Professor Judah Cohen with Jewish Sacred Music students Lily Tash & Caroline Billinson
The Jewish Sacred Music curriculum allows students in both the College of Arts and Sciences and the Jacobs School of Music to pursue a course of study that can prepare them for careers as cantors, scholars, or Jewish professionals. Developed in consultation with the Hebrew Union College School of Sacred Music and the Jewish Theological Seminary’s H.L. Miller Cantorial School, the curriculum brings together two of Indiana University’s greatest strengths through a curriculum of music theory, musicianship, music history, and vocal training combined with courses in Jewish history, texts, philosophy and culture. Upon completion of their IU degrees, Jewish Sacred Music students, wishing to apply to cantorial school, will have optimal preparation for admittance.
In addition to the Jewish Sacred Music curriculum, students interested in the cantorate will have opportunities for supplementary training and mentoring through regular meetings of the IU Precantorial Interest Group; work with cantors from the area; and participation in projects with local Jewish community organizations. These experiences will further enrich students’ experiences in Jewish Sacred Music while enhancing their potential as successful cantorial candidates.
Jewish Studies students who want to pursue the Jewish Sacred Music curriculum will have to be Jewish Studies majors, not certificate students. In addition to completing the Jewish Studies major, Jewish Sacred Music students in the College of Arts and Sciences will need to take music theory, vocal skills, ear training/sight singing, and music history classes in the Jacobs School of Music.
Jewish Sacred Music students should (at minimum) take the following courses for a grade to complete the Jewish Studies major:
Four courses in Religion and Thought Area of Specialization:
Two courses outside of Religion and Thought Area of Specialization (Please note that Jewish Studies majors must complete 9 credit hours of 300-400 credit in the major.):
Jewish Sacred Music students are encouraged to study for at least one semester of their junior year at Indiana University’s Overseas Study program at the Rothberg School at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Students may also transfer back credit to Indiana University from Haifa University, Ben-Gurion University, Tel Aviv University, and the CET Jewish Studies Prague program. A Jewish Studies major must complete a minimum of 12 credit hours of course work (not special credit nor language testing) in Jewish Studies on the IU Bloomington campus. A maximum of 3 courses may be credited toward the Jewish Studies major from either language testing or from transfer credit from universities other than IU’s Rothberg School at Hebrew University program.
Jewish Sacred Music Students Should Take the Following Basic Music Courses:
The above list of courses constitutes a minimum of music courses. Note: Students in the College of Arts and Sciences are only allowed to take a total of 22 credit hours outside the College that will count toward the 122 credit hours needed for graduation. Students testing out of T 109 Rudiments of Music will need to take 16 credit hours outside the College to complete the required music courses for the Jewish sacred music curriculum. Students not testing out of T 109 will need to take 19 credit hours outside the College to complete these required courses.
Jewish Studies majors in the Jewish sacred music curriculum should not enroll in non-College credit offered by other schools — HPER, Education, Business, Social Work, SPEA or other Music School courses that don’t count as inside the College of Arts and Sciences so that they can take some of the recommended School of Music courses (see below)
Other courses that would be advantageous and recommended (but not required) for Jewish sacred music students and are considered outside the College of Arts and Sciences : secondary voice lessons every semester of MUS-Z110 (8 additional credits for 4 additional semesters); and 1 or 2 music theory and literature course (T 251 Music Theory and Literature III and T 252 Music Theory and Literature IV) (3 cr. each). If students take these courses, they exceed the 122 maximum hours outside the College by 8 credit hours (if testing out of T 109) and 11 credit hours (if not testing out of T 109).
One course that counts as a College of Arts and Sciences course and is advantageous for Jewish sacred music students is M 401 History and Literature of Music I (4 cr.)
Two Options:
or
Students who are admitted to the Jacobs School of Music as voice majors will have two possible paths for the Jewish Sacred Music program: 1) Completing the Bachelor of Science in Voice with an Outside Field (BSOF) in Jewish Studies; or 2) Completing the Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and the Certificate in Jewish Studies.
No matter which path, Jacobs School of Music students will take, at minimum, the following courses in Jewish Studies:
If students have more time for Jewish Studies courses, particularly the BSOF students who can count Hebrew as their foreign language for their music degree, they should take more Jewish culture and modern Hebrew classes. Please consult with the Director of the Jewish Sacred Music Program about course options.
School of Music students planning to pursue the Jewish Sacred Music curriculum should be in touch with the Director of the Jewish Sacred Music Program (cohenjm@indiana.edu) and make an appointment also to meet with the Jewish Studies advisor by calling the Borns Jewish Studies Program secretary at (812) 855-0453.
