Dear Friends,

As faculty director, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the Berkeley Center for Jewish Studies!  Our Center is committed to educating students of all backgrounds and interests, as well as the broader community, about the richness, depth, and diversity of Jewish history and culture, one that has helped shape human civilization for over three thousand years.

The faculty of the Center includes professors from departments and schools of History, Comparative Literature, Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures, German, Linguistics, Sociology, Law, Political Science, Journalism, Rhetoric, and Music. These internationally distinguished scholars, alongside Berkeley’s superb graduate students, continue our long-standing reputation as a leading center of Jewish Studies scholarship.

Undergraduates in any department can choose a ‘Minor in Jewish Studies’ in addition to their major field of study. PhD students can pursue a ‘Designated Emphasis in Jewish Studies’ in addition to their primary doctoral subject.  CJS graduates have an impressive record of university placements and continue to contribute to the field of Jewish Studies on local, national, and international levels.

The Center also sponsors an annual series of Endowed Lectures and book talks, and hosts visiting scholars and visiting faculty who augment both course offerings and public programming.

CJS Executive Director, Etta Heber, and I look forward to welcoming you and working with you throughout the academic year. 

Very truly yours,

John Efron

CJS Faculty Director                                                                                            

Koret Professor of Jewish History