By Hadar Katsman, Staff Writer
We’ve all been there. It’s orientation week, and as questions are being flung around the room, someone inevitably asks you, “What’s your major?” The answer to that question in Yeshiva University is often “biology,” “psychology,” or “undecided.”
At YU, there are many majors to choose from. However, there are a few smaller majors and minors that rarely get their time in the spotlight. Students who pursue these majors appreciate all that the departments have to offer them, but also feel that they do not receive the resources and respect they deserve.
Tali Isaacs (SCW ‘27) | Political Science Major and Women’s Studies Minor
As someone who is interested in pre-law, Tali Isaacs (SCW ‘27) knew what topics she wanted to study, even though she has yet to officially declare her major. “I am very politically motivated and I find politics interesting and relevant and important,” she told the YU Observer. “I’m very conscious and involved in women’s issues.”
Isaacs said that while there are “a decent amount” of political science majors, there are not that many women’s studies minors. She said that the political science major has group chats, societies and events but her minor does not. “I didn’t know it existed until I started minoring in it,” she said, always thinking that she was going to minor in English.
While political science and women’s studies are relevant topics in every generation, Isaacs said, “A lot of people don’t care about politics either because they think it doesn’t affect them or because they think it’s boring or complicated.”
“Especially when you’re dealing with the demographic we typically deal with at Stern,” she added, “in general, they’re not going to be as affected by policy changes so they don’t have to worry about it.”
As one of Stern’s smaller majors, Isaacs does feel that some areas are lacking. “I do wish that we had some more options, some more classes, some more professors,” Isaacs said. “It’s the same one or two professors so if you don’t vibe with that professor particularly, you still have to take all their classes anyways because all their classes are required for the major.”
Isaacs said she appreciates how the political science professors are “very accommodating and very helpful.” She also said that the women’s studies minor covers a range of topics, such as women in history and politics, as well as art and Jewish studies.
“My women’s studies minor definitely gets backlash. I have had girls at Stern say to me that women’s studies is garbage,” Isaacs said. “Some people think that it’s irrelevant, it’s unnecessary, it’s made up.”
“We are learning really important things. We might be analyzing or talking about ideas that you have never heard of before, that you have never even thought about for one minute,” she added. “For you to draw conclusions about something that you have never heard about, maybe you should stop and reconsider.”
She also said that people have questioned why she studies political science because they think that the subject does not matter or make a difference. Yet, she has no hostility towards those who don’t care for her major because she believes major choices are personal.
Isaacs hopes that by pursuing this major and minor she can go into criminal prosecution and “make a difference” both in the lives of individuals and globally. “A lot of what we talk about does have real world implications,” she said. “We wouldn’t be where we are today if people hadn’t studied these things before us.”
Eden Lippe (SCW ‘25) | Art History Major and Studio Art Minor
Eden Lippe (SCW ‘25) said that she went on “a journey” in order to choose her major and minor, but started to consider them after she went on a trip with YU to Paris as part of an art history class titled “Manet, Dega and Modern Paris.”
Lippe told the YU Observer that this trip was “an amazing opportunity.” She continued “[It] showed me how much art history meant to me and how much it felt like a college experience major.”
Lippe said that she appreciates that her major is both small and well rounded. “It has the ability to be philosophical, creative, historical, analytical.”
Yet, after she graduates, Lippe plans to pursue an M.A. in Jewish Studies. After taking a class with Dr. Jacob Weiss titled Artistic Legacy in the Hebrew Bible, Lippe was inspired to see that art history could relate to her future career in unique ways.
After taking biology during her first year in YU, Lippe chose this major instead because she did not want to have the college experience of “survive and do well.” She continued, “I wanted a major that was going to enable me to have more of a college experience and value my time outside of class by being involved.”
Lippe thinks that Stern “definitely does have an issue with the studio art classes,” noting that getting into them is really hard for students who need to take them. Yet, she appreciates and values how both the art history department and art department offer a wide range of interesting topics.
Despite its amazing classes and professors, art history is one of YU’s smallest majors. This, Lippe said, is largely due to “the student demographic,” where much of the student body is pursuing careers related to the sciences.
“It’s just the reality. This is the Jewish community,” she said. “A lot of girls want to be pre-med and [in] art history, there is not such a versatile job market as there is for psychology.”
Lippe does think that the art history major is viewed as easier by other students, noting that people have told her they think she just looks at pictures all day. “I do think that art history and art majors are not appreciated at Stern,” Lippe said. “People can look down on them and think that the only thing that can be respected is biology.”
She recounted how a student was once studying for a calculus test, and said to her, “What I would give to be an art major right now.” Lippe added, “That really upset me because being an art major at Stern is really hard. You spend hours and hours on certain projects. It’s really difficult.”
Lippe added that she feels many in YU are not exposed to subjects outside of what they are used to. “College is all about a time of exploration. It’s about finding yourself and finding things that you are passionate about,” she said.
Hayley Goldberg (SCW ‘27) | Music and Education Double Major
Hayley Goldberg (SCW ‘27), who plays the violin, sings and is learning to play the piano, told the YU Observer that she “love[s] music” and that “it just felt right to have that as something that I will be doing for the rest of my life.”
The music major in YU is very small, a factor Goldberg does not like, but understands that it’s uncommon for people to pursue a career in music. “What are you going to be doing with music if you don’t have a very specific vision in mind?” she said.
Those interested in music may audition for various roles throughout theater, film, and television, but the possibility that they will get called back and have the opportunity to perform professionally is extremely low. Goldberg also said that it is very difficult to balance a lifestyle of performing professionally and raising a family.
“Contrary to popular belief, music is not an easy subject,” Goldberg, who plans to use her degrees to become a music teacher, said. She added that she wishes the music department would offer more classes, such as a class in music pedagogy (learning how to teach others music), without students having to ask for them.
“Was I just handed sheet music and said, ‘Go ahead, figure it out yourself?’ No,” she said. “You need to learn music yourself to know how to teach it.”
She also said that for her major, she takes directed studies which cost more money, something she was not informed of. “I need composition for my major and if they don’t offer composition as a regular class and they only offer it as a directed study, I can’t necessarily pay $500 more a semester to do a class like that,” she said.
Though Stern’s music major is small in number, it is large at heart and benefits those who want to give over the beauty and healing of music to the next generation, Goldberg said. “You don’t find a balance between music and Jewish education except here.”
Photo Caption: The Music Department Bulletin Board
Photo Credit: Emily Goldberg / the YU Observer