Jewish studies minor passed

By Josh Rutenberg     2/26/09 6:00pm

Mazel tov! Rice will offer a new minor in Jewish studies beginning this fall. The minor, which was approved by the Faculty Senate last week, is the start of a long-term effort to bring a full-fledged Jewish studies program to Rice. Professor of Judaic Studies Gregory Kaplan, along with Professor in Biblical Studies Matthais Henze, both members of the Religious Studies Department, spent the past three months obtaining approval for the minor by working with professors from a multitude of disciplines.

Ultimately, Kaplan and Henze aim to develop a program that will offer fellowships and internships, bring more faculty to campus and strengthen relationships with the surrounding community.

"My hope is that the Jewish studies program will create a forum where we can meet and discuss all kinds of ideas, texts and periods," Henze said. "I see this as a place of exchange for ideas and scholarship we are creating."

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Henze believes students will be able to take full advantage of the new program, using elective credit to fulfill the minor requirements. Additionally, Henze said the new minor will not require any new resources. Everything being proposed for the minor already exists, and the minor will not be contingent on a budget proposal, Henze said. However, the full program will necessitate significant resources, such as obtaining a postdoctorate in Jewish studies and adding faculty lines.

Elie Bengio, who has taken several Hebrew classes, said the time-commitment and the low student enrollment in introductory classes might have discouraged some students from taking the courses in the past.

"Many students may be unwillinging to make a five-credit hour commitment to a Hebrew class which, ultimately, isn't a distribution course and won't serve towards any other major," Bengio, a Lovett College sophomore, said. "I think that institutionalizing a Jewish minor will give those students the incentive to take that Hebrew class."

Given the current economic downturn, Henze said the program will take slightly longer to emerge, but he remains hopeful.

"I believe it will be a popular minor, not just for Jewish students, but for students of all backgrounds," Henze said.

The Jewish studies program would not be contained to religious topics; rather, the degree would include studies of Hebrew language, the Holocaust and the state of Israel, among other subjects. Jewish studies is, by nature, interdisciplinary, Henze said.

"I think [the Jewish studies minor] is going to be a great addition to the curriculum available to students at Rice," Lovett Freshman Mae Bariff said. "Really, people from lots of different majors and backgrounds can find value in taking Jewish studies courses."

While Henze himself is not aware of any other religious groups that want to start a program, he believes they would be a wonderful addition to Rice.

"What is remarkable is not that we are starting a Jewish studies program," he said. "What is remarkable is that we haven't had one yet."

Henze said the proposed minor was met with enthusiasm and excitement from President David Leebron, the provost and the deans. The minor passed both the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and the Faculty Senate with unanimous votes.

"We have received lots of reactions," Henze said. "The administration has been extremely supportive. I was particularly moved by the student response."

Henze and Kaplan see the minor as a successful first step towards developing a Jewish studies program at Rice. By instituting a Jewish studies program, Rice will become more competitive with other top-20 schools, Henze said. Rice's lack of a Jewish studies program has been noticed by many, according to Henze.

"I see the minor as the first step to building a much more robust Jewish study program," Henze said. "My great hope is that this will grow quickly, that this minor will attract attention from the students and our donor community, so that they will quickly realize what an exciting field of study this is. With more courses being added and some faculty lines being created, this will expand quickly."

Melissa Tsang contributed to this article.

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