Class of 2013 - Welcome to Indiana University!
The faculty and staff of the Borns Jewish Studies Program are pleased you have selected Indiana University to further your education! One of the foremost Jewish Studies programs, IU has the largest number of Jewish Studies majors of any secular university in the U.S.
We hope you'll meet with the Jewish Studies Advisor in the Fall and become a Jewish Studies student!
In the meantime, you'll find all the information you need for freshman orientation and fall registration right here. The Borns Jewish Studies Program offers three options for students:
The Jewish Studies major
- Open to College of Arts and Sciences students (B.A. students only; not B.S.).
- Open to School of Journalism students. Journalism students can complete the internal Jewish Studies major requirements along with the School of Journalism requirements.
The Jewish Studies certificate
- Open to all undergraduate students on the Bloomington campus!
- Requires a minimum of 8 courses in Jewish Studies in a particular configuration.
- Kelley School of Business and Journalism students can complete requirements by pursuing the certificate.
- Jacobs School of Music students - can complete the certificate along with a Bachelor of Music or with a B.S. in Music with Jewish Studies as an Outside Field (considered by the School of Music as a second major.)
The Jewish Studies 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 Hebrew minor alone.
Jewish Sacred Music Curriculum
- Jewish Sacred Music curriculum: 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
Yiddish Minor through the Department of Germanic Studies
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.
Which courses in Jewish Studies should I take this fall?
All students wanting to study Modern Hebrew (no matter your level) should enroll in JSTU-H 100 or put yourself of waitlist for JSTU-H 100 in fall. Placement tests: August 28/September 1
How do I officially sign up for major or certificate in fall?
The Indiana University Borns Jewish Studies Program, one of the largest undergraduate Jewish Studies program in the country, is noted for its commitment to undergraduate education, excellence in classroom experiences, as well as student programming and scholarship/ internship/ prize/ conference funding support for students. I encourage students interested in Jewish Studies to call the Borns Jewish Studies Program as early as possible in their IU careers (as early as the first weeks of the freshmen year) to arrange a meeting time with me.
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, area certificate program, and Hebrew minor.
The Borns Jewish Studies Program offers 3 options for students:
The Jewish Studies major
- Open to College of Arts and Sciences students (B.A. students only; not B.S.).
- Open to School of Journalism students. Journalism students can complete the internal Jewish Studies major requirements along with the School of Journalism requirements.
The Jewish Studies certificate
- Open to all undergraduate students on the Bloomington campus!
- Requires a minimum of 8 courses in Jewish Studies in a particular configuration.
- More significant than a minor, the certificate is treated like another degree by the University.
Note: School of Music students have two options - to complete the certificate along with a Bachelor of Music or to complete a B.S. in Music with Jewish Studies as an Outside Field (considered by the School of Music as a second major.) Music or College of Arts & Sciences students interested in the Jewish Sacred Music curriculum should email Professor Judah Cohen (cohenjm@indiana.edu). [See below for more details.]
The Jewish Studies 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 Hebrew minor alone.
Jewish Studies is the study of the Jews and Judaism. It is open to students from all backgrounds. Students do not need a background in Judaism or Jewish study to purse the major, area certificate, or Hebrew minor.
What courses in Jewish Studies should I take this fall?
Interested in the Jewish Studies major?
Take at least 2 Jewish Studies courses in the fall:
1) A course in Modern Hebrew or Yiddish
ALL INCOMING STUDENTS SHOULD REGISTER FOR A SECTION OF JSTU-H 100 (NO MATTER YOUR HEBREW LEVEL!)
Register for one of these 4 sections of JSTU-H 100:
MTWR 10:10-11 #4497
MTWR 10:10-11 #4498
MTWR 11:15-12:05 #4499
MTWR 12:20-1:10 #9296
No more spaces? Put yourself on a waitlist! We’ll try and accommodate all students .
Hebrew placement tests will be given on Friday, August 28 and Tuesday, Sept. 1 and students who test above JSTU-H 100 will be moved to more advanced Hebrew courses!
Placing out of Hebrew:
If you place out of 2 semesters of Modern Hebrew, you will receive 2 semesters of Hebrew (4 credits each).
If you test out of courses beyond the first 2 semesters, you must complete the Hebrew language course into which you have placed with a minimum grade of C- in order to receive Hebrew language credit for these courses.
If you test out of 6 semesters of Hebrew you may be eligible to enroll in a more advanced Hebrew language course JSTU-H 480 Modern Hebrew Literature in Hebrew (Time arranged).
Students should start taking Hebrew courses in their freshman year and take the courses in two consecutive academic years.
Modern Hebrew language courses - taught in a yearly cycle
Fall - JSTU-H 100, JSTU-H 200, JSTU-H 300
Spring - JSTU-H 150, JSTU-H 250, JSTU-H 350
A minimum grade of C is required to move on to a higher level course.
Or students can enroll in:
GER-Y 100 Beginning Yiddish I (4 cr.) MWF 9:30-10:45 ( Kerler)
Completion of 4 semesters of any one of languages fulfills the College of Arts and Sciences foreign language requirement.
There is no guarantee that 4 semesters of Yiddish courses will be offered in a two year cycle.
2) HIST-H 251 Introduction to Jewish History: From the Bible to the Spanish Expulsion,
(Lehmann) (class #3875) TR 1:00-2:15
Great course! Plenty of seats for everyone!
Majors - have more room in your fall schedule?
Take one of these Jewish Studies College Topics courses in the fall:
COLL-E 103 Topics in Arts and Humanities (3 cr.) Shaul Magid
Topic: Power, Politics, and Piety: The Struggle for the Holy Land in Israel/Palestine
Lecture: MW 1:25-2:15
One discussion section also required: R 10:10-11:00 (#7760), R 12:20-1:10 (#7761), F 10:10-11:00 (#27543), F 11:15-12:05 (#27544)
or
COLL-E 103 Topics in Arts and Humanities (3 cr.) Nancy Levene
Topic: Theism, Atheism and Existentialism
Lecture: MW 11:15-12:05
One discussion section also required: R 11:15-12:05 (#7752), R 1:25-2:15 (#7753), F 12:20-1:10 (#7754), F 2:30-3:20 (#7755)
or
COLL-E 103 Topics in Arts and Humanities (3 cr.) Herb Marks
Topic: Who Wrote the Bible?
Lecture: TR 4:40-5:30
One discussion section also required: F 10:10-11:00 (#7740), F 10:10-11:00 (#7741), F 11:15-12:05 (#7742), F 11:15-12:05 (#7743)
Majors can also take REL-R 210 Intro to Old Testament/Hebrew Bible (3 cr.) Chaya Halberstam
Lecture: TR 12:20-1:10
One discussion section also required: R 3:35-4:25 (#27512), R 4:40-5:30 (#27513), F 1:25-2:15 (#27514)
**
Interested in the certificate in Jewish Studies?
Take a Jewish language - see above
HIST-H 251
COLL-E 103
REL-R 210
**
How do I officially sign up for major, certificate?
Call the Jewish Studies secretary Meghan Clark (812) 855-0453 in the fall to make an appointment. Students will not be considered Jewish Studies majors or certificate students until they have met with the Jewish Studies advisor, Dr. Carolyn Lipson-Walker.
**
The Indiana University Borns Jewish Studies Program, one of the largest undergraduate Jewish Studies program in the country, is noted for its commitment to undergraduate education, excellence in classroom experiences, as well as student programming and scholarship/internship/prize/conference funding support for students. I encourage students interested in Jewish Studies to call the Borns Jewish Studies Program as early as possible in their IU careers (as early as the first weeks of the freshmen year) to arrange a meeting time with me.
Jewish Studies is the study of the Jews and Judaism. It is open to students from all backgrounds.
For information about the Borns Jewish Studies Program: http://www.indiana.edu/~jsp/
