Cornell University will institute a Jewish studies program in its Arts College this fall. It will examine the history and culture of the Jewish people. The action stemmed from a petition drive, begun last October by the Committee of Concerned Jews at Cornell. Rabbi George Sobelman, in announcing the program, said, “for a university of this caliber to have no courses on Mideast history, government or culture, or in modern Hebrew, is surprising, curious and disappointing.”
The petition sponsors collected over 1.000 signatures last year and presented them to Stuart M. Brown, the university’s vice president for academic affairs. When no action was. taken, another petition was drafted which collected the signatures of 100 arts professors. The education policy committee of the Arts College approved the petitions on May 7. Among the classes to be offered will be modern Hebrew, through the department of modern languages, and courses in the governments and history of the Middle East.
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