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100-585: Bais Yaakov, started by Sarah Schenirer in post- World War I Kraków , was at the time a revolutionary approach to Jewish women's education. It has since achieved mainstream status within Orthodox Judaism , with branches located worldwide in every Jewish community with a significant population. While many of these schools carry the Bais Yaakov name, they are not necessarily affiliated, though they may be for other reasons. The Bais Yaakov movement

200-465: A Bachelor of Arts or Master of Arts degree . A growing number of mature students are even obtaining Ph.D.s in Jewish studies judging by the quantity of courses and programs available. Many hope to obtain employment in the field of Jewish education or in Jewish communal service agencies. Some Christians search for an understanding of the Jewish background for Jesus Christ and Christianity and for

300-403: A halakhic matter concerning her school. "People are such perfectionists when it comes to clothing their bodies. Are they so particular when they address themselves to the seeds of the soul?" -Sarah Schenirer Schenirer opened a kindergarten for twenty-five children in her seamstress studio, where she emphasized love of Torah and mitzvos . Schenirer had begun to set up lectures and

400-664: A responsum holding that contemporary conditions required departing from traditional prohibitions on teaching women Torah and accepting the view that it was permitted. Following the Chofetz Chaim's approbation, the Bais Yaakov Movement in Poland was taken under the wing of Agudath Israel . Additionally, Schenirer sought and received approbation from Hasidic rabbis as well, most notably the Belzer Rebbe and

500-658: A 1966 article published in the American Jewish Year Book , the Hebrew literature scholar Arnold J. 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 offered a definition of Jewish (Judaic) studies as "the discipline which deals with

600-733: A Bais Yaakov school as a girl, weaves in passages from Sarah Schenirer's writings. Her student Pearl Benisch wrote a book about Sarah Schenirer called Carry Me in Your Heart . Excerpts from the diary of Bracha Levin, written when she was a student at the Krakow Bais Yaakov seminary, and which provide new details of Sarah Schenirer's interactions with students, have recently been published by Rachel Manekin. Judaic studies Jewish studies (or Judaic studies ; Hebrew : מדעי היהדות , romanized :  madey ha-yahadut , lit.   'sciences of Judaism')

700-545: A Certificate in Jewish Studies to graduate students at Rutgers pursuing master's level or doctoral level work. The program offers six free, non-credit, online courses in Jewish studies. Topics include Zionism, Rabbinic literature, Bible History, Jews under Islam and more. The Jewish Studies Program at San Diego State University (SDSU), located in San Diego, California , is an interdisciplinary program serving

800-525: A Department of Graduate Studies offering bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees had been initiated. Today Spertus Institute offers accredited master's degree programs in Jewish Studies, Jewish Professional Studies, and Doctoral degree programs in Jewish Studies. Distance learning options serve students in 38 U.S. states and nine foreign countries. The Judaic Studies (JST) department at UAlbany offers undergraduate courses at elementary and advanced levels in Jewish history and culture, as well as Hebrew. Both

900-595: A college institute in New York that caters to religious Jewish women and girls, allowing them to complete their under-graduate and graduate studies in a religious environment. The influential twentieth-century Hebrew-language educator and publisher Zevi Scharfstein profiled Schenirer in his 1964 work Great Hebrew Educators (גדולי חינון בעמנו, Rubin Mass Publishers, Jerusalem, 1964). In her novel Peleh Laylah, Israeli author Esther Ettinger, who studied at

1000-402: A disciple of Samson Raphael Hirsch , and Modern Orthodox Judaism . His sermons had emphasized the role of women throughout Jewish history, which inspired Schenirer. Later on, Flesch accepted Schenirer's invitation to "please visit our school." After her first marriage ended in divorce, Schenirer occasionally attended plays, and public lectures for the women; at one Friday night meeting of

1100-556: A distinct field is mainly present at colleges and universities in North America . 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 was the first American university, and perhaps the first in the world, to appoint a full-time scholar of Judaica to its faculty. The Jewish tradition generally places

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1200-734: A full bio of Rabbi Donald A. Tam). TIJS boasts nineteen core faculty members in seven departments across the Emory College of Arts and Sciences, plus one each in the Law School and the Candler School of Theology. In addition, seventeen affiliated faculty members offer occasional courses. Strengths of the program include modern and American Jewish history, Jews in Eastern Europe and in Islamic Civilizations,

1300-581: A high value on learning and study, especially of religious texts . Torah study (study of the Torah and more broadly of the entire Hebrew Bible as well as Rabbinic literature such as the Talmud and Midrash ) is considered a religious obligation . Since the Renaissance and the growth of higher education , many people, including people not of the Jewish faith, have chosen to study Jews and Judaism as

1400-537: A library for Jewish women but she abandoned that plan. She was admired for her sensitivity and care for others. After work, Schenirer stayed up late to study the weekly Torah portion and Tanakh ( Hebrew Bible ) in Yiddish translation: I enjoyed it tremendously", she wrote, "as it enriched my understanding of the Jewish heritage, and its beauty and depth of thought. But I also took a great interest in secular knowledge: education, history, literature. I especially admired

1500-811: A major and a minor in Judaic studies are offered, as well as a minor in Hebrew Courses range from basic introductory courses on particular topics in Judaic studies to more advanced seminars where students can explore questions and ideas in more depth. Many of the courses, both upper- and lower-level courses, are cross-listed with other departments, providing students with exposure to different disciplinary methods. There are also opportunities for students to earn independent study credit through which they can work on an idea or question particular to their own interests, while also gaining valuable research and writing experience. Practicum credit may also be earned by assisting

1600-485: A major role in establishing Bais Yaakov' s culture at the outset," though there is no evidence that any of her works were adopted in the curriculum. On Friday, March 1, 1935 (26th of Adar I , 5695), Schenirer died from cancer, at the age of fifty-one. By 1939, there were about 250 schools established, and over 40,000 students in Bais Yaakov schools. One of her students was Rebbetzin Vichna Kaplan , founder of

1700-516: A mandatory course called Great Books of the Jewish Tradition. and four other classes. Rutgers University has the largest department of Jewish studies among public research universities in the U.S. The Department serves as the academic home of seven full-time faculty members, who are supported by a dozen associated faculty members from other academic departments, Hebrew and Yiddish language instructors, and visiting fellows sponsored by

1800-527: A means of understanding the Jewish religion, heritage, and Jewish history. The term Wissenschaft des Judentums (Science of Judaism) first made its appearance 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

1900-446: A minor in Judaic studies (JUST). The department offers two concentrations: 1) Jewish history and culture and 2) Hebrew language and literature. There are a wide variety of courses offered. Internship credits are available. It also is home to a new Center For Israel Studies. The Lown School of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies is a comprehensive center for Judaic studies. It houses the department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, "one of

2000-549: A religious studies major. The Borns Jewish Studies Program offers an undergraduate major (with a Jewish sacred music curriculum in conjunction with the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University); a certificate (8 courses); a minor in Hebrew; an undergraduate and graduate minor in Yiddish studies (via the Department of Germanic Studies); a master's degree; and a PhD minor. The Jewish Theological Seminary of America

2100-475: A two-year M.A. in Jewish studies in Cincinnati as a foundation for doctoral studies, which provides a mastery of Hebrew languages of all periods, skills to teach seminal Hebrew texts within their historical contexts, and treatment of all areas of Jewish studies as they relate to core academic disciplines, including history, literature, law, philosophy, and religion. The M.A. in Jewish Studies program also offers

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2200-623: A unique community of graduate students from diverse faiths and international backgrounds in a rabbinical seminary environment. Leading scholars guide individualized doctoral programs in Hebrew Bible and History of Biblical Interpretation, Jewish and Christian Studies in the Greco-Roman Period, Rabbinic Literature, and Jewish Thought. Also offered are a joint doctoral program in Modern Jewish History and Culture with

2300-707: Is a graduate school which describes itself as offering "the most extensive academic program in advanced Judaic studies in North America." The school grants MA, DHL , and PhD degrees in the areas of: ancient Judaism; Bible and ancient Semitic languages ; interdepartmental studies; Jewish art and visual culture; Jewish history ; Jewish literature ; Jewish philosophy ; Jewish studies and public administration ; Jewish studies and Social Work ; *Jewish women's studies ; Jewish liturgy ; medieval Jewish studies; Midrash ; modern Jewish studies; and Talmud and rabbinics . In addition to its graduate school, JTS also runs

2400-594: Is a private university that offers degrees in Jewish studies (both BA and minors). American University's Jewish Studies Program emphasizes the rich tradition of Jewish heritage in Western Civilization. The interdisciplinary Jewish Studies Program encompasses more than a dozen award-winning faculty from a variety of departments across the University. AU's Jewish studies professors and scholars include prize-winning authors; internationally renowned experts in

2500-418: Is an academic discipline centered on the study of Jews and Judaism . Jewish studies is interdisciplinary and combines aspects of history (especially Jewish history ), Middle Eastern studies , Asian studies , Oriental studies , religious studies , archeology , sociology , languages ( Jewish languages ), political science , area studies , women's studies , and ethnic studies . Jewish studies as

2600-765: Is best known for beginning a change in the way women were perceived in Orthodox Judaism . In 1917, she founded an afternoon school in her apartment that was later used as a model by the Agudath Yisrael in its Bais Yaakov (lit., "House of Jacob") school network in Poland , with worldwide lasting effect. Sarah Schenirer was born to Bezalel Schenirer (of Tarnów ) and Reizel in Kraków , Poland. Her parents were both scions of influential rabbinic families. Her father provided her with religious texts that he had translated into Yiddish . In her memoirs, she describes herself as

2700-645: Is located in Portland, Oregon . The program offers both a Bachelor of Arts major and minor in Judaic studies. Majors may choose one of five areas of concentration: Jews in Antiquity; Israel Studies; Judaism; Literature, Culture, and the Arts; or Modern Jewish History. Hebrew language instruction is also available. The Program in Judaic Studies at Princeton University offers a certificate program. It includes

2800-400: Is much crying by elderly women. The young girls look at them as though they belong to a different century. Youth and the desire to live a full life shoot up violently in the strong-willed young personalities. Outside the synagogues, the young girls stay chattering; they walk away from the synagogue, where their mothers pour out their vague and heavy feelings. They leave behind them the wailing of

2900-734: Is part of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. The Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies offers one of the most comprehensive Jewish studies programs in North America, encompassing Hebrew language and literature as well as all facets of Jewish history and culture, from the ancient through the medieval to the modern. Courses are taught by faculty whose specialties include ancient Judaism, medieval Jewish history, modern Jewish history, Biblical studies, Middle Eastern studies, Postbiblical and Talmudic literature, Jewish mysticism, Jewish philosophy, and related fields. The school will grant eight elective credits to students who score 75 or more on

3000-591: Is supported by access to rare books and over 35,000 Hebrew and Yiddish titles in Columbia's Library. Columbia offers a joint undergraduate degree with the Jewish Theological Seminary . Columbia offers graduate programs in Jewish history, Yiddish studies , Talmud and Judaism. The Program of Jewish Studies at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York is an interdisciplinary program. The scope of

3100-541: Is the focal point for the study and teaching of Judaica through publications, fellowships, lectures, and symposia on topics of interest to scholars and to the general public. The Center sponsors visiting scholars and post-doctoral research fellows and coordinates undergraduate and graduate studies on an interdisciplinary basis. The Center does not offer degrees but degrees focusing on Judaic studies are available in various departments. See Harry Austryn Wolfson for history. HUC-JIR's Pines School of Graduate Studies features

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3200-640: Is to provide Fairfield University students exposure to and contact with Jewish ideas, culture, and thinking through lectures and other events. Fairfield University also offers a minor in Judaic studies within the Religion Department. Courses cover the Jewish faith, history, and culture. It seeks to integrate Judaic studies into the curriculum of the Fairfield College of Arts and Sciences . The Jewish Studies program at Florida Atlantic University provides an interdisciplinary approach to

3300-415: The "Seminary" level , where women train for two years to certify as teachers, in parallel with further Torah study . Institutions Discussion Sarah Schenirer Sarah Schenirer ( Polish : Sara Szenirer ; Yiddish : שרה שנירר ; July 15, 1883 - March 1, 1935 ( yartzeit 26 Adar I 5695) was a Polish-Jewish schoolteacher who became a pioneer of Jewish education for girls. Schenirer

3400-676: The Albert A. List College of Jewish Studies (which is affiliated with Columbia University and offers joint/double bachelor's degree programs with both Columbia and Barnard College ); the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education; the H. L. Miller Cantorial School and College of Jewish Music; and the Rabbinical School. The school's library "contains 425,000 volumes, making it the largest and most extensive collection of Hebraic and Judaic material in

3500-583: The Biblical matriarch Sarah . She had no children of her own; the girls of the movement filled that void for her. On the 70th anniversary of Schenirer's death in 2005, an " archival repository " was installed in Jerusalem in her honor. In the same year, some of her women supporters set out on a mission to restore her tombstone. Her original tombstone was destroyed when the Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp

3600-605: The Gerrer Rebbe . Judith Grunfeld was persuaded to assist Schenirer. The original Bais Yaakov was a seminary of sorts, intended to train girls to themselves become teachers and spread the Bais Yaakov movement. Grunfeld would lead the seminary from 1924 to 1929. Girls who were taught in the Bais Yaakov movement used their education as psychological support to survive World War II and the Holocaust . Besides elementary and high schools, there are also post-secondary schools in

3700-979: The Interfaith Doctor of Ministry Program in Pastoral Counseling , designed for ordained clergy of all faiths. HUC's other graduate programs include the Rabbinical School 's Master's in Hebrew Letters/Literature and ordination, the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music 's Master's in Sacred Music and ordination, the School of Education 's Master of Educational Leadership and concurrent option of Master of Arts in Jewish Learning, and

3800-1001: The Steinhardt Social Research Institute , the Tauber Institute for the Study of European Jewry, the Jacob and Libby Goodman Institute for the Study of Zionism, the Bernard G. and Rhoda G. Sarnat Center for the Study of Anti-Jewishness, and the Benjamin S. Hornstein Program in Jewish Communal Service. The National Center for Jewish Film and the American Jewish Historical Society are associated with

3900-699: The Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management's Master 's in Jewish Nonprofit Management (24 months) and a Master's in Organizational Leadership (14 months), with limited summer residencies that allow students to work or complete another graduate school. The Jerome H. Louchheim School for Judaic Studies , based at HUC-JIR's Jack H. Skirball Campus in Los Angeles, offers courses for undergraduate students at

4000-822: The Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies , a Conservative Jewish rabbinical seminary. AJU is host to two "think tanks," the Center for Israel Studies (CIS) and the Sigi Ziering Institute: Exploring the Ethical and Religious Implications of the Holocaust. Through the Brandeis-Bardin Institute, the University has oversight over Camps Ramah, Alonim, and Gan Alonim. The American University , located in Washington, D.C. ,

4100-640: The children of Israel ", where the parallel expressions are interpreted as referring respectively to the female and male segments. The educational policies of most Bais Yaakov schools worldwide is generally that of Haredi Judaism and the Agudath Israel movement . In accordance with the differences between the Israeli and Diaspora Haredi communities, there are slight variations in outlook and philosophy between Israeli, American, and European Bais Yaakov schools. Israeli Bais Yaakov schools tend to de-emphasize

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4200-675: The rabbinate , is taught at Jewish seminaries , and in Orthodox Judaism , yeshivas . Among the most prominent outside of Orthodox Judaism are the Conservative Jewish Theological Seminary and the Reform Hebrew Union College . See List of rabbinical schools . 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 subject of antisemitism and

4300-541: The 19th and 20th centuries and its ramification into many spheres and subjects (Bible criticism, Talmud, Jewish literature of all periods, history and archaeology, religious philosophy, and the like), "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

4400-676: The Allen and Joan Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life Students pursuing a B.A. degree may major or minor in Jewish studies. In addition, the Department offers two specialized minors, one in Modern Hebrew Language and one in the Language and Culture of Ancient Israel. The M.A. degree in Jewish studies is designed for those seeking to advance their knowledge at the graduate level to prepare for doctoral-level work in Jewish studies or other careers. The Department also offers

4500-844: The American Jewish Committee, American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the Embassy of Israel in Washington, the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue , and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum are not only easily accessible but also very common. The Gelman Library also hosts the I. Edward Kiev Collection, one of the largest Jewish academic archives on the East Coast. The Center for Jewish Studies at Harvard University

4600-505: The Archives of the Jewish Historical Society of San Diego as well as The Lipinsky Institute for Judaic Studies. SDSU is ranked #28 in the country in public universities for Jewish students. SDSU has the largest Jewish student population in San Diego, and the fourth (4th) largest in California. Previously Chicago's College of Jewish Studies, the predecessor of Spertus Institute, was founded in 1924. In its first year it offered three courses: Jewish history, religion, and language. By 1948,

4700-448: The Bais Yaakov movement take names such as: These schools ( excepting Chabad ) follow a different curriculum of Judaic studies, which is less text-based, and more focused on practical knowledge, than the curriculum in other schools. Within their communities, these schools are usually referred to as offering education al pi taharas kodesh , roughly translating as "holy, pure education". Several Hasidic groups, also, extend their program to

4800-412: The Bais Yaakov system, usually referred to as ' seminaries '. These run various courses, generally lasting between one and three years. The name Bais Yaakov comes from a verse in the Book of Exodus in which the expression "House of Jacob" is understood by Jewish commentaries on the Bible to refer to the female segment of the Jewish nation : Moses is instructed to "say to the house of Jacob , and tell

4900-405: The Center is the university's annual speaker series. AJU's academic division includes the College of Arts and Sciences, leading to a B.A. degree in majors such as Bioethics (pre-med), Business, Communication Arts & Advocacy, Jewish Studies, Political Science, and Psychology. In addition, AJU offers graduate degrees through the Fingerhut School of Education, The David L. Lieber Graduate School, and

5000-400: The Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, the Judaic Studies Program at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. offers students the ability to study in the proximity to some of the most influential Jewish and Jewish-related institutions in the United States. Because of its location on the Foggy Bottom campus in downtown Washington, D.C. , internships with organizations such as

5100-443: The Department of History at the University of Cincinnati. The Pines School provides unlimited access to extraordinary resources at HUC's Cincinnati campus: the Klau Library network (the second-largest Jewish library in the world), the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives , the Archaeology Center , and the Skirball Museum , as well as the Nelson Glueck School of Biblical Archaeology in Jerusalem . Options include

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5200-402: The Faculty of Jewish Studies include: the Responsa Project which is the largest database of classical Jewish sources throughout the ages; The "Mikraot Gdolot Haketer" which is the most accurate edition of the Mikraot Gdolot; The Ingeborg Rennert Center of Jerusalem Studies; and the Tell es-Safi/Gath Archaeological Project, the excavations of the site of biblical Gath of the Philistines under

5300-565: The Holocaust , as well as the establishment of the modern State of Israel and the revival of the Hebrew language have all stimulated unusual interest in greater in-depth academic study, research, reading and lecturing about these core areas of knowledge related to current events. In the United States, the unique position that Jewish Americans have held within the nation's complex social structure has created substantial scholarship, especially with regards to topics such as interfaith marriage, political activism, and influence on popular culture. In

5400-623: The Jerusalem Exam Students may also receive credits for approved classes taken at NYU Tel Aviv. Northwestern University is home to the Crown Family Center for Jewish Studies, which offers both a minor and major in Jewish studies. The center consists of faculty across various departments, and offers courses in Hebrew, Yiddish, Jewish history, rabbinics, Jewish literature, and political science. Notable faculty include Yohanan Petrovsky-Shtern , Irwin Weil , Jacob Lassner , Beverly Mortensen and Elie Rekhess . The Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies at Portland State University (PSU)

5500-522: The Jewish studies curriculum covers Jewish civilization from its ancient Near Eastern origins through its contemporary history and culture in Israel and the diaspora communities around the world. Instruction is offered in Semitic languages; the Hebrew Bible; medieval and modern Hebrew literature; ancient, medieval, and modern Jewish history; and Holocaust studies. The Tam Institute for Jewish Studies (TIJS) at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia , established in 1999 to bring together students and scholars in

5600-477: The Jewish textual tradition, modern Judaism, Jewish ethnography, Holocaust studies, Hebrew and Yiddish literatures and cultures, and Israel studies. TIJS offers an undergraduate major and minor, graduate fellowships and a graduate certificate program. The Institute also supports undergraduate and graduate students with a wide range of grants for travel and research, study abroad, and intensive language study. In addition to its robust academic program, TIJS engages with

5700-418: 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 methods of research. With the development of the "Science of Judaism" throughout

5800-517: The Lown School. Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island offers an interdisciplinary Judaic studies program that includes an undergraduate concentration and graduate MA and PhD degrees. Faculty areas of focus include the Hebrew language, Jewish thought, modern Hebrew and Jewish literature, ancient Judaism, modern Jewish history, Biblical studies, rabbinics and early Judaism, and Latin American Jewish literature. The Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies at Columbia University in New York City

5900-406: The Western Hemisphere." The Jewish Studies Program at Miami University offers students a minor, which requires 18 credit hours, and a thematic sequence . The minor requires a balance of pre-modern and modern courses. At Miami, thematic sequence typically consists of three related courses designed with an intellectual or pedagogical progression. Undergraduates must take a thematic sequence outside

6000-503: The Zionist Ruth Organization, she was pained to observe them lighting candles on Shabbat (Saturday), in violation of halakha (Jewish law). Although Samson Raphael Hirsch 's 1853-established Realschule provided girls with "rigorous elementary and secondary school education," and "thousands of girls in Russia attended female-only cheders in the 1890s,", there existed no formal curriculum, tradition or template for educating Orthodox girls. Schenirer returned to Kraków in 1917, where

6100-466: The academic study of Jewish culture, society and religion. As part of the Dororthy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the curriculum emphasizes historical transformations and comparative frameworks among various Jewish communities and with other groups and religions. Students may pursue an undergraduate major or minor in areas such as Jewish Civilization, History, Israel, Holocaust Studies, Arts and Culture, Religion, Politics and Social Issues. Through

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6200-449: The auspices of Prof. Aren Maier . Tel Aviv University 's Department of Hebrew Culture Studies is the single largest integrative Jewish studies department in the world today. It covers a wide range of periods, methodologies, and scholarly interests. The Jewish Studies International MA provides tools and skills for further graduate studies in Jewish studies and other fields involving text work. It attracts Humanities graduates from all over

6300-438: The broader community through public events, most notably the Tenenbaum Family Lecture Series in Jewish Studies and the Rabbi Jacob M. Rothschild Memorial Lecture, which bring distinguished visiting scholars to campus. The Carl and Dorothy Bennett Center for Judaic Studies at Fairfield University in Connecticut was founded in 1994 with an initial endowment of $ 1.5 million from Carl and Dorothy Bennett. The Bennett Center's goal

6400-429: The city of Jerusalem itself, the ancient and modern center of Jewish life, thought and study. Bar-Ilan University in Ramat-Gan, Israel, has the world's largest school of Jewish studies, which includes 14 teaching departments, 21 research institutes, some 300 faculty members and over 2,000 students. The school publishes 11 journals and the only internet journal in Jewish Studies — Jewish Studies . Flagship projects of

6500-414: The classical works of Polish and German writers. I loved reading them. The lessons at her schools consisted of explaining in simple terms to the students the meaning of the Chumash ( Pentateuch ), and some other sections of Tanakh. She instilled pride of being Orthodox in the students through song, plays, and dancing. Schenirer encountered no resistance from Orthodox leadership in setting up her school; on

6600-416: The contrary, her Kraków school was aided almost from the beginning by the local Agudat Yisrael , and by other local branches of the Agudah, until it was incorporated into the Keren ha-Torah of the World Agudat Yisrael. Within 5 years, the Agudah copied Schenirer's model, growing into 7 schools, with 1,040 students. By 1933, there were 265 schools in Poland alone, with almost 38,000 students. The main goal of

6700-710: The department(s) in which they major, according to the Global Miami Plan for Liberal Education. Miami's program began in 2000, with the support of Thomas Idinopulos (d. 2010 ) and Karl Mattox. The proposal for Miami's Jewish Studies Program was developed partly by Allan Winkler . In 2006 and 2007, Miami University received grants from the Posen Foundation for the study of secular Judaism. Professor Sven-Erik Rose Michigan Jewish Institute provides academic baccalaureate and other degree granting programs that combine an arts and sciences foundation with concentrations in Education, Leadership and General Judaic Studies for career development in applied Judaic disciplines. The Institute

6800-401: The faculty as they reach out to the wider community. A degree in Jewish studies enables students to analyze the civilizations of the Jewish people and their various cultural and religious expressions from the antiquity to the present. The Jewish Studies Program offers a major in Jewish studies, and minors in Jewish studies and in Israel studies. Binghamton University (SUNY) offers a major and

6900-406: The figure of the rebbe's personality. And we stay at home, the wives, daughters, and the little ones. We have an empty festival. It is bare of Jewish intellectual content. The women have never learned anything about the spiritual meaning that is concentrated within a Jewish festival. The mother goes to the synagogue, but the services echo faintly into the fenced and boarded-off women's galleries. There

7000-433: The first Bais Yaakov high school and teachers' seminary in America. In her will, Schenirer wrote: "My dear girls, you are going out into the great world. Your task is to plant the holy seed in the souls of pure children. In a sense, the destiny of Israel of old is in your hands." The admiration was mutual, and the girls within the movement called her "Sarah Imeinu", which translates to "Our Mother Sarah", an honorific evoking

7100-419: 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 on to study this subject for non-degree as well as for credits in obtaining

7200-602: The humanities, social sciences, and the arts; and several recipients of the Scholar/Teacher of the Year Award, AU's highest faculty honor. In addition to spending time in the classroom, these faculty make frequent media appearances and work with a wide range of scholarly and cultural institutions in our nation's capital and beyond dedicated to advancing knowledge of Jewish civilization to a wider public. Internships and other opportunities enable AU students to join with

7300-512: The inspiration she received in Vienna led her to seek to establish a school for girls. She initially approached her brother, who suggested that the idea was controversial. However, he agreed to take her to see the Belzer Rebbe in Marienbad , who gave her his blessing in two words: "Mazel uBrocha." In Schenirer's own description of the meeting, she stated that she wanted to "lead Jewish girls in

7400-492: The institution, but remained very much involved until her death in 1935. In 1923, Leo Deutschlaender, together with Sarah Schenirer, set up a teachers' seminary , to train staff for the rapidly expanding network of schools. Deutschlaender, a neo-Orthodox pedagogue from Germany, and the head of the educational fund of the Agudat Yisrael (Keren ha-Torah), saw the need for professionally trained teachers. Sarah Schenirer

7500-680: The instruction of religious subjects may be conducted in Yiddish , which is still the home language for most Hasidic families in New York today. In Israel, nearly all of the Haredi schools for girls operate within one of three educational systems; these schools utilize the Israeli Ministry of Education's core curriculum, and most take the requisite Bagrut high school matriculation exams. Schools for young Hasidic girls which are not part of

7600-584: The interdisciplinary exploration of Jewish civilization and culture, is the largest Jewish studies program in the southern United States. The Institute’s core endowment was provided by the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. The Blank family named the Institute in honor of its spiritual leader, Rabbi Donald A. Tam, the founding rabbi of Temple Beth Tikvah of Roswell, Georgia and a community leader known for his wisdom, compassion, and public service (click here for

7700-481: The library of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, houses the world's largest collection of Hebraica and Judaica. The university also benefits from Jerusalem's unparalleled concentration of resources, which include: some 50 museums, most of which are dedicated to, or contain significant exhibits pertinent to, Jewish studies; dozens of independent research institutes and libraries dedicated to Jewish studies; over 100 rabbinical colleges representing all streams of Judaism; and

7800-593: The mornings and a college preparatory program of secular studies in the afternoons. Judaic studies usually include study of Chumash ( Pentateuch ), Nevi'im (Prophets), and other parts of the Hebrew Bible ; and instruction in the Hebrew language , in Jewish history , and the study of practical halakha (Jewish law), sometimes directly from the text, and other times as a summary of classic halakha sources. One of

7900-543: The neighboring University of Southern California. HUC-JIR faculty members offer dozens of courses ranging from ancient history to Hebrew language to sociology. Courses are held on both the HUC and USC campuses, and they are open to all undergraduates at the University of Southern California. The Louchheim School offers a minor in Judaic studies, a minor in Jewish American studies, and a concentration in Jewish studies within

8000-471: The older generation, and follow the urge for freedom and self-expression. Further and further from the synagogue they go, further away, to the dancing, tempting light of a fleeting joy. Her friends in her Polish school called her "the female Hasid". She attended elementary school for seven years. She then became a seamstress. During World War I , Schenirer and her family fled from Poland to Vienna . While there, she became influenced by Rabbi Moshe Flesch,

8100-596: The oldest and largest programs of its type outside of the State of Israel, with the largest faculty in Jewish Studies of any secular American university." The department's founding chairman was Simon Rawidowicz . The graduate program grants MA and PhD degrees in Bible and Ancient Near East, Jewish Studies, and Arab and Islamic Civilizations. The building also houses the Maurice and Marilyn Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies,

8200-548: The opportunity for lay or professional leaders or non-Jewish clergy to expand their Judaic knowledge. The Summer-In-Israel Program for Ph.D. and M.A. students offers an archaeological dig into ancient Israel, coursework, and the opportunity to experience Israel as a modern state. Rabbis ordained at HUC or another accredited Jewish seminary can enroll in the Doctor of Hebrew Letters Program, with opportunities for non-residency independent study and coursework. HUC's New York campus offers

8300-557: The path of Judaism", without specifying that she planned to open a school and teach Torah; and he in fact refused to encourage the girls of his Hasidim to go to Bais Yaakov. According to the diary of a seminary student, Bracha Levin, Schenirer did tell the Belzer rebbe of her intentions of teaching young girls, to which he gave his approval, provided that she did not teach Hebrew. This was an assurance she could give, since she did not speak that language. And later on, she consulted with him on

8400-603: The rules of tznius (modesty). Uniforms differ from school to school, but typically consist of a long pleated skirt, oxford shirt , and sweater or sweatshirt. The schools' primary purpose is to prepare students to be contributors to family and community, as good Jews, wives, professionals, and mothers. Secular studies sometimes reflect government proficiency requirements in such subjects as math, science, literature, and history in their respective countries. Most non-Hasidic Bais Yaakov schools in America teach Judaic studies in

8500-584: The schools was to train Jewish daughters so that they will serve the Lord with all their might and with all their hearts; so that they will fulfill the commandments of the Torah with sincere enthusiasm, and will know that they are the children of a people whose existence does not depend upon a territory of its own, as do other nations of the world whose existence is predicated upon a territory and similar racial background. In 1933, Schenirer retired from her role within

8600-414: The secular content of the curriculum, whereas in North America and Europe, the girls frequently receive a more diverse secular education. Large cities may have several Bais Yaakov schools, each with small variations in philosophy, typically over the importance placed on secular studies and/or accommodations made to secular values. Students are required to uphold a dress code or wear uniforms which conform to

8700-513: 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 . There are also those who have a genuine concern and attachment to modern Israel as Christian Zionists and therefore seek to learn more about

8800-543: The students of SDSU as well as the greater San Diego community. SDSU offers a Major in Modern Jewish Studies and a Minor in Jewish Studies, teaching a broad range of topics related to Jewish history, religion and culture from the biblical through the modern periods. SDSU also offers a minor in Hebrew language within SDSU's Department of Linguistics, Asian/Middle Eastern Languages program In addition, SDSU hosts

8900-476: The subjects related to their beliefs. Jewish studies have been offered at universities around the world. The following are only a few significant examples of places where Jewish studies are offered and flourish in an academic setting: Several colleges in the United States and Israel offer Jewish studies or Judaic studies as a major. The Institute of Jewish Studies of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

9000-508: The tenets of Orthodox Judaism is that it is impossible to fully understand the written Torah without the Jewish commentaries; so, Bais Yaakov girls are taught the Tanakh through this approach. A major focus is on Rashi , considered the foremost Torah commentator. The curriculum of Bais Yaakov differs from that of male-only yeshivas, where the core component of study is the Talmud . Girls in Bais Yaakov schools do not typically learn law from

9100-809: The text of the Talmud itself, but may study its non-legal portions of aggadah (homiletics). This contrasts with the approach of many Modern Orthodox Jewish day schools , which increasingly teach Talmud to women. Branches exist in most North American cities with large populations of Orthodox Jews , including New York City, Boston, Montreal, Miami, Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Denver, St. Louis , Toronto, Lakewood , Passaic , Monsey . Bais Yaakov-type schools exist in most Israeli cities, and are also found in major Jewish centers in Europe, such as London, Manchester , Antwerp , Paris, Aix-les-Bains and Moscow, and in several other Jewish centers around

9200-557: The unassuming and withdrawn daughter of Belzer Hasidic parents. She was intelligent and had a strong desire to learn, and was envious of her brothers' opportunity to learn and interpret the Torah . Schenirer would write later in life: "And as we pass through the days before the High Holy Days ... fathers and sons travel, and thus, they are drawn to Ger , to Belz, to Alexander , to Bobov , to all those places that had been made citadels of conceited religious life, dominated by

9300-549: The university has several institutes dedicated to specific subjects of Jewish studies, such as the Institute of Contemporary Jewry, the Institute for Research in Jewish Law, the Institute of Archaeology, the Center for Jewish Art, the Jewish Music Research Center, the Center for Jewish Education, and the Department of Jewish Thought . The Jewish National and University Library , which serves as

9400-462: The vast secular influences of the non-Jewish schools that the girls were then attending. Sarah Schenirer concluded that only providing young Jewish women with a thorough, school-based Jewish education would effectively combat this phenomenon. She started a school of her own, trained other women to teach, and set up similar schools in other cities throughout Europe. She obtained the approval of Yisrael Meir Kagan (author of Chofetz Chaim ), who issued

9500-556: The world, including Johannesburg , Buenos Aires, São Paulo and Melbourne . Pre-war locations included over 260 towns and cities in Poland, with its central teachers' seminary in Kraków. Schools for girls within the Hasidic world generally share much of the same values, outlook, methodology, and aims of the non-Hasidic Haredi schools. However, they may place a greater emphasis on the teachings of their individual Hasidic Rebbes , and

9600-544: The world. Its graduates are equipped for work in many branches of education, in Jewish and other communities, Jewish cultural institutions, synagogues and churches and charities. The American Jewish University , formerly the separate institutions University of Judaism and Brandeis-Bardin Institute , is a Jewish, non-denominational and highly eclectic institution. Its largest component is its Whizin Center for Continuing Education in which 12,000 students are enrolled annually in non-credit granting courses. A prominent program of

9700-520: Was built. Her tombstone was restored in 2005. Upon the restoration, the director of the Central Bais Yaakov gave a eulogy for Schenirer, and closed it by saying, "Frau Schenirer, we are not merely placing a memorial on your grave site. We are placing it upon our hearts: for us, and for all the generations who will come after us." Today, there are many Bais Yaakov schools that carry Schenirer's name, including elementary and high schools, and

9800-436: Was established in 1924, a few months before the official opening of the university. Widely considered to be the world's premier center of Jewish studies, the institute includes eight teaching departments and 18 research institutes, oversees the publication of a wide variety of journals and periodicals and has a student body of over 1200 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees in Jewish studies. In addition,

9900-447: Was raised in a Belzer Hasidic family. She married young, but was divorced from her first husband. Schenirer married again later in life. Although she remained childless, her students would speak of themselves as being her children. They are considered the legacy of Frau Schenirer. A review of Sara Schenirer and the Bais Yaakov Movement claims that Schenirer was "a prolific writer: her essays, plays, memoir and textbook on Judaism played

10000-429: Was started by seamstress Sarah Schenirer in 1917 in Kraków , Poland. The first school building survives as apartments, and is marked with a bronze plaque. While boys attended cheder and Talmud Torah schools (and in some cases yeshivas ), at that time, there was no formalized system of Jewish education for girls and young Jewish women . Schenirer saw that there was a high rate of assimilation among girls due to

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