New Joint Graduate Program in Judaic Studies to Expand UC's Strategic Partnerships

Judaism and its rich cultural traditions spanning more than 3,000 years will be explored through a groundbreaking new program in the University of Cincinnati’s

Department of Judaic Studies

. This certificate will usher in an era of strategic collaboration with Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR), thereby expanding UC and HUC resources and providing students with a unique introduction to graduate learning and research in the vast field of Jewish Studies.

"The joint graduate program will cast an ideal mold by creatively interfacing the missions and visions of a public and a private institution," says Gila Safran Naveh, head of the Judaic Studies Department. "This initiative will combine for the first time the unique library and archives of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion with the robust number of students, an array of course offerings by both UC and HUC faculty, and state-of-the-art technological resources at UC.”

The course of study is designed for graduate students and members of the local community.  Faculty from UC’s Department of Judaic Studies and HUC-JIR will offer courses in a wide variety of areas, including Jewish history, leadership studies, Israel studies, archeology, religious studies, Holocaust studies, etc. The joint UC-HUC Graduate Certificate will provide students with further study opportunities in Modern Hebrew language, teacher training and research experience, which will improve students’ marketability and supply the Cincinnati community with a rich resource of young leadership.

“The HUC faculty and administration are enthusiastic about this new level of partnership between UC and HUC and are hopeful that the joint graduate program will increase the number of Judaic Studies students at both institutions,” says Jonathan Cohen, dean of HUC, Cincinnati.

The program consists of five advanced courses (15 semester credit hours) and will be open to all qualified individuals beginning spring semester. There are two required courses (an introductory course and a teaching or research practicum) and three electives from one of four content areas. A diverse range of topics are covered, including Bible history, the Holocaust, textual analysis, film, archaeology, women’s studies and more.

“I'm confident that this program will enhance our recruitment. At the same time, it will allow both UC and HUC graduate students to engage in the Cincinnati Jewish and non-Jewish community,” Naveh says. “At another level yet it will align Judaic Studies with the UC 2019 Academic Master Plan envisioned by President Santa Ono and interface with the local Jewish community’s

Cincinnati 2020

strategic plan, which envisions Cincinnati as a destination for Jewish life and learning."

For further details about the program, admission requirements and how to apply, contact professor Naveh at 513-556-2300 or gila.naveh@uc.edu, or go to

www.artsci.uc.edu/collegedepts/judaic/

.