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Jewish Studies Program

Minor in Jewish Studies

• Requirements for the Minor
• Courses Available for the Minor in Jewish Studies

526 University Hall (UH)
(312) 413–2102
jstud@uic.edu
http://www.uic.edu/las/jstud/
Administration: Director, Dagmar Lorenz
Academic Adviser: Elizabeth Loentz, loentz@uic.edu

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Minor in Jewish Studies

The Jewish Studies program is committed to furthering knowledge and understanding of the fundamental questions and issues of Jewish life and identity in the past and the present. Jewish Studies is an exciting interdisciplinary field of teaching and research ranging from the study of texts, such as the Bible, to the experience of Jews as a people. The program encourages participation by all students at all levels of study. Jewish Studies faculty members are prominent professors drawn from the humanities and the social sciences at UIC. The minor in Jewish Studies offers students the opportunity to design a program of study to fit their individual interests, goals, and knowledge. Whatever the chosen field or areas of inquiry may be, the goals of the Jewish Studies Minor are identical:

• study the experience and/or texts of Jews from Biblical times to the present;
• acquire a deeper understanding of Jewish culture as one strand in contemporary multicultural America;
• develop critical thinking, writing, and discussion skills; and
• gain a reading and speaking knowledge of Jewish languages.

Requirements for the Minor

For the minor, a minimum of 18 semester hours in Jewish Studies, selected from an approved list of courses. Students are encouraged to consult with a minor adviser when selecting courses. Included in the 18 semester hours must be nine semester hours (nonlanguage) at the 100-level, and nine semester hours at or above the 200-level. The study of Jewish languages is strongly encouraged but not required. Upon petition to the faculty committee, other courses can count toward the minor.

Required Courses—Jewish Studies Minor	Hours
Three courses from the following:	9
JST 101—Introduction to Jewish Studies:
Literature and Society (3)
JST 102—Introduction to Jewish Studies:
Religion and Culture(3
JST/ENGL/RELS 115—Understanding
the Bible as Literature (3)
JST/ENGL 116—Jewish American Literature
of the 20th Century (3)
JST/HIST 117—Understanding the Holocaust (3)
JST/GER 122—Minority Perspectives in
the Germanic Context (3)
JST/GER 123—Introduction to Yiddish Culture s
and Literature (3)
JST/CL/RELS 124—Hebrew Bible (3)
JST/PHIL/RELS 141—Philosophy and Revelation:
Jewish and Christian Perspectives (3)
Additional courses at the 200-level or above	9
Total Hours—Jewish Studies Minor	18

Courses Approved for the Minor in Jewish Studies

The following courses are approved to be taken for the Minor in Jewish Studies.

Courses	Hours
Germanic Studies (GER)
404—Yiddish for Reading Knowledge	3
Hebrew (HEB) a
101—Elementary Hebrew I	4
102—Elementary Hebrew II	4
103—Intermediate Hebrew I	4
104—Intermediate Hebrew II	4
Jewish Studies (JST)
101—Introduction to Jewish Studies:
Literature and Society	3
102—Introduction to Jewish Studies:
Religion and Culture	3
115—Understanding the Bible as Literature	3
Same as ENGL 115, RELS 115
116—Jewish American Literature of the 20th Century	3
Same as ENGL 116
117—Understanding the Holocaust	3
Same as HIST 117
122—Minority Perspectives in the Germanic Context	3
Same as GER 122
123—Introduction to Yiddish Culture and Literature	3
Same as GER 123
124—Hebrew Bible	3
Same as CL 124, RELS 124
125—Diaspora, Exile, Genocide: Aspects of the
European Jewish Experience in Literature & Film	3
Same as GER 125
141—Philosophy and Revelation: Jewish and
Christian Perspectives	3
Same as PHIL 141, RELS 141
225—Topics in Muslim-Jewish Relations	3
Same as CL 225 and RELS 225
235—Introduction to Jewish Thought I	3
Same as CL 235, RELS 235
242—History of Biblical Interpretation	3
Same as CL 242, RELS 242
243—Politics and Government of the Middle East	3
Same as POLS 243
254—Prophets in Judaism and Islam	3
Same as CL 254, RELS 254
294—Topics in Jewish Studies	3
311—Gender and Sexuality in Early
Christianity and Juddaism	3
Same as GWS 311, RELS 311
394—Topics in Jewish Studies	3
478—The Bible as Literature	3
Same as ENGL 478, RELS 478
494—Topics in Jewish Studies	3

a Hebrew courses may be applied toward minor requirements only with special approval.