Our Courses

Students are offered interdisciplinary courses that explore the role of New York and American Jewry in national and global culture and politics, while taking advantage of baruch’s rich academic environment in the humanities, arts and sciences, business, and public affairs. These courses also examine American Jewish history and culture, beginning with the first wave of large-scale Jewish immigration from Europe in the 19th century. Student now have the option to declare a minor in Jewish Studies.

The inaugural course for Jewish Studies, which is also the minor’s capstone course, is titled “New York and the Jewish Experience.” This course explores the varying responses of Jews as they adapted to American life, constructed American-Jewish identities, and participated in the culture of the United States and, more specifically, New York, from the turn of the 19th-century onwards. Students examine key issues at the heart of the New York Jewish experience: immigration; community; religion; race; language; Zionism; urban life; the labor movement; the Holocaust; and food. Class meetings take advantage of Baruch’s location with museum visits, a tour of the lower East Side, and by hosting a number of speakers who will share their intimate knowledge of New York Jewish community life.

The Jewish Studies Minor (AIII:10.3A)

Required Course (Also the Capstone Course)

JWS 4900 – Topics in Jewish Studies: New York and the Jewish Experience

Winter 2026 Jewish Studies Course Offerings:

JWS 3950 JNT1- Special Topics in Jewish Studies
Topic: SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATION AND ECOLOGY OF ISRAEL

Online Mix- MoTuTh 9:00AM – 12:00PM

Class Number: 26676

Prerequisite: ENG/CMP/LTT 2800/2850 or permission from the Director of Jewish Studies.

CAMERA ON — Winter Special Topic (ONLINE SYNCHRONOUS) SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATION AND ECOLOGY OF ISRAEL David F. Gruber, Distinguished Professor of Biology and Environmental Science Why is Israel known as the start-up nation? Find out by exploring issues of science, technology, innovation, and ecology. The course will cover aspects of environmental science and explore innovative scientific and technological environmental solutions (both marine and terrestrial) that are being developed and deployed. The class will include guest lecturers who are leaders in their field across sectors. This class will meet online synchronously on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. The remaining work will be completed asynchronously.

Spring 2026 Jewish Studies Course Offerings:

JWS 4900 CWA – Mapping the Jewish Experience

Hybrid Asynchronous – We 10:45AM – 12:00PM

Class Number: 27670

Prerequisite: CMP 2800, CMP 2850, ENG 2800, ENG 2850, LTT 2800 or LTT 2850.

This course explores Jewish history within a range of communities with a focus on the immigrant nature of these communities. Using a range of sources– historical, literary, and cultural–students examine key issues at the heart of the Jewish experience for specific communities: immigration; community; religion; race; language; Zionism; urban life; music; education and professionalism; discrimination; the Holocaust; and food. Class meetings take advantage of Baruch’s location in New York City, home to the largest Jewish community in the world outside of Israel with museum visits, city tours, and the hosting a number of speakers who will share their intimate knowledge of New York Jewish community life.

JWS 3950 BTRA- Special Topics in Jewish Studies
Topic: Traditions of Judaism

In Person – TuTh 9:05AM – 10:20AM

Class Number: 38135

Prerequisite: ENG/CMP/LTT 2800/2850 or permission from the Director of Jewish Studies.

This course is an introduction to Judaism—and more.  It is not a course in comparative religion—except that we will look at how Judaism relates to Islam and Christianity.  Judaism has appeared in many forms over many centuries, and we will explore how these came to be and how they express themselves in our contemporary world, including in America. In order to set a context for our discussion we begin with a capsule summary and review of Jewish history.  The course then explores a number of discrete topics that collectively inform Judaism:  Scripture and Rabbinic texts (How is Scripture interpreted in Judaism?  What is the source of authority in Judaism?  What is the legal code in Judaism?  What is law and what is custom?); theology (What is “God?”  What is The Covenant?); peoplehood (What is a “Jew”?); Zionism and Israel; antisemitism (Is hatred of Jews theological?  Racialist?  Ethnic?), the Holocaust; literature; interreligious relationships (Christian-Jewish, Muslim-Jewish—How do Jews view other faith communities?). Finally—Judaism in the Modern period:  modern and contemporary Jewish thought and Jewish religious practice, the USA, Europe in the post-Holocaust era, Israel.  Is there one Jewish community, one Jewish experience, in the twenty-first century?  What connects Judaism today to the Judaism of the ancient world?

Historically Offered Electives

Choose two of the following courses:

• ANT 3153 – Urban Anthropology
• ANT/SOC 3085 – Special Topics in Anthropology/Sociology *
• ANT/SOC/REL 4050 – Religious Worlds of New York
• ENG 3032 – Ethnic Literature *
• ENG 3940 – Topics in Film *
• ENG 4550 – Jewish-American Literature
• HEB 3311 – History (Ancient) of the Jewish People as Reflected in Literature
• HEB 3312 – History (Medieval/Modern) of the Jewish People as Reflected in Literature
• HIS/POL/REL 3008 – Religion and Politics in the United States
• HIS 3460 – Topics in American History *
• HIS 3472 – American Urban History
• HIS 3550 – The Immigrant in American History
• HIS 3551 – History of the People of the City of New York
• HIS 3560 – History of the Jewish People in America
• REL 3002 – The Traditions of Judaism
• REL 3525 – The Hebrew Bible
• REL 3220 – Modern Jewish Thought
  * Students may use this course if the topic is relevant to the minor. Please consult the Director of the Jewish Studies Program for permission.