Program

The Jewish Studies minor has no specific required courses, Instead, the following courses satisfy units for the Jewish Studies minor, with the following caveat:

For courses not primarily about Jewish issues, the student’s own focus on Jewish issues in research/writing will determine whether the course qualifies for Jewish Studies minor credit, subject to approval by the Jewish Studies coordinator.

Additional courses will be approved for the minor by the Jewish Studies coordinator, based on individual instructors’ syllabi (for course numbers that vary in content).

Jewish Studies minors are encouraged to engage in service learning and/or field study in at least one of their classes. Students may, if they wish, deepen their Jewish writing/research through independent study (180) and/or actively participate in the larger community through fieldwork (PSYC 186 or HIST 199).

Interested in minoring in Jewish Studies? Please download the minor form [pdf] and make an appointment (email me!) with the coordinator to plan your path of study.

Course Title	Course Description	Units, GE credit, Approval for the Jewish Studies minor
ENGL 115 The Bible as Literature	Study of the Bible from the perspective of literature, examining key portions of the Bible, its subjects, themes, literary styles and genres, and contributions to Western Literature.	4 units Approval for minor credit: Student’s focus on Jewish issues subject to approval by the program coordinator.
ENGL 126 Holocaust Literature	Survey of literature written by survivors or witnesses of the Holocaust, the destruction of European Jewry during World War II, focusing upon diaries, memoirs, fiction, and occasionally poetry and drama.	3 units SJSU Studies V: Cultures and Global Understanding Full approval for minor credit.
HEBR: all course levels from beginner to intermediate and advanced skills. 10A, 10B	Instruction in speaking, reading, and writing the Hebrew language is taught in the context of culture and history.	4 units for each course C2: Humanities Full approval for minor credit.
HIST 103 History of the Modern Middle East	Survey from late 18th century to present, from the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire to current US-Middle East relations, oil politics, and the status of women.	4 units Approval for minor credit: Student’s focus on Jewish issues subject to approval by the program coordinator.
RELS 122 Magic, Science, and Religion		3 units SJSU Studies V: Cultures and Global Understanding Approval for minor credit: Student’s focus on Jewish issues subject to approval by the program coordinator.
HIST 136 World Jewish History	Surveys the Jewish people and Judaism from the 2nd millennium BCE to the present, exploring how Jews developed as an ethnic group and as a religion, as they responded to and affected the course of culture and history around them.	3 units SJSU Studies V: Cultures and Global Understanding Full approval for minor credit.
HIST 199 Public History Internship	Supervised placement in historical organizations, public institutions, and community agencies concerned with the preservation of history.	3 units Approval for minor credit: student’s focus on Jewish issues as part of a mutually beneficial partnership with a specific local agency subject to approval by the program coordinator and the agency supervisor.
JWSS 111 Special Topics in Jewish Studies	Course descriptions will be provided as courses are developed and taught.	3 units Full approval for minor credit.
JWSS 180 Individual Studies	Supervised study of a specific aspect of Jewish Studies not covered in a regular course offering.	1-3 units Full approval for minor credit.
MUSC 10C Pop and Rock in the U.S.	Examines the musical attributes, structures, and stylistic choices in American popular music, as well as the historical and cultural underpinnings of the originating forces and influences and how they affect or are affected by social/cultural norms and political and economic developments.	3 units C1 Arts Approval for minor credit: Student’s focus on Jewish issues subject to approval by the program coordinator.
PHIL 109 Philosophy of Religion	Philosophical issues regarding the existence of a supreme being, evil, mysticism, miracles, reincarnation, faith, the possibility of enlightenment, and the connection between religion and morality.	3 units Approval for minor credit: Student’s focus on Jewish issues subject to approval by the program coordinator.
PSYC 186 Psychology Field Work	Supervised field work in a selected area of psychology.	1-4 units Approval for minor credit: Student’s work as part of a mutually beneficial partnership with an agency that supports the Jewish ethic of repairing the world. Field work subject to approval by the Jewish Studies coordinator and the agency supervisor.
RELS 70 Gods, Guns, Gurus, Grails–World Religion	Surveys major world religions, east and west, past and present. Structure and patterns of faith manifest in sacred texts, institutions, rituals, central figures and movements.	3 units C2 Humanities Approval for minor credit: Student’s focus on Jewish issues subject to approval by the program coordinator.
RELS 90 Bible History and Literature	The Bible in context of its history, literary sources and as a reflection of Jewish and Christian traditions. Motifs and themes in light of their original audience, historic usage and contemporary development.	3 units C2 Humanities Approval for minor credit: Student’s focus on Jewish issues subject to approval by the program coordinator.
RELS 99 Death, Dying and Religions	Is death the end or the beginning? Learn how people integrate the physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual dimensions of living and dying. Examine religious teachings and practices for making death personally meaningful, socially significant, or even politically powerful.	3 units E: Human Understanding & Development Approval for minor credit: Student’s focus on Jewish issues subject to approval by the program coordinator.
RELS 191 Religion in America	History of social and intellectual influence of religious groups, stressing their African-, Asian-, European-, Latin- and Native-American roots. Highlights contact between groups, immigration, religious diversity and syncretism.	3 units SJSU Studies S: Self, Society & Equality in U.S. Approval for minor credit: Student’s focus on Jewish issues subject to approval by the program coordinator.
Total Units	15

Course Title

Course Description

Units, GE credit, Approval for the Jewish Studies minor

ENGL 115

The Bible as Literature

Study of the Bible from the perspective of literature, examining key portions of the Bible, its subjects, themes, literary styles and genres, and contributions to Western Literature.

4 units

Approval for minor credit: Student’s focus on Jewish issues subject to approval by the program coordinator.

ENGL 126

Holocaust Literature

Survey of literature written by survivors or witnesses of the Holocaust, the destruction of European Jewry during World War II, focusing upon diaries, memoirs, fiction, and occasionally poetry and drama.

3 units

SJSU Studies V: Cultures and Global Understanding

Full approval for minor credit.

HEBR: all course levels from beginner to intermediate and advanced skills.

10A, 10B

Instruction in speaking, reading, and writing the Hebrew language is taught in the context of culture and history.

4 units for each course

C2: Humanities

Full approval for minor credit.

HIST 103

History of the Modern Middle East

Survey from late 18th century to present, from the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire to current US-Middle East relations, oil politics, and the status of women.

4 units

Approval for minor credit: Student’s focus on Jewish issues subject to approval by the program coordinator.

RELS 122

Magic, Science, and Religion

3 units

SJSU Studies V: Cultures and Global Understanding

Approval for minor credit: Student’s focus on Jewish issues subject to approval by the program coordinator.

HIST 136

World Jewish History

Surveys the Jewish people and Judaism from the 2nd millennium BCE to the present, exploring how Jews developed as an ethnic group and as a religion, as they responded to and affected the course of culture and history around them.

3 units

SJSU Studies V: Cultures and Global Understanding

Full approval for minor credit.

HIST 199

Public History Internship

Supervised placement in historical organizations, public institutions, and community agencies concerned with the preservation of history.

3 units

Approval for minor credit: student’s focus on Jewish issues as part of a mutually beneficial partnership with a specific local agency subject to approval by the program coordinator and the agency supervisor.

JWSS 111

Special Topics in Jewish Studies

Course descriptions will be provided as courses are developed and taught.

3 units

Full approval for minor credit.

JWSS 180 Individual Studies

Supervised study of a specific aspect of Jewish Studies not covered in a regular course offering.

1-3 units

Full approval for minor credit.

MUSC 10C

Pop and Rock in the U.S.

Examines the musical attributes, structures, and stylistic choices in American popular music, as well as the historical and cultural underpinnings of the originating forces and influences and how they affect or are affected by social/cultural norms and political and economic developments.

3 units

C1 Arts

Approval for minor credit: Student’s focus on Jewish issues subject to approval by the program coordinator.

PHIL 109 Philosophy of Religion

Philosophical issues regarding the existence of a supreme being, evil, mysticism, miracles, reincarnation, faith, the possibility of enlightenment, and the connection between religion and morality.

3 units

Approval for minor credit: Student’s focus on Jewish issues subject to approval by the program coordinator.

PSYC 186 Psychology Field Work

Supervised field work in a selected area of psychology.

1-4 units

Approval for minor credit: Student’s work as part of a mutually beneficial partnership with an agency that supports the Jewish ethic of repairing the world. Field work subject to approval by the Jewish Studies coordinator and the agency supervisor.

RELS 70

Gods, Guns, Gurus, Grails–World Religion

Surveys major world religions, east and west, past and present. Structure and patterns of faith manifest in sacred texts, institutions, rituals, central figures and movements.

3 units

C2 Humanities

Approval for minor credit: Student’s focus on Jewish issues subject to approval by the program coordinator.

RELS 90

Bible History and Literature

The Bible in context of its history, literary sources and as a reflection of Jewish and Christian traditions. Motifs and themes in light of their original audience, historic usage and contemporary development.

3 units

C2 Humanities

Approval for minor credit: Student’s focus on Jewish issues subject to approval by the program coordinator.

RELS 99

Death, Dying and Religions

Is death the end or the beginning? Learn how people integrate the physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual dimensions of living and dying. Examine religious teachings and practices for making death personally meaningful, socially significant, or even politically powerful.

3 units

E: Human Understanding & Development

Approval for minor credit: Student’s focus on Jewish issues subject to approval by the program coordinator.

RELS 191 Religion in America

History of social and intellectual influence of religious groups, stressing their African-, Asian-, European-, Latin- and Native-American roots. Highlights contact between groups, immigration, religious diversity and syncretism.

3 units

SJSU Studies S: Self, Society & Equality in U.S.

Approval for minor credit: Student’s focus on Jewish issues subject to approval by the program coordinator.

Total Units

To be awarded a minor, at least 12 units of coursework must be completely distinct and separate from the coursework in the major (University Policy S16-4). The university graduation requirement for Jewish Studies Minor is 15 units. This means that one course could overlap with your major.

Non-matriculating students: Many SJSU courses are open to community members who enroll in Jewish Studies courses through Open University . Contact program coordinator for further information.