Study Abroad in the Czech Republic: Jewish Studies in Prague – Academics

Jewish Studies Curriculum: How the Academics Fit Together

Prague never lets you go… this dear little mother has sharp claws.

– Franz Kafka

CET Jewish Studies students spend their term in a city rich with history, community and culture: Prague, Czech Republic. And as they explore, inquire and engage, students find, as Kafka did, that Prague gets under the skin.

To start, students take a mix of courses–many in Jewish Studies, one in Czech language, one that takes them traveling. Courses provide the foundation for inquiry about Prague and its region. What constitutes Jewish culture in today’s diverse Europe? Where did Kafka get his inspiration?

To find answers, students use the unique resources around them: The library of the Jewish Museum; and The Malach Centre, a branch of the USC Shoah Foundation Institute. This institute was established by Steven Spielberg in 1994, inspired by his experience making Schindler’s List.

Outside of class, students engage with the Jewish Community. They come to understand what this community faces in modern-day Prague. They speak with Jewish youth, many of whom have only recently discovered their Jewish roots and are searching for identity.

And students give back to Prague. Through group service projects, they volunteer their time and energy to help better the local community that has embraced them.

In this one-of-a-kind program, students grab hold of Prague. And as Kafka promised, Prague will never let them go.

Jewish Studies Fall & Spring Academic Requirements

All students enroll in the core course–Modern History of the Jews in East Central Europe. This course is the academic axis of the study abroad program. Students learn the historical context behind their day-to-day interactions. 39 total hours. 3 recommended credits.

Students take three electives. Most electives are in Jewish Studies. Academic disciplines include history, history of art, film, political science, popular culture and literature. One of the three electives may be in Central European Studies. Students are encouraged to select Political and Cultural History of Central Europe in the 20th Century. Electives are taught in English. 39 total hours each. 3 recommended credits each.

All students enroll in a mini-course–Traveling Seminar: Interactions in Central Europe. Students take this course as they embark on their traveling seminar around Central Europe. The course merges readings and discussions with the sites students visit during the trip. 15 total hours. 1 recommended credit.

All students enroll in Czech Language. Czech language classes are “front-loaded.” This means that for the first week of the program, they meet for 4 hours/day. No other classes meet during this time. After that, language classes continue but at a slower pace, approximately 3 hours/week. All language levels are offered. 59 total hours. 3 recommended credits.

Students may participate in service-learning. Students provide service to a local organization. They take a course that contextualizes that work: What does it mean to serve? How does the placement organization intersect with the local community? A section of the course is dedicated to reflection and discussion. Recommended credits TBD.

Students may take one elective at the host university in Prague. Upon arrival in Prague, students may choose to enroll in one course at the Humanities Faculty of Charles University or a non-production course at FAMU: the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts. Courses are taught in English. An additional fee of 150 Euros/credit applies to FAMU electives. Most classes are 1.5 to 3 credits. Students interested in this option should contact CET upon acceptance into the program.

View all course options and download syllabi.

Classroom Matters

Summer Term

CET Jewish Studies operates during the fall and spring semesters. Students interested in spending a summer term in Prague should consider the CET Prague Summer Interdisciplinary Studies program. This 8-week program takes advantage of the academic resources already in place for the CET Prague and CET Jewish Studies semester programs. Students take courses in Central European history, politics, film and art.

Prerequisites

There is no language prerequisite for this program. Students of all Czech language levels are welcome.

Language Class Placement

Czech language class placement is determined by:

• The results of a placement exam taken upon arrival in Prague.
• The student’s transcripts.
• The student’s Czech language ability as demonstrated in the application.

Adjustments to placements are made during the first week of classes.

Academic Rigor

CET Jewish Studies is a program for serious students. Classes meet Mondays through Fridays. Students can expect one hour of prep time for every one hour of class time. Active participation in classes and attendance at all site visits are mandatory.

Czech Classmates

Courses are designed and taught specifically for CET students. In some terms, Czech students may be invited to enroll. CET students soon find that Czech peers lend a new perspective to class discussions. The arrangement sparks cross-cultural dialogue that often continues after class ends.

Outside the Classroom

Academic Excursions

The CET Jewish Studies program helps students find Jewish and Central European culture and history on every street corner. The program arranges opportunities that students would not normally have on their own. Past students have:

• Viewed Jewish films with their Czech Jewish peers.
• Visited Radio Free Europe.
• Attended events with the Czech Prime Minister, Israeli President and Israeli Ambassador.
• Seen the Czech Parliament.

Traveling Seminar

CET Jewish Studies students travel around Central Europe with expert guides. This weeklong journey includes a mini-course, Traveling Seminar: Interactions in Central Europe, and is a well-loved part of the study abroad experience. Past students have:

• Spoken with Poles who rescued Jews during the Holocaust.
• Visited the former factory of Oskar Schindler in Krakow, Poland.
• Met with local Jewish youth groups.
• Designed activities with children at local Jewish schools.

Overnight Academic Excursions

Twice each semester, students depart Prague and venture on an overnight excursion together.

• Budapest. Students explore Central Europe’s largest Jewish community on a weekend trip to Hungary’s capital. Past trips have included a Hungarian dinner with the Jewish Community. Students have also visited Turkish baths, covered markets and the Dohany Street Synagogue.
• Cesky Krumlov. This is a beautiful medieval/renaissance castle town on the Austrian border. The castles, deserted German villages and natural beauty of Cesky Krumlov’s surrounding region give students a new perspective on Czech history and culture.

Day Trip to Terezin

Students visit a concentration camp for Czechoslovak Jews during World War II. This is a life-changing excursion. But far from a tour of gloom, the trip provides a nuanced look at the camp and seeks an understanding of the modern Jewish community. Students:

• View the exhibition of artwork created by camp internees.
• Tour the political prison and Jewish ghetto with a Holocaust survivor or German volunteer as guide.
• Learn about Jewish spiritual resistance in the “hidden” synagogue.

Community Service

All students participate in group community service projects. CET urges students to use these projects as a way to create relationships with, and give back to, the Prague Jewish Community. Past projects have included:

• Conversing with residents at a Jewish nursing home.
• Landscaping local cemeteries.
• Teaching at a program for disadvantaged youth.

Students wishing to pursue individual service projects may enroll in the service-learning course.