Jewish Studies

• Minor

Stetson University's Jewish Studies minor provides an interdisciplinary exploration of Jewish history, culture, language, religion, philosophy, politics, and law through a flexible five-course structure. The program offers study abroad at Hebrew University in Jerusalem through Stetson's WORLD office, and Jewish students aged 18-32 are eligible for an all-expenses-paid Birthright trip to Israel.

Why Program at Stetson University?

Jewish Studies is one of the oldest fields of interdisciplinary study, dating to the mid-19th century. Exploring the history, religion, and culture of Jewish communities illuminates pivotal world events from the advent of monotheism to the Holocaust and the establishment of the State of Israel, providing deep context for understanding the Middle East, North Africa, Eastern Europe, and American society.

The research project requirement sets this minor apart from most. You develop a working knowledge of key events, themes, and turning points in Jewish history, culture, religion, and geography, along with an awareness of the interdisciplinary approaches Jewish Studies draws from multiple scholarly disciplines.

At Stetson, Jewish Studies minors can engage in vibrant extra and co-curricular Jewish life through Hillel. For more details, follow the Hillel Facebook page. Additionally, Stetson partners with Hebrew University for semester or year-long study abroad opportunities; for more information, reach out to Stetson's WORLD office. Jewish young adults aged 18-32 are eligible for an all-expenses-paid trip to Israel through Birthright.

Related Programs:

• Religious Studies
• Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies
• World Languages and Cultures

“Stetson challenged me to step into spaces I didn’t initially see for myself.”

— Isabella Degenhardt '26

Career Outcomes

As an interdisciplinary minor, which provides students with a rich background in global and transnational history, religion, culture and politics. Whether you are a finance, religious studies, art, history or biology major, showing that you have the breadth of knowledge of global politics, culture and society is helpful in enriching your resumé and increasing your chances of admission to law, business or medical school.

Meet the Faculty

The Jewish Studies faculty includes a diverse variety of professors who teach different subjects, including history, religious studies, political science, music and creative arts and more.

• Alwin Franke, PhD Germanic Languages and Comparative Literature, Columbia University
• Carmen Palmer, PhD, University of St. Michael's College
• Michael Eskenazi, PhD, Experimental Psychology, Kent State University
• Mayhill Fowler, PhD, history, Princeton University
• Sam Houston, PhD, Florida State University
• Eric Kurlander, PhD, modern European history, Harvard University
• Susan Peppers Bates, PhD, philosophy, University of Pennsylvania
• Margaret Venzke, PhD, Columbia University
• Daniil Zavlunov, PhD, musicology, Princeton University

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EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

At Stetson, learning goes beyond the classroom. You'll have opportunities to build real-world experience through internships, research, community engagement and other experiential learning opportunities.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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