Jewish Studies Courses

FALL 2025

Classes are online using the Zoom platform. A link will be sent to view the recording of online classes if you missed them live. The recording will be available for 3-4 weeks.

Harmony of the Spheres: Judaism and Science 
Dr. Ruth Sandberg 
Mondays: 10:00am - 12:00pm ET
Oct. 20, 27; Nov. 3, 10, 17; Dec. 1, 8, 15 (8 sessions)
Zoom, $250

Judaism does not see Science and Religion as antithetical, but as two different spheres in harmony with one another. This course will examine the relationship between Judaism and Science from ancient times to today, including the following topics: Genesis and the Big Bang; the Jewish view of the universe; Jewish observance and Planetary Science; the possibility of life on other planets; Jews and Medicine; Talmudic views of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Talmudic knowledge of Astronomy, Anatomy and Psychology; and Jewish Ecological Science.

My Yiddishe Mama: East European Jewish Families in America
Dr. Reena Friedman 
Mondays: 3:30pm - 5:30pm ET
Oct. 20, 27; Nov. 3, 10, 17; Dec. 1, 8, 15 (8 sessions)
Zoom, $250

Using music, film and primary sources, the course explores the dynamics of immigrant Jewish family life in America. It focuses on the significant challenges posed to family solidarity in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and the ways in which individual families, as well as members of the larger Jewish community, strove to meet those challenges. 

Artistic Depictions of the Bible from Michelangelo to Chagall
Sarah Rosenson
Mondays: 7:00pm - 8:30pm ET
Oct. 20, 27; Nov. 3, 10, 17; Dec. 1, 8, 15 (8 sessions)
Zoom, $250

Some of the most famous art in the Western world depicts scenes from the Bible. Each week in this interactive online class we will read and discuss in depth the text of a Bible story. Then we will closely examine two to four works by different artists showing the scene. A number of the artworks we study will be from the museum in Nice, France which is devoted to Biblical paintings of Marc Chagall. Other artists studied will include Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Poussin, Rodin, and Alma-Tadema.
 

Judaism and Sports
Rabbi Alan Iser 
Tuesdays: 10:00am-12:00pm ET
Oct. 21, 28; Nov. 4, 11, 18; Dec. 2  (6 sessions)
Zoom, $200
This class will examine both lighthearted and serious topics concerning sports and physical activity from the point of view of traditional and modern Jewish sources. Among the subjects to be covered: Jewish views of exercise; nature walks; Shabbat and sports; should Jews watch or participate in violent sports; betting on sports. 
CANCELLED

1948: Israel, Human Rights, and Judaism
Dr. Steve Chervin 
Tuesdays: 1:30pm-3:30pm ET
Oct. 21, 28; Nov. 4, 11, 18; Dec. 2, 9, 16  (8 sessions)
Zoom, $250

The year 1948 marked two of the most momentous events in 20th century history: the birth of the State of Israel, and the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Both remain tied together in today's debates about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, global antisemitism, and American foreign policy. Yet the surprising connections between Zionism and the origins of international human rights are virtually unknown among most people today. In this class we will examine the trajectory of the ties between these two movements, from the prewar shtetls of Eastern Europe to the postwar United Nations. 

The Way We Were: Antisemitism and the Hollywood Blacklist
Leslye Friedberg 
Thursdays: 7:00pm - 9:00pm ET
Oct. 23, 30; Nov. 6, 13, 20; Dec. 4, 11, 18  (8 sessions)
Zoom, $250

A classic of American cinema, The Way We Were (1973), is the first Hollywood movie to focus on the widespread, destructive effects of The House Un-American Activities Committee and the Hollywood blacklist which were motivated by well-documented antisemitism. In this course, we'll analyze this and other movies within the political and social contexts of antisemitism during the 1940s. This is a discussion-format course, so members will need to watch the movies and read short articles before each class. Information about streaming movies, along with the readings, will be emailed before each class. 

CANCELLED

For more information or to register for classes, please contact Hope Matles at 215-635-7300 x172 or at hmatles@gratz.edu. 

Registration Notes
Minimum class size is required to run each course. For all Scholars Program courses, full tuition payment is due upon registration prior to the start of the first class. If a cancellation is received at least two days before the course begins, 100% of tuition will be refunded. If cancellation is received by the second session, a 50% refund will be issued. Tuition includes a non-refundable $25 registration fee.  For all classes full payment is due upon registration. An internet connection is required for online classes. Gratz is not responsible to make up classes for a limited, local power outage or technical problem.  If a technical issue affects more than half of the class, Gratz will make-up the class at a mutually agreed upon time -- much like any weather-related closing. All online classes are recorded. A link will be sent to view the class if you missed it live. The recording will be available for 3-4 weeks.