Women's Curriculum

The Yeshiva University Basic Jewish Studies Program on the Beren Campus in Manhattan's Murray Hill neighborhood is part of the Judaic studies component of Stern College for Women and Syms School of Business. The Basic Jewish Studies curriculum offers an array of exciting opportunities for women to explore Jewish learning, living and personal growth. It orients and familiarizes students with the essentials of Jewish studies and eases the transition of their first semesters on campus.

Basic Jewish Studies is a two-year program that is integrated within the general Stern College for Women course of study. Over four semesters, we offer our students a comprehensive introduction to Jewish studies through engaging classes, teachers and extracurricular programs.

The program is divided into four primary components:

• Introductory Bible courses focus on textual and analytic skills fused with traditional Jewish philosophy and values. Courses include Personality Development in the Book of Genesis and Birth of a Nation: Introduction to the Book of Exodus.
• Introduction to Judaism and Jewish law courses allow students to gain an overview of basic Jewish law, customs and culture, as well as the values and philosophy they contain. Topics include Shabbat, Jewish holidays, Kashrut and lifecycles.
• Introduction to Hebrew provides a primer on Hebrew language—conversational Hebrew as well as biblical and rabbinic Hebrew—to deepen students' understanding of Jewish textual studies
• Extracurricular forums for students include "Latte and Learning"—a popular series offering java and Torah insights under the tutelage of the Basic Jewish Studies faculty—unique yomim iyun [festive days of learning], and a beit midrash chavruta [study-partner] program. Additionally, to ease integration into the larger college and Jewish community, several Shabbatonim [weekend-long celebrations of Shabbat] and related programs are offered.

Following their first two years on campus, students in the Basic Jewish Studies Program are integrated into the regular Jewish studies courses of Stern College for Women, which offer all levels of study.