Despite fears of devastating cuts, the University of Oregon’s Judaic and Holocaust studies programs have survived untouched as the school moves to slash faculty positions to plug a $29 million deficit.
After weeks of mounting anxiety and dire warnings, Judaic Studies at the University of Oregon has emerged unscathed from sweeping budget cuts that will claim about 20 career faculty positions across campus.
University administrators announced late Monday that no tenured or tenure-track faculty and no degree programs would be cut. The highly symbolic tenure-track chair in Holocaust Studies—a cornerstone of the school’s Judaic program—remains secure.
Provost leaders told NPR affiliate KLCC the university had prioritized its “academic mission and student success.” The faculty union credited its persistent advocacy for shielding Judaic Studies from elimination.
The relief follows a storm of concern from scholars worldwide. The Association for Jewish Studies, the Genocide and Holocaust Studies Crisis Network, and dozens of academics had pressed Oregon administrators not to gut the program, warning of an erosion in Jewish education. One open letter pointedly asked: “Why don’t UO’s leaders want students to learn about Jews?”
Behind the scenes, support also came from Jordan Schnitzer, a Portland philanthropist who endowed the department and recently pledged $25 million to the school. Schnitzer told reporters before the announcement that he trusted the Judaic Studies faculty would remain protected.
The Oregon episode highlights broader pressures: universities nationwide are slashing budgets, even as the Trump administration’s funding battles with higher education bring Jewish studies into the political spotlight. Some schools have struck agreements with Washington to secure federal dollars, raising concerns among scholars about Jewish studies being positioned as a “court Jew” field—protected but resented.
For now, Oregon’s program survives—but the storm surrounding Jewish education in American academia is far from over.After weeks of mounting anxiety and dire warnings, Judaic Studies at the University of Oregon has emerged unscathed from sweeping budget cuts that will claim about 20 career faculty positions across campus.
University administrators announced late Monday that no tenured or tenure-track faculty and no degree programs would be cut. The highly symbolic tenure-track chair in Holocaust Studies—a cornerstone of the school’s Judaic program—remains secure.
Provost leaders told NPR affiliate KLCC the university had prioritized its “academic mission and student success.” The faculty union credited its persistent advocacy for shielding Judaic Studies from elimination.
The relief follows a storm of concern from scholars worldwide. The Association for Jewish Studies, the Genocide and Holocaust Studies Crisis Network, and dozens of academics had pressed Oregon administrators not to gut the program, warning of an erosion in Jewish education. One open letter pointedly asked: “Why don’t UO’s leaders want students to learn about Jews?”
Behind the scenes, support also came from Jordan Schnitzer, a Portland philanthropist who endowed the department and recently pledged $25 million to the school. Schnitzer told reporters before the announcement that he trusted the Judaic Studies faculty would remain protected.
The Oregon episode highlights broader pressures: universities nationwide are slashing budgets, even as the Trump administration’s funding battles with higher education bring Jewish studies into the political spotlight. Some schools have struck agreements with Washington to secure federal dollars, raising concerns among scholars about Jewish studies being positioned as a “court Jew” field—protected but resented.
For now, Oregon’s program survives—but the storm surrounding Jewish education in American academia is far from over.
