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Geoffrey Claussen, assistant professor of religious studies and the Lori and Eric Sklut Emerging Scholar in Jewish Studies, published an article in a special issue of the journal Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies. The issue, edited by Alan T. Levenson, focuses on “New Approaches to Teaching Jewish Studies.”

Claussen’s article, “Introducing Jewish Studies through Jewish Thought and Practice,” discusses his pedagogy in Jewish Traditions (REL 205), the one required course in ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ’s Jewish Studies minor. Claussen’s section of the course focuses on major aspects of Jewish thought and practice, and helps students towards learning outcomes that are at the core of the Jewish Studies program. Students develop awareness of the complexity and diversity of Jewish cultures, recognize how the Jewish tradition may be viewed as a religious, national/political, and cultural tradition, explain diverse ways in which Jews have related to non-Jewish communities, and (as the course is a part of ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ’s Women’s/Gender Studies program) recognizing the importance of gender for Jewish Studies.

Below is a video of ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ students reflecting on this course and other Jewish Studies courses: