will provide you with the analytical and conceptual skills you need to move yourself forward.<\/p>\n

As the undergraduate program in Jewish Studies at the University of Southern California, Hebrew Union College\u2019s Louchheim School proudly offers a major in Jewish Studies as well as two minors, in Jewish Studies and Jewish American Studies. Taught by world-class faculty whose expertise ranges from the ancient world to medieval Europe to contemporary Los Angeles, our courses explore the rich history of Jewish life, the textual traditions of Judaism, and the creativity of Jewish communities around the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div>\n \n

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\n \n Jewish Studies Learning Objectives\n\n <\/h3>\n \n \n
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Jewish Studies offers multidisciplinary courses in history, philosophy, religious studies, literature, sociology, and linguistics, which aid students in gaining an understanding of Jewish experience past and present. Students majoring and minoring in Jewish studies should graduate with:<\/p>\n

Knowledge of the growth and development of Jewish religion, history, and culture from the ancient to the contemporary periods.<\/p>\n

The critical skill set to use Jewish experience to identify and analyze the role of minority figures in historical and cultural contexts.<\/p>\n

The ability to evaluate the influence of living in diverse societies on Jews and Judaism and to articulate diverse cultural responses to theological, religious, societal, and political repression.<\/p>\n

An understanding of the connections and competitions between different religious and cultural traditions with which Jewish communities developed in distinct historical periods.<\/p>\n

Knowledge of different literary and historical genres of Jewish literary, cultural and religious writing.<\/p>\n

An introduction to Israeli and modern Hebrew language in the context of culture, history and society.<\/p>\n

The capacity to create and produce informed, objective research and communicate a point of view with clarity both orally and in writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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\n Fall 2026 Courses\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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JS-100gp<\/strong> Jewish History 38250 Lecture Mon\/Wed 2:00-3:20pm
\nDiscussion 38252 Monday 3:30-4:20pm
\nDiscussion 38253 Monday 4:30-5:20pm
\nDiscussion 38251 Wednesday 3:30-4:20pm
\nDiscussion 38260 Wednesday 4:30-5:20pm<\/p>\n

JS-180gp<\/strong> Judaism 38261 Tue\/Thu 9:30-10:50am<\/p>\n

JS-211gp<\/strong> The Holocaust 38255 Lecture Tue\/Thu 12:30-1:50pm
\nDiscussion 38258 Tuesday 3:00-3:50pm
\nDiscussion 38256 Tuesday 4:00-4:50pm
\nDiscussion 38259 Thursday 3:00-3:50pm
\nDiscussion 38257 Thursday 4:00-4:50pm<\/p>\n

JS-258gp<\/strong> Food and Faith 38218 Mon\/Wed 2:00-3:20pm<\/p>\n

JS-314gp <\/strong>Holy War and History: Jews, Christians, Muslims 38211 Tue\/Thu 2:00-3:20pm<\/p>\n

JS-345<\/strong> Representing: Contemporary Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews 38222 Tue\/Thu 12:30-1:50pm<\/p>\n

JS-361<\/strong> Scriptures and Polemic in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam 38219 Mon\/Wed 4:30-5:50pm<\/p>\n

JS-378g<\/strong> Jewish Magic in the Ancient World 38239 Tue\/Thu 12:30-1:50pm<\/p>\n

JS-379g<\/strong> Mixing and Matching: Intermarriage in 21st Century 38225 Tue\/Thu 11:00am-12:20pm<\/p>\n

GESM-120<\/strong> Part of a Larger Story–American Jewish Experience in Literature 35334 Tue\/Thu 9:30am-10:50am<\/p>\n

GESM-130<\/strong> Jewish Language in the 21st Century 35434 Mon\/Wed 2:00pm-3:20pm<\/p>\n

HEBREW<\/strong><\/span>
\nHEBR-120<\/strong> Hebrew I 36700 Mon\/Tue\/Wed\/Thu 11:00-11:50am
\nHEBR-220<\/strong>\u00a0Hebrew III 36702 Tue\/Thu 9:30-10:50am<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n

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\n Your Major & Minor \n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n
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We offer 1 major, 2 minors, and 1 language<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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