The Jewish Theological Seminary
Academics
Jewish Literature
Professors
Alan Mintz (on leave, fall 2012)
David G. Roskies (on leave, spring 2013)
Raymond Scheindlin
Menahem Schmelzer, Emeritus
Associate Professor
Barbara Mann, BA and MA Adviser
Assistant Professor
Anne Lapidus Lerner, Emerita
Adjunct Instructors
Nachum Lerner
Liati Mayk-Hai
Saul Zaritt
Degrees
Admission Requirements
See more about admission to List College.
Degree Requirements
From the Core Curriculum
- 3 credits (1 course) in Hebrew language or 6 credits (2 courses) in Yiddish language
- 3 credits (1 course) in modern Jewish history
- 3 credits (1 course) in medieval Jewish literature
- 15-18 credits (5-6 courses) in Jewish literature (depending on how many language courses were taken for the language requirement), chosen in consultation with the major adviser
- 3 credits (1 course) senior/capstone seminar
For Jewish Literature Majors
Students must complete 30 credits beyond the core curriculum chosen in consultation with the program adviser.
Admission Requirements
View The Graduate School admissions page.
Degree Requirements
The Department of Jewish Literature offers concentrations in medieval Hebrew literature, modern Hebrew literature, and modern Yiddish literature. Upon admission, each candidate must consult with the adviser to work out a course of study that will satisfy departmental requirements. No student will be permitted to register for any semester without the written consent of the adviser.
Languages
Students must achieve third-year competence in their respective languages.
Courses
Students entering the program will ordinarily be required to demonstrate superior performance in three literature courses if they have not done so previously. Students are permitted to register for courses counting toward the degree while fulfilling these prerequisites. It is expected that they will be taken during the first year of study.
In addition to courses required of all students in The Graduate School, at least 30 graduate credits are required as follows:
- 21 graduate credits (seven courses) in Jewish literature, including courses in prose, poetry, criticism, medieval literature, Yiddish Literature, and modern literature. One course may satisfy more than one distribution requirement; e.g., a course in medieval prose could satisfy both the medieval-literature and the prose requirements.
- 9 credits (three courses) in other subjects, selected in consultation with the adviser
- LIT 5507, LIT 5508, and LIT 5509 or the equivalent (the three-semester introductory sequence of courses in Yiddish literature) for students concentrating in Yiddish literature (9 credits)
Comprehensive Examination
Upon satisfactory completion of all course work, candidates must pass a comprehensive examination covering the works of specific authors, literary criticism, and literary history, to be selected in consultation with the adviser. The examination is given once each semester.
Admission Requirements
View The Graduate School admissions page.
Additionally, an undergraduate or graduate degree with a concentration in literature is recommended.
Degree Requirements
The program offers concentrations in medieval Hebrew literature, modern Hebrew literature, and modern Yiddish literature.
Courses
In addition to courses required of all students in The Graduate School, at least 30 graduate credits are required as follows:
- 21 credits (seven courses) at the doctoral level in Jewish literature, including two courses in prose and two courses in poetry
- At least 3 credits (one course) in the medieval period
- At least 3 credits (one course) in the modern period
- 6 credits (two courses) in a field of literature related to the area of concentration (e.g., Arabic, English, French, German, Polish, Russian, or Yiddish)
Note that one course may satisfy more than one distribution requirement above, e.g., a course in medieval prose could satisfy requirements for both the medieval period and prose.
Comprehensive Examination
Upon completion of all course work, students concentrating in modern Hebrew literature will be examined on the works of Jewish literature and literary criticism designated for DHL students on the department's doctoral reading list. Students concentrating in medieval Hebrew literature or modern Yiddish literature will be examined on a reading list that they will prepare under the guidance of an adviser.
Dissertation
A substantial piece of original research or criticism.
Admission Requirements
View The Graduate School admissions page.
Additionally, an undergraduate or graduate degree with a concentration in literature is recommended.
Degree Requirements
Languages
In addition to languages required of all students in The Graduate School, students concentrating in the modern period must demonstrate a reading knowledge of Yiddish, and students concentrating in the medieval period must demonstrate a reading knowledge of Arabic.
Courses
In addition to courses required of all students in The Graduate School, at least 30 graduate credits are required as follows:
- 21 credits (seven courses) at the doctoral level in Jewish literature, including one course in prose and one course in poetry
- At least 3 credits (one course) in medieval literature
- At least 3 credits (one course) in the modern period
- One seminar (3 credits) in the area of concentration (e.g., Arabic, English, French, German, Polish, Russian, or Yiddish)
- LIT 5507, LIT 5508, and LIT 5509 (the three-semester introductory sequence of courses in Yiddish literature), or the equivalent, for students concentrating in Yiddish literature (9 credits)
Comprehensive Examination
Upon satisfactory completion of all course work, students will be examined on a group of reading lists that they will prepare under the guidance of the adviser. The examination will have both written and oral components. Reading lists will include comprehensive works in the respective major, as well as auxiliary works of critical and literary theory, and other primary and secondary texts. Students may obtain details about the format and structure of the comprehensive exams from the departmental advisor; the final shape of their exam will be developed in consultation with their advisor and a committee made up of other departmental faculty and at least one examiner from outside the JTS.
Students must demonstrate the ability to present a developed view of a specific critical problem and to trace the development of one major genre from its origin to its most recent manifestations.
Dissertation
A major piece of original research or criticism. Students will write the dissertation after passing their comprehensive exams.