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Hebrew and Jewish Studies (HJS)

In addition to coursework in Hebrew language, literature, culture, undergraduate students may also pursue interdisciplinary programs in Jewish Studies.

Changes to the requirements for fulfilling the Hebrew and Jewish Studies Major and Minors will go into effect at the start of the 2019/2020 Academic Year. These program revisions included consolidating the seperate Hebrew and Jewish Studies majors into a single Hebrew and Jewish Studies (HJS) Major with two tracks that will allow students to specialize in Hebrew language or Jewish studies. The revisions to the minor programs maintained the three distinct minors in Hebrew,Jewish Studies, and Jewish Oral History.

Students who entered OSU prior to the Autumn 2019 semester can choose to fulfill either the old or the new program requirements, in consultation with the NELC Academic Advisor. Students who enroll during or after the Autumn 2019 semester will be required to fulfill the new program requirements. 

The previous Hebrew major and minor program requirements can be seen here: https://nesa.osu.edu/hebrew-old-program-requirements

 
Students with questions about any of NESA's undergraduate programs should contact the departmental undergraduate advisor Tommy Beyl at beyl.1@osu.edu or call (614) 292-8485 to make an appointment.

Majors

A.  Prerequisites (12 credits)
Language coursework - 3 courses/12 units - all 3 of following 3 courses:

Hebrew 1101 Elementary Hebrew I (4)
Hebrew 1102 Elementary Hebrew II (4)
Hebrew 1103 Intermediate Hebrew I (4)

B. Major Language Requirement (4 credits)

Required Major Hebrew Language coursework - 1 courses/4 units

Hebrew 2105 Intermediate Hebrew II (4)

C. Major Literature and Culture Requirement (3 credits)

Required Major Literature and Culture coursework - 1 courses/3 units - choose 1 of following 5 courses:

JEWSHST 2201 Intro to Jewish Culture, Thought, Practice (3)
Hebrew 2241/JEWSHST 2242 Culture of Contemporary Israel (3)
Hebrew 2216/JEWSHST 2516 The Medieval Jewish Experience (3)
Hebrew/JEWSHST 2700 Hebrew Bible in Translation (3)
Yiddish/JEWSHST 2241 Yiddish Culture (3)

D. Major History Requirement (3 credits)

Required Major History coursework - 1 courses/3 units - choose 1 of following 4 courses:

E. Major Language Track Requirement (3-4 credits)

Required Major Language Track coursework - 1 courses/3-4 units - choose 1 of following 4 courses:

Hebrew 4101 Review of Grammar and Composition (4)
Hebrew 4102 Hebrew and the Media (3)
Hebrew 5100  Introduction to Biblical Hebrew (3)
Hebrew 5601 Introduction to Hebrew Literary and Cultural Texts (3)

F. Major Electives (18-19 credits)

Required Major Elective coursework - 6 courses/18-19 units - choose 6 of following courses:
One course may be from any Arabic, NELC, Persian or Turkish course 3000-level or above or an approved elective outside of NELC

NELC Department Electives:

Hebrew/JEWSHST 3245 Israeli Film and Society (3)
Hebrew/JEWSHST 3703 Prophecy in the Hebrew Bible (3)

Hebrew/JEWSHST 3704 Women in the Bible and Beyond (3)
Hebrew 3705 Israeli Society and the Holocaust (3)
Hebrew/JEWSHST 3708 Wisdom Literature in the Hebrew Bible (3)
Hebrew 4101 Advanced Hebrew (4)
Hebrew 4102 Hebrew and the Media (3)
Hebrew 4601 Modern Hebrew Short Story (3)
Hebrew 4602 Modern Hebrew Poetry (3)
Hebrew 5100 Introduction to Biblical Hebrew (3)
Hebrew 5101 Biblical Hebrew Grammar (3)
Hebrew 5105 History of the Hebrew Language (3)
Hebrew 5601 Introduction to Hebrew Literary and Cultural Texts (3)
Hebrew 5602 The Bible as Literature: Selected Readings (3)
Hebrew 5603 Readings in Rabbinic Literature (3)
Hebrew 5802 The Problem of Evil in Biblical and Post-Biblical Literatures (3)
Hebrew 5806 Studies in Biblical Law (3)
NELC 4601 Israeli and Palestinian Literature (3)
NELC 5120 Biblical Aramaic (3)
NELC 5121 Jewish Aramaic (3)

Approved electives outside of the NELC Department:
 

History 3353 Jewish Communities Under Islamic Rule (3)
History 3450 History of Ancient Israel (3)
History 3455 Jewish Life from the Early Renaissance to the Early Enlightenment (3)
Political Science 4327 Politics in the Middle East (3)
Religious Studies 2102.02 Comparative Sacred Texts (3)
Religious Studies 2370 Introduction to Religious Studies (3)
Religious Studies 3972 Theory and Method in the Study of Religion (3)

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TOTAL:  31-32 credit hours

 

A.  Prerequisites (12 credits)
Language coursework - 3 courses/12 units - all 3 of following 3 courses:
 

Hebrew 1101 Elementary Hebrew I (4)
Hebrew 1102 Elementary Hebrew II (4)
Hebrew 1103 Intermediate Hebrew I (4)

B. Major Language Requirement (4 credits)

Required Major Hebrew Language coursework - 1 courses/4 units

Hebrew 2105 Intermediate Hebrew II (4)

C. Major Literature and Culture Requirement (3 credits)

Required Major Literature and Culture coursework - 1 courses/3 units - choose 1 of following 5 courses:

JEWSHST 2201 Intro to Jewish Culture, Thought, Practice (3)
Hebrew 2241/JEWSHST 2242 Culture of Contemporary Israel (3)
Hebrew 2216/JEWSHST 2516 The Medieval Jewish Experience (3)
Hebrew/JEWSHST 2700 Hebrew Bible in Translation (3)
Yiddish/JEWSHST 2241 Yiddish Culture (3)

D. Major History Requirement (3 credits)
Required Major History coursework - 1 courses/3 units - choose 1 of following 4 courses:

 

E. Major Jewish Studies Track Electives (21-22 credits)

Required Elective coursework - 7 courses/20-21 units - choose 7 of following courses:
One course may be from any Arabic, NELC, Persian or Turkish course 3000-level or above or an approved elective outside of NELC

Language Electives:

Hebrew 4101 Review of Grammar and Composition (4)
Hebrew 4102 Hebrew and the Media (3)
Hebrew 4601 Modern Hebrew Short Story (3)
Hebrew 4602 Modern Hebrew Poetry (3)
Hebrew 5100  Introduction to Biblical Hebrew (3)​​​​​​​
Hebrew 5101 Biblical Hebrew Grammar (3)
Hebrew 5105 History of the Hebrew Language (3)​​​​​​​
Hebrew 5601 Introduction to Hebrew Literary and Cultural Texts (3)​​​​​​​
Hebrew 5602 The Bible as Literature: Selected Readings (3)​​​​​​​
Hebrew 5603 Readings in Rabbinic Literature (3)​​​​​​​
Hebrew 5806 Studies in Biblical Law (3)
NELC 4601 Israeli and Palestinian Literature (3)
NELC 5120 Biblical Aramaic (3)​​​​​​​
NELC 5121 Jewish Aramaic (3)
Yiddish 4721 Studies in Yiddish Literature (3)

 

Non-Language Electives:

Hebrew 2216/JEWSHST 2516 The Medieval Jewish Experience (3)
Hebrew/JEWSHST 3205 Art and Judaism (3)​​​​​​​
Hebrew/JEWSHST/Religious Studies 3210 Kabbalah and the Jewish Mystical Tradition (3)
Hebrew/JEWSHST 3245 Israeli Film and Society (3)
Hebrew/JEWSHST 3703 Prophecy in the Hebrew Bible (3)
Hebrew/JEWSHST 3704 Women in the Bible and Beyond (3)
Hebrew 3705 Israeli Society and the Holocaust (3)
Hebrew/JEWSHST 3708 Wisdom Literature in the Hebrew Bible (3)
Hebrew 5802 The Problem of Evil in Biblical and Post-Biblical Literatures (3)
History 3218 Paul and His Influence on Early Christianity (3)
History 3219 Historical Jesus (3)
History 3353 Jewish Communities under Islamic Rule (3)
History 3450 History of Ancient Israel (3)
History 3455 Jewish Life from the Early Renaissance to the Early Enlightenment (3)
History 3465 American Jewish History (3)
History 3470 Messiahs and Messianism in Jewish History (3)
NELC 4601 Israeli and Palestinian Literature (3)
Philosophy 3111 Intro to Jewish Philosophy (3)
Political Science 4327 Politics in the Middle East (3)​​​​​​​
Religious Studies 2102.02 Comparative Sacred Texts (3) 
Religious Studies 2370 Introduction to Religious Studies (3)
Religious Studies 3972 Theory and Method in the Study of Religion (3) 
Yiddish 3371 Yiddish Literature in Translation (3)​​​​​​​
Yiddish 3399 Holocaust in Yiddish and Ashkenazic Lit and Film (3)
Yiddish 4721 Studies in Yiddish Literature (3)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TOTAL:  31-32 credit hours

 

Minors

[official College of Arts & Sciences requirements articulation also available as a PDF]

A.  Prerequisites (12 credits)
Language coursework - 3 courses/12 units - all 3 of following 3 courses:

Hebrew 1101 Elementary Hebrew I (4)
Hebrew 1102 Elementary Hebrew II (4)
Hebrew 1103 Intermediate Hebrew I (4)

B. Minor Language Requirement (4 credits)

Required Major Hebrew Language coursework - 1 courses/4 units

Hebrew 2105 Intermediate Hebrew II (4)

C. Minor Language Elective (3-4 credits)

Required Minor coursework - 1 courses/3-4 units - choose 1 of following 4 courses:

Hebrew 4101 Review of Grammar and Composition (4)
Hebrew 4102 Hebrew and the Media (3)
Hebrew 5100  Introduction to Biblical Hebrew (3)
Hebrew 5601 Introduction to Hebrew Literary and Cultural Texts (3)

D. Minor Literature and Culture Requirement (3 credits)

Required Minor Literature and Culture coursework - 1 courses/3 units - choose 1 of following 4 courses:

JEWSHST 2201 Intro to Jewish Culture, Thought, Practice (3)
Hebrew 2241/JEWSHST 2242 Culture of Contemporary Israel (3)
Hebrew 2216/JEWSHST 2516 The Medieval Jewish Experience (3)
Hebrew/JEWSHST 2700 Hebrew Bible in Translation (3)

E. Minor Electives (3 credits)
Required Minor Elective coursework - 1 courses/3 units - choose 1 of following courses:
 

Hebrew/JEWSHST 3245 Israeli Film and Society (3)
Hebrew/JEWSHST 3703 Prophecy in the Hebrew Bible (3)

Hebrew/JEWSHST 3704 Women in the Bible and Beyond (3)
Hebrew 3705 Israeli Society and the Holocaust (3)
Hebrew/JEWSHST 3708 Wisdom Literature in the Hebrew Bible (3)
Hebrew 4101 Advanced Hebrew (4)
Hebrew 4102 Hebrew and the Media (3)
Hebrew 5100 Introduction to Biblical Hebrew (3)
Hebrew 5101 Biblical Hebrew Grammar (3)
Hebrew 5105 History of the Hebrew Language (3)
Hebrew 5601 Introduction to Hebrew Literary and Cultural Texts (3)
Hebrew 5602 The Bible as Literature: Selected Readings (3)
Hebrew 5603 Readings in Rabbinic Literature (3)
Hebrew 5802 The Problem of Evil in Biblical and Post-Biblical Literatures (3)
Hebrew 5806 Studies in Biblical Law (3)

TOTAL:  13-14 credits

Transfer credit hours allowed. No more than one half of the credit hours required on the minor.

[official College of Arts & Sciences requirements articulation also available as a PDF]

 

A. Minor Literature and Culture Requirement (3 credits)

Required Minor Literature and Culture coursework - 1 courses/3 units - choose 1 of following 5 courses:

JEWSHST 2201 Intro to Jewish Culture, Thought, Practice (3)
Hebrew 2241/JEWSHST 2242 Culture of Contemporary Israel (3)
Hebrew 2216/JEWSHST 2516 The Medieval Jewish Experience (3)
Hebrew/JEWSHST 2700 Hebrew Bible in Translation (3)
Yiddish/JEWSHST 2241 Yiddish Culture (3)

B. Minor History Requirement (3 credits)
Required Minor History coursework - 1 courses/3 units - choose 1 of following 4 courses:

C. Minor Electives (6-8 credits)

Required Minor Elective coursework - 2 courses/6-8 units - choose 2 of following courses:

Language Electives:

Hebrew 2105 Intermediate Hebrew II (4)

Hebrew 4101 Review of Grammar and Composition (4)
Hebrew 4102 Hebrew and the Media (3)
Hebrew 4601 Modern Hebrew Short Story (3)
Hebrew 4602 Modern Hebrew Poetry (3)
Hebrew 5100  Introduction to Biblical Hebrew (3)
Hebrew 5101 Biblical Hebrew Grammar (3)
Hebrew 5105 History of the Hebrew Language (3)​​​​​​​
Hebrew 5601 Introduction to Hebrew Literary and Cultural Texts (3)​​​​​​​
Hebrew 5602 The Bible as Literature: Selected Readings (3)​​​​​​​
Hebrew 5603 Readings in Rabbinic Literature (3)​​​​​​​
NELC 5120 Biblical Aramaic (3)​​​​​​​
NELC 5121 Jewish Aramaic (3)

Non-Language Electives:

Hebrew/JEWSHST 3205 Art and Judaism (3)
Hebrew/JEWSHST/Religious Studies 3210 Kabbalah and the Jewish Mystical Tradition (3)
Hebrew/JEWSHST 3245 Israeli Film and Society (3)
Hebrew/JEWSHST 3703 Prophecy in the Hebrew Bible (3)
Hebrew/JEWSHST 3704 Women in the Bible and Beyond (3)
Hebrew 3705 Israeli Society and the Holocaust (3)
Hebrew/JEWSHST 3708 Wisdom Literature in the Hebrew Bible (3)
Hebrew 5802 The Problem of Evil in Biblical and Post-Biblical Literatures (3)
History 3218 Paul and His Influence on Early Christianity (3)
History 3219 Historical Jesus (3)
History 3353 Jewish Communities under Islamic Rule (3)
History 3450 History of Ancient Israel (3)
History 3455 Jewish Life from the Early Renaissance to the Early Enlightenment (3)
History 3465 American Jewish History (3)
History 3470 Messiahs and Messianism in Jewish History (3)
NELC 4601 Israeli and Palestinian Literature (3)
Philosophy 3111 Intro to Jewish Philosophy (3)
Political Science 4327 Politics in the Middle East (3)
Religious Studies 3972 Theory and Method in the Study of Religion (3) 
Yiddish 3371 Yiddish Literature in Translation (3)
Yiddish 3399 Holocaust in Yiddish and Ashkenazic Lit and Film (3)
Yiddish 4721 Studies in Yiddish Literature (3)

TOTAL:  12-14 credits

Transfer credit hours allowed. No more than one half of the credit hours required on the minor.

[official College of Arts & Sciences requirements articulation also available as a PDF]

A. Minor Jewish History and Culture Requirement (3 credits)

Required Minor Literature and Culture coursework - 1 courses/3 units - choose 1 of following 3 courses:

History 2452 Modern Jewish History 1700-Present (3)
Jewish Studies 2201 Intro to Jewish Culture, Thought, Practice (3)
History 3465 American Jewish History (3)

B. Minor Holocaust Studies Requirement (3 credits)
Required Minor Holocaust Studies coursework - 1 courses/3 units - choose 1 of following 4 courses:

Hebrew 3705 Israeli Society and the Holocaust (3) 
History 2475 History of the Holocaust (3) 
German 3252 The Holocaust in German Literature and Film (3)
Yiddish 3399 Holocaust in Yiddish and Ashkenazic Lit and Film (3) 

C. Minor Oral History Method Requirement (3 credits)
Required Minor Holocaust Studies coursework - 1 courses/3 units - choose 1 of following 4 courses:

English 4577.01 Folklore I: Groups and Communities (3)
English 4577.03 Folklore III: Issues and Methods (3)
English 4559 Introduction to Narrative and Narrative Theory (3)
English 5189-S Ohio Field School (3)

D. Minor Electives (3 credits)

Required Elective coursework - 1 courses/3 units - choose 1 of following courses:

Hebrew/JEWSHST 3205 Art and Judaism (3)
Hebrew/JEWSHST/Religious Studies 3210 Kabbalah and the Jewish Mystical Tradition (3)
Hebrew/JEWSHST 3245 Israeli Film and Society (3)
Hebrew/JEWSHST 3703 Prophecy in the Hebrew Bible (3)
Hebrew/JEWSHST 3704 Women in the Bible and Beyond (3)
Hebrew 3705 Israeli Society and the Holocaust (3)
Hebrew/JEWSHST 3708 Wisdom Literature in the Hebrew Bible (3)
Hebrew 5802 The Problem of Evil in Biblical and Post-Biblical Literatures (3)
History 3218 Paul and His Influence on Early Christianity (3)

History 3219 Historical Jesus (3)

History 3465 American Jewish History (3)
History 3470 Messiahs and Messianism in Jewish History (3)
NELC 4601 Israeli and Palestinian Literature (3)
Philosophy 3111 Intro to Jewish Philosophy (3)
Political Science 4327 Politics in the Middle East (3) 

TOTAL:  12 credits

Transfer credit hours allowed. No more than one half of the credit hours required on the minor.

Ready to Declare and Major or Minor?

To declare a major or minor, you should schedule an appointment with Tommy Beyl in by calling 614-292-8485 or by E-mail at beyl.1@osu.edu