Master in Eastern European Jewish Studies

Jewish Studies programs are by definition interdisciplinary, bringing together sources and methodologies in literary studies, linguistics, cultural and religious studies, history, ethnography, and sociology. Jewish studies are eminently international, providing students with an international exchange of ideas and experiences.

The purpose of this International MA Programme is to educate an international group of students in three areas of Eastern European Jewish Studies in which the academic faculty at the Taube Department of Jewish Studies specializes. The curriculum is composed of master classes in which lecturers present the latest achievements in methodology and research. A stated goal of this Programme is to augment the potential and diversity of the pool of future Ph.D. students conducting research in Jewish Studies.

Classes with visiting scholars from research centers that include Tel-Aviv University, Haifa University, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the University of Michigan, and the University of Potsdam, guarantee a superlative level of teaching.

The MA Programme in Eastern European Jewish Studies contains 694 hours of courses equivalent to 98 ECTS points. Students are required to write an MA thesis under the supervision of a faculty member in their third semester.

The course load is built around intensive master classes focused on three core research areas: 1) Hasidism, 2) Yiddish culture, and 3) the social and political history of Jews in modern Eastern Europe. Each master class is accompanied by a relevant lecture. Masterclasses and their accompanying lectures are offered in two of the three areas mentioned above in each teaching cycle. Students are required to complete two elective master classes in the first two semesters of the program. All accompanying lectures are obligatory. Each student completes five lecture courses in total covering all three of the core research areas.