All Fall 2026 courses can be found by searching 'Judaic' 'Yiddish' 'Ladino' or 'Hebrew' in the LSA Course Guide.
Check out our Fall 2026 Mini-courses!
- Judaic 218.002: Russian Jews un the Tsars and Soviets (2 credits, online)
- Judaic 417.002: Advanced Yiddish Minicourse (1 credit)
Core Courses
Judaic 205 – What is Judaism? — Andrea Gondos
What has it meant to eat as a Jew, dress as a Jew, or pray as a Jew in different time periods and locales? How do the Sabbath laws inscribed in the Hebrew Bible relate to Jewish practices of rest and celebration in the modern period? This course familiarizes students with the central sacred texts and practices of Jewish traditions as they have been interpreted by different communities over the past 2000 years. We study the development of Jewish thought and practice through a series of different lens--theology, history, ethnography, and feminism among others. By exploring the diverse history of Jewish practice, students gain insight into contemporary debates in the Jewish world: questions such as who is a Jew, which practices define Judaism as a religion in the modern world, and what does a flourishing Jewish community look like. HU requirement.
Judaic 281 -- Jews of the Modern World -- Shachar Pinsker
Using literature, film, visual arts, and other cultural documents, students will examine the multiple ways in which Jews in Europe, America, Israel, and the Middle East have responded to the cultural, political, economic, and social forces of modernity. By focusing on a variety of textual and visual material from the late 18th century to the present, students will have an opportunity to explore the processes by which Jewish culture has been shaped and re-shaped in the face of unprecedented new freedoms and persecutions. The development of Jewish life from the late 18th century to the present offers a microcosm for the study of race, ethnicity, and racism in the modern world and the course will illustrate how deeply embedded racial, ethnic, and religious discourses are in any discussion of Jews.
Jewish Languages
Judaic 101/Yiddish 101/German 128 – First Year Yiddish II — Elena Luchina
Judaic 201/Yiddish 201/German 228 – Second Year Yiddish II — Elena Luchina
Judaic 280/Ladino 280 – Ladino Language and Culture — Gabriel Mordoch
Judaic 120 – Elementary Classical Hebrew — Chris Mezger
Judaic 417.002 – Advanced Yiddish Minicourse — Elena Luchina
Modern Hebrew Courses – from Beginning to Advanced – various instructors
Ladino: Language and Culture of Sefardi Jews
Judaic 280/Ladino 280/Ladino 580/RomLang250 — Gabriel Mordoch
*HU distribution, counts as additional cognate course in Spanish minor
Ladino is a Romance language written and spoken by Sephardic Jews (Jews of Spanish and Portuguese background). Originating in the Iberian Peninsula, Ladino was carried abroad after Jews were expelled from Spain and Portugal in the 1490s. Ladino is based in an archaic form of Castilian Spanish, but also contains elements of Hebrew, Aramaic, Arabic, Turkish, Greek, French, Portuguese, Bulgarian, and Italian. Written and spoken in areas such as Israel, the Balkans, North Africa, Greece, Turkey (and sparsely in the Americas), today the language is in danger of extinction, although it is experiencing some kind of revival. Take part in this revival by learning it here at Michigan!
First-Year Seminars
Judaic 125 – Jewish Women and the Body of Tradition — Cara Rock-Singer
Judaic 150 — Creation Myths — Chris Mezger
Sacred Texts and Practices
Judaic 260 – Intro to Talmud — Joel Goldstein
Judaic 362 – The Bible and Quran — Mostafa Hussein
Do you know that the Quran contains many parallels with the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament? Throughout the history of Jewish-Muslim relations, the sacred texts of both communities assumed a central role in interfaith dialogue, in moments of tension, in building political alliance, in fostering cooperation, and in highlighting differences. About one fourth of the total number of Quranic verses consists of narratives concerning prophets, sages, and historical or legendary celebrities of the Bible. With this fact in mind, this course explores how both texts are intrinsically connected by reading closely shared narratives surrounding biblical and Quranic figures such as Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Moses, Jesus, and Mary. This course puts both scriptures in conversation and builds a complicated yet complementary narrative of their intricate relations.
Culture and Social History
Judaic 218.002 – Russian Jews Under the Tsars and Soviets (2 credits) – Mikhail Krutikov
Judaic 234 – Jewish Storytelling – Julian Levinson
Judaic 271 – Contact and Conflict: Jewish Experience in Eastern Europe through Art, Film, and Literature
Judaic 318.001 – French Fascism – Bryan Roby
Judaic 318.004 – Hasidism – Andrea Gondos
Judaic 318.005 – The Nazis and Art – Shelley Perlove
Judaic 340 – Colonial N Africa – Bryan Roby
Judaic 326 – Living Among Others: Jews in Medieval & Early Modern Worlds — Yanay Israeli
Judaic 351 – Anne Frank in Context – Annemarie Toebosch
Judaic 379 – Jewish Photographers – Deborah Dash Moore
Judaic 386 – The Holocaust – Devi Mays
Judaic 387 – History of American Jews – Deborah Dash Moore
Judaic 389 – Jewish Culture in America: 1945 to the Present – Julian Levinson
Judaic 417.001 – American Berserk: The Fiction of Philip Roth – Justin Mitchell
Judaic 318.001 – French Fascism – Bryan Roby
This course offers an in-depth exploration of the evolution of fascism in France from the early 20th Century until today. Students will first examine the historical context in which fascism arose, focusing on the rise of the far-right movements in the interwar period, and the impact of World War II on French society and politics. The second half delves into the far-right's evolution in the wake of the Holocaust and the decline of the French colonial empire. From there, students will learn about the present-day French far-right’s connections to American and European forms of anti-semitism, Islamophobia, anti-intellectualism, and anti-Black hatred. Key topics include the influence of far-right figures over the past century, the role of digital and print media, and the legacy of fascist thought in France. The course will explore resurgences of far-right nationalism and their connections to historical fascist movements.
Judaic 326 – Living Among Others: Jews, Power, and Identity in the Middle Ages and Beyond – Yanay Israeli
This course focuses on the history of Jews in Europe and the Mediterranean region from the tenth to the seventeenth centuries, with a particular focus on their experiences as a minority group within Islamic and Christian societies. We will explore the forces and traditions that shaped Jewish life, examine the attitudes of Christians and Muslims towards Jewish communities, and analyze how Jews maintained their identity while facing exclusion and periods of persecution. Throughout the semester, students will work closely with primary sources, including court records and letters documenting the lives of ordinary Jewish individuals. Students will gain insight into how the experience of being a minority shaped the history of Jews over the span of eight centuries. No prior knowledge of Judaism or Jewish history is required.
Israel/Palestine
Judaic 353 – Arab-Israeli Conflict — Mark Tessler
Judaic 341 – Palestine/Israel: A History — Mostafa Hussein
Graduate Courses
All 400-level courses can be considered graduate courses. Many 300-level courses can be considered graduate courses, with additional work and instructor consent.
Judaic 417.001 – Advanced Yiddish Minicourse — Elena Luchina
Judaic 617.001 – Writing Science and Religion in Uncertain Times — Cara Rock-Singer
Judaic 617.002 – Comparative Thinking – Maya Barzilai
Modern Hebrew Courses
Courses in Modern Hebrew can count toward the Judaic Studies major and minor. Review the program requirements for more information.
Check out all of the Modern Hebrew courses for Fall 2026.
