Drawing on courses from across the university, Lang takes an interdisciplinary approach to the subject of Jewish Culture. The program builds on The New School's historic role as a haven for leading European Jewish intellectuals in the 1930s and 1940s. Some of them (Hannah
Arendt and Leo Strauss, for example) have become major figures in modern Jewish culture. Like them, we see the study of Jewish culture not as a means of affirming identity but as a way of understanding the world at large.
Individual Jewish Culture courses can be taken as electives to supplement any major or incorporated into the self-designed Liberal Arts major. Those majoring in Liberal Arts can explore Jewish Culture as a guided area of study; all others may elect to
minor in Jewish Culture. Those majoring in Liberal Arts may also complete an optional senior capstone project guided by a Jewish Culture advisor.
Minor requirements
Connecting to New York City
While it offers the atmosphere and intimacy of a small college, Eugene Lang College is part of The New School, a major progressive university in New York City. Jewish Culture students access the city's rich local Jewish life and institutions, including
courses and field trips related to the historic Museum at Eldridge Street and to the Second Cemetery of Congregation Shearith Israel, the oldest Jewish congregation in North America. Students can enrich their studies and pursue internships at organizations
such as YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, Center for Jewish History, Lower East Side Tenement Museum, and Museum of Jewish Heritage.
Career Paths
The interdisciplinary minor in Jewish Culture provides an academic foundation for career paths including nonprofit agencies, NGOs, and writing, and for graduate study in fields such as religion, international relations, law, history, literature, social
work, social science, and education. Consult our 4-Year Lang Career Pathways Map (PDF) for helpful steps and resources to link your academic journey to your future plans.
Outcomes at Lang