Jewish Studies (JWST)Arts and Sciences

Showing 23 results.

Course descriptions provided by the 2026-2027 Catalog.

Last Updated

  • Schedule of Classes - October 15, 2026 7:07PM EDT

JWST 1102
Elementary Modern Hebrew II

Intended for beginners. Provides a thorough grounding in reading, writing, grammar, oral comprehension, and speaking. Students who complete the course are able to function in basic situations ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: HEBRW 1102

  • 4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 15194 JWST 1102   SEM 101

  •  
    • MTWR
    • Jan 25 - May 11, 2027

    • Shoer, S

  • Instruction Mode: In Person

    For scheduling conflicts, contact the instructor.

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: HEBRW 1102

  • 4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 15195 JWST 1102   SEM 102

  •  
    • MTWR
    • Jan 25 - May 11, 2027

    • Shoer, S

  • Instruction Mode: In Person

    For scheduling conflicts, contact the instructor.

JWST 2100
Intermediate Modern Hebrew

The course is aimed at training students in exact and idiomatic Hebrew, expanding vocabulary and usage of grammatical knowledge, and acquiring facility of expression in both conversation and writing. Uses ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: HEBRW 2100

  • 4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 15202 JWST 2100   SEM 101

  •  
    • MTWR
    • Jan 25 - May 11, 2027

    • Shoer, S

  • Instruction Mode: In Person

    For scheduling conflicts, contact the instructor.

JWST 2345
Jerusalem: The Holy City

In this class, students are introduced to the broad scope of the city of Jerusalem’s political and religious history from its origins until today. Some topics the class covers include: the Jebusite origins ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  • 15385 JWST 2345   LEC 001

  •  
    • MW
    • Jan 25 - May 11, 2027

    • Mokhtarian, J

  • Instruction Mode: In Person

JWST 2522
Drinking through the Ages: Intoxicating Beverages in Near Eastern and World History

This course examines the production and exchange of wine, beer, coffee and tea, and the social and ideological dynamics involved in their consumption. We start in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, and end ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: ARKEO 2522, CLASS 2630, NES 2522

  • 3 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 15342 JWST 2522   LEC 001

  •  
    • TR
    • Jan 25 - May 11, 2027

    • Monroe, C

  • Instruction Mode: In Person

JWST 2533
Spain to Seixas:Jews, Judaisms, and Early Modern Europe

Immerse yourself in the essential Jewish movers and moments of Early Modern Europe. Catch the usual headlines (Expulsion! Atheism! Finance!) and headliners like Spinoza, Tzvi, or Baal Shem Tov. Stay tuned ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: MEDVL 2533, RELST 2533

  • 3 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 15377 JWST 2533   LEC 001

  •  
    • TR
    • Jan 25 - May 11, 2027

    • van den Arend, A

  • Instruction Mode: In Person

JWST 2754
Wondrous Literatures of the Near East

This course examines Near East's rich and diverse literary heritage. We will read a selection of influential and wondrous texts from ancient to modern times, spanning geographically from the Iberian peninsula ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  • 15279 JWST 2754   LEC 001

  •  
    • TR
    • Jan 25 - May 11, 2027

    • Starr, D

  • Instruction Mode: In Person

JWST 2790
Jewish Films and Filmmakers: Hollywood and Beyond

What does it mean to call a film is Jewish? Does it have to represent Jewish life? Does it have to feature characters identifiable as Jews? If artists who identify as Jews-actors, directors, screenwriters, ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: AMST 2790, PMA 2490, VISST 2790

  • 3 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 15354 JWST 2790   LEC 001

  •  
    • TR
    • Jan 25 - May 11, 2027

    • Shapiro, E

  • Instruction Mode: In Person

JWST 2854
Kabbalah: A Historical Introduction to Jewish Mythology

In modern Hebrew, the word kabbalah is a common noun which means, simply, receipt. But the proper noun Kabbalah refers to the received tradition of Jewish myth-making, which extends from early biblical ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: HIST 2854

  • 3 Credits GradeNoAud

  • 10518 JWST 2854   LEC 001

  •  
    • MW
    • Jan 25 - May 11, 2027

    • Litvak, O

  • Instruction Mode: In Person

JWST 3102
Advanced Modern Hebrew II

This is the second course in our third-year Modern Hebrew language sequence. Like its predecessor, it focuses on developing speech proficiency, reading and listening comprehension, and writing. It does ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: HEBRW 3102

  • 4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 15208 JWST 3102   SEM 101

  •  
    • MTWR
    • Jan 25 - May 11, 2027

    • Goldfeld, A

  • Instruction Mode: In Person

JWST 3104
Advanced Hebrew Through Language, Media and Literature

This course develops oral and written communication, as well as reading and listening comprehension, through engagement with Israeli media (newspapers, radio reports, and television and internet news) ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: HEBRW 3104

  • 3-4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 15350 JWST 3104   SEM 101

  •  
    • Jan 25 - May 11, 2027

    • Goldfeld, A

  • Instruction Mode: In Person

JWST 3106
Advanced Hebrew Novel and Discussion Seminar

This course is designed for students who have completed the advanced Hebrew sequence and wish to maintain and further develop their proficiency. Centered on the close reading of a contemporary Hebrew book, ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: HEBRW 3106

  • 2 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 15400 JWST 3106   SEM 101

  •  
    • Jan 25 - May 11, 2027

    • Goldfeld, A

  • Instruction Mode: In Person

JWST 3414
Arab Jews

What does it mean to be Jewish and Arab? In this course we will read and analyze representations of this contested identity in memoirs, essays, fiction, and film by and about Arab Jews. We will study the ... view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  • 15395 JWST 3414   SEM 101

  •  
    • TR
    • Jan 25 - May 11, 2027

    • Starr, D

  • Instruction Mode: In Person

JWST 3455
The Narrative Artistry of the Hebrew Bible

This seminar will engage in a serious of close readings of select narrative texts (in translation) from the Hebrew Bible with a focus on literary techniques and aesthetic values informing their composition. ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: NES 3455, RELST 3455

  • 3 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 15373 JWST 3455   SEM 101

  •  
    • TR
    • Jan 25 - May 11, 2027

    • Brann, R

  • Instruction Mode: In Person

JWST 3539
Islamic Spain: Culture and Society

This course examines the culture and society of al-Andalus (Islamic Spain) from 711, when Islam arrived in Iberia, until 1492 and the demise of Nasrid Granada. Through extensive discussion and analysis ... view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  • 15283 JWST 3539   SEM 101

  •  
    • W
    • Jan 25 - May 11, 2027

    • Brann, R

  • Instruction Mode: In Person

JWST 3588
Archaeology and the Bible

The purpose of the course is to place the Bible within the context of a larger ancient world that can be explored by systematic excavation of physical remains. Students will become familiar with archaeological ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  • 15325 JWST 3588   SEM 101

  •  
    • MW
    • Jan 25 - May 11, 2027

    • Monroe, L

  • Instruction Mode: In Person

JWST 3709
Testimony and Technology: The Holocaust in the Age of AI

The generative age of AI has arrived—and with it a profound question: what happens when machines begin to write the humanities? This seminar takes the most extreme case of modern violence, the Holocaust, ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: COML 3709, GERST 3709, HIST 3709

  • 3 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 15380 JWST 3709   SEM 101

  •  
    • MW
    • Jan 25 - May 11, 2027

    • Burzlaff, J

  • Instruction Mode: In Person

JWST 3722
Zionism and other Jewish nationalisms

Students will practice critical, close reading and examination of historical primary sources that are essential for the study of modern Jewish nationalism and statehood. In our discussions, we will identify ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: NES 3722

  • 3 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 15365 JWST 3722   SEM 101

  •  
    • MW
    • Jan 25 - May 11, 2027

    • Burns, R

  • Instruction Mode: In Person

JWST 4013
Antisemitism in the Courts and in Jurisprudence

Antisemitism, a deep-seated prejudice against Jews, is seeing a global revival. The most brutal U.S. instance was the 2018 Tree of Life Synagogue massacre, where Robert G. Bowers, an active anti-Semitic ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: LAW 4013

  • 3 Credits Opt NoAud

  • 16999 JWST 4013   LEC 001

  •  
    • MT
    • Jan 25 - May 11, 2027

    • Rosensaft, M

  • Instruction Mode: In Person

JWST 4550
Archaeology of the Phoenicians

The Phoenicians have long been an enigma, a people defined by distant voices. Originating from present-day Lebanon, they were Semitic speakers, renowned seafarers and transmitters of an innovative alphabet ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  • 15329 JWST 4550   SEM 101

  •  
    • F
    • Jan 25 - May 11, 2027

    • Monroe, C

  • Instruction Mode: In Person

JWST 4992
Independent Study - Undergraduate

For undergraduates who wish to obtain research experience or do extensive reading on a special topic. Students select a topic in consultation with the faculty member who has agreed to supervise ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Project Session Full. 

  • 1-6 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 15190 JWST 4992   IND 601

    • Jan 25 - May 11, 2027

    • Staff

  • Instruction Mode: Independent Studies

    See https://as.cornell.edu/registrar/independent-study for more information on applying for Independent Study.

    Department Consent Required (Add)

JWST 4999
Honors Research II

The second half of a two-semester sequence for Jewish Studies majors who wish to conduct research for an honors thesis. Students will create a detailed bibliography that is aimed at more specific expertise ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 3 Credits Graded

  • 15191 JWST 4999   SEM 101

    • Jan 25 - May 11, 2027

    • Brann, R

  • Instruction Mode: In Person

    Instructor Consent Required (Add)

JWST 6414
Arab Jews

What does it mean to be Jewish and Arab? In this course we will read and analyze representations of this contested identity in memoirs, essays, fiction, and film by and about Arab Jews. We will study the ... view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  • 15397 JWST 6414   SEM 101

  •  
    • TR
    • Jan 25 - May 11, 2027

    • Starr, D

  • Instruction Mode: In Person

JWST 6539
Islamic Spain: Culture and Society

This course examines the culture and society of al-Andalus (Islamic Spain) from 711, when Islam arrived in Iberia, until 1492 and the demise of Nasrid Granada. Through extensive discussion and analysis ... view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  • 15289 JWST 6539   SEM 101

  •  
    • W
    • Jan 25 - May 11, 2027

    • Brann, R

  • Instruction Mode: In Person