Jewish Studies

Offering degrees at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, NELC’s program in Jewish Studies provides students with a rich understanding of the literature, history, religion, languages, and culture of Jewish communities both past and present. The graduate program offers a variety of Jewish Studies specializations, such as Second Temple Judaism, and Rabbinic and Late Antique Judaism. Students complete advanced language training (e.g., Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Arabic) and learn how to examine Jewish sources in their original context and in later interpretations. The program is primarily designed for those pursuing a career in academia, those who wish to research and teach Jewish Studies in the future. The NELC department also offers a major and minor in Jewish Studies to undergraduate students. Students wishing to major or minor in Jewish Studies may choose from either Biblical Hebrew or modern Hebrew as part of the Hebrew language requirement. 

Because Jewish Studies is, by necessity, multidisciplinary, the NELC department works with the UCLA Alan D. Leve Center for Jewish Studies, which has numerous affiliated faculty members teaching more than 2,000 students. The Center makes a variety of resources available for students and faculty to immerse themselves in their scholarly endeavors. Opportunities such as service learning, leadership council, research grants, and scholarships are available to UCLA students and faculty. Furthermore, the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for Israel Studies also promotes the study of the history, culture, and society of Israel as a modern Jewish state. It sponsors courses, innovative research, and events that bring leading scholars, policymakers, and artists to UCLA for public programs and performances.