Jewish Studies
Explore Jewish cultures across centuries and continents.
An Interdisciplinary and Open-Ended Major
Jewish History and Travel
From Jerusalem or Tel Aviv to Paris or Berlin, Oberlin students have the opportunity to spend a semester or academic year at partner universities abroad. The Office of Study Away works closely with interested students to select the right program for their global educational goals.
Oberlin’s Jewish Community
Oberlin’s students have access to a number of extracurricular opportunities for exploring Jewish identities. Those who elect to live in the Hebrew Heritage House, which is overseen by Jewish studies faculty, share a space where they can create community, whether around a film, a Havdalah ritual, or a bagel brunch.
Featured Courses
Jewish Communities of the Ottoman Empire 1453–1914
This course focuses on Jewish communities of the Near East and North Africa from the conquest of Constantinople to World War I. It examines the experiences of Jews as one of many minorities, with special attention to the permeability of social boundaries within a multiethnic, multireligious, and multicultural empire. Emphasis will be placed on the history of Jewish-Muslim relations, specifically in contrast to the experiences of Jewish communities within Christendom.
- Taught by
- Laura Herron
Pilgrimage, Travel and Judaism
The desire to seek spiritual fulfillment in a far-away place is a hallmark of many religious traditions, including Judaism. In this course we will trace the ancient and medieval roots of pilgrimage and various Jewish pilgrimage practices that have emerged in the modern period, in Israel as well as in Europe, North Africa, and the United States. Together, we will ask, what has motivated Jewish travelers? Have they found what they were looking for? How have their travels shaped—and been shaped by—the histories of their places of origin and of destination?
- Taught by
- Shari Rabin
Israel/Palestine in Literature and Film
This course introduces students to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as represented in literature and film. We’ll proceed chronologically, beginning with the rise of Jewish and Palestinian nationalisms through the present day, focusing on the Arab-Israeli War of 1948, the Six-Day War or Naksa, and the first and second intifadas. In doing so, we’ll complicate the notion of dual narratives by considering the experiences of people of marginalized and hybrid identities.
- Taught by
- Sheera Talpaz
Antisemitism and White Supremacy
From “White Lives Matter” to “Jews will not replace us,” America has recently witnessed a resurgence of white supremacist and antisemitic political activity under the rubric of “white nationalism.” This course offers a U.S.-focused, comparative exploration of anti-Jewish and white supremacist ideology and politics. It examines their shared roots in European Christian societies; the different ways they were transposed to North America through conquest, colonization, and slavery; and their subsequent evolutions, intersections, and organized manifestations.
- Taught by
- Matthew Berkman
Student Profiles
Exploring a Passage from Exodus
A Jewish studies, history, and classics triple major, Elliot Diaz '23 is researching the conflicting interpretations of an important biblical passage, relevant to contemporary debates on abortion.
Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Fellow
At Oberlin, Jesse Gamoran ’16 majored in history, German studies, and Jewish studies. After graduation he was selected to participate in the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals (CBYX) fellowship program.
A Fulbright Fellowship to Taiwan
A psychology major with a minor in Jewish studies, Talia Greenberg ’15 performed with CHALLaH cappella, a Jewish music a cappella group she and Lyz Glickman ’13 founded in 2012. After graduation, Talia was awarded a 10-month Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) in Taiwan.
What does Jewish Studies at Oberlin look like?
Former chair Shari Rabin and former chair and committee member Cynthia Chapman celebrate at the opening of the student-curated 50th anniversary exhibit.
Student researcher Sasha Goldman gives a tour of the exhibit on the history of Oberlin's Jewish studies program to Eleanor Bolker.
A special performance by Oberlin's klezmer band, Shtik-and-Poke, during the 50th anniversary celebration.
Students and faculty applaud Shtik-and-Poke.
Professor Sheera Talpaz leads an outdoor discussion as part of her seminar on Poetry and Political Activism.
Major Elliot Diaz moderates a discussion with alumni Kendell Pinckney '09 (on Zoom), Amalia Haas '91, and David Eaton '71.
