Bachelor of Arts in Jewish Studies

"The Jewish Studies Program at Stetson University provides you with the opportunity to study the global Jewish diaspora through course offerings on Jewish history, culture and language, religion and philosophy, and politics and law. Conceived as a five-course minor, the program is flexible, fostering familiarity with interdisciplinary approaches, cross-cultural interactions and global learning, including the potential of study abroad at Hebrew University, Jerusalem. It is also unique among most minors at Stetson in requiring a modest research project that addresses one or more of the program learning outcomes.One of the oldest fields of interdisciplinary ""area studies"" (dating back to the mid-19th century), Jewish studies was born out of a conversation between many areas of knowledge in the humanities and social sciences, and therefore encourages engagement with big ideas beyond disciplinary silos.Though Jews make up a diminutive percentage of the world's population, understanding the history, religion, and culture of Jewish communities leads to greater knowledge of some of the world's most decisive events, the creation of monotheism, the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the French Revolution, nationalism and imperialism, the Holocaust and the foundation of the State of Israel, to name only a few.Through Jewish studies, you will better understand regions of the world that are of vital importance for our global future, including the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe. Also, you will understand the religion and the (political) culture of your fellow American citizens, the complexities of Middle Eastern politics and the history of American interventions."