Worlds of Jewish Studies, Culture, and Meaning

Olamot – the School of Jewish Studies and Israeli Culture – offers all students at Bar-Ilan University the opportunity to broaden their studies beyond their chosen field and to engage with Jewish and Israeli culture through its diverse sources, voices, and interpretations.

The courses address the sources of Judaism, Jewish thought and history, Hebrew literature, and Israeli culture, as well as questions of identity and belonging, community and leadership, ethics and law, and tradition and renewal.

At the heart of these studies lies an in-depth and critical engagement with primary sources, fostering familiarity with a range of viewpoints and encouraging inquiry, discussion, and respectful dialogue among differing perspectives.

These studies integrate academic knowledge, critical reading and thinking, and dialogue among differing perspectives. Courses are offered in both Hebrew and English, in frontal and online formats, as well as through workshops, batei midrash, and hybrid formats.

The great diversity and variety of courses offered by Olamot – both in content and course formats - maximize students' options and possibilities, allowing all students to find courses suitable to their interests and preferences. The curriculum aims at broadening intellectual horizons and maximizing student choice by offering a platform designed to encourage open dialogue and inquiry, in which the study of Judaism and Israeli culture becomes an integral part of a broader education involving both individual and collective reflection.

We invite you to explore our range of courses and discover the areas that interest you in the Olamot course catalogue.