Bachelor of Arts in Jewish Studies

Judaism is the smallest of the world religions by some margin. Nonetheless, it looks back on a long and eventful history that makes it inaccurate to speak of ‘Judaism’ as a single entity. It bears acknowledging its countless facets – the Jewish religion, its culture and art; the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud; the countless philosophical systems underlying Judaism, such as Kabbalah; the history of a despised minority in Christian mediaeval Europe that has led to the present cultural diversity of Jewish life across all continents.

The degree programme in Jewish Studies benefits from intensive intra- and interdisciplinary collaboration with other adjacent subjects, such as the Professorship of Modern German Literature, the Department of English Literary Studies, the Professorship of English and American Cultural Studies, and the Department of Old Testament Studies.

The Bachelor of Arts in Jewish Studies is available in the following variations:

• Primary major subject with a bachelor’s thesis
• Secondary major subject
• Minor subject for 45 ECTS points
• Minor subject for 30 ECTS points

For more details, see Structure and Curriculum; for information about combining various major and minor subjects, see the page on multi-subject bachelor’s degree courses.

Long tradition of German-Jewish history in Franconia

Studying Jewish culture in Bamberg allows you to learn in and from a landscape that has been profoundly shaped by its Jewish inhabitants for centuries. The city of Bamberg can look back on almost a thousand years of German-Jewish history. In the surrounding villages and towns of Franconia, too, you can find evidence of Jewish life everywhere, which was largely destroyed between 1933 and 1945. Dealing with the Jewish past thus helps to gain insight into the responsibility that arises from German history. At the same time, a thorough examination of the Jewish tradition in the context of this cultural area provides a variety of ideas for one's own localization.

The "Jewish-Franconian Local History" project is dedicated to documenting Jewish life in Upper Franconia.

Wide range of possible combinations

The many possible combinations of major and minor subjects at the University of Bamberg offer the possibility of an interdisciplinary, intercultural and comprehensive course of study. For a comprehensive religious studies education, a combination with the subjects Islamic Orient or Theological Studies is recommended, which can be chosen as a major or minor subject for the Bachelor's degree course in Jewish Studies.

Minor subjects such as Applied Computer Science, Sociology or Political Science can also be chosen, which can be viewed on the information pages on Bachelor's degree courses at the University of Bamberg.

Projects

Academic excursions and projects provide practical additions. These include, for example, Jewish cemetery research and the Jewish Studies meets Virtual Reality project "Jewish Local History".

Jewish cemetery research

Since its inception, the Chair of Jewish Studies has been committed to the preservation, cataloging, documentation and scientific analysis of the numerous Jewish cemeteries in Franconia and throughout Germany. Two cemetery projects are currently underway at Bamberg Jewish Studies: Steinere Zeugen digital, funded by the Academies' Program of the Union of German Academies of Sciences and Humanities, and Jüdische Friedhöfe in Franken (Jewish Cemeteries in Franconia) to document smaller cemeteries in the region in collaboration with students and local initiatives or stakeholders.

Jewish Studies meets virtual reality

The VR project, which was developed with the participation of Jewish Studies Bamberg, enables museum visitors to the Jewish Museum Franconia in Fürth to virtually explore the main synagogue, which was destroyed in 1938. This brings Jewish history to life.

Jewish-Franconian local history

The Jewish-Franconian local history project is dedicated to documenting Jewish life in Upper Franconia and offers a practical insight into the Jewish history of Bamberg and the surrounding villages. Would you also like to follow in the footsteps of Franconia's unique cultural landscape?

Excursions

As part of the Jewish Studies degree program, students are offered the opportunity to take part in excursions, such as the Berlin excursion, the annual summer university in Hohenems and the most recent Israel excursion in 2019.

Ideal study conditions

The ideal study conditions and individual support for students are one of our team's main concerns. There is a pleasant atmosphere in our courses, learning in small seminar groups promotes knowledge and leaves room for questions and discussions. In addition, students have the opportunity to learn from well-trained lecturers, such as Rabbi Dr. Antje Yael Deusel.

Studying in a world heritage site

The World Heritage city of Bamberg impresses with its diverse cultural, sporting, and gastronomic offerings. Thanks to its location in the Regnitz Valley and the many parks, Bamberg is a great place to live and study. The distances in Bamberg are short and the network of cycle paths is well laid out so that you can easily get around the city by bike.

With its broad and interdisciplinary focus, Jewish Studies Bamberg enables its graduates to work in a wide range of fields. Thanks to the regular vocational training forums and the personal reports of our alumni, we are aware of the positive experiences they have had when working in publishing houses, political and cultural organizations, museums, interfaith associations and adult education. However, a certain degree of flexibility, particularly with regard to the location and the specific profile of the job, has always proved to be an essential prerequisite for professional success.

A special feature of Jewish Studies in Bamberg is the regular integration of practical and academic activities into the study program. Bamberg's location in an outstanding Jewish settlement area with numerous striking traces in the form of synagogues, mikvaot and cemeteries is used intensively for the course. Students can take part in documentation and archive projects, research activities or the development of exhibitions and further education programs. The supervised implementation and presentation of their own projects, including in the field of Jewish literary and cultural history, is firmly integrated into the study program.

The lecturers involved in the degree course are well networked due to their diverse academic and didactic transfer services and provide support at an early stage in choosing a specialization or finding suitable internships and stays abroad. As a result, graduates with a Judaic studies qualification - if they make targeted use of numerous social opportunities and show good personal commitment - have numerous career opportunities, for example

• in the media and publishing houses
• in associations
• in museums
• as speakers in the churches
• in business, social work and adult education
• in public cultural work
• in tourism.

Master's program

The Bachelor's degree course in Jewish Studies naturally also provides its graduates with a solid foundation for further Master's degree courses. At the University of Bamberg, this applies in particular to the Master's degree course in Understanding Religions / Religious Literacy.

The Bachelor's degree course in Jewish Studies is not subject to admission restrictions. The course can be started in both the winter and summer semesters. The formal admission requirement is a general higher education entrance qualification.

Knowledge of Hebrew is enthusiastically welcomed but is not a prerequisite for starting the course.

You should also have

• An interest in historical contexts
• A willingness to study source texts, perhaps even to learn to read them in the original language 
• Enthusiasm for interdisciplinary topics and issues
• Enjoy project work and site-specific cultural research

Enrolment takes place via the University of Bamberg's Student Administration Office. Further information can be found on the pages Application and Admission or Enrollment.

Application and Admission