A Certificate in Jewish and Israel Studies at Wesleyan

The Certificate Program offers undergraduates training in the multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary ways that Jewish and Israel studies are taught across the curriculum at Wesleyan.  Over a three-year cycle, courses are offered in various departments and in a number of academic areas including Jewish religion, Jewish history, Israel studies, and Jewish letters.  The Certificate Program is not a major or a minor in any one department or program.  Rather the program is an opportunity for students to forge coherence in that large part of the curriculum that falls outside the major.  The Program requires students to take seven courses in a sequence that includes gateway courses, Hebrew, a distribution of more advanced classes, and a capstone seminar on theory and methodology.

Students pursuing the Certificate will be required to take two gateway courses (one in the Religion Department and another in the History Department) from among the following:
 

--HIST 247:  Jewish History I: From "Biblical Israel" to Diaspora Jews (Prof. Teter)
--HIST 248: Jewish History II: Thinking beyond the "Ghetto" (Prof. Teter)
--RELI 201: Old Testament/Jewish Bible (Prof. Zwelling)
--RELI 203: Judaism and Story (Prof. Zwelling)
--RELI 204: Judaism (Prof. Zwelling)

RELI396 Performing Jewish Studies: Theory, Method and Models

Candidates for the Certificate are strongly encouraged to study Hebrew or another foreign language relevant to a student’s program.  Up to two of the Hebrew courses can be included among the seven courses required for the Certificate.  Through advising, students will also be alerted to coherent pathways that will provide both multi-disciplinary training as well as an opportunity to concentrate work in one of the four areas in the curriculum.

Students who are majoring in Religion or in History will be limited to counting one course from their major towards the Certificate.  Students wanting to include two Hebrew courses (taught by Dalit Katz and listed under Religion) to fulfill the Certificate requirements will be allowed to count two additional Religion Department courses among the seven required courses.

Students can enroll in this Certificate Program at any point in their undergraduate career.  In order to receive the Certificate students must maintain a B+ average in courses in the program.

Interested students should contact Professors Jeremy Zwelling (jzwelling@wesleyan.edu), Magda Teter (mteter@wesleyan.edu),  or Dalit Katz (dkatz01@wesleyan.edu).



 
Certificate Enrollment (a PDF file)
 Certificate Course Tracking Form (a PDF file)