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Rainey Harper, oversaw the beginnings of programs in Bible and Ancient
Near Eastern Civilizations. A few decades later, these early initiatives
received a huge institutional boost with the founding of the Oriental
Institute, which remains one of the pre-eminent centers for the study
of ancient Near Eastern language, civilization, and archeology. But the
flourishing of Jewish Studies over the years at Chicago has also been
sustained by appointments in a wide range of departments: professorships
of Jewish Hellenism in Classics, Medieval Jewish Philosophy in Philosophy,
Jewish Social and Economic History in History, to name only a few. During
the past decade, the University has appointed eminent scholars in the
study of Hebrew Bible, Midrash, Jewish Medieval Studies, Hebrew Literature,
American-Jewish Literature, and German-Jewish Culture. Working together,
they have created one of the most modern comprehensive, distinguished
and interdisciplinary programs in Jewish Studies available at any American
university. Advanced degree programs are available at the A.M. and Ph.D.
degree levels. Students can make full use of the resources in Jewish Studies
available through the Divinity School, the Departments of Germanic Studies,
History, Linguistics, Philosophy, Music, Near Eastern Languages &
Literature, and the Oriental Institute. The Workshop on Jewish Studies
meets throughout the year to bring together faculty and students from
the diverse range of departments represented in the committee for discussion
of topics related to ongoing research.
The 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 A.M. 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.
Degree Requirements
To receive the degree of A.M. 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. 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 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
The Committee on Jewish Studies at the University of Chicago offers the
Ph.D. degree in several areas: (1) the Hebrew Bible and the Ancient Near
East; (2) the history of Judaism (with sub-specialties in classical rabbinic
literature and thought; medieval Jewish thought and religion; Judeo-Arabic
thought and culture; modern Jewish thought, history, and culture); (3)
modern German-Jewish thought and culture; (4) modern Hebrew literature
and culture; (5) modern Jewish history and culture. Each of these areas
is coordinated by faculty steering committees, and each has developed
its own requirements. All areas are coordinated with programs and faculties
in the appropriate cognate or comparative disciplines.
For further information about degree requirements, focus of study, and
typical programs, contact the following faculty:
- Bible and the Ancient Near East: Prof. Tikva Frymer-Kensky
office: Swift 306C
telephone: (773) 702-1901
e-mail: tfrymerk@midway.uchicago.edu
- Classical Judaism: Prof. Michael Fishbane
office: Swift 205
telephone: (773) 702-8234
e-mail: mfishban@midway.uchicago.edu
- Medieval Jewish Thought & Culture: Prof. Joel Kraemer
office: Swift 306B
telephone: (773) 702-8247
e-mail: jkraemer@midway.uchicago.edu
- Modern Jewish Thought: Prof. Paul Mendes-Flohr
office: Swift 306E
telephone: (773) 702-5084
e-mail: prmendes@midway.uchicago.edu
- Modern German-Jewish History & Culture: Prof. Moishe Postone
office: HM E481
telephone: (773) 702-8560
e-mail: mmp1@midway.uchicago.edu
- Modern Hebrew Literature & Jewish Culture: Prof. Menahem Brinker
office: Pick 214
telephone: (773) 834-0123
e-mail: menachem2002@yahoo.com
Research and Library Resources
The University of Chicago library system serves the research and study
interests of faculty and students and houses a bound volume and microfilm
collection of more than 5 million volumes; a manuscript and archival collection
of over 7 million pieces; serial holdings of some 95,000 titles; and a
photographic study collection of visual art of more than 500,000 pieces.
The physical facilities of the library system consist of the Joseph Regenstein
Graduate Research Library, supporting research activities and graduate
programs in the humanities and social sciences; Harper Memorial Library,
serving primarily students in the College; and six professional and departmental
libraries. Regenstein Library provides the central location for research
materials in the humanities, the social sciences, and the ancient and
modern languages—an array of resources numbering more than 3 million
volumes.
Regenstein Library contains the Department of Special Collections, a
major repository of archival and rare published materials. Regenstein
also houses the Middle East Collection, with rich holdings in Assyriology
and Egyptology. Of particular interest to students in Jewish Studies is
the unique Ludwig Rosenberger Collection, which contains thousands of
items in German Judaica. In addition, the Oriental Institute maintains
extensive holdings in ancient Near Eastern and Biblical studies and archaeology.
Library resources are not limited to the University community. The libraries
of the cluster of eight theological schools in the University neighborhood
enrich the available library facilities by more than 1,000,000 volumes.
The libraries of the Art Institute and the Chicago Historical Society
also contain extensive resources for historical study. The Newberry Library,
located on Chicago’s Near North Side, is a world-renowned research
collection of some 1,000,000 titles and 5,000,000 manuscripts in the humanities,
chiefly in history, literature, music, and philosophy, with special strengths
in European, American, and Latin American history and literature.
Admission Requirements
Admission to the Master of Arts and Ph.D. in Jewish Studies is based
upon grades in undergraduate courses, letters of recommendation, Graduate
Record Examination scores (with some exceptions), and the quality and
feasibility of an applicant’s statement of purpose. While an undergraduate
concentration in Jewish Studies is not required for A.M. program, applicants
should have some prior study and knowledge of Hebrew. Applicants to the
Ph.D. program must demonstrate strong background in the pertinent areas
of study and languages, and demonstrated excellence in research or area-studies.
The applicants preparation will be evaluated by the different areas of
the committee.
Application materials should include (1) the applicant’s recent
verbal, quantitative, and analytic scores on the Graduate Record Examination
(which may be waived if the applicant has been out of school for five
years or more); (2) an official transcript from the applicant’s undergraduate
institution; (3) a ten- to fifteen-page sample of critical writing; (4)
three letters of recommendation; (5) a statement of no longer than three
single-spaced pages about the applicant’s reasons for wishing to
enter the program and the interests he or she would like to pursue; and
(6) a completed university application form.
For further information and an application, write to: Dean of Students,
Division of the Humanities, The University of Chicago, 1050 East 59th
Street, Chicago, IL 60637. Or you may make an application request via
the web at http://www.uchicago.edu/hd/applform.html.
This text was last revised on 9/08/2003.
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