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Jewish Studies and First Year Orientation 2022

CLASS OF 2026 - Welcome to Indiana University!

Jewish Studies students

Jewish Studies is for everyone. Its focus is the study OF Jews and Judaism. We welcome students from all personal and academic backgrounds to our courses, major, certificate program, minor, and Hebrew minor.

The faculty and staff of the Borns Jewish Studies Program are pleased you have selected Indiana University to further your education! One of the largest undergraduate Jewish Studies programs in the U.S., IU Jewish Studies is noted for its commitment to undergraduate education, excellence in classroom experiences, as well as student programming, scholarships, internships, prizes, and travel support for students.

In the fall, we hope you will make an appointment to become a Jewish Studies student!  Please email iujsp@indiana.edu to schedule your appointment.

If you have previous knowledge of Hebrew, you should take the Modern Hebrew placement exam online at least 72 hours before you arrive for first year orientation: foreignlanguageplacement.indiana.edu (click on Modern Hebrew).

The Borns Jewish Studies Program offers 5 options for students:

1. The Jewish Studies Major - [Jewish Studies Major Guide]

  • Open to College of Arts and Sciences students (B.A. students only; not B.S.).

Students must complete the following courses/requirements for the major:

  • JSTU-H 250 Intermediate Modern Hebrew II or GER-Y 250 Intermediate Yiddish II.
  • JSTU-J 251/HIST-H 251 (take THIS fall) or REL-A 210 (in spring 2023) and JSTU-J 252/HIST-H 252 (Take in spring 2023)
  • Six additional courses (18 credits) in Jewish Studies at the 300-400 level
  • One additional course (3 cr.) in Jewish Studies at any level

A maximum of 3 courses may be credited from language testing or from transfer credit.  Courses taken at Hebrew University (via IU Overseas Study) count as IUB courses. Total: 30 credit hours. Students must also complete the degree requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences.

2. Jewish Sacred Music Curriculum - contact Professor Judah Cohen (cohenjm@indiana.edu)

  • Students with an interest in becoming cantors can prepare through a special sequence of courses as either Jewish Studies majors or voice majors in the Jacobs School of Music.
  • Jacobs School of Music students can complete a B.S. in Music with Jewish Studies as an Outside Field (considered by the School of Music as a second major.)

3. The Jewish Studies Certificate

  • Open to all undergraduate students on the Bloomington campus! More significant than a minor.

Students must complete the following requirements for the certificate:

  • JSTU-J 251/HIST-H251 (Fall) or REL-A 210 (Spring) and JSTU-J 252/HIST-H 252 (Spring)
  • Six more courses in Jewish Studies with a minimum of 3 courses at the 300-400 level

At least 3 courses (excludes credit from language testing) in Jewish Studies must be taken on the IUB campus; A maximum of 3 courses may be credited from language testing or from transfer credit. Courses taken at Hebrew University (via IU Overseas Study) count as IUB courses; All course work must be completed with a grade of C- or higher. Total of 24 credit hours minimum.

4. The Minor in Jewish Studies

  • Students must complete 15 credit hours of Jewish Studies courses [Fall 2022 JS Schedule of Classes], including at least 9 credit hours at the 300–400 level.
  • A maximum of two modern Hebrew or Yiddish language courses can be counted toward the minor.
  • The minor is particularly suited to Business, SPEA, Education, Informatics, Public Health, and Social Work students.
  • Students may count BUS-L 272 Global Business Immersion (Entrepreneurism in Israel topic only) or BUS-X 272 Global Business Immersion (if the topic is related to Israel) toward the minor.
  • Students completing the major or certificate in Jewish Studies are not eligible to complete this minor.

5. The Jewish Studies Minor in Hebrew

Students must complete the following requirements

  • Completion of JSTU-H 200, JSTU-H 250, JSTU-H 300, and JSTU-H 350 with a grade of C or higher or equivalent
  • At least 1 additional course at the 300-400 level in Hebrew language or in Hebrew literature in English

The 3 courses at the 300-400 level cannot be counted toward the Jewish Studies major, certificate, or the minor in Jewish Studies; A student majoring in Hebrew through the Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures may not also earn a minor in Hebrew. Students can choose to pursue both the Jewish Studies major and the Hebrew minor or the Jewish Studies certificate and the Hebrew minor, or the Jewish Studies minor and the Hebrew minor; or the Hebrew minor alone. Hebrew minor students must complete at least 6 credit hours of course work in the minor on the Bloomington campus; Total of 15 credit hours.

Yiddish Minor through the Department of Germanic Studies

You’ll find below all the information you need for first year orientation and fall registration right here:

What Jewish Studies Courses Should I Take this Fall?
Majors--Have More Room in Your Schedule? Here's What You Can Take.
Interested in the Certificate in Jewish Studies? It’s open to all students on campus.
What is the the Minor in Jewish Studies?
How Do I Officially Sign Up for the Major, Certificate, Minor in Jewish Studies, or Minor in Hebrew?

Important Note: Policy on Counting a Course toward Mulitple Degree Objectives - A student may not count more than (1) course (of up to three [3] credit hours) toward the credit hour requirement of more than (1) major (inlcuding the major portion of B.S. and B.F.A. degrees), certificate, or minor. This policy will be implemented as follows

  1. Student must satisfy all requirements for the first degree objective (major, certificate, or minor).
  2. Student must satisfy all requirements for the second degree objective (major, certificate, or minor).
  3. The total number of unique credit hours sucessfully completed by the student for both degree objectives must be equal to or greater than the total minimum number of credit hours required for both degree objectives (as defined by each degree objective), minus three (3) credits.

Interested in being a Jewish educator? You should pursue the major in Jewish Studies rather than a degree in Education. Only students who primarily want to teach in a public school should become Education majors.

What Courses in Jewish Studies Should I Take This Fall?

INTERESTED IN THE JEWISH STUDIES MAJOR?

1. A course in Modern Hebrew or Yiddish

A. Modern Hebrew
Students with background in Hebrew should take the Modern Hebrew placement exam at least 72 hours before arriving for first year orientation - foreignlanguageplacement.indiana.edu. Depending on placement, students may enroll in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th semester of Modern Hebrew in the Fall. Students placing into 6th semester Modern Hebrew will need to wait until spring 2023 to study Modern Hebrew. Students with no background in Hebrew wanting to take Modern Hebrew should enroll in JSTU-H 100.

Elementary Modern Hebrew I (4 cr / 3 cr)
JSTU-H 100 / JSTU-H 501
MW 10:20-11:10 (WH 114); F 9:45-11:00 (WBWEB)  (2223/12072) M. Maoz-Levy
MW 11:30-12:20 (BH 140); F 11:30-12:45 (WBWEB) (2225/12073) D. Romashov
MW 12:40-1:30 (BH 140) ; F 1:15-2:30 (WBWEB) (2224/12074) D. Romashov
GenEd WL

Elementary Modern Hebrew II (4 cr / 3 cr)
A. Weiss
JSTU-H 150 (10111) / JSTU-H 502 (12066)
MW 10:20-11:10 (BH 331) ; F 9:45-11:00 (WBWEB)
P: Grade of C or higher in JSTU-H 100/JSTU-H 501 or equivalent proficiency
GenEd WL

Intermediate Modern Hebrew I (3 cr)
JSTU-H 200 / JSTU-H 503
MW 10:20-11:10 (BH 236); F 10:20-11:10 (WBWEB) (2226/12067) D. Romashov
MW 12:40-1:30 (WH 119); F 12:40-1:30 (WBWEB) (9182/12069) M. Maoz-Levy
P: Grade of C or higher in JSTU-H 150/JSTU-H 502 or equivalent proficiency
GenEd WL

Intermediate Modern Hebrew II (3 cr)
A. Weiss
JSTU-H 250 (10876) / JSTU-H 504 (12070)
MW 12:40-1:30 (BH 333); F 12:40-1:30 (WBWEB)
P: Grade of C or higher in JSTU-H 200/JSTU-H 503 or equivalent proficiency
GenEd WL

Advanced Modern Hebrew I (3 cr)
Michal Maoz-Levy
JSTU-H 300 (2227) / JSTU-H 505 (12071)
MW 11:30-12:20 (WH 106); F 11:30-12:20 (WBWEB)
P: Grade of C or higher in JSTU-H 250/JSTU-H 504 or equivalent proficiency.

No more spaces? Put yourself on a waitlist! We’ll always accommodate students.

Students should start taking Hebrew courses in their first year and take the courses in two consecutive academic years. A minimum grade of C is required to move on to a higher level course in Hebrew.

B. Or Yiddish

Beginning Yiddish I (4 cr / 3 cr)
Dov-Ber Kerler
GER-Y 100 (8221) / GER-Y 501 (8222)
MWF 9:45-11 am
GenEd WL

All 100 and 200 level Jewish language courses are GenEd World language courses. Completion of the 4th semester of any Jewish language fulfills the College of Arts and Sciences foreign language requirement.

* M=Monday; T=Tuesday; W=Wednesday; R=Thursday; F=Friday

2. Introduction to Jewish History: From the Bible to Spanish Expulsion

All first year Jewish Studies majors and certificate students should also take the required course

Introduction to Jewish History: From the Bible to Spanish Expulsion (3 cr)
Brian Hillman
JSTU-J 251 (5340) / HIST-H 251 (34446)
TR 11:30-12:45 (AC C0006)
GenEd S&H; GenEd WC; CASE S&H; CASE GCC; credit given for only one of J251 or HIST-H 251; Required course for JS major and certificate students

If there is no room in JSTU-J 251, register for the course under HIST-H 251 #22766 (same class time, room, & professor).

Majors — Have More Room in Your Fall Schedule?

Other courses that incoming Jewish Studies majors might want to take in the fall:

Interested in the Certificate in Jewish Studies?

Sign up for:

Interested in the Jewish Studies Minor?

Email iujsp@indiana.edu to schedule an appointment.