A group of UNC faculty members are collaborating to establish a Center for Jewish Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences next year that will offer a minor in Jewish studies.
"It's the right moment (to plan the center),"said Jonathan Hartlyn, director of the Faculty Planning Board for the Center for Jewish Studies.
"One of the things we've come to realize is there is a core group of faculty, there seems to be lots of student interest, and the administration is very supportive."
Although those involved in the endeavor hope to have the center up and running by next academic year, it still will have to go through the appropriate stages of approval.
Once established, the center will link academic disciplines involved in Jewish studies -- including history, Slavic languages and literature, religious studies and Germanic languages.
"The center serves as an umbrella organization that enables all these faculty to come together," Hartlyn said.
The planning board also hopes to offer a minor in Jewish studies beginning the next academic year. "Jewish studies is a very common major and minor in many universities both in and out of the United States," Hartlyn said.
He said the minor will consist of courses in many of the different aspects of Jewish studies. "It will focus on the culture, history and religion of Jewish people and the people with whom they interact," Hartlyn said.
Before offering the minor next year, the planning board is looking to add another course about Judaism, which probably will address either the subject area of Jews in the American South, modern Israel, modern Jewish culture or Rabbinic Judaism.
