Past and Present: Exploring Jewish New York
July 21-25, 2025 Rose Hill
Non-Credit Course
New York City is the largest Jewish metropolis of all time, and also one of the most diverse. Since 1654, Jews from around the world have traveled to New York to seek refuge, opportunity, and community. Change has been an essential part of the New York Jewish community's growth. Once, the Bronx was the most Jewish borough. Now, Brooklyn is home to the most Jews, and the Bronx the fewest. Neighborhoods like the Lower East Side, sometimes called the Jewish Plymouth Rock, still bear traces of their immigrant pasts. In this course, students will experience the vibrancy of Jewish life and research at Fordham University while learning about the depth and breadth of Jewish history and culture in the city at large. Over the course of the program, participants will see Jewish New York in four dimensions; through time as well as space.
Skills/Learning Outcomes
- Students will be able to trace the history of Jewish life in New York City through time (from the mid-1800s to the present) and space (in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Brooklyn).
- Students will be able to connect various methods of historical research to the history they are being taught in school through first hand experiences, such as conducting oral history interviews, examining archival materials, museum visits, and walking tours.
- Students from diverse backgrounds will work together to learn about the diversity of the city and its Jewish communities.
- Students will be able to advocate for current Jewish cultural institutions in their city to their peers and others.
Course Schedule
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In this session, we will assess our background knowledge about the history of Fordham University as well as the history of Jewish New York, and learn about the historical resources that the university has to offer for the study of Jews in New York. This will include:
- A historical tour of Fordham’s Rose Hill campus.
- A scavenger hunt at Walsh Family Library, including Special Collections and Jewish Studies’ archival materials.
- Preparation for and completion of mock oral history interviews with guest speakers Dr. Mark Naison and Dr. Charles Fogelman.
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In this session, we will learn about the Jewish history of the Bronx, and connect this borough’s past and present. This will include:
- Walking tours along Grand Concourse and the East Bronx led by Dr. Charles Fogelman.
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In this session, we will learn about the Jewish history of the Lower East Side. This will include:
- A walking tour of the Lower East Side, including a walk by the Eldridge Street Synagogue.
- A tour of the Tenement Museum, including a conversation with museum staff and curators.
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In this session, we will learn about the history of and current Jewish life in Brooklyn. This will include:
- Visits to the cultural centers diverse religious communities in Brooklyn, including Hasidic, Syrian, Kavkazi and liberal Jewish groups and meetings with communal leaders.
- A walking tour of Jewish neighborhoods.
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In this session, we will review and supplement our knowledge on the state of Jewish life in New York City today. This will include:
- A tour of the Bronx Museum of the Arts, which was once a synagogue and now an important cultural center.
- Student presentations on their most meaningful part of the course.
Course Details
Past and Present: Exploring Jewish New York
July 21-25, 2025, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Rose Hill Campus
Instructor: Daniel Soyer, Sophia Maier, Reyna Stovall
Course Number: SULA 0112 RP4
CRN: 16473
This non-credit course is open to high school students only. Kosher lunches will be available daily.
Tuition
Residential: $1,650.00 (2024 rate; 2025 rate will be available by December 15)
Tuition for the residential program includes the course, course materials, housing, meals, and excursions in and outside of class. Move-in is Sunday afternoon, the day before classes begin. Please click here for a more detailed calendar of important dates.
Commuter: $1,225.00 (2024 rate; 2025 rate will be available by December 15)
Tuition for commuters includes the course, course materials, lunches, and excursions in and outside of class. Additional meals are available on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Students may wish to bring funds for incidentals, shopping at the Fordham Bookstore, souvenirs, and any personal items they wish to purchase.
Apply
Application deadlines:
Course and housing: April 15, 2025; course only: May 15, 2025. Please note that admission decisions are rolling until the class is full, and course caps are around 20 students. Apply by April 1, 2025 to be considered for a limited number of need-based discounts. We recommend early application.
Application Requirements: this non-credit course is open to high school students who have completed their first year. The course is recommended for those with a 3.0 or better. No prior experience with the subject matter is required.
To apply, you will need a copy of your high school transcript and your fall report card if the grades are not reflected on your transcript.
If you are applying for housing, a brief letter of recommendation from a guidance counselor, coach, instructor, or supervisor, attesting to your maturity and responsibility as a student is required.
Please make note of the course details above because you will select your course as part of your application.