Jewish Studies at UC Santa Cruz is an intellectually compelling, interdisciplinary program that makes it possible for students to achieve an extraordinary depth and breadth of learning about Jewish history and culture. From the social history of ancient Israel to the comparative study of modern Jewish cultures, our courses range across three millennia and five continents, with particular emphasis on the dynamic histories of Jews in the world's great cities. We also offer courses in Hebrew and Yiddish, modern Jewish history, the history of Zionism, the Hebrew Bible, an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the Holocaust, Middle Eastern and North African Jewish history, Latin American Jewish history, the history of Jewish radicalism, anti-Semitism and the American legal system, along with the history of Israel. UC Santa Cruz is one of the very few campuses in California where undergraduates have the opportunity to major in Jewish Studies.

Jewish Studies Minor

Students whose major area of interest is not Jewish studies may nonetheless find that a minor in Jewish studies makes an invaluable contribution to their studies. This introduction to Jewish studies is helpful for students who plan to do graduate work in Jewish studies, whether through traditional academic disciplines or in Jewish studies programs, and also for students who plan to attend rabbinical schools or to find work with Jewish communities. For others with an interest in Jewish topics, but without such plans, a minor in Jewish studies offers intellectual enrichment and a focus within the student’s chosen field.

Learning Experience

✔ Students have the opportunity to participate in the UCSC Center for Jewish Studies Summer Fellowship with with Digital Heritage Mapping. Fellows use digital mapping and database technologies to virtually preserve and ensure untrammeled access to endangered Jewish heritage sites across North Africa and the Middle East. Fellows are based in either Santa Cruz or New York City and receive a sizable stipend.

✔ Students also contribute to UC Santa Cruz's venerable magazine Leviathan, the longest-running college newspaper devoted to reporting and commentary on Jewish subjects.

✔ Jewish Studies students participate in a lively series of special events throughout the academic year. Every lecture by a distinguished visiting scholar, and every conference on a particular aspect of Jewish history or culture, is tied to a specific Jewish Studies course. There is a genuine community of learning, a partnership between professors and students as they explore the most exciting new trends in the field of Jewish Studies.

Course Requirements

The minor requires a minimum of eight courses. A minimum of five 5-credit upper-division courses must be completed within the Jewish studies minor course requirements. Students are allowed to complete up to two of their minor courses for pass/no pass grades. In consultation with a faculty adviser, students will plan a program of study to fulfill the following distribution of courses.