Jewish Studies Program
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Central Europe offers an unparalleled view into Jewish history and
experience. Home to Jewish communities since the tenth century,
the region inspired some of the most important contributions
to Jewish religious, intellectual and cultural history. Although
faced with the constant threat of pogrom and expulsion, Jewish
communities survived and indeed thrived in hundreds of villages
and towns
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as well as in major cities like Prague, Warsaw, Krakow, Budapest,
Bratislava and Lvov. Legendary rabbis such
as the Maharal of Prague and the Rema of Krakow; literary
figures such as Franz Kafka and Bruno Schulz; scientific and
philosophical masterminds such as Albert Einstein and Sigmund
Freud all were nourished in the unique cultural milieu of
Central European society.
Students who enroll in the Jewish Studies Program spend the majority
of their time living and studying in Prague, but also spend two
weeks in Krakow and two weeks traveling to other regional cities,
including Warsaw and Budapest. They explore the full gamut of Jewish
life in Central Europe by experiencing history first-hand: by walking
the streets of former Jewish ghettoes, studying the cultural and
religious landmarks of Jewish existence, and quite literally by
following in the footsteps of European Jewish civilization. Prague
alone, with the oldest continuously-used synagogue in Europe as
well as several synagogues, cemeteries and Jewish municipal buildings,
provides a unique laboratory into European Jewish life. Krakow
has preserved not only its synagogues, but also many of the streets
and buildings where Jews lived for centuries. The Jewish Studies
Program integrates field trips into all aspects of its curriculum
and emphasizes personal encounters with the cities themselves.
Explorations in several cities throughout the region, both in groups
and on individual assignments, will make Jewish history come alive.
Academic Program Requirements
All program courses are 12 weeks in length (42 lecture hours -
3 credits).
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