Groundbreaking Agreement Between Barnard College and 麻豆原创 Expands Access to Jewish Studies听
Barnard students will be able to take JTS classes for credit toward their听degrees at no additional cost听听
July 7, 2025: New York 鈥� Barnard College and 麻豆原创 (JTS) enter a new and innovative partnership that permits all Barnard students to take JTS courses starting this fall. The JTS courses will count toward Barnard degree requirements, and students can participate with no additional tuition costs. The new initiative expands access beyond the existing dual degree program to make JTS courses accessible to all Barnard students.听
As part of Barnard鈥檚 ongoing commitment to academic excellence and expanding course offerings to broaden student perspectives, full-time Barnard students will have access to JTS鈥檚 world-renowned faculty and expansive Jewish studies curriculum. This partnership seamlessly integrates Jewish history, philosophy, literature, and religious studies into their available course offerings. The courses include, but are not limited to:
- Women and Biblical Law: Explores gender and legal traditions in ancient Jewish sources听
- Rainmakers, Rogues, and Revolutionaries: Intro to Rabbinic Narrative: Surveys characterizations of the early sages from the Tannaitic collections through to the Babylonian Talmud听
- Historical Critical Methodologies: Evaluates various scholarly approaches to biblical texts听
- Jews of Renaissance Italy: Investigates the cultural and intellectual history of Jewish communities during the Italian Renaissance听
- Philosophizing from the Margins: Assesses how the exclusion of women from centers of Jewish ritual, cultural, and intellectual life has been challenged听
鈥淭his partnership enhances the educational opportunities for students and strengthens the already powerful bonds between our institutions and the broader Jewish community,鈥� said Barnard College Provost Rebecca L. Walkowitz. 鈥淭his growing relationship will provide Barnard students with unprecedented access to one of the preeminent Jewish studies institutions in the world.鈥�
鈥淚 am delighted that JTS and Barnard have established this important partnership. The premier double degree program between Barnard and JTS has a distinguished history, with outstanding alumni who have made tremendous contributions to American Jewish life, as rabbis, institutional leaders, physicians, attorneys, and more,鈥� said JTS Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz. “We are excited to welcome Barnard students and to provide them with access to a deeper Jewish studies experience and the expertise and scholarship of our renowned faculty. I look forward to further strengthening the powerful, enduring partnership between our schools.鈥�
鈥淭his new opportunity reflects JTS鈥檚 commitment to expanding access to our rich academic offerings,鈥� said JTS Provost Jeffrey Kress. 鈥淎t a time when meaningful Jewish studies scholarship is more important than ever, we鈥檙e delighted to make it available to all who seek it and are especially pleased that Barnard students can now earn credit for their studies. Students who are interested in further advancing their pursuit of Jewish studies will also be encouraged to apply to the double degree program.鈥�
鈥淛TS is only a few blocks away from Barnard, but until now, it has been out of reach for Barnard students who want to take a class there,鈥� said Beth Berkowitz, Barnard College Professor and Ingeborg Rennert Chair of Jewish Studies. 鈥淚鈥檓 thrilled that Barnard students will now be able to take advantage of all the great course offerings at JTS and get to know their Jewish Studies faculty. The double degree program between Barnard and JTS has a long and proud history, and the new registration option will further strengthen the rich relationship between these two Morningside Heights institutions.鈥�
You can read more about this partnership in .
