Graduate Program
Master of Arts in Jewish Studies
The Master's of Arts Program in Jewish Studies at the University of Chicago is unique on the American scene. The program offers students the chance to orient themselves within the domain of Jewish Studies and to pursue their own research interests in the area that most interests them. Students are required to take a core course in Jewish history and culture as well as courses in Hebrew language. In addition, each student designs the rest of the program to meet his or her needs. Students are encouraged to participate in ongoing seminars given by visiting scholars; attend lectures by international scholars in many areas of Jewish Studies; and participate in the broad range of Jewish and general culture available at the University and in the Chicago area. Graduates of this one-year program gain a deeper sense of the depth and range of Jewish traditions, as well as a sharper insight into the complexities of their chosen field.
A Jewish Studies M.A. from the University of Chicago should be of interest to students who intend to pursue more advanced work in Jewish Studies at a professional level (whether graduate work, the rabbinate, or education), but need time to develop skills or determine specific areas of interest; to students for whom a general background in Jewish Studies would contribute to advanced work in another field (such as contemporary continental philosophy, comparative literature or history, or ancient or medieval Christian thought or Bible interpretation); and to anyone interested in expanding their general knowledge of Jewish culture, whether to enrich their work in Jewish professional organizations or simply for its own sake. For all these kinds of students, access to the archival resources in Jewish Studies, the chance to work closely with professors at one of the world's great research universities, and the general vibrancy of intellectual life at the University mark the Master of Arts in Jewish Studies as a very special opportunity.
M.A. Degree Requirements
To receive the degree of M.A. in Jewish Studies, a student must complete at least nine courses with a minimum grade of B. Two of the nine courses must be taken from the three-quarter sequential core, "Jewish Civilization I, II, III, (covering all periods, from ancient Israel to modern times)." This course is team-taught by faculty from several different departments. Students are also required to take a third required course, focusing on a particular period, genre, or cultural problem in Jewish Studies, which gives students the chance to think about fundamental methodological and interpretative issues. In addition, students may be required to take up to three courses of Hebrew (or its approved equivalent in Yiddish or Ladino), if necessary to achieve proficiency (see the online catalog). No thesis is required, but one paper of research quality must be submitted and approved by a faculty committee; it can be related to the student's course of study.
The core sequence is designed to provide students with a firm basis for delving into their own field of interest in the program they construct out of their remaining electives. These electives are to be chosen, with the help of faculty advisors, from the offerings of any of the departments in the humanities and social sciences, and even, where feasible, from elsewhere in the University. Many different interdisciplinary concentrations are possible. Some possible concentrations include: Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near Eastern History, Literature, or Archeology; Ancient Bible Interpretation in Alexandria, Eretz Israel, and Babylonia; Jews in Islamic Civilization; Jewish Liturgy and Music; Jewish History and Historiography; Medieval Bible Commentaries in Christian Europe and Islamic Civilization; Medieval Jewish Thought, Philosophy, or Mysticism; German-Jewish Culture in the Ashkenaz; Hebrew Literature and Cultural Ideology.
The Ph.D. in Jewish Studies
University of Chicago
Committee on Jewish Studies
Ph.D. Track in "Medieval Jewish Culture, History, and Thought"
(Revised October 2005)
In Jewish historiography, the medieval period stretches from the fall of Rome to the expulsion from Spain in 1492. During this period, the Jews, living in Christian and Islamic lands, developed a diverse literary culture. Most notable are the developments in law and literature, philosophy and kabbalah, biblical and aggadic exegesis, and polemics. The work of faculty members in the Committee on Jewish Studies who specialize in the medieval period focuses on Jewish philosophy, mysticism, and exegesis. Courses are given in all of these areas. In addition to mastering a specialized subject matter in medieval Jewish studies, the student is required to acquire disciplinary training in one of the following areas: art history, comparative literature, cultural and hermeneutical theory, history, music, philosophy, or religious studies. The specific emphases in subject matter and the disciplinary focus will be determined in consultation with the student's adviser. Courses making up the disciplinary study will be drawn from departments throughout the university.
Course Requirements
A student of medieval Jewish culture, history, and thought should have a basic knowledge of Jewish tradition. Accordingly, at least one course in biblical studies, rabbinics, or modern Jewish culture, history, and thought must be taken.
Language Requirements
The student must acquire reading competency in Hebrew (rabbinic and medieval) and one additional research language (Aramaic, Arabic, Latin, or a vernacular language). Modern Hebrew, French, and German are also required.
Comprehensive Examinations
The student must pass four written examinations: two within the subject area of medieval Jewish studies and two outside the subject area. Outside examinations may focus on a discipline, such as philosophy or history, or an associated subject matter, such as Islamic or Christian philosophy, mysticism, or exegesis. The four written examinations are followed by an oral examination.
Core Faculty
Michael Fishbane, Divinity School
Yitzhak Melamed, Dept. of Philosophy
Lucy Pick, Divinity School
James Robinson, Divinity School
Josef Stern, Dept. of Philosophy
(There are faculty members who specialize in related subjects and disciplines in the Divinity School; the Departments of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Philosophy, and History; the Committee on Social Thought; and the Medieval Studies Colloquium.)
Sample Course Offerings
Christians, Muslims, and Jews in Medieval Spain
Classical Medieval Jewish Exegesis on the Song of Songs
The Crusades
Evil and Providence in Medieval Jewish Philosophy and Thought
Jewish Philosophy in the Middle Ages
The Jewish Study of the Bible in the Middle Ages
The Jews in Medieval Spain
Kabbalistic Treatments of the Song of Songs
The Literary Forms of Medieval Jewish Philosophy
Maimonides and Hume
Medieval Biblical Exegesis
Medieval Philosophy
Midrash and Aggadah: Exegetical Forms and Rabbinic Thought
Philosophical Exegesis of Scripture
Readings in The Guide of the Perplexed
University of Chicago
Committee on Jewish Studies
Ph.D. Track in "Modern Jewish Culture, History, and Thought"
(Revised October 2005)
In Jewish historiography the modern period commences with the
dispersion of Spanish Jewry. This traumatic event coincided with
various far-reaching developments: the discovery of the "New World";
the emergence of new intellectual horizons with the beginnings of the
Renaissance, soon to be followed by the scientific and technological
revolution; the invention of the printing press and the expansion of
literacy; the Reformation; and corresponding shifts in the economic
and political structure of Europe. The consequent transformation of
the cultural and cognitive landscape had a profound effect on Jewish
culture, thought, and self-understanding.
These transformations constitute the focus of Jewish studies in the
modern period, which may be pursued from a variety of thematic and
methodological perspectives: social and political history, literary
studies (e.g., German, Hebrew, or Yiddish literature), the performing
arts (especially music and theater), and Jewish thought and
philosophy. Courses are given in all of these areas.
In addition to mastering a specialized subject matter in modern Jewish
studies, the student is required to acquire disciplinary training in
one of the following areas: art history, comparative literature,
cultural and hermeneutical theory, history, music, philosophy, or
religious studies. The specific emphases in subject matter and the
disciplinary focus will be determined in consultation with the
student's advisor. Courses making up the disciplinary study will be
drawn from departments throughout the university.
Course Requirements
A student of modern Jewish culture, history, and thought should have a
basic knowledge of Jewish tradition. Accordingly, at least two courses
must be taken in the following subject areas: biblical studies,
rabbinics, kabbalah, and medieval Jewish philosophy. These two courses
must be in two different subject areas pertaining to Jewish tradition.
Language Requirements
The student must acquire reading competency in modern Hebrew and one
other modern language relevant to his or her specialization.
Comprehensive Examinations
The student must pass four written examinations: two within the
subject area of modern Jewish studies and two outside the subject
area. Outside examinations may focus on a discipline such as cultural
studies, literary theory, philosophy, or history. The four written
examinations are followed by an oral examination.
Core Faculty
Leora Auslander, Dept. of History
Philip Bohlman, Dept. of Music
Ariela Finkelstein, Dept. of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Michael Geyer, Dept. of History
Paul Mendes-Flohr, Divinity School
Moishe Postone, Dept. of History
Eric Santner, Dept. of Germanic Studies
Bernard Wasserstein, Dept. of History
Sample Course Offerings
The Concept of Exile in Jewish Thought
East and West European Conceptions of Judaism
Franz Rosenzweig's Shorter Philosophical Writings
Franz Rosenzweig's Star of Redemption
Freud's Moses
German History and Historiography
Hermann Cohen's Religion of Reason
Jewish Responses to the Enlightenment
Leo Strauss's Jewish Writings
Love of Neighbor in Modernity
Martin Buber's Dialogical Philosophy
Memory and History in Modern Jewish Thought
Nazi Germany and the Genocide of the Jews
Nazi War, Genocide, War Crimes
The Problem of Evil in Modern Jewish Thought
Problems in Modern Jewish Religious Thought: An Introductory Survey
Reading Hannah Arendt
Representing the Holocaust
Rosenzweig and Levinas
Spinoza and Mendelssohn
Transnational Europe