Courses

Each semester, the Yale Program in Jewish Studies offers exciting undergraduate courses in Jewish history, literature, culture, religion, and philosophy.

Passover Seder Scene

Illumination from a Passover Haggadah (Ms. Hebrew +35, 1725 or 1726), part of the Alexander Kohut Memorial Collection at the Beinecke.

Some recent titles include “Jews and the World: From the Bible through Early Modern Times,” “Reading Between the Panels: Visual Narratives and the Culture of Hebrew Graphic Novels,” “Jerusalem: Judaism, Christianity, Islam,” “Jews, Conversos, and Monarchs,” “The Jews in Nazi Europe,” “Translating Judaism,” “The Classics of Modern Hebrew Literature,” “Modern Jewish Politics,” “American Jewish Citizenship Politics, from Revolution to Civil Rights,” “The Mitnagdic Tradition,” “Israeli Popular Music,” “Yiddish Humor: A Genealogy,” “Introduction to Jewish Literatures,” “Making European Culture Jewish,” “Medieval Jews, Christian, and Muslims in Conversations,” “Modernism and Avant-Garde in Hebrew Poetry,” “Work, Rest and Leisure: A History of the Jewish Sabbath,” “The New York Intellectuals: Politics, Art, Argument,” “Contemporary Israeli Society in Film,” “Jewish Literary Masterpieces,” “The Politics of Jewish Literary Masterpieces,” “Modern Jewish Poets,” “Representing the Holocaust in Literature and Film,” and “Jewish Philosophy.”

“Courses in Jewish Studies were a consistent highlight of my undergraduate education. The world-class courses in Jewish philosophy, Hebrew poetry, and ancient history and literature that I took in Jewish Studies expanded my view of the Jewish tradition and made me a better humanist and a better scholar. I still feel their influence in my work and my life today.”

Jacob Abolafia

Jacob Abolafia, Class of 2010, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and author of The Prison before the Panopticon: Incarceration in Ancient and Modern Political Philosophy (2024)

“My time taking Jewish Studies courses in Rabbinics was one of the highlights of my college career. In fact, I went on to get a Master’s degree in Talmud and Halacha at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. I am infinitely grateful to the professors who nurtured my passion for Talmud and the brilliant classmates I got to engage with.”

Sahar Segal

Sahar Segal, Yale College Class of 2013, Attorney, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP

Check out Fall 2026 Courses

  • “Introduction to Rabbinic Literature”

     

    Instructor: Ra’anan Boustan

    Course Code: TBA

    Th 1:30-3:20pm

  • “Antisemitism and its Opponents in the Muslim World”

     

    Instructor: Arash Azizi

    Course Code: JDST 2512, HIST 2635, HUMS 2035, NELC 1170

    W 1:30-3:25pm

  • “History and Holocaust Testimony”

     

    Instructor: Carolyn Dean

    Course Code: HIST 3269

    T 1:30-3:20pm

  • “Modernism and Avant-Garde in Hebrew Poetry: Poetics and Theory”

     

    Instructor: Hannan Hever

    Course Code: JDST 7857, CPLT 9024

    Th 4-5:55pm

  • “Jerusalem: Judaism, Christianity, Islam”

     

    Instructor: Sarit Kattan Gribetz

    Course Code: JDST 0035; RLST 0035, HIST 0623, HUMS 0360

    MW 2:35-3:50pm

  • “Hebrew Bible Interpretation”

     

    Instructor: Molly Zahn

    Course Code: REL 503 

    MW 10:30-11:20 (+ discussion sections)

  • “Jews and the World: From the Bible through Early Modern Times”

     

    Instructor: Ivan Marcus

    Course Code: JDST 2000/7261, ER&M 2519, HIST 1219/6229, MDVL 7229, MMES 1149, RLST 1480/7730

    TTh 11:35am-12:50pm

  • “Zionism and Anti-Zionism and its Opponents”

     

    Instructor: Elli Stern

    Course Code: RLST 1930

  • “Theory and Politics in the Hasidic Tale”

     

    Instructor: Hannan Hever

    Course Code: CPLT 6085, JDST 7841, RLST 7550

    T 4-5:55pm

  • “Medieval Jews, Christians, and Muslims in Conversation”

     

    Instructor: Ivan Marcus

    Course Code: JDST 3270, HIST 3232, HUMS 4430, MMES 3342, RLST 2010

    T 1:30-3:25pm

  • “Readings in Second Temple Texts: Daniel”

     

    Instructor: Molly Zahn

    Course Code: REL 552 

    T 1:30-3:20

  • “The Bible as a Literature”

     

    Instructor: Leslie Brisman

    Course Code: JDST 3881

    TTh 2:35-3:50pm

  • “History and Methods of Old Testament Interpretation I”

     

    Instructors: Jacqueline Vayntrub and Joel Baden

    Course Code: TBA

  • “Spinoza and the God of the Bible”

     

    Instructor: Nancy Levene

    Course Code: RLST 4500, PHIL 4403

    T 1:30-3:25pm

  • “Elementary Yiddish I”

     

    Instructor: Joshua Price

    Course Code: YDSH 1100

    MTWTh 10:30-11:20

  • “Intermediate Yiddish I”

     

    Instructor: Joshua Price

    Course Code: YDSH 1300

    MTWTh 9:25-10:15

  • “Elementary Modern Hebrew I”

     

    Instructor: Dina Roginsky

    Course Code: HEBR 1100/5000

    MTWThF 10:30-11:20am     

  • “Elementary Biblical Hebrew I”

     

    Instructor: Dina Roginsky

    Course Code: HEBR 1170/5110, RLST 1030, JDST 4040/6890

    TTh 2:35-3:50pm

  • “Intermediate Modern Hebrew I”

     

    Instructor: Orit Yeret

    Course Code: HEBR 1300/5020

    MTWThF 9:25-10:15am

  • “Intermediate Modern Hebrew I”

     

    Instructor: Orit Yeret

    Course Code: HEBR 1300/5020

    MTWThF 10:30-11:20am

  • “Advanced Modern Hebrew: Daily Life in Israel”

     

    Instructor: Orit Yeret

    Course Code: HEBR 1500/5040

    TTh 1:05-2:20pm

  • “Israeli Society in Film”

     

    Instructor: Shiri Goren

    Course Code: HEBR 1580/5050, JDST 2505, MMES 1168

    MW 2:35-3:50pm

  • “Elementary Biblical Hebrew”

     

    Instructor: Eric Reymond 

    Course Code: REL 3603

    MWF 8:20-9:30am

  • “Intermediate Biblical Hebrew and Exegesis”

     

    Instructor: Eric Reymond 

    Course Code: REL 574, HEBR 1370/5130) 

    Tu/Th 9-10:15am

  • “Post-Biblical Hebrew”

     

    Instructor: Eric Reymond 

    Course Code: REL 572

    M 1:30-3:25pm

Check out Spring 2026 Courses

  • "The Crucible of Jewish Statehood: The Maccabean Revolt and Hasmonean Dynasty"

     

    Instructor: Rotem Avneri Meir

    Course Code: JDST 3007

    MW 11:35am-12:50pm

  • "Jerusalem: Judaism, Christianity, Islam"

     

    Instructor: Sarit Kattan Gribetz

    Course Code: JDST 0035 (HIST 0623; HUMS 0360; RLST 0035)

    MW 2:30-3:45pm

  • "Israeli Narratives"

     

    Instructor: Shiri Goren

    Course Code: JDST 3060 (MMES 1157 / NELC 1570/4930)

    W 9:25-11:15am

  • "Hebrew Poetry in Muslim Spain"

     

    Instructor: Peter Cole

    Course Code: JDST 3812 (MMES 3312 / NELC 3230)

    W 3:30-5:20pm

  • "Piety, Profanity, Prophecy: Modern Jewish Short Stories"

     

    Instructor: Joshua Price

    Course Code: JDST 4240

    Th 1:30-3:20pm

  • "Antisemitic Visual Culture since the Middle Ages"

     

    Instructor: Claire Aubin

    Course Code: JDST 3237 (HUMS 3937 / HIST 2248)

    TTh 4-5:15pm

  • "Walter Benjamin’s Critical Theory"

     

    Instructor: Paul North

    Course Code: JDST 7680 (CPLT 6180; GMAN 7090)

    M 3:30-6:30pm

  • "War and Memory from WWII to the Algerian War: Archive, Fiction, Theory"

     

    Instructor: Alice Kaplan

    Course Code: JDST 2511/6511 (FREN 3525/9300; CPLT 3525; HUMS 3525)

    Th 1:30-3:20pm

  • "Jews in Muslim Lands from the Seventh through the Sixteenth Century"

     

    Instructor: Ivan Marcus

    Course Code: JDST 3265/7264 (HIST 1645/7601; RLST 2020; AMST 7780; WGSS 7734)

    TTH 11:35am-12:50am

  • "Advanced Literary Translation"

     

    Instructor: Peter Cole

    Course Code: JDST 3843 (CPLT 3005; ENGL 3415; HUMS 1997)

    F 9:25-11:15am

  • "Antisemitism and its Opponents in the Muslim World"

     

    Instructor: Arash Azizi

    Course Code: JDST 2512 (HIST 2635; HUMS 2035; NELC 1170)

    T 1:30-3:20pm

  • "Concepts of Divine Law in Historical Perspective"

     

    Instructor: Christine Hayes

    Course Code: LAW 21293

    T 12:10-2pm

  • "The Betrayal of the Intellectuals"

     

    Instructor: Hannan Hever

    Course Code: JDST 8762 (CPLT 6044)

    Th 3:30-5:20pm

  • "Jewish Art and Visual Culture in Late Antiquity"

     

    Instructor: Ra’anan Boustan

    Course Code: JDST 7013 (RLST 7800)

    M 3:30-5:20pm

  • "Hebrew Exegesis: Exodus"

     

    Instructor: Joel Baden

    Course Code: REL 556

    W 9:30-11:20am

  • "Russia at War, 1914–1945: History and Memory"

     

    Instructor: David Varshavsky

    Course Code: JDST 7401

    T 9:25-11:15am

  • "Habsburg Myth: Imperial Imagination in Jewish Literature"

     

    Instructor: Hannan Hever

    Course Code: CPLT 6800/GMAN 6420

    T 3:30-5:20pm

  • "The Literature of Jews in America"

     

    Instructor: Joshua Cohen

    Course Code: JDST 3809

    Th 1:30-3:20pm

  • "Elementary Yiddish I"

     

    Instructor: Joshua Price

    Course Code: YDSH 1100

    MTWThF 10:30-11:20am

  • "Elementary Yiddish II"

     

    Instructor: Joshua Price

    Course Code: YDSH 1200

    MTWThF 9:25-10:15am

  • "Languages in Dialogue: Hebrew and Arabic"

     

    Instructor: Dina Roginsky

    Course Code: JDST 8274 (HEBR 1690/5780; LING 1650; MMES 1162)

    TTH 11:35am-12:50pm

  • "Intermediate Modern Hebrew II"

     

    Instructor: Orit Yeret

    Course Code: HEBR 1400/5030

    MTWThF 9:25-10:15am or 10:30-11:20am

  • "From Biblical to Modern Hebrew for Reading Knowledge"

     

    Instructor: Dina Roginsky

    Course Code: JDST 8295 (HEBR 1640/5630; MMES 1167

    TH 11:35-12:50pm

  • "Elementary Biblical Hebrew II"

     

    Instructor: Eric Reymond

    Course Code: HEBR 1270/5120

    MWF 8:20-9:10am

  • "Advanced Biblical Hebrew"

     

    Instructor: Jacqueline Vayntrub

    Course Code: REL 576

    W 1:30-3:20pm

Fall 2025 courses

  • "Jews and the World: From the Bible through Early Modern Times"

     

    Instructor: Ivan Marcus

    Course Code: JDST 2000

  • “The Global Right: From the French Revolution to the American Insurrection”

     

    Instructor: Eliyahu Stern 

    Course Code: JDST 3451

  • “Reading Between the Panels: Visual Narratives and the Culture of Hebrew Graphic Novels”

     

    Instructor: Shiri Goren

    Course Code: JDST 4205

  • Medieval Philosophy

     

    Instructors: Paul Franks, Michael Lessman

    Course Code: PHIL 2220

  • "The Frankfurt School"

     

    Instructor: Jacob McNulty

    Course Code: GMAN 3030

  • "Introduction to Jewish Literatures"

     

    Instructor: Hannan Hever

    Course Code: JDST 3856

  • "Kafka"

     

    Instructor: Paul North

    Course Code: GMAN 3333

  • "Making European Culture Jewish: Five Media, 1780–1930"

     

    Instructor: David Sorkin

    Course Code: JDST 3446

  • "Medieval Jews, Christians, and Muslims In Conversation"

     

    Instructor: Ivan Marcus

    Course Code: JDST 3270

  • "Elementary Yiddish I"

     

    Instructor: Joshua Price

    Course Code: YDSH 1100

  • "Elementary Modern Hebrew I"

     

    Instructor: Dina Roginsky

    Course Code: HEBR 1100

  • "Elementary Biblical Hebrew I"

     

    Instructor: Dina Roginsky

    Course Code: HEBR 1170

  • "Conversational Hebrew: Israeli Media"

     

    Instructor: Shiri Goren

    Course Code: HEBR 1510

  • "Introduction to Theory of Literature"

     

    Instructor: Hannan Hever

    Course Code: CPLT 3000

  • "Intermediate Modern Hebrew I"

     

    Instructor: Orit Yeret

    Course Code: HEBR 1300

Yale Course Search

Listing of Yale courses by semester.

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