Religious Studies

Students studying in library

Jerusalem is one of the most important spiritual centers in the three largest monotheistic religions. The city is infused with religious history, making it the perfect setting for understanding the intricacies of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity – and the dynamic interplay between these religions. Hebrew University’s Rothberg International School (RIS) programs provide deep insight into the historical, theological, and philosophical roots of these religions.

Summer & Short-Term

All courses are open to both undergraduate and graduate students:

Individual summer semester graduate courses are also available through our study abroad program.

Undergraduate

Individual Undergraduate Courses

Provided as examples only and subject to change:

  • The Battle over the Bible: The Bible in the Eyes of Jews, Christians, and Muslims
  • Radical Islamic Movements in a Changing Middle East
  • After Nazism: The Philosophy of Identity and the Jewish Conflict with the West
  • Famine and Feast: The Bible from Literary and Other Perspectives
  • Feminist Judaism: Theory and Practice, Contemporary Issues, and Ideas
  • From Jewish Jesus to Christianity
  • Culture of Conflict: The World of the Talmud
  • Belief and Ritual in Islam
  • Hasidism: From Mystic Fraternity to Reactionary Movement
  • Jewish Experiential Education
  • Middle Eastern Christianity as a Minority under Islam: Politics and Religion in Historical Context (7th to 14th Centuries)
  • Bible and Babel: Studies in Biblical Narrative and the Ancient Near East
  • Religion and Conflict in the Middle East: A Jewish Perspective
  • Marriage and Sexuality in Ancient Judaism
  • A History of Jewish Mysticism
  • Original Sins: Genesis and Its Ancient Interpreters

As an undergraduate student, you can choose to tailor your courses to suit your academic interests, selecting from among RIS courses and English-taught courses in the HebrewU Faculty of Humanities, including courses taught by the Mandel Institute of Jewish Studies, the Department of Comparative Religion, and the Department of Jewish Thought.

Graduate

Non-Degree Graduate Studies

As a graduate student studying abroad with us from another institution, you can also choose to tailor your courses to suit your academic interests in a study abroad program or as a visiting research student, selecting from among RIS courses and English-taught courses in the HebrewU Faculty of Humanities, including courses taught by the Mandel Institute of Jewish Studies, the Department of Comparative Religion, and the Department of Jewish Thought.

Additional Areas of Study

Take a look at our pages for prospects, students, faculty and staff, alumni, and parents – or contact us!

TrackSAT ACT Psychometric Test
(General or QE)
Business & English1310 28629
Business & Liberal Arts131028629
English & Liberal Arts102019516
Pre-Semester Program: “Encountering Jerusalem” 2023-24
Spring
Practical Hebrew Beginners 4 credits
Israeli Society3 credits
Pre-Semester Program: “Encountering Jerusalem” 2023-24
Autumn
Practical Hebrew Beginners4 credits
Modern Standard Arabic Beginners 5 credits
Jerusalem: A Journey Through Time and Space3 credits
Pre-Semester Program: “Encountering Jerusalem” 2023-24
Autumn
Practical Hebrew Beginners4 credits
Modern Standard Arabic Beginners 5 credits
Jerusalem: A Journey Through Time and Space3 credits
Pre-Semester Program: “Encountering Jerusalem” 2023-24
Spring
Practical Hebrew Beginners 4 credits
Israeli Society3 credits