Graduate Theological Union — Center for Jewish Studies

“ S omething magical happens at the Center for

Jewish Studies: a kind of intellectual alchemy in which classical Jewish sources meet contemporary perspectives, producing new articulations of ancient themes. CJS continues to prioritize the kind of academic study and critical engagement necessary to address the challenges of our era, and to build a more just and sustainable society.”

— Dr. Deena Aranoff, Director

Richard S. Dinner Center for Jewish Studies

gtu.edu

Established in 1968, The Richard S. Dinner Center for Jewish Studies is a premier Bay Area center for advanced Jewish Studies. CJS graduate programs combine rigorous text-study with distinctive interdisciplinary approaches. Studies at CJS provide training for academic careers, community leadership, as well as pastoral and educational roles in the Jewish community and beyond.

Academic Programs

Events and Partnerships

At the Center for Jewish Studies (CJS), GTU students and faculty study in a collaborative atmosphere, applying current scholarly approaches in feminism, post-colonialism, new historicism, theology, anthropology, and cultural studies to the study of Jewish traditions and texts. CJS serves as the academic home for students pursuing an MA or PhD with concentrations in Hebrew Bible, Rabbinic Literature, Jewish Theology & Ethics, and Jewish Studies, as well as interreligious subjects such as Comparative Religion, and Interreligious Studies. CJS students benefit from the GTU’s rich interreligious environment, as well as interdisciplinary approaches that bring religion into dialogue with other fields of research.

CJS courses are open to community members and students across the consortium, who can earn a Certificate in Jewish Studies by completing six CJS courses. CJS also supports the GTU’s Interreligious Chaplaincy Program, which enables students to gain spiritual caregiving skills through a Certificate in Interreligious Chaplaincy, while also acquiring tradition-specific training through the Master of Arts.

CJS is a vital hub of Jewish culture in the San Francisco Bay Area, hosting scholarly lectures, films, and conferences. The Center supports Jewish community education by offering the Jewish Community Fellowship, through which Jewish educators and professionals can take a free course in Jewish Studies. Since 2009, CJS has partnered with the GTU Center for Islamic Studies in the Madrasa-Midrasha Program, which seeks to advance interreligious dialogue and understanding through workshops, lectures, panels, and courses that explore the richness, diversity, differences, and commonalities of Jewish and Islamic traditions. Our work is enhanced by collaborative relationships with local entities such as the UC Berkeley Center for Jewish Studies, the UCB Center for the Study of Religion, and the Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life, while the GTU’s cross-registration agreement with UC Berkeley gives CJS students access to the courses, libraries, and archives there.

LEARN MORE Request Info and Apply: GRADUATE THEOLOGICAL UNION admissions@gtu.edu 510-649-2400 gtu.edu

THE RICHARD S. DINNER CENTER FOR JEWISH STUDIES cjs@gtu.edu 510-649-2482 gtu.edu/cjs