RELJ 3490

this class is a LOT of work but a decently easy A if you complete everything on time. The professor is nice enough but there were definitely moments in her class where she would talk over students or cut them off when they were trying to add to discussion. Elizabeth is super sweet and always willing to help so don't be too shy to ask her for help or feedback on projects. it's not a bad class, and an A+ is pretty attainable without doing any of the reading if you ask elizabeth for feedback on your projects. the most annoying thing about this course is that there is almost NO communication of your grade throughout the semester. i mean we even took a small, multiple choice quiz at the beginning of September that could've easily been graded by collab but we didn't a grade for them at all. if you do take this class be prepared to do a lot of work outside of class, a decent amount of group projects, and to not know what your grade is until it's posted on SIS at the end of the semester.

LOVE LOVE LOVE! The class is so interesting and Prof. Ochs is one of the best professors I have had so far. She is super nice and patient, and will take your year, your experience with religious studies and so forth into consideration when grading. That being said, she focuses more on your overall progress and the efforts you put into. A lot of people are unsatisfied with the grading. In my perspective, you don't really need to know how exactly every assignment is weighted because overall you only have three assignments, which means you need to pay attention to every assignment and really do it. The most important one is the midterm assignment. I spent 1 hr everyday doing that for almost a month before it was due. Many thought it was a fun and easy A class, but the truth is it is very interesting but not necessarily an easy A. I would recommend it to those who are interested in the subject matter and who are willing to spend time on it.

The course overall was very educational and interesting. I enjoyed the material and learning about Jewish culture and faith. My biggest issue with the class was the grading. It was extremely unclear how each assignment was weighted, and in the end I had no idea what grades I received on almost every assignment. It is extremely frustrated that I worked incredibly hard to receive a B+ when I thought I had come so far in the course. If you are the type of person that likes to know how you did on assignments, I would not recommend this class.

Professor Ochs is very nice and there are a lot of cool things you do in the class like acting out weddings and having guest speakers. The class was pretty disorganized when it came to grading and there was a very intensive midterm project and the final was pretty heavy as well. There were no tests and the homeworks were readings. Many of the readings were long and they could be pretty dense, I didn't always read them and did well but reading would help during the discussions. Due to limited grades and an undefined grading system its basically about impression. The only things that are graded are an assignment at the beginning, the midterm, and the final so the rest is about participation and effort. I would not consider this an "easy A" and you probably do need to try but it can be fun if you are interested in the topic. The class has a lot of talking and is mainly discussion but the 2.5 hours didn't seem to go by that slow.

I took this simply to fulfill my non-western perspectives requirement and I am so thankful I did. It sound silly to take a class about a simple ritual, but really you learn so much about Jewish culture and tradition. This class has opened up my eyes to something I never really thought about before and has enriched my understanding of something I never wanted to understand until now. I would really recommend taking this course, especially if you know nothing about Judaism. That being said, if you come in without any previous knowledge, know that there will be alot of Jewish students that will have much more knowledge than you, but that is ok.
In addition, Vanessa Ochs is an amazing and caring professor. She is very understanding and down to earth, and being a rabbi herself, she seems to personally know some of the students. It is a very intimate class and you have to be willing to get out of your comfort zone and try new things.
Most of your grade is group work: creating a wedding booklet and putting on a wedding. But don't let that scare you because it is very laid back. You should definitely try it out if you can.