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Jewish studies

Academic discipline centered on the study of Jews and Judaism

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Related fields include Holocaust research and Israel studies, and in Israel, Jewish thought. Bar-Ilan University has the world's largest school of Jewish studies, while Harvard University was the first American university, and perhaps the first in the world, to appoint a full-time scholar of Judaica to its faculty.

History

The Jewish tradition generally places a high value on learning and study, especially of religious texts. Torah study—the study of the Torah, and more broadly, the entire Hebrew Bible and Rabbinic literature, including the Talmud and Midrash—is considered a religious obligation. Since the Renaissance and the growth of higher education, many people, including those not of the Jewish faith, have chosen to study Jews and Judaism to better understand the Jewish religion, heritage, and history.

The term Wissenschaft des Judentums ('science of Judaism') first appeared among young Jewish intellectuals in Berlin during the 1810s and 1820s. The first organized attempt at developing and disseminating Wissenschaft des Judentums was the Verein für Kultur und Wissenschaft der Juden (Society for Jewish Culture and Science of the Jews), founded around 1819 by Eduard Gans—a pupil of Hegel)—and his associates, among them Leopold Zunz, Moses Moser, and later Heinrich Heine. Its principal objective, as it was then defined in the Zeitschrift für die Wissenschaft des Judentums (1822), was the study of Judaism by subjecting it to criticism and modern research methods. With the development of the "science of Judaism" throughout the 19th and 20th centuries and its ramifications into many spheres and subjects (e.g., biblical criticism, Talmud, Jewish literature of all periods, history and archaeology, and religious philosophy), "science of Judaism" came to signify the totality of studies concerning the Jewish people and Judaism. In English-speaking countries, these studies came to be referred to by such terms as Judaistica, Judaica, and Jewish studies or Judaic studies.

Religious instruction specifically for Jews—especially for those who wish to join the rabbinate—is taught at Jewish seminaries; in Orthodox Judaism, foundational education is conducted in yeshivas. Among the most prominent rabbinical schools outside of Orthodox Judaism are the Conservative Jewish Theological Seminary of America and the Reform Hebrew Union College.

For the majority of Jewish students attending regular academic colleges and universities, there is a growing choice of Jewish studies courses and even degrees available at many institutions. The topics of antisemitism, the Holocaust, the State of Israel, and the revival of the Hebrew language have sparked increased academic study, research, and lecturing. In the US, American Jews' unique social position has led to considerable scholarship, especially on interfaith marriage, political activism, and cultural influence.

In a 1966 article published in the American Jewish Year Book, the Hebrew literature scholar Arnold Band was among the first to call attention to the "spread of Jewish studies as an accepted academic discipline in the American liberal arts colleges and universities since the Second World War". In his article, Band defined Jewish (Judaic) studies as "the discipline which deals with the historical experiences, in the intellectual, religious, and social spheres, of the Jewish people in all centuries and countries".

The political situation in the Middle East, especially the Arab–Israeli conflict and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, has raised the profile of Jews, Judaism, and Zionism on campuses, spurring many to study the subject for non-degree as well as for credits in obtaining Bachelor of Arts or Master of Arts degrees. A growing number of students are earning PhDs in Jewish studies, as evidenced by the number of courses and programs available. Many hope to obtain employment in Jewish education or in Jewish communal service agencies.

Some Christians seek an understanding of the Jewish background of Jesus and Christianity, and of the source of monotheism that sprang from Judaism. There are those who are seeking an understanding of the complex and volatile relationship between Islam and Judaism. Others are searching for spirituality and philosophy and therefore seek classes in Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) and Jewish philosophy. Some have a genuine concern and attachment to modern Israel as Christian Zionists and therefore seek to learn more about the subjects related to their beliefs.

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