Student Work

Several of our courses require creative and unconventional final projects. We have collected a sample of some of the best student work produced in Jewish Studies classes.

RELI 392 Jerusalem: Holy City in Time & Imagination 2019

Matthew Hrncir Video: My Journey to Jerusalem

"This class provided me with an educational opportunity unrivaled in its depth. Through history, politics, architecture, and more, we took a journey together as a class to the core issues surrounding the State of Israel: people. I am so thankful for the well-rounded perspective I have gained through the class, and for an experience that changed how I think about the people, the place, and myself."

Rebecca Topper Educational Website about Israel

"Taking the class and getting to visit Jerusalem gave me a deeper understanding of the conflict and the lives it involves. The course was incredibly valuable to me in allowing me to learn alongside my peers and form my own opinions."

Rose Kantorczyk Jerusalem Cards: Playing cards that encompass Israel’s history, politics, and culture

"I'm so grateful for the immersive educational experience that this course provided; it was incredible to be able to gain such a comprehensive view of a place's history, politics, and people."

JWST 325: Archival Research and Historical Methods: Jewish Houston

Katie Webber Small-town Judaism: Wharton, Texas as a Case Study of the Vitality of Small-town Jewish Life

"This class helped me gain new perspective on the history of Houston and reconsider what it means to be Jewish in the United States. The opportunity to work first hand with materials in the Houston Jewish History Archive also gave me the chance to research and write without a prescribed lens or narrative and to create that myself as a historian."

Maximilian Murdoch An Ear to the Ground: Institutional Response to Demographic Change by a Houston Synogague

"Working hands-on with archival materials and historical artifacts was a rich and rewarding experience for me, as was expanding my understanding of Texas Jewish history and the history of Houston. As an aspiring historian, it was ddply cool and so much fun to et the chance to learn history directly from teh sources and develop my own understanding of the story they told."

RELI 392 Jerusalem: Holy City in Time & Imagination 2017

Rachel Galton Mapping Jerusalem (an interactive website)

"I am so grateful to have been a part of the course this year. It surpassed my expectations in so many ways and will continue to shape my thinking about the world for years to come."

Mia Polansky "Two Sides of One World" (an illustrated story)

Isaac Schultz collection of poetry

"The class impassioned me to be bolder in my opinions and, more importantly, to truly listen and strive to understand and respect other opinions."

SOCI 363 African American - Jewish Relations: Race, Religion, Politics, and Pop Culture

Maddie Bowen The Leo Frank Case by Leonard Dinnerstein (presentation slides)