University of Buffalo
Department of jewish thought
712 Clemens Hall Buffalo, NY 14260
Phone 716-645-3695
Fax 716-645-3473
Email jewish-thought@buffalo.edu
Website jwww.jewishthought.buffalo.edu
The Department of Jewish Thought is a multidisciplinary research and academic B.A degree-granting program focused on teaching and scholarship related to the contributions of the Jewish tradition in the development of Western civilization. The mission of the IJTH and the Department of Jewish Thought is to foster knowledge, inquiry and scholarly excellence to better understand Judaism.
Students will have the opportunity to study the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, Maimonides, Judah Halevi, the Zohar, Hasidism, Franz Rosenzweig and Levinas in dialogue with Plato, Aristotle, Spinoza, Kant, Foucault and Derrida. This program will challenge students to confront and re-examine their accepted notions of religion, God, ethics, justice, death, politics, evil and sexuality and to do so within the distinct historical contexts of ancient, medieval and modern Judaism.
A central and unifying feature throughout its long and diverse history is Judaism’s emphasis on ethics, on the biblically inspired teachings of morality and the prophetic call to justice. Attention to ethics will therefore serve to give definition and direction to Jewish Studies at UB.
The program is anchored by five dynamic teachers and scholars: Richard Cohen, Sergey Dolgopolski, Marla Segol, Alexander Green and Noam Pines, as well as by the Hebrew language program with Lilia Dolgopolskaia The program prides itself on small class sizes and the ability to get to know your professors and your fellow students.