Skip to main content
Borns Jewish Studies Program

Minor in Jewish Studies

Students on Summer 2019, Fall 2019, or Spring 2020 requirements JSTUMIN
Students who pursue the Minor in Jewish Studies will learn about cultural and religious diversity. The knowledge can be applied to real-world situations, whether in Jewish contexts or otherwise, and will enrich the intellectual breadth of the student's experience at IU.

Requirements

The minor requires at least 15 credit hours, including the requirements listed below.
  1. Select from the following courses:
    • Jewish Studies Program (JSTU) courses
      • JSTU-C 214 Multiple Voices of Israeli Society
      • JSTU-C 216 Israeli Inequality in Context
      • JSTU-C 240 Contemporary Israeli Culture
      • JSTU-C 260 Israeli Film and Fiction
      • JSTU-C 334 What is Middle Eastern? Perspectives Gained through Comparison with Israel
      • JSTU-C 340 The Kibbutz in Fact and Fiction
      • JSTU-H 460 Israeli Film and Fiction in Hebrew
      • JSTU-H 477 Victims and Avengers: Readings in the Holocaust Literature of Israel in Hebrew
      • JSTU-H 480 Modern Hebrew Literature in Hebrew
      • JSTU-H 485 Recent Hebrew Literature in Hebrew
      • JSTU-J 203 Arts and Humanities Topics in Jewish Studies
      • JSTU-J 204 Social and Historical Topics in Jewish Studies
      • JSTU-J 220 Sacred Books of the Jews
      • JSTU-J 230 Introduction to Judaism
      • JSTU-J 251 Introduction to Jewish History: From the Bible to Spanish Expulsion
      • JSTU-J 252 Introduction to Jewish History: From Spanish Expulsion to the Present
      • JSTU-J 254 Israel: History, Society, Culture
      • JSTU-J 257 Monuments and Memories: Jewish and Black Experiences
      • JSTU-J 258 Representing Jews and African Americans in American Musical Theater
      • JSTU-J 259 American Jewish History
      • JSTU-J 260 Literary Masterpieces of Muslim Spain
      • JSTU-J 262 Muslim-Jewish Relations in the Twentieth and Twenty-first Centuries
      • JSTU-J 303 Arts and Humanities Topics in Jewish Studies
      • JSTU-J 304 Social and Historical Topics in Jewish Studies
      • JSTU-J 306 Israel: History, Society, Politics, Culture
      • JSTU-J 310 Jews and Race
      • JSTU-J 316 Jews, Christians, and Others in Late Antiquity
      • JSTU-J 317 Judaism in the Making
      • JSTU-J 319 Magic and Witchcraft in the Ancient World
      • JSTU-J 320 Rabbinic Judaism: Literature and Beliefs
      • JSTU-J 323 History of the Holocaust
      • JSTU-J 324 Zionism and the State of Israel
      • JSTU-J 325 Jerusalem: The Holy City
      • JSTU-J 357 American Jewish Popular Music
      • JSTU-J 358 Music in Judaism
      • JSTU-J 359 Exploring Jewish Identity Today
      • JSTU-J 360 Muslim Spain and Portugal: History and Memory
      • JSTU-J 375 Women in the Bible
      • JSTU-J 403 Arts and Humanities Topics in Jewish Studies
      • JSTU-J 404 Social and Historical Topics in Jewish Studies
      • JSTU-L 270 Coming to America: History and Memory of Immigration in Jewish Literature
      • JSTU-L 280 David: The Man and the King
      • JSTU-L 285 Guns and Roses: Representations of Soldiers and War in Modern Hebrew Literature
      • JSTU-L 377 Victims and Avengers: Readings in the Holocaust Literature of Israel (in English Translation)
      • JSTU-L 380 Modern Hebrew Literature in English
      • JSTU-L 385 Recent Hebrew Literature in English
      • JSTU-L 390 Biblical Themes in Modern Hebrew Literature
      • JSTU-L 391 David: The Man and the King
      • JSTU-L 395 S. Y. Agnon and the Jewish Experience
      • JSTU-X 376 Professional Leadership and the Jewish Community
      • JSTU-X 395 Global Experience in Jewish Studies
      • JSTU-X 490 Individual Readings in Jewish Studies
      • Up to two (2) Hebrew (Modern or biblical) or Yiddish language courses:
        • JSTU-B 100 Introduction to Biblical Hebrew I
        • JSTU-B 150 Introduction to Biblical Hebrew II
        • JSTU-B 200 Intermediate Biblical Hebrew I
        • JSTU-B 250 Intermediate Biblical Hebrew II
        • JSTU-H 100 Elementary Modern Hebrew I
        • JSTU-H 150 Elementary Modern Hebrew II
        • JSTU-H 200 Intermediate Modern Hebrew I
        • JSTU-H 250 Intermediate Modern Hebrew II
        • JSTU-H 300 Advanced Modern Hebrew I
        • JSTU-H 350 Advanced Modern Hebrew II
        • JSTU-H 365 Advanced Hebrew Conversation and Composition
        • JSTU-H 375 Introductory Readings in Hebrew Literature (in Hebrew)
        • JSTU-X 491 Individual Readings in Hebrew
        • GER-Y 100 Beginning Yiddish I
        • GER-Y 150 Beginning Yiddish II
        • GER-Y 200 Intermediate Yiddish I
        • GER-Y 250 Intermediate Yiddish II
    • Courses offered by other departments and programs
      • ARTH-A 245 Jewish Art
      • CMLT-C 100 Freshman Seminar (approved topic: "The Agnostic Bible")
      • CMLT-C 301 Special Topics in Comparative Literature (approved topic: "The Agnostic Bible")
      • CMLT-C 377 Topics in Yiddish Literature (approved topic: "Yiddish Life: On Page, on Screen, on Stage")
      • CMLT-C 378 Topics in Yiddish Culture (approved topics: "Culture, Memory, and Identity: Yiddish in the Post-Holocaust World"; "Ghetto, Shtetl, and Beyond: Millennium of History and Society of Yiddish")
      • CMLT-C 400 Studies in Comparative Literature (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • CMLT-C 405 Senior Seminar in Comparative Literature (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • COLL-C 103 Critical Approaches to the Arts and Humanities (approved topics: "Representing the Holocaust"; "Power, Politics, and Piety: Nationalism and Territory in Israel/Palestine"; "Question of Identity: Judaism"; "Who Wrote the Bible?")
      • ENG-L 241 American Jewish Writers
      • ENG-L 367 Literature of the Bible
      • ENG-L 375 Studies in Jewish Literature
      • ENG-L 460 Seminar: Literary Form, Mode, and Theme (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • EURO-W 405 Special Topics in European Studies (approved topic: "European Anti-Semitism")
      • EURO-W 406 Special Topics in European Studies (approved topic: "Anne Frank: Her Diary in Perspective")
      • GER-E 341 Dutch Culture: The Modern Netherlands (approved topic: "Anne Frank: Her Diary in Perspective")
      • GER-E 351 Topics in Yiddish Literature
      • GER-E 352 Topics in Yiddish Culture
      • GER-X 493 Individual Readings in Yiddish Studies: Language, Literature, Culture
      • HIST-A 379 Issues in Modern United States History (approved topic: "The Holocaust in American Memory")
      • HIST-B 200 Issues in Western European History (approved topics: "Extreme Violence in Europe 1900-1945: Political Utopias, Ethnic Conflict, and Total War"; "War and Violence in 20th Century Europe"; "The Zionist Movement between Europe and Palestine/Israel")
      • HIST-B 300 Issues in Western European History (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • HIST-B 303 Issues in Modern European History (approved topic: "Anti-Semitism in Europe Since the Enlightenment")
      • HIST-B 315 European Anti-Semitism from the Enlightenment to the Holocaust
      • HIST-B 321 European Jews in the Age of Discovery
      • HIST-B 322 Jews in the Modern World
      • HIST-B 323 History of the Holocaust
      • HIST-B 324 Zionism and the State of Israel
      • HIST-B 330 The Jews of Spain
      • HIST-B 400 Issues in Western European History (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • HIST-C 230 Israel: History, Society, Culture
      • HIST-C 300 Issues in Classical and Byzantine History (approved topics: "Jews, Christians, and Muslims in the Medieval Mediterranean"; "Three Cultures in the Medieval Mediterranean: Interactions between Muslims, Christians, and Jews")
      • HIST-C 305 Issues in Near Eastern History
      • HIST-D 304 Jews of Eastern Europe
      • HIST-H 251 Introduction to Jewish History: From the Bible to Spanish Expulsion
      • HIST-H 252 Introduction to Jewish History: From Spanish Expulsion to the Present
      • HIST-H 259 American Jewish History
      • HIST-J 300 Seminar In History (approved topics: "Economy and the Jews"; "The Jewish Body"; "The Jews of Islam"; "Jewish History in (Auto) Biographies"; "Perpetrators of the Holocaust"; "Testimonies of the Holocaust")
      • HIST-J 400 Seminar in History (approved topics: "Anti-Semitism and Jewish Responses"; "Jewish Cultural History of the Modern Era"; "Jewish Emancipation"; "Perpetrating Genocide"; "Perpetrators of the Holocaust")
      • HIST-W 300 Issues in World History (approved topic: "Refugees and Migrants")
      • HIST-W 335 The History of Genocide (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • HON-H 234 Literature of Time and Place (approved topics: "Anne Frank and Hitler: Studies in the Representations of Good and Evil"; "Literature of the Holocaust")
      • HON-H 303 Interdepartmental Colloquia (approved topics: "The Agnostic Bible"; "The American Jewish Experience"; "American Jewish Writers"; "Literature of the Holocaust"; "Poetics of Biblical Narrative")
      • HON-H 304 Interdepartmental Colloquia (approved topic: "Refugees and Migrants")
      • INTL-I 300 Topics in International Studies (approved topic: "Refugees and Migrants")
      • NELC-N 204 (approved topic: "Prostitutes, Homemakers, and CEOs: Israel and the Concept of University Women's Experiences")
      • NELC-N 214
      • NELC-N 216
      • NELC-N 260
      • NELC-N 303 (approved topics: "Jewish Philosophy in the Medieval World: The Jews of Islam"; "Muslim Spain")
      • NELC-N 305 (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • NELC-N 360
      • PHIL-P 205 Modern Jewish Philosophy
      • PHIL-P 305 Topics in the Philosophy of Judaism
      • POLS-Y 352 The Holocaust and Politics
      • REL-A 202 Issues in African, European, and West Asian Religions (approved topic: "Women in American Jewish History")
      • REL-A 210 Introduction to the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible
      • REL-A 220 Introduction to the New Testament
      • REL-A 230 Introduction to Judaism
      • REL-A 235 Sacred Books of the Jews
      • REL-A 300 Studies in African, European, and West Asian Religions (approved topics: "Rabbinic Judaism"; "Torah, Temple, and God in Ancient Judaism"; "Understanding the Rabbinic Mind")
      • REL-A 305 Ancient Mediterranean Religions (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • REL-A 315 Prophecy in Ancient Israel
      • REL-A 316 Jews, Christians, and Others in Late Antiquity
      • REL-A 317 Judaism in the Making
      • REL-A 318 Rabbinic Judaism: Literature and Beliefs
      • REL-A 321 Paul and His Influence in Early Christianity
      • REL-A 335 Introduction to Jewish Mysticism
      • REL-A 375 Women in the Bible
      • REL-A 415 Topics in Ancient Israelite Religion (approved topic: "Studies in Rabbinic and Talmudic Literature")
      • REL-A 430 Topics in the History of Judaism (approved topics: "Bible and Beyond: Reading Early Jewish Literature"; "The Struggle for the Holy Land: Power, Piety, and Politics in the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict"; "Talmud")
      • REL-A 440 Judaism and Gender: Philosophical and Theological Perspectives
      • REL-A 450 Topics in the History of Christianity (approved topic: "Jews and Christians: Pilgrims and Exiles: Late Ancient and Early Medieval Imaginings of Travel, Territory, and Identity")
      • REL-C 230 American Jewish History
      • REL-C 323 Jews and Race in the United States
      • REL-D 300 Studies in Theory, Ethics, and Comparison (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • REL-D 362 Religious Issues in Contemporary Judaism
      • REL-D 410 Topics in Religious Thought (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • REL-R 152 Jews, Christians, Muslims
      • REL-R 300 Studies in Religion (approved topic: "Jewish Critics of Zionism")
      • BUS-L 272 GLOBAL BUSINESS IMMERSION-BUSINESS LAW & ETHICS (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • BUS-X 272 GLOBAL BUSINESS IMMERSION (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • MUS-M 410 COMPOSER OR GENRE (approved topics: "American Jewish Popular Music"; "Music in Judaism")
  2. Minor GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
    1. At least 9 credit hours in the minor must be completed in courses taken through the Indiana University Bloomington campus or an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program.
    2. At least 9 credit hours in the minor must be completed at the 300–499 level.
    3. Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the minor.
    4. A GPA of at least 2.000 for all courses taken in the minor—including those where a grade lower than C- is earned—is required.
    5. Exceptions to minor requirements may be made with the approval of the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.