'I have a better sense of my place in the world'
Hyrum Edwards is a Robert S. Harrison College Scholar who also majored in history, Jewish studies & Near Eastern studies.
Read more
Founded on the conviction that the record contained in the languages, literature, and history of the Jewish people, as these developed across the globe and over thousands of years, are an integral part of human heritage.
Popular Destinations
Jewish Studies News
Ethnic cleansing explored in Annual Armenian Genocide Commemoration Lecture
Columbia University's Khatchig Mouradian will give a lecture, “Ethnic Cleansing in the Long 19th Century: The Native American, Circassian, and Armenian Cases,” on April 24.
Read more
Call for Papers: The State and the Holocaust: Encounters, Interactions, Social Dynamics
On behalf of the Jewish Studies Program at Cornell University, we invite proposals for a forthcoming workshop on April 27-28, 2025, in Ithaca, NY, on the topic of the relationship between state authorities, Jews, and European societies during the Holocaust. The deadline for submission is November 10...
Read more
A&S announces membership in MLA Strategic Partnership Network
“We felt this is an important resource that should be available to our humanists at all levels, whether they have the resources to pay for membership or not,” said Peter John Loewen, the Harold Tanner Dean of Arts and Sciences.
Read more
Pulitzer Prize-winning author from Jerusalem to speak Oct. 10
Nathan Thrall will talk about his most recent book, “A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy.”
Read more
Modeling an ancient house and garden in 3D
Cornell researchers have received a $150,000 NEH Digital Humanities Advanced Grant to create a 3D virtual modeling project based on the Casa della Regina Carolina, a large Pompeian house.
Read more
Final speaker in series examining antisemitism, Islamophobia
Cornell’s “Antisemitism and Islamophobia Examined” series concludes this semester with a talk by Derek Penslar, the William Lee Frost Professor of Jewish History at Harvard University.
Read more
New A&S dean relishes ‘life in a university’
Peter John Loewen says he's excited to support faculty in their research, meet students and showcase the value of a liberal arts education.
Read moreEngage with Jewish Studies
Major in Jewish studies
Start your journey by taking a class such as “Introduction to Judaism” (JWST 2644), studying Hebrew or Yiddish, or enrolling in or one of the many other courses we offer.
Tempted by more than one Jewish studies course? Consider pursuing a major in Jewish studies.
Attend a program
Join a live lecture, panel discussion, literary reading, or performance, or explore our video archive of previous events. Check our event calendar.
Participate in a Yiddish conversation hour, Friday's at noon on Zoom.
Conduct Research
Explore the resources at the Cornell Library.
Apply for funding to support summer research and travel. We offer summer funding to Cornell undergraduate and graduate students.
Support the program
Your support enables the program to enhance the experience for undergraduate students. Gifts can help fund lectures and conferences, student research, distinguished speakers, and other program priorities. We will greatly appreciate and immediately put into use any gift, no matter the amount.
More Information
Courses of Interest
New Spring 2025
The Past and Future of Holocaust Survivor Testimonies (JWST 3825)
MW 1:25-2:40, J. Burzlaff, 3 credits
This course will explore Holocaust survivor testimonies, from the multilayered history of their recording across the globe and their increasing institutionalization after the 1980s to their current uses and future promises, including digital methods.
From Respectability to Messianism? Aspects of Modern Jewish Nationalism (JWST 3722)
MW 2:55-4:10, R. Burns, 3 credits
Practice critical, close reading and examination of historical primary sources that are essential for the study of modern Jewish nationalism and statehood.