Hillsdale is taking the first steps to create a new Judaism minor, College President Larry Arnn said at fall convocation Nov. 13.
The proposed program will cover the great Jewish texts, their historical context, and the Hebrew language, Associate Vice President for Curriculum David Whalen said.
A launch date for the minor is undetermined, as specific plans for the program have not yet been proposed to faculty or the Educational Policies Committee.
“A program like this makes a lot of sense for Hillsdale College because of our mission,” Whalen said. “Our mission makes it clear that Jerusalem is one of the cornerstones of Western civilization.”
Whalen said Arnn had the idea to start a Judaism program several years ago.
Arnn told The Collegian it is important to learn about Jerusalem when studying the Western Tradition because the study of God, man, and nature for the sake of themselves and the approach to them as a universal phenomenon arose in the West, in Jerusalem and Athens.
“In Jerusalem, it began with the Jews, a people who conceived a God who was the one God. His dealings with them to be a blessing to ‘all the people on the face of the Earth,’” Arnn said. “This happened very long ago in a time when religion was mostly tribal and particular. It was like lightning striking.”
Whalen said Arnn has been talking to important Jewish figures across the country, and they have expressed interest in Hillsdale beginning a Judaism program. Whalen said the minor would adhere to the college’s curriculum, commitments, and principles.
“The end goal is to create a program that is sufficiently robust and rigorous, and introduces people to the depths of the Jewish contribution to Western civilization,” Whalen said. “That means theology, philosophy, history, and reading important texts in their cultural contexts.”
Rotem Andegeko, a senior who moved to the United States with her family from Israel as a 2-year-old, said she trusts Hillsdale to provide a thoughtful and accurate Judaism program.
“I feel like a lot of things, not just Judaism, when they are talked about are laced with opinion,” Andegeko said. “You don’t learn what happens or what it is, and I feel like this program would actually do that and let you form your opinion.”
Michael Weingrad, a visiting professor of Jewish studies, will teach a new one-credit course, “Israeli Culture Before and After Oct. 7,” next spring as a part of the Collegiate Scholars Program. The course is the college’s attempt to start incorporating Judaism studies in its curriculum.
Weingrad said he supports the idea of a Judaism program at Hillsdale because he believes there are many lessons the students can learn from Israeli culture.
“The Israelis really do give us a number of wonderful lessons on how to live life and how to have a connection to faith, nation, and family under really extraordinarily difficult conditions that we can find inspiring,” Weingrad said. “Hillsdale students who are living lives of faith and understanding the way in which they live their religious traditions in a modern world can find a lot of parallels in the experience of Israelis and how they put their Jewish faith into practice in contemporary conditions.”
Arnn voiced similar beliefs, saying there is an importance in studying both Judaism and Christianity.
“At least through medieval times, there has been heavy overlap between the great Jewish and the great Christian thinkers,” Arnn said. “Thomas Aquinas and Moses Maimonides were rough contemporaries. We can learn from them both and all like them.”
Weingrad said in his spring course he will discuss the development of Israeli culture over the past hundred years, how it incorporates religious and secular elements, and how Israelis have managed to live their lives under varying conditions. Weingrad added he plans to use aspects of popular culture as a way to make the Israeli experience understandable.
“I know there is a lot of warm support for Jews and for Israel, and a lot of interest and questions, particularly after Oct. 7,” Weingrad said. “And so this seemed like a good way in which to be able to offer a taste of modern Israeli culture.”
Whalen said Judaism and Israeli culture are fascinating, and he encourages people to take a look at the history, texts, and traditions they offer, especially if given the opportunity through the college.
“It is a rich, beautiful, and profound culture and religious tradition,” Whalen said. “I am an outsider, I only see it from afar, but even from there it looks like something you can spend the rest of your life reading about, thinking about, working in, and continuously enriching your intellectual and spiritual resources.”
