Skip to main content
Borns Jewish Studies Program

Minor in Jewish Studies

Students on Summer 2020, Fall 2020, or Spring 2021 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. Minor Courses. 15 credit hours:
    • Jewish Studies Program (JSTU) 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-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 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-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 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 395 Global Experience in Jewish Studies
      • JSTU-X 491 Individual Readings in Hebrew
    • Courses offered by other departments and programs
      • AAAD-A 257 Monuments and Memories: Jewish and Black Experiences
      • 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 topics: "Fantasy, Realism, & Fiction in Early Modern & Modern ‘Classic’ Yiddish Literature"; "Yiddish Life, Literature, & Memory"; "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")
      • COLL-C 103 Critical Approaches to the Arts and Humanities (approved topics: "Question of Identity: Judaism"; "Religion & Law"; "White Supremacism and Antisemitism on Social Media"; "Who Wrote the Bible?")
      • ENG-L 241 American Jewish Writers
      • ENG-L 367 Literature of the Bible
      • ENG-L 375 Studies in Jewish Literature
      • EURO-W 405 Special Topics in European Studies (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • EURO-W 406 Special Topics in European Studies (approved topic: "Anne Frank 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-E 371 Special Topics in Germanic Studies (approved topic: "Jewish Migration to Germany 1945 to Present")
      • GER-X 493 Individual Readings in Yiddish Studies: Language, Literature, Culture
      • GER-Y 100 Beginning Yiddish I
      • GER-Y 150 Beginning Yiddish II
      • GER-Y 200 Intermediate Yiddish I
      • GER-Y 250 Intermediate Yiddish II
      • 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 only; see academic advisor)
      • HIST-B 300 Issues in Western European History (approved topic: "Jewish Migration to Germany 1945 Until Today")
      • HIST-B 303 Issues in Modern European History (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • 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-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: "Reading Testimonies of the Holocaust"; "Testimonies of Violence")
      • HIST-J 400 Seminar in History (approved topic: "Perpetrating Genocide")
      • HIST-W 335 The History of Genocide
      • 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 topic: "The Agnostic Bible")
      • MELC-M 214 Multiple Voices of Israeli Society
      • MELC-M 216 Israeli Inequality in Context
      • MELC-M 334 What is Middle Eastern? Perspectives Gained through Comparison with Israel
      • MSCH-J 360 Journalism Specialties (approved topics: "Jews in the Media"; "Antisemitism in Social Media")
      • PHIL-P 205 Modern Jewish Philosophy
      • PHIL-P 305 Topics in the Philosophy of Judaism
      • POLS-Y 348 The Politics of Genocide
      • POLS-Y 352 The Holocaust and Politics
      • POLS-Y 360 United States Foreign Policy (with departmental approval)
      • POLS-Y 362 International Politics of Selected Regions (with departmental approval)
      • POLS-Y 363 Comparative Foreign Policy (with departmental approval)
      • 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 topic: "Bible & Ethics, Love, Poetry, & War")
      • REL-A 305 Ancient Mediterranean Religions (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • REL-A 314 Gender and Power in the Hebrew Bible
      • 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 319 Magic and Witchcraft in the Ancient World
      • 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 topics only; see academic advisor)
      • REL-A 430 Topics in the History of Judaism
      • REL-A 440 Judaism and Gender: Philosophical and Theological Perspectives
      • REL-A 450 Topics in the History of Christianity (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • REL-C 230 American Jewish History
      • REL-C 323 Jews and Race in the United States
      • REL-D 362 Religious Issues in Contemporary Judaism
      • REL-R 152 Jews, Christians, Muslims
      • REL-R 300 Studies in Religion (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • MUS-M 410 COMPOSER OR GENRE
  2. Minor GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
    1. Minor GPA. 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.
    2. Minor Minimum Grade. Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the minor.
    3. Minor Upper Division Credit Hours. At least 9 credit hours in the minor must be completed at the 300–499 level.
    4. Minor Residency. 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.

Minor Area Courses

Unless otherwise noted below, the following courses are considered in the academic program and will count toward academic program requirements as appropriate:

  • Any course at the 100–499 level with the JSTU subject area prefix—as well as any other subject areas that are deemed functionally equivalent
  • Any course contained on the course lists for the academic program requirements at the time the course is taken—as well as any other courses that are deemed functionally equivalent—except for those listed only under Addenda Requirements
  • Any course directed to a non-Addenda requirement through an approved exception
Exclusions

The following courses cannot be applied toward minor requirements:

  • JSTU-H 196 Foreign Study in Hebrew
  • JSTU-H 296 Foreign Study in Hebrew
  • JSTU-H 396 Foreign Study in Hebrew
  • JSTU-H 496 Foreign Study in Hebrew
  • JSTU-X 170 Leadership in Jewish Studies
Restrictions

The following restrictions apply to the minimum credit hours required in the minor:

  • Up to two (2) of the following may count toward the minor:
    • 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

This program of study cannot be combined with the following:

  • Bachelor of Arts in Jewish Studies (JSTUBA)
  • Certificate in Jewish Studies (JSTUACRT)

Exceptions to and substitutions for minor requirements may be made with the approval of the unit's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.