Joel Kaminsky - Smith College, Northampton, MA

Professor: Joel Kaminsky

Department: Theology

College: Smith College, Northampton, MA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: REL310
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

I've taken courses with Professor Kaminsky for the bulk of my career at Smith. He can come across as dry or old-fashioned, but he cares a great deal about his students and is very thoughtful, helpful, and invested if you approach him. My one hope would be to see him consider more diverse voices (women, POC) in contemporary academic conversations.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: REL112
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Professor Kaminsky is very knowledgeable and does a good job of answering questions that people have. I did not know anything about the bible outside of some veggie tales episodes and the prince of Egypt. I really learned a lot in this class and gained a much more expanded perspective on religion, especially Judaism and Christianity

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: REL162
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

This is NOT AN INTRO CLASS. Come into this class knowing the bible backwards and forwards or you're in for a really rough semester. Kaminsky does not believe in trigger warnings, nor does he shy away from making jokes about rape and mental illness. He loves a good fat joke, as well as ones about whoring women.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: REL211
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Prof. Kaminsky is one of the best professors you can get at Smith. He expects you to put in a reasonable amount of effort in your work and really pushes you to write better. He also has the uncanny ability to make you fall in love with the Bible.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: REL210
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Loved Professor Kaminsky's clases! He's a great teacher. I enjoyed every minute of class even though I had to slog through the Old Testament to keep up.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: REL201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

horrible professor. take classes with other faculty in the religion department. completely unhelpful and condescending.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: HIS201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I wasn't impressed. His jokes weren't funny and he did seem to be a little Jewish centered, which I suppose makes sense since I took a History of the Hebrew Bible class, but...I still felt underappreciated as a Christian sometimes.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: REL215
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Prof kaminsky is great. I took his class 3 years ago and he still says hi to me by name. The class itself was fascinating, and he REALLY knows his stuff. He knows it academically and also as a practicing jew. I'm not jewish, and i never felt uncomfortable, i only felt like that made him able to answer questions more thoroughly.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: REL
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Prof K is witty, incredibly intelligent and very knowledgeable about his topic. He loves what he's talking about and that really comes through in his truly fascinating lectures. Basically, my favorite professor at Smith. His lectures were the highlight of my week.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: PEOPLEOFSTORY
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Joel remains the only professor who has suggested I "see the Jacobson Center" about my writing. Personal note: He rarely wrote constructive comments. Not that I don't make mistakes, but I'm a religion major with over a 3.5 gpa and tend to get notes about "great writing!" on papers from every other prof. He rubbed me the wrong way, let's just say.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: INTROTOBIBLE
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Only halfway through the course, but it's already my favorite class. Kaminsky is lively and witty, and really knows what he's talking about

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: REL
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

hated the man. very biased and completely insulted my religion. avoid if you have a religion outside of judiasm

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: REL105
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

joel rocks da house, yo!

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: RELIGION105
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Kaminsky is the man. Great, dry sense of humor. He keeps your attention even when the course material is boring.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: REL105
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

not too much written work but lots of reading. you really don't have to do all the reading to get a decent grade. very interesting class, highly recommended! many interesting speakers.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: REG210
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I find Joel pretty amusing as a professor, you just have to take his sense of humor with a grain of salt. He did a good job of elucidating the "big picture" of the bible.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: REL105
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Very amusing.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: REL210
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Considering taking a religion course? Joel is DA MAN!!!!!!!!!

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: REL210
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Joel's the bomb!! He's the smartest, funniest prof I've had at Smith!

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: REL
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

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