Department of Jewish Thought

Our faculty are widely published and internationally recognized for their work in the study of ethics, gender, history, literature, philosophy and politics.

Study Modern and Classical Hebrew

3/5/18

Develop language skills in modern Hebrew for conversation and classical Hebrew to read ancient texts in their original language.

Graduate Program in Jewish Thought

6/30/23

Graduates of the Master of Arts in Jewish Thought program will contribute to the development of new ways of thinking in a truly interdisciplinary perspective, while rooting itself in the rigorous study of the Jewish intellectual tradition.

Take Your Education to the Next Level

3/5/18

A BA or Minor in Jewish Studies provides students with a comprehensive view of Jewish thought, history and life.

Attend Lectures and Community Events

3/5/18

Join us for one of our visiting scholar or community lecture series, as well as symposiums, seminars and more!

The Levinas Philosophy Summer Seminars

4/30/18

The annual Levinas Philosophy Summer Seminars bring together scholars from across the globe for discussion of Emmanuel Levinas, one of the most original and important philosophers of the 20th century.

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What is Jewish Thought?

Jewish Thought is for students from all walks of life.

MA in Jewish Thought

Prepare for advanced research in Jewish texts

BA in Jewish Studies

Dive deep into the Jewish intellectual tradition.

Minor in Jewish Studies

Complement a major in art, history, philosophy and more.

Scholarships and Awards

Undergrad and grad funding!

The Department of Jewish Thought is dedicated to studying Judaism as an intellectual, ethical and literary tradition, highlighting its importance to the development of Western civilization from antiquity until today. We work to foster inquiry and expand knowledge through scholarship and instruction that makes this tradition available to broader humanities.

Call for Applications

Apply to participate in the “Levinas as Educator” Levinas Philosophy Summer Seminar, held June 29 to July 3, 2026, at Vilnius University in Lithuania. The application deadline is April 15, 2026.

Learn how to apply

Department News

New book by Professor Sergey Dolgopolski
9/5/25
The question of the political for the excluded others, or for those who programmatically do not claim any “original” belonging to a particular territory comes at the forefront of analysis in the book. "Other Others" approaches this question by moving from a modern political figure of “Jew” as such an “other other” to the late ancient texts of the Talmud.
Professor Alex Green interviews Rabbi Sacks
9/5/25
For the September issue of "The Jewish Journal," Professor Alex Green interviewed Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, former Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Commonwealth.
Professor Richard Cohen receives prestigious NEH grant
9/5/25
The 2017 summer seminar “Emmanuel Levinas on Morality, Justice, and the Political” is the fifth in a series presented by Professor Richard A. Cohen of UB's Department of Jewish Thought, but the first funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
Department of Jewish Thought student, Ori Edgar, selected for UB Celebration of Student Academic Excellence
3/17/26
Idolatry is a concept that is native to the Bible. The prohibition on the worship of idols originates in the Bible and comes from its concerns around the worship of the one God. What is strange, then, is that the word Idolatry does not appear once in the entire Hebrew Bible. Rather, idolatry is coined in 1 Corinthians, a Pauline Epistle. The word in Greek is ειδωλολατρειας which combines the Greek words for that which is seen and worship. Using a close textual and conceptual reading of conical and non-canonical sources this project argues that idolatry is not a neutral or natural term, rather it is one that grows out of the Biblical religion and Paul’s response to it. This project aims to contribute a conceptual history of idolatry and the intellectual environment that makes it not only possible, but prohibited.

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Mourning the loss of Gordon Gross