About Jewish Studies

The Jewish Studies Program

For thousands of years, Jewish communities have flourished in remarkably diverse places and circumstances, contributing to the art, literature, languages, law, philosophy, political thought, and sciences of societies around the world. Studying the Jewish experience offers students a unique opportunity to understand the connections between history, culture, religion, language, identity, and the broader human experience.

KU Jewish Studies is the only Jewish Studies program in the state of Kansas. Located in the Great Plains region of the United States, the program brings the diversity and global impact of Jewish life into the classroom through courses and academic programs focused on the history, cultures, languages, religions, identities, and experiences of the Jewish people.

The Program

The KU Jewish Studies Program offers an undergraduate B.A. in Jewish Studies and a minor, along with Departmental Honors through both research and service-learning. Students can take courses in Jewish Studies, Hebrew, and Yiddish, as well as interdisciplinary courses co-sponsored with departments including History, Political Science, Global & International Studies, Religious Studies, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and Linguistics.

Our interdisciplinary curriculum spans a wide range of subjects, including Judaism, Jewish history and culture, identities and ethnicities, Jewish languages and narratives, Holocaust studies, Israel Studies, and applied service in Jewish organizations. Students encounter Jewish life across time and place, from the biblical and ancient worlds to European, American, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern Jewish history and culture.

Jewish Studies is inherently interdisciplinary, connecting the humanities and social sciences while developing skills in critical thinking, research, communication, cultural literacy, and historical analysis. These transferable skills prepare students for graduate and professional study as well as careers in fields such as education, law, public policy, community service, nonprofit organizations, and Jewish communal life.

Whether pursuing the B.A., adding a minor to another major, or simply exploring a new field of study, students in KU Jewish Studies gain a deeper understanding of the Jewish experience and the diverse world in which it has unfolded.