Online – International MA in Jewish Philosophy
New at Bar Ilan University! Online – MA in
Jewish Philosophy, taught in English
Bar-Ilan University’s International School and the Department for Jewish
Philosophy have launched a new, two-year Master of Arts program in
Jewish Philosophy, which will be taught entirely in English. The program
will start in October 2021.
Our Department
The Department of Jewish Philosophy at Bar Ilan is devoted to the
research and teaching of all fields of Jewish thought from the classical
period until the writing of Jewish philosophy in modern times, including the
study of Kabbalah and Chassidism.
Courses taught in the program offer an in-depth exploration of the works
and teachings of Judaism’s greatest thinkers, as well as a review of their
impact on Jewish and general philosophy. The curriculum covers a wide
range of disciplines and areas, from medieval Spain to modern Germany.
Our Teachers
The program will be taught by some of the world’s leading experts in the
field of Jewish studies. Except for the Department’s current faculty, other
prominent lecturers in the program will include Prof. Ephraim Meir, Prof.
Tamar Ross, and Prof. Steven Shmuel Harvey. They are all highly
experienced in thesis and doctoral instruction and are at your service for
your graduate and postgraduate paths.
Target Audience
The Department of Jewish Philosophy at Bar Ilan is one of the few
educational institutes in the country that brings together dereligious and
secular student, the Orthodox Jews and the religious Zionists, and allows
them to study in an environment of tolerance, mutual respect, and
acceptance.
We are happy to welcome all types of students including:
Students of philosophy (no matter what faith or country) who would like
to learn about the history of Jewish philosophy and its modern
developments
Teachers from Jewish communities around the world
Students of religious thought who would like to deepen their knowledge
of Judaism and its intellectual traditions
Application Requirements
BA degree or equivalent either in Jewish Thought or in General
Philosophy from an accredited institution. For applicants with degrees in
other fields, additional complementary courses are required.
GPA of at least 3.0.
CV.
Fluency in English (Second-language speakers will be required to take
a test).
There are two possible tracks from which to choose:
Track A – with thesis
Track B – without thesis
Requirements for Track A
A total of 16 hours of coursework divided into: four hours in two MA
seminars (including writing of seminar papers), 12 hours in six MA
seminars or lectures.
Languages: basic knowledge of one foreign language in addition to
English.
Obligatory participation in the department’s colloquium and regular
meetings with the thesis adviser.
Writing of the thesis.
Final examination based on the subject of the thesis and related
literature.
Requirements for Track B
A total of 22 hours of coursework divided into: six hours in three MA
seminars (including writing of seminar papers), 14 hours in seven MA
seminars or lectures, two hours that could be taken in another
department (after consultation with the head of department).
Obligatory participation in the department’s colloquium.
Final exam according to the courses taken.
Sample Course List
1. Maimonides and Maimonideanism.
2. Jewish Philosophers in their Islamic and Christian Contexts.
3. Science, God, and the Meaning of Life in Medieval Jewish Thought.
4. The Beginning of Modern Jewish Thought: Moses Mendelssohn and the
Discovery of Judaism as a World Religion.
5. Ethical Monotheism: The Religious Thought of Hermann Cohen, its
Roots, and its Consequences.
6. Jewish Existentialism: The 20th Century Turn from Idea to Life – Buber,
Rosenzweig, and Levinas.
7. Introduction to Early Hasidism: History and Theology.
8. Introduction to Kabbalah (The Book of Zohar and Jewish Mysticism).
CONTACT INFORMATION
International School
Bar-Ilan University
Ramat-Gan, Israel 5290002
Tel: +972-3-738-4245
Email for further information
Intl.info@biu.ac.il
