Jewish studies approaches the history and culture of the Jewish people from a multicultural and interdisciplinary perspective. The goals of the Jewish studies minor are to foster greater knowledge about Jewish history, religion, and culture and to explore who Jews are in their geographic and cultural diversity, and how they have interacted with other peoples politically, economically, socially, ideologically, philosophically, and artistically. In order to understand Jewish history, it is necessary to investigate the economic, political, and social forces that have affected the lives of Jews in varied cultural settings for thousands of years. The study of Jewish cultures includes religious beliefs and practices, philosophy, literature, folklore, visual arts, music, and the media.

The Jewish studies minor is relevant for students going on to graduate study in any of a number of disciplines, with or without a Jewish studies focus. It is also important for students contemplating professional careers related to Jewish religion, education, or community service (e.g., as rabbis, cantors, Jewish educators, social workers, or administrators of Jewish community programs). More generally, it is a useful minor for a wide variety of students pursuing careers in which multicultural awareness is important.

Minor Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
CORE COURSES
JWST 20100	Jews in the Ancient and Medieval Worlds	3
or JWST 20200	Jews in the Modern World
Select one of the following:		3
JWST 10300	Hebrew Scriptures
JWST 20300	Living Judaism
ENGL 32400	Literature of the Bible
ELECTIVES
Select 12 credits of electives chosen from a list of courses maintained by the Coordinator of Jewish Studies and updated on the Jewish Studies website every semester. 1		12
FOREIGN LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT
Students in the minor must successfully complete one course (3 credits) in a language of Jewish civilization or scholarship, including but not limited to: Hebrew, Arabic, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Yiddish, or Judeo-Espanol, with a grade of at least a C-.		3
Total Credits		21

1	No more than 3 credits of internship or independent study will count toward the electives for the Jewish studies minor.

Additional Requirements

1. No more than 6 credits from a student's major department or 3 credits from a student's second minor will count toward the Jewish studies minor.
2. At least 6 credits toward the minor must come from courses at level 3 or above.
3. At least 12 credits toward the minor must be taken at Ithaca College.