The Certificate in Israel Studies allows students to demonstrate a concerted course specialization on the cross-disciplinary topic of Israel Studies.
Students take one required introductory course; one survey course; one course in arts and literature; one in society, politics, and culture; as well as one elective.
The total number of required credit hours for the Certificate in Israel Studies is 15, or, under most conditions, 5 courses.
The certificate has no language requirement; we have some scholarships available for (overseas) study of historically Jewish languages, including Modern Hebrew, as well as a few European and Middle Eastern languages. Students who complete the following courses (below) and take language courses, or additional topical courses in Jewish Studies, may also meet the requirements for the minor or major degree.
If you are taking courses for a certificate as well as a minor in Jewish Studies together with a professional or other major, for example, you may qualify for a double-major; please consider these options as early as possible, as changes to your Jewish Studies degree program may take one semester and up to an academic year to complete in the registrar system. See the Bud Shorstein Center for Jewish Studies website and/or the JST undergraduate coordinator for more information. Each student will work with the JST undergraduate coordinator regarding his/her course audit to ensure that the courses are applied to the Certificate in the categories listed below.
Students must be, at minimum, in their second transcript year (2UF) to apply. Students from any college or major can apply. Students must have a 2.5 GPA at UF at the time of application to the Certificate in Israel Studies.
COURSE DISTRIBUTION
Required (3 credits):
- JST 3930 / LLC 3930 Introduction to Israel Studies
Jewish Studies Survey Course (choose one course, 3 credits)
- JST 3930 Introduction to Jewish Studies
- REL 3213 / JST 3930 Hebrew Bible as Literature
- EUH 3033 / JST 3930 History of the Holocaust
- CPO 4727 / JST 4931 Judaism and Politics
- EUH 3247 / JST 3930 Holocaust in the Courtroom
Arts and Literature (choose one course, 3 credits)
- JST 3930 The Israeli-Arab Conflict on Screen and Stage
- JST 3930 Passing in Hebrew Literature
- REL 3234 Wisdom in the Hebrew Bible
- REL 3291 Gender in the Hebrew Bible
Society, Politics, and Culture (choose one course, 3 credits)
- JST 3930 Holocaust Memory in Israel
- JST 3930 Representation of Race in Israel
- CPO 3410 / JST 3930 Israeli Politics and Society
- CPO 4401 / JST 4931 Arab-Israeli Conflict
Electives (choose one course, 3 credits)
- REL 4209 Dead Sea Scrolls and Early Jewish Literature
- REL 4221 The Pentateuch
- JST 4936 Critical Theory and the Jew
- JST 4936 Russian Jews
- CPO 3301 / JST 3930 Culture and Politics: Jews and Muslims
- JST 3930 Religion, Law, and Politics: Israel in Comparative Perspective
Students may petition to have a new or occasionally occurring course not listed here replace up to two (2) of the required courses, by categories, above.
Available Courses, Fall 2024:
- JST 3930/ENG 4135 — Introduction to Israel Studies (Roy Holler)
Class # 29478, 28563 - JST 3930/REL 2210 — Hebrew Scripture (Robert Kawashima)
Class # 28314/28252 - JST 3930/HBR 4930/MEM 3931/REL 3938– Jews in the Muslim World (Yehoshua Ecker)
Class # 28452, 20717, 29620, 29600 - JST 3930/HBR 4930/MEM 3931/REL 3938 – Ottoman Palestine (1516-1917) (Yehoshua Ecker)
Class # 28453, 29619, 29621, 29601 - JST 3930 – The Hebrew Bible (Howard Lidsky)
Class # 28592 - JST 3930/INR 4931 – Israel and the World (Or Honig)
Class # 29480, 29429 - JST 3930/CPO 3403 – International Relations in the Middle East (Or Honig)
Class # 29481, 29561 - HBR 4905 – Individual Work: Israel in Hebrew (Iris Cohen)
Class # Departmentally Controlled - JST 4905 – What is Israel? (Yehoshua Ecker)
Class # 24626 - JST 3930/CPO 4000 – Israeli Religion and Politics (Patricia Sohn)
Class # 28646, 28205