Jewish Studies Summer 2026 Weekly Bonus Course
Summer Weekly Bonus Courses | Make your selection by April 20, 2026
Dear Jewish Studies Students:
This summer, learn with colleagues from across North America and beyond!
Each summer, we offer a weekly ‘bonus’ course to keep the learning going at the end of the academic year. This course meets online once a week for 8 weeks, and will take a fresh look at contemporary Jewish life led by a distinguished member of our faculty, based on her forthcoming book.
Registration is now open. If you have questions or would like to discuss your choice of courses, please email Scarlett Andes, Manager of Student & Faculty Services, at sandes@spertus.edu.
Preferred registration deadline: April 20
Final registration deadline: May 18
Summer 2026 | Weekly Online Bonus Course | July-September 2026
Contemporary Judaism: Culture, Creativity, and Identity
Taught by Dr. Laura Yares
3 quarter-hour credits
Fulfills MAJS Core (Contemporary Jewish Experiences), DSJS Elective, and DHL Elective Core Reading Course
8 Sessions | Meets Tuesdays from 6 PM to 8:30 PM CT via Zoom
July 14, 21, and 28 | August 4, 11, 18, and 25 | September 1
This course explores the dynamic intersections of culture, creativity, and identity in contemporary Jewish life. Students will learn how Jewish communities and individuals express, negotiate, and reimagine their identities through cultural forms and artistic practices. We will consider literature, visual arts, film, music, performance, and digital media as sites of meaning-making paying close attention to how these creative expressions engage with questions of memory, diaspora, gender, race, and globalization. Students will engage with theoretical approaches from cultural studies, anthropology, and religious studies to analyze how Jewishness is represented, contested, and transformed in diverse contexts. Topics include post-Holocaust cultural production, global Jewish art, and the role of museums and cultural institutions in shaping narratives of Jewish identity. We will also explore contemporary debates around authenticity, hybridity, and cultural appropriation within Jewish artistic expression. Through close readings, visual analysis, and critical discussion, students will develop tools for interpreting cultural texts and practices as central to understanding Judaism today.
Course registration for the Summer 2026 bonus course is now open.
Course Registration Details
Course registration is for current Spertus Institute Jewish Studies students. Please review course details before completing your registration.
Before registering for courses, students must be admitted to one of Spertus Institute’s Jewish Studies graduate programs — or be accepted as a non-degree student who meets prerequisite requirements and wishes to enroll in courses for credit. If you are interested in applying to become a Spertus Jewish Studies graduate student, please contact Amie Barrish at abarrish@spertus.edu.
April 20, 2026 — Preferred Registration Deadline
May 18, 2026 — Final Registration Deadline
Course Payment
Spertus students must be in good standing to be eligible to register. This means:
- GPA is 2.7 or above.
- Financial account does not have an overdue balance.
Students who do not meet the financial criteria will need to pay down their overdue balance prior to registering for courses.
Course Costs
For MA in Jewish Studies (MAJS) Students
$400 per quarter-hour credit ($1200 per 3qh course)
For DS in Jewish Studies (DSJS) and Doctor of Hebrew Letters (DHL) Students
$475 per quarter-hour credit ($1425 per 3qh course)
A non-refundable $25 fee is charged on all course registration forms.
Refund policies vary by course format. Please review the specific policy listed on your course registration form.
Course auditing can be arranged on a select basis with approval from the Dean. Audited course tuition is $350 per 3qh course.
Questions
For questions relating to Jewish Studies courses or registration, including which course to register for next, please contact Scarlett Andes at sandes@spertus.edu.