Jewish Studies at Doshisha University and in Japan
Among all the universities in Japan Doshisha University alone has a program of Jewish Studies from undergraduate first year to Ph.D. course. Other universities have scholars who while belonging to one faculty or the other teach some courses related with Jewish Studies, such as Talmudic studies, Medieval Jewish philosophy or Modern Jewish History. There are also some Japanese scholars who conduct research on topics related with Jewish Studies and Israel, but do not teach them.
The Program of Jewish Studies at Doshisha University
The Program of Jewish Studies was established in the Faculty of Theology in 2003 and enacted since 2004. It has developed slowly through the passing decade by enriching the curriculum and by adding teaching staff as faculty members or part-time teachers.
At the moment, there are two full faculty members teaching Jewish Studies at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and four part-time lecturers teaching at the level of under and graduate courses.
The total number of undergraduate and graduate students at the Faculty of Theology is around 350 each year. In 2018 there were total 343 students; undergraduate students 279 (female 184//male 159); graduate MA 38; PhD 26; the faculty has 10 foreign students studying for a degree. Many of the students take various courses from the program of Jewish Studies; some of them elect it as their major.
The Curriculum of the Jewish Studies Program includes the Following Classes
1. Languages: Four years of Modern Hebrew, including classes that evolve from beginners’ level to advance level for undergraduate students. Three further courses of advanced levels are offered to graduate students. Traditionally, biblical Hebrew is also offered at the school. Students may also take a course in Biblical Aramaic and courses in Arabic on several levels. In the framework of biblical Studies, Ancient Near Eastern languages, including Sumerian, Akkadian and Hittite, are also taught. For Modern Hebrew, a special website was established instead of a language laboratory (the use is with password).
2. Other courses on the undergraduate level: There are several introductory and specific classes on Judaism, Jewish history and modern Israel. Of these courses, five are open also to students from other faculties and their students’ attendance range from 70 to 300 students per course. Undergraduate courses and seminars involve the study of texts from the Hebrew Bible, medieval period and Modern Hebrew texts, including topics of history, philosophy, literature and some arts.
3. At the level of graduate studies we have students focusing on Jewish Philosophy, Hebrew Language, American Judaism, Hebrew Literature, Israeli literature and more. Our MA and PhD students write their theses in various fields; for example: the Zionist movement in the USA; the revival of Hebrew language; the writing of Israeli authors whose first language is Arabic (combining both languages), and more.
Every year we try to invite scholars from abroad to either teach a course or give lectures and workshops, depending on the Faculty’s budget.
Visiting scholars who taught at our faculty for a month to three months include:
Prof. Amichai Mazar, Hebrew University, Archeology of ancient Israel (2005)
Prof. Emanuel Tov, Hebrew University, Septuagint and Dead Sea Scrolls (2006)
Prof. Rachel Elior, Hebrew University, Jewish thought and Kabbalah (2009)
Prof. Theo van den Hout, University of Chicago, department of NELC (2012)
Prof. Christoph Uelinger, University of Zurich, Bible Studies (2013)
Prof. Avi Lipsker, Bar Ilan University, Jewish and Hebrew Literature (2016)
Prof. David Satran, Hebrew University, Comparative Religion (2017)
Prof. Yigal Schwartz, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Hebrew Literature (2019)
Many others were invited for conferences or workshops of several days.
Activities related to Jewish Studies at Doshisha University and Japan in General
Apart from the program of Jewish Studies at the Faculty of Theology, the main activities regarding Jewish Studies at Doshisha University are conducted through the Center for Interdisciplinary Study of Monotheistic Religions (CISMOR) that was established in 2003 by members of the Faculty of Theology. These activities include lectures and workshops, which take place three or four times a year, and culminate in the Annual Conference on Jewish Studies, held almost every year since 2004. The proceedings of these conferences are published in a series of volumes titled Conference on Jewish Studies (CJS vol. 1-10, the last was published 2020). These conferences typically combine the study of related topics in either Christianity or Islam in relation to Judaism. The publications are available on-line in PDF files.
In 2012 a research group of Japanese scholars who belong to the core research members of CISMOR lead by Prof. Ada Taggar-Cohen, conduct research on Jews and Judaism in Japan; its first publication appeared in JISMOR vol. 10.
Associations of Jewish Studies in Japan
Beside the activities held at Doshisha there are three major associations that conduct workshops and conferences on Jewish Studies in Japan:
1. Japan Association of Jewish Studies
Established in 1960, its headquarters is in Tokyo and it is directed by professors from Tokyo and Waseda Universities, who hold meetings several times a year. In the fall it is conducted at Doshisha. They also publish a yearly journal of papers in Japanese.
2. Kyoto Association of Jewish Thought
Established in 2008 by scholars of philosophy from various universities in Japan but mainly from the Kansai area (Doshisha and Kyoto Universities). They hold a conference once a year and publish papers by members of the association in a yearly volume. So far five volumes were published in Japanese.
3. The Japanese-Jewish Friendship and Study Society in Kobe
Established in1995. It is basically a group of researchers who meet in Kobe, and have been publishing a journal entitled Namal נמל.
About Doshisha University
Doshisha University was established in November 29th, 1875 by Joseph Hardy Neesima, who traveled to the USA a decade earlier, studied at Amherst College in Boston and was the first Japanese to receive an academic degree (BA). It started as an English school for pursuing higher education with Christianity at the core of a moral education. The school started with 8 students, and thrived. Today the university has 14 faculties and 16 graduate schools with about 27,000 students studying for BA, 1600 for MA, and 500 for PH.D. course. The university employs 800 full-time professors; among them 80 full-time foreign professors; and there are 1200 Part-time instructors. The university is spread over two campuses in Kyoto-city and Kyotanabe-city. The Kyoto Campus located between the Imperial palace and the large Buddhist temple Koshokuji, is the oldest campus. Doshisha University follows the main message of its founder until today:
Conscience of a nation
A nation is not sustained by the power of a few heroes, but by those
‘people who act as conscience dictates’
Doshisha University is furthering its commitment to the internationalization of higher education. It is its aim to become an international hub of knowledge offering a world-class learning environment that attracts highly capable international students and researchers from around the world, while at the same time providing our competent students and researchers with more opportunities to study abroad. Our hope is that, through such people, the education of conscience at Doshisha will prevail across national boundaries and ‘people who act as conscience dictates’ will make a valuable difference in communities both local and global.
Website of Doshisha University: https://www.doshisha.ac.jp/en/index.html
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Ada Taggar-Cohen – The professor who brought Jewish studies to Japan (2023/03/03)
For Contact:
Prof. Dr. Ada Taggar Cohen
Professor of Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Studies
Head of the Program of Jewish Studies at the Faculty of Theology
Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Study of the Monotheistic Religions (CISMOR)
Doshisha University
Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8580
JAPAN
email: acohen@mail.doshisha.ac.jp
Kyoto, February 2021