The Minor

The Judaic Studies Minor is an interdisciplinary program, primarily based in the Department of Religious Studies. The Carl and Dorothy Bennett Center for Judaic Studies, which houses the office of the Program Director, a seminar room, and student lounge, serves as the program's physical locus.

Fifteen credits (five 3-credit courses) are required for the minor, at least three of which must be taken in the Department of Religious Studies and at least one outside of the department. While students may structure their own course of study in consultation with the Program Director, it is expected that they gain an understanding of basic Jewish religious beliefs and practices as well as those political, social, and cultural forces that have helped shape the historical experiences of the Jewish people. To that end, Religious Studies courses used to fulfill requirements for the minor must include:

RS 100 Introduction to Judaism
and
RS 101 History of the Jewish Experience

or either

RS 100 or RS 101
and
RS 150 Jewish Interpretations of Scripture

or

RS 244 Faith After the Holocaust

Independent Study and internships are encouraged and can be substituted for any course (other than the two RS courses listed above) with the approval of the Program Director. Students are also encouraged to apply for summer, and semester- or year-long programs in the U.S. or Israel, especially those offering the opportunity for Hebrew language study. Students receiving credit for such courses (and/or other Judaic Studies taken at another university) may count up to six Hebrew language credits and three additional credits toward the Judaic Studies minor.