Department of Germanic Studies
Minor in Yiddish Studies (Minors)
Students on Summer 2018, Fall 2018, or Spring 2019 requirements YIDDSHMIN
Requirements
The minor requires at least 15 credit hours, including the requirements listed below.
- Beginning Yiddish II. One (1) course:
- GER-Y 150 Beginning Yiddish II
GER-Y 150 Beginning Yiddish II
- Credits
- 4
- Prerequisites
- GER-Y 100
- Description
- Introduction to the Yiddish language and selected aspects of Yiddish-language culture. Development of listening comprehension, simple speaking proficiency, controlled reading and writing skills.
- Intermediate Yiddish I. One (1) course:
- GER-Y 200 Intermediate Yiddish I
GER-Y 200 Intermediate Yiddish I
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- GER-Y 150 or consent of instructor
- Description
- Development of speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills. Review of basic grammar and study of new grammatical topics. Reading of short fictional texts and other writings on Jewish culture. Taught in alternate years.
- Intermediate Yiddish II. One (1) course:
- GER-Y 250 Intermediate Yiddish II
GER-Y 250 Intermediate Yiddish II
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- GER-Y 200 or consent of instructor
- Description
- Continuing development of active and passive skills. Additional new grammar concepts. Emphasis on development of reading skills and cultural knowledge through literary and journalistic texts including texts in nonstandardized orthographies. Taught in alternate years.
- Electives. Nine (9) credit hours:
- One of the following:
- GER-E 351 Topics in Yiddish Literature
- CMLT-C 377 Topics in Yiddish Literature
- One of the following:
- CMLT-C 378 Topics in Yiddish Culture
- GER-E 352 Topics in Yiddish Culture
- GER-X 493 Individual Readings in Yiddish Studies: Language, Literature, Culture
- HIST-D 304 Jews of Eastern Europe
GER-E 351 Topics in Yiddish Literature
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Selected topics focusing on Yiddish fiction and drama (1810-1914) or twentieth-century Yiddish fiction, drama, and poetry. Taught in English. No prior knowledge of Yiddish required. Topics vary.
- Repeatability
- May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours in CMLT-C 377, GER-E 351, and GER-Y 300.
- Spring 2025CASE AHcourseFall 2024CASE AHcourse
CMLT-C 377 Topics in Yiddish Literature
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Notes
- R: CMLT-C 205 or 3 credit hours of literature
- Description
- Selected topics focusing on Yiddish fiction and drama (1810-1914) or twentieth-century Yiddish fiction, drama, and poetry. Taught in English. No prior knowledge of Yiddish required. Topics vary.
- Repeatability
- May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours for any combination of CMLT-C 377 and GER-E 351.
- Spring 2025CASE AHcourseFall 2024CASE AHcourse
CMLT-C 378 Topics in Yiddish Culture
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Notes
- R: CMLT-C 205 or 3 credit hours of literature
- Description
- Selected topics on history of Ashkenazic Jews; Old Yiddish and premodern Yiddish folklore and popular culture; history and sociology of Yiddish; modern Yiddish culture; and centers of modern Yiddish culture. Taught in English. No prior knowledge of Yiddish required. Topics vary.
- Repeatability
- May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours for any combination of CMLT-C 378 and GER-E 352.
- Spring 2025CASE AHcourseFall 2024CASE AHcourse
GER-E 352 Topics in Yiddish Culture
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Selected topics on history of Ashkenazic Jews; Old Yiddish and premodern Yiddish folklore and popular culture; history and sociology of Yiddish; modern Yiddish culture; and centers of modern Yiddish culture. Conducted in English. No prior knowledge of Yiddish required. Topics vary.
- Repeatability
- May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours in CMLT-C 378, GER-E 352, and GER-Y 350.
- Spring 2025CASE GCCcourseFall 2024CASE GCCcourse
GER-X 493 Individual Readings in Yiddish Studies: Language, Literature, Culture
- Credits
- 1–3 credit hours
- Prerequisites
- Consent of instructor
- Description
- Readings in Yiddish or English translations on a topic in Yiddish Culture.
- Repeatability
- May be repeated for a maximum of 12 credit hours in GER-X 493 and GER-Y 495.
HIST-D 304 Jews of Eastern Europe
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Study of the history of Jewish life in Eastern Europe. Topics to be discussed will include Hasidism, Kabbalah, shtetl life, Haskalah (the Jewish Enlightenment), Socialism, Yiddish literary traditions, and the Holocaust.
- Spring 2025CASE SHcourseFall 2024CASE SHcourse
- One of the following:
- Minor GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
- 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.
- At least 9 credit hours in the minor must be completed at the 300–499 level.
- Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the minor.
- 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.
- 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.