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Faculty of Arts

Jewish Studies

1. Prerequisites
2. Requirements for a Major
3. Jewish Studies subjects
4. Combined Honours entry
5. Combined Honours requirements
6. Studying overseas
7. Career opportunities
8. For more information

Conveners: Dr Mark Baker (History) and Dr Ziva Shavitsky (Hebrew Studies).

The Faculty of Arts offers an interdepartmental program in Jewish Studies housed in the Department of History, and involving Hebrew Studies in the School of Languages, the School of Fine Arts, Classics and Archaeology, and the Centre for Ancient and Classical Languages.

Jewish Studies offers students a means of studying the development of Jewish civilisation from its origins to the present. Subjects are designed to explore Jewish experience from a range of disciplines including History, Literature, Archaeology, Philosophy, Ethnography and Social Theory.

Although language study is not a formal component of the Major in Jewish Studies, students are encouraged to complete a Hebrew Studies Major concurrently. See Hebrew Studies for more information.

1. Prerequisites

The program may be commenced at first year, and there are no prerequisites for entry at this level.

Students may, however, enter at second year after the completion of 25 points of first year in approved subjects in consultation with the program convener.

2. Requirements for a Major

A Major in Jewish Studies usually consists of nine 12.5 points subjects, totalling 112.5 points. It comprises:

Two first-year subjects from the Jewish Studies subjects listed below (25 points), and;
Seven second/third-year subjects from the Jewish Studies subjects listed below (87.5 points).

A Major may or may not include language study in Hebrew. However, students intending to undertake combined Honours in Jewish Studies must complete two semesters of Hebrew language study or an approved equivalent within the course of the BA degree. They must also complete a Major in the combining area of study.

3. Jewish Studies subjects

Students must consult the relevant area of study entries in the handbook to make sure that they meet the prerequisites, if any, for entry into the following subjects.

Non-language Study

First year Semester

109-003 Introduction to Modern Jewish Culture 1

Second/third year

109-013 Modern Jewish Literature B: Biblical and Modern Metaphor 1

109-011 Jewish National Thought: The Evolution of an Idea 2

109-012 Modern Jewish Literature A: Exile and Homecoming Not Offered

Cinema Studies

107-012 Visualising Beliefs: Christianity in Cultural Transition Not Offered

107-103 Religious Movements: Origins versus Constructions Not Offered

History

131-029 Jews in the Modern World: Out of the Ghetto, 1492-1900 2

131-052 The Holocaust and Genocide 1

131-058 The Rise and Fall of the German Empire 1

131-068 Screening the Holocaust 1

131-069 God Through History: Judaism, Christianity and Islam 1

131-048 Hitler's Germany 2

131-030 Jews in the Modern World: Out of the Ashes, 1900 to the Present Not Offered

131-054 The Working Class in History and Literature Not Offered

Ancient and Classical Languages

922-128 Advanced Biblical Hebrew Reading Course Year long

Non-language Study

First year	Semester
	109-003 Introduction to Modern Jewish Culture	1

Second/third year
	109-013 Modern Jewish Literature B: Biblical and Modern Metaphor	1
	109-011 Jewish National Thought: The Evolution of an Idea	2
	109-012 Modern Jewish Literature A: Exile and Homecoming	Not Offered

Cinema Studies
	107-012 Visualising Beliefs: Christianity in Cultural Transition	Not Offered
	107-103 Religious Movements: Origins versus Constructions	Not Offered

History
	131-029 Jews in the Modern World: Out of the Ghetto, 1492-1900	2
	131-052 The Holocaust and Genocide	1
	131-058 The Rise and Fall of the German Empire	1
	131-068 Screening the Holocaust	1
	131-069 God Through History: Judaism, Christianity and Islam	1
	131-048 Hitler's Germany	2
	131-030 Jews in the Modern World: Out of the Ashes, 1900 to the Present	Not Offered
	131-054 The Working Class in History and Literature	Not Offered

Ancient and Classical Languages
	922-128 Advanced Biblical Hebrew Reading Course	Year long

Language study

First/second year Semester

109-001 Hebrew 1A 1

109-002 Hebrew 1B 2

922-126 Introduction to Biblical Hebrew 1

922-127 Biblical Hebrew: The Book of Ruth 2

First/second/third year

109-004 Hebrew 2A 1

109-005 Hebrew 2B 2

115-003 Beginners Semitics A 1

115-004 Beginners Semitics B 2

115-012 Beginners Ancient Greek A 1

115-013 Beginners Ancient Greek B 2

First/second/third/fourth year

109-006 Hebrew 3A 1

109-007 Hebrew 3B 2

109-008 Hebrew 3C Not Offered

109-009 Hebrew 3D Not Offered

Second/third/fourth year

109-015 Hebrew 4A 1

109-016 Hebrew 4B 2

115-008 Beginners Syriac 1

109-017 Hebrew 4C Not Offered

109-018 Hebrew 4D Not Offered

115-007 Beginners Aramaic Not Offered

115-005 Intermediate Semitics A Not Offered

115-006 Intermediate Semitics B Not Offered

Third year

109-014 Special Study Research Project (Hebrew) 1 and 2

Language study

First/second year	Semester
	109-001 Hebrew 1A	1
	109-002 Hebrew 1B	2
	922-126 Introduction to Biblical Hebrew	1
	922-127 Biblical Hebrew: The Book of Ruth	2

First/second/third year
	109-004 Hebrew 2A	1
	109-005 Hebrew 2B	2
	115-003 Beginners Semitics A	1
	115-004 Beginners Semitics B	2
	115-012 Beginners Ancient Greek A	1
	115-013 Beginners Ancient Greek B	2

First/second/third/fourth year
	109-006 Hebrew 3A	1
	109-007 Hebrew 3B	2
	109-008 Hebrew 3C	Not Offered
	109-009 Hebrew 3D	Not Offered

Second/third/fourth year
	109-015 Hebrew 4A	1
	109-016 Hebrew 4B	2
	115-008 Beginners Syriac	1
	109-017 Hebrew 4C	Not Offered
	109-018 Hebrew 4D	Not Offered
	115-007 Beginners Aramaic	Not Offered
	115-005 Intermediate Semitics A	Not Offered
	115-006 Intermediate Semitics B	Not Offered

Third year
	109-014 Special Study Research Project (Hebrew)	1 and 2

4. Combined Honours entry

Currently there is no pure Honours in Jewish Studies. This means that students must combine fourth year Honours in Jewish Studies with another area of study.

The prerequisites for entry to combined Honours in Jewish Studies are:

Completion of all the requirements for the BA, and;
Completion of a Major in Hebrew Studies or a Major in Jewish Studies which must include two semesters of Hebrew language study, and;
An average grade of H2B or higher over the second/third-year subjects within the Major, and;
Admission to Honours in another area of study within the Arts Faculty.

Entry to Honours must be approved by the convener of Jewish Studies and the Faculty of Arts Honours course adviser.

5. Combined Honours requirements

Students undertaking combined Honours in Jewish Studies and another area of study must complete:

109-021 Honours Thesis in Jewish Literature (37.5 points), and;
Two Honours subjects in Jewish Studies chosen from the list below (equivalent to 25 points), and;
Three Honours subjects in the combined area of study (equivalent to 37.5 points).

Honours thesis in the combined area of study (37.5 points), and;
Two Honours subjects in the combined area of study (equivalent to 25 points), and;
Three Honours subjects in Jewish Studies (equivalent to 37.5 points).

Students should note that they are encouraged to complete at least one semester of Hebrew language study at intermediate or advanced level (12.5 points) in their first semester of Honours study. Consult the list of language study subjects above and Hebrew Studies

Fourth year Honours subjects

Semester 1 Semester

107-015 Aspects of Judaeo-Christianity 1

Semester 2

109-019 The Literature of Destruction: Jewish Responses to Catastrophe 2

Not offered in 1999

109-020 Jerusalem in Jewish Literature Not Offered

131-133 The Rabbinic Imagination Not Offered

131-134 Philosophies of Jewish History Not Offered

Fourth year Honours subjects

Semester 1	Semester
	107-015 Aspects of Judaeo-Christianity	1

Semester 2
	109-019 The Literature of Destruction: Jewish Responses to Catastrophe	2

Not offered in 1999
	109-020 Jerusalem in Jewish Literature	Not Offered
	131-133 The Rabbinic Imagination	Not Offered
	131-134 Philosophies of Jewish History	Not Offered

6. Studying overseas

Suitably qualified students may include subjects completed at an accredited overseas university as part of the second/third year component of their Jewish Studies major. Formal arrangements exist with the Rothberg School for Overseas Students of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the Tel Aviv University School for Overseas Students and the Oxford One Year Program in Jewish Studies. In certain cases, financial assistance for overseas study may be arranged in consultation with the program convener. Interested students should consult the Faculty Office regarding credit and the International Centre for application forms and information on the programs.

Students proceeding to overseas study must have the permission of the convener of Jewish Studies and the Faculty of Arts before commencing their overseas study. See Studying overseas for credit.

7. Career opportunities

Graduates who have majored in Jewish Studies have found employment as teachers, academics, translators, interpreters, writers, journalists, editors and in various areas of the public service and professions serving the local Jewish community.

8. For more information

Dr Mark Baker
Department of History
Third floor, John Medley Building
The University of Melbourne
Parkville Victoria 3052
Tel: +61 3 9344 5963
Web: http://www.history.unimelb.edu.au

Dr Ziva Shavitsky
School of Languages
Fifth floor, John Medley Building
The University of Melbourne
Parkville Victoria 3052
Tel: +61 3 9344 7562/5518
Web: http://www.languages.unimelb.edu.au

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