Requirements and  Courses

Fall 2018 Courses

The following courses were offered in the Fall of 2018:

Spring 2019 Courses

Spring 2018 Courses

The following courses were offered in the Spring of 2018:

Fall 2017 Courses

The following courses were offered in the Fall of 2017:

Spring 2017 Courses

HEB 102     ELEMENTARY HEBREW II
David Nelson
M T   Th 1:30 pm - 2:50 pm
FL
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies  Students will continue to develop their language skills focusing on mastering the Verb System in the present tense developing reading techniques for comprehension and building a rich and active vocabulary in order to improve their written and oral abilities. Students will continue to explore the various elements of Israeli culture using technology and media ( popular songs, movies newspapers). This course is open to students who have completed Heb 101, or any other basic instruction in Hebrew.  Class size: 10


HIST / JS 115     YIDDISH LANGUAGE, LITERATURE & CULTURE
Cecile Kuznitz
T  Th 3:10 pm - 4:30 pm
HA/D+J
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies; Russian & Eurasian Studies  Yiddish was primary language of European Jewry and its emigrant communities for nearly one thousand years. This class will explore the role of Yiddish in Jewish life and introduce students to Yiddish language, literature and culture. Topics will include the sociolinguistic basis of Jewish languages; medieval popular literature for a primarily female audience; the role of Yiddish in the spread of haskalah(the Jewish Enlightenment); attempts to formulate a secular Jewish identity around the Yiddish language; the flourishing of modern Yiddish press, literature, and theater and their intersection with European modernism; contemporary Hasidic (ultra-Orthodox) culture; and the ongoing debate over the alleged death of Yiddish. All assignments will be in English translation and will include Yiddish fiction, poetry, theater, and film as well as primary and secondary historical sources. Class size: 18


LIT 253     ISAAC BABEL & THE AESTHETICS OF REVOLUTION
Jonathan Brent
F      3:00 pm - 5:20 pm
LA
Cross-listed: Human Rights; Jewish Studies; Russian & Eurasian Studies  Isaac Babel (1894-1940) was one of the most perplexing geniuses of twentieth century Russian and European literature.  Babel enlisted as a Jew in the famously anti-Semitic Cossack division of the Red Cavalry in 1920 and soon thereafter became one of the most famous writers in Soviet Russia; he escaped the fury of the Great Terror of 1937-38 only to be arrested in the spring of 1939 and shot as a traitor in 1940.  The sum total of his writings was meager in comparison with that of most of his contemporaries; his political ambiguities are frequently infuriating; his defiant ironies often without clear target; his captivating literary style a puzzle of images and absences. He spoke of himself as “the master of the genre of silence.”  In this class, we will attempt to unravel some of his many paradoxes through close readings of his masterpiece Red Cavalry, the 1920 Diary and The Odessa Stories. Background critical and historical texts, such as writings by Leon Trotsky, A. K. Voronsky, Vladimir Mayakovsky and pronouncements and documents of the Soviet government will provide a framework for understanding Babel’s struggle as both Jew and Russian, as both a writer deeply imbued with the spirit of western humanism and one committed to the triumph of the Bolshevik Revolution, and as both an incessant prankster and reflective spiritual vagabond.  This class will examine his many attempts at finding a literary center that resolves the radical contradictions between his relation to tradition and to the growing nightmare of Soviet reality. This course is part of the World Literature offering.  Class size: 22


REL 104     CREATING JUDAISM
Samuel Shai Secunda
M  W    3:10 pm - 4:30 pm
MBV/D+J
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies; Middle Eastern Studies  For millennia, the Jewish tradition has played a sizable role in religious and world history. Jewish communities have flourished around the globe – from the Americas to the Far East – and a dizzying variety of Jewish traditions (some would say Judaisms) have developed in these different climes, and during different times. Notwithstanding the common (mis)perception of a single Jewish ethnicity, Judaism presents humanists with a fascinating test-case of a distinct, even parochial tradition that constantly takes up new shape and color while, arguably, maintaining a “family resemblance” with parallel expressions of Judaism. This course introduces students to the many foundational practices, ideas, and expressions of Judaism while grappling both with its inner diversity, as well as its sense of dissimilarity from surrounding non-Jewish communities. We will emphasize the formative history of rabbinic Judaism in ancient and medieval times, and then consider the development, in modern times, of new traditions out of that Judaism, including Hassidism, the Haskala (Jewish Enlightenment), modern European and American denominations (Reform, Orthodox, Conservative et al), Zionism, and contemporary “cultural” Judaism.  Class size: 22


REL 231     GREAT JEWISH BOOKS
Samuel Shai Secunda
M  W    11:50 am - 1:10 pm
MBV
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies; Literature;  Middle Eastern Studies  Since the Middle Ages, Jews have been known as a people of the book – though what that means depends on period, place, and perspective. Jews have produced an impressive variety of books that defy modern literary categorization. This course introduces students to some twenty “great” Jewish books, each in their own way engaged with Jewish tradition and spanning from antiquity to the postmodern. Along with engaging with the different genres and imaginative worlds these works present, this course considers relevant theoretical issues of canon, intertextuality, and asks whether we can or should conceive of a Jewish textuality. Works / authors studied include: biblical books (Exodus, Isaiah, Psalms), rabbinic texts (Talmud, Midrash), Jewish philosophy (Maimonides’ Guide of the Perplexed), Iberian Jewish poetry (Ibn Gabirol, A. Ibn Ezra, Judah ha-Levi), Kabbalah (Zohar, Lurianic Mysticism), Hassidic homilies and stories (Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev, Nahman of Bretslav), works of the Jewish Enlightenment (Autobiography of Salomon Maimon), Political Manifestos (Herzl’s Old-New Land), Holocaust (Primo Levi), Modern Fiction (I. B. Singer, Cynthia Ozik, S. Y. Agnon, Orly Castel Bloom), Counterculture (Allen Ginsburg, Rachel Adler).  No prior background in Jewish Studies necessary. 
Class size: 18


REL 257     GENDER AND SEXUALITY IN JUDAISM
David Nelson
T  Th 11:50 am - 1:10 pm
MBV/D+J
Cross-listed: Gender & Sexuality Studies, Jewish Studies  Traditional Judaism is often seen as a highly patriarchal system in which women have little access to public ritual roles or community leadership. It enforces a strict separation between men and women in many social situations, and prohibits even casual physical contact between husband and wife during the wife’s menstrual period. It defines some sexual acts between two men as an “abomination” for which capital punishment is prescribed. What are the origins of these practices, and the social, theological, and psychological attitudes that they reflect? This course will examine a broad sweep of issues relating to gender and sexuality in the earliest strata of Jewish historical development, that is, the biblical and rabbinic periods. Topics to be covered will include public and private gender roles; power dynamics between men and women; views of sexuality, marriage and its variants; homosexuality; etc. We will read both narrative and legal primary texts, as well as current scholarship on the development of these issues in the ancient world. Our goal will be to gain an understanding of some of the beliefs and values that drove the development of early Judaism. Class size: 22


SOC 245     INTER-RACIAL, INTER-ETHNIC AND INTER-FAITH UNIONS AND THEIR DESCENDANTS IN AMERICAN SOCIETY
Joel Perlmann
T  Th 4:40 pm - 6:00 pm
SA/D+J
Cross-listed: Historical Studies; Jewish Studies  ‘Intermarriage’ implies crossing a boundary, violating a prohibition (of law or custom) against certain kinds of unions. In this course we will focus on the three forms of ‘boundary crossing’ mentioned in the course title – race, ethnicity and faith.  Thus, part of our concern will be with the experiences of those who cross the relevant boundaries -- through shorter dating relationships or long-term ones like marriage. But some of the most intriguing implications of such unions do not concern only the couples themselves but their descendants as well.  These descendants will have a big impact on group continuity or group melding (‘assimilation’) in America’s future. A crucial example: America is expected to soon have a ‘non-white’ majority.  And yet most children of Asian and Hispanic immigrants are also expected to be descendants of ‘whites.’ What criteria should be used to define the ‘white’ or ‘nonwhite’ status of these descendants -- and of the new majority? Specific topics include: the legacy of European ('white') immigrant and ethnic boundaries and their decline; institutional and cultural explanations for such decline; inter-faith marriages among Muslims, Jews, Catholics, etc.; Asian and Hispanic American patterns; the distinctive situation of African Americans; and the impact of all these upon our understanding of a new American majority.   Class size: 22


 

Fall 2016 Courses

The following courses were offered in the Fall of 2016:

Spring 2015 Courses

HIST 2701 The Holocaust, 1933-1945
Cecile Kuznitz
T Th 11:50 am – 1:10 pm OLIN 301
HIST/DIFF

This course will provide an overview of the Nazi attempt to exterminate the Jewish people during the Second World War. We will examine topics including the background of modern anti-Semitic movements and the aftermath of World War I; the reactions of German Jews during 1933-1939; the institution of ghettos and the cultural and political activities of their populations; the turn to mass murder and its implementation in the extermination camps; the experiences of other groups targeted by the Nazis; the reactions of “bystanders” (the populations of occupied countries and the Allied powers); and the liberation and its immediate aftermath. Emphasis will be on the development of Nazi policy and Jews’ reactions to Nazi rule, with special attention to the question of what constitutes resistance or collaboration in a situation of total war and genocide.

REL 257 Gender & Sexuality in Judaism
David Nelson
T Th 11:50 am – 1:10 pm RKC 111
HUM/DIFF
Traditional Judaism is often seen as a highly patriarchal system in which women have little access to public ritual roles or community leadership. It enforces a strict separation between men and women in many social situations, and prohibits even casual physical contact between husband and wife during the wife’s menstrual period. It defines some sexual acts between two men as an “abomination” for which capital punishment is prescribed. What are the origins of these practices, and the social, theological, and psychological attitudes that they reflect? This course will examine a broad sweep of issues relating to gender and sexuality in the earliest strata of Jewish historical development, that is, the biblical and rabbinic periods. Topics to be covered will include public and private gender roles; power dynamics between men and women, views of sexuality, marriage and its variants; homosexuality; etc. We will read both narrative and legal primary texts, as well as current scholarship on the development of these issues in the ancient world. Our goal will be to gain an understanding of some of the beliefs and values that drove the development of early Judaism.

HEB 102 Elementary Hebrew II
David Nelson
M T W Th 1:30pm – 2:30 pm OLIN 302
FLLC
This two-semester course introduces students to Modern Hebrew as it is spoken and written in Israel today. Beginning with script and pronunciation, the course also covers a wide range of texts and topics that build an active and passive lexicon as well as grammatical structures.

HIST 181 Jews in the Modern World
Cecile Kuznitz
T Th 3:10 pm – 4:30 pm HEG 201
HIST/DIFF
In the modern period, Jews faced unprecedented opportunities to integrate into the societies around them as well as anti-Semitism on a previously unimaginable scale. In response to these changing conditions they reinvented Jewish culture and identity in radically new ways. This course will survey the history of the Jewish people from the expulsion from Spain until the establishment of the State of Israel. It will examine such topics as the expulsion and its aftermath; social, intellectual, and economic factors leading to greater toleration at the start of the modern period; the varying routes to emancipation in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and the Islamic World; acculturation, assimilation, and their discontents; modern Jewish nationalist movements such as Zionism; the Holocaust, the establishment of the State of Israel; and the growth of the American Jewish community. 

REL 104 Introduction to Judaism
Alan Avery-Peck
M 1:30 pm – 3:50 pm OLIN 310
HUM/DIFF
Diverse Judaic religious systems (“Judaisms”) have flourished in various times and places. No single Judaism traces a linear, unitary, traditional line from the beginning to the present. This course sets forth a method for describing, analyzing, and interpreting Judaic religious systems and for comparing one such system with another. It emphasizes the formative history of Rabbinic Judaism in ancient and medieval times, and the development, in modern times, of both developments out of that Judaism and Judaic systems competing with it: Reform, Orthodox, Conservative Judaisms in the 19th century, Zionism, the American Judaism of Holocaust and Redemption, in the twentieth. In both the classical and the contemporary phases of the course, analysis focuses upon the constant place of women in Judaic systems as a basis for comparison and contrast.

JS 315 The Culture of Yiddish
Cecile Kuznitz
W 1:30 pm – 3:50 pm HEG 201
HIST
Cross-listed: History For nearly one thousand years Yiddish was the primary language of European Jewry and its emigrant communities. This class will explore the role of Yiddish in Jewish life and the rich culture produced in the language. Topics will include the sociolinguistic basis of Jewish vernacular languages; medieval popular literature for a primarily female audience; the role of Yiddish in the spread of Haskalah (the Jewish Enlightenment); attempts to formulate a secular Jewish identity around the Yiddish language; the flourishing of modern Yiddish press, literature, and theater and their intersection with European modernism; contemporary Hasidic (ultra-Orthodox) culture; and the ongoing debate over the alleged death of Yiddish. All readings will be in English translation. Familiarity with the Hebrew alphabet and/or Jewish history helpful but not required. Class size: 15

Fall 2014 Courses

LIT 2413 Jewish Writers
From Franz Kafka to Philip Roth

Spring 2014 Courses

HIST 2122   The Arab-Israel Conflict
Joel Perlmann
T Th 3:10 -4:30 pm OLIN 301
HIST/DIFF
Cross-listed: Global & Int’l Studies, Human Rights, Middle East Studies  This course is meant to provide students with an understanding of this conflict from its inception to the present. Considerable attention will be given to the present; nevertheless, the conflict is simply incomprehensible without a solid understanding of its evolution - incomprehensible not merely in terms of details, but in terms of broader themes and aroused passions. Among the themes to be discussed are the following. A Jewish national movement arose in the late nineteenth century to oppose the conditions of Jewish life in Europe, and an Arab national movement (as well as a specifically Palestinian movement) arose to oppose Ottoman and European rule of Arab peoples. Out of the clash of these movements emerged the State of Israel and the Palestinian refugees in 1948. The political character of the conflict has changed over the decades: first it involved competing movements (before 1948), then chiefly a conflict of national states (Israel vs. Egypt, Syria, Jordan, etc), and now it is conceived as chiefly a conflict between Israeli military rule of territories (occupied since the 1967 war) and an insurgent Palestinian independence movement. Military realities also changed greatly, as did the accusations about the role of ‘terror’ as a tactic (from the Jewish Irgun to Hamas) and the role of religion. And not least, the conflict has been shaped by strategic and economic considerations of the great powers (Ottoman, British, American/Soviet, hegemonic American) as well as by considerations of domestic political culture in Israel and in the Arab world.  Class size: 20
 
REL 212   Archaeology of the Bible
Bruce Chilton
T Th 1:30 -2:50 pm OLINLC 206
HUM
In two senses, the Bible has been an object of excavation.  Artifacts and archaeological investigations have played a major part in the reconstruction of the meanings involved, while the depth of texts -- as compositions that took shape over time -- has been increasingly appreciated. This seminar involves understanding the social histories of Israel and the early Church as they shaped the biblical texts. This approach identifies the constituencies for which the sources of the texts were produced. By “sources” we mean, not the documents as they stand (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and so on), but the traditions that fed into those documents. The final, editorial moment when traditions were crystallized in writing is a vital juncture in the literary formation of the Scriptures, but is not solely determinative of their meaning. The unfolding of meanings within texts during the whole of their development explodes the claim of a single, exclusive meaning in biblical exegesis. The seminar will attend to the variety of meanings inherent within the Scriptures -- without limitation to a particular theory of interpretation, and with constant attention to issues of historical context. Program category:  Interpretive  Class size: 20
 
REL 234   Ethical Dilemmas in Science, Medicine and Technology from a Jewish Perspectiv
David Nelson
T Th  11:50 -1:10 pm OLIN 302
HUM
Cross-listed: Philosophy; Science, Technology & Society  Continuing advances in science and technology raise ethical issues that would have been wholly alien to pre-modern thinkers. Issues surrounding the beginning and the end of life, genetic engineering, stem cell research, environmental degradation, and others present us with unprecedented ethical challenges. This course will examine a range of these issues specifically through the lens of Jewish ethical texts and traditions.  No prior experience or courses in philosophy or Jewish studies required.  Class size: 22

HEB 102 Elementary Hebrew II
David Nelson
M T W Th 1:30 -2:30 pm OLIN 302
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies  Students will continue to develop their language skills focusing on mastering the Verb System in the present tense,developing reading techniques for comprehension and building a rich and active vocabulary in order to improve their written and oral abilities. Students will continue to explore the various elements of Israeli culture using technology and media ( popular songs, movies newspapers). This course is open to students who have completed Heb 101, or any other basic instruction in Hebrew.   Class size: 12

REL 126  The  Emergence of Rabbinic Judais
Alan Avery-Peck
M 1:30 -3:50 pm HDR 101A
HUM/DIFF
Cross-listed: Middle Eastern Studies  Judaism as it continues to be practiced today took shape in the first six centuries C.E., in the same period that saw the emergence and growth of Christianity. This course describes and interprets early Judaism, asking what happened to Jews in the first six centuries and evaluating the literatures, beliefs, and communal practices that they developed in response. Our goal is to understand how Judaism evolved as a result of the interaction between inherited texts and ideas and the contemporary experiences of the Jewish people. Class size: 22

Fall 2013 Courses

HIST/JS 120 Jewishness Beyond Religion
T. Thus. 10:10 - 11:30 am
OLIN 101
Cecile Kuznitz
HIST/DIFF
Cross-listed:  Jewish Studies In the pre-modern world Jewish identity was centered on religion but expressed as well in how one made a living, what clothes one wore, and  what language one spoke. In modern times Jewish culture became more voluntary and more fractured. While some focused on Judaism as (only)  a religion, both the most radical and the most typical way in which  Jewishness was redefined was in secular terms. In this course we will  explore the intellectual, social, and political movements that led to  new secular definitions of Jewish culture and identity, focusing on  examples from Western and Eastern Europe and the United States. Topics will include the origins of Jewish secularization, haskalah (Jewish  enlightenment) and Reform, acculturation and assimilation, modern  Jewish political movements including Zionism, and Jews and the arts.  In addition to secondary historical texts we will pay special attention to a wide variety of primary source documents. The class will also incorporate materials drawn from literature, film, and music. Class size: 18
HEB 101
Beginning Hebrew
M T W Thurs. 1:30 - 2:30 pm
OLIN 302
FLLC
David Nelson
Cross listed: Jewish Studies, Middle Eastern Studies This introductory Hebrew course will cover the basics of Hebrew  language: reading, writing and speaking - assuming no previous  knowledge on the student’s part. Although the text used for the course  is explicitly a text for Modern Hebrew, the skills acquired on this  first-year level can be easily applied to the study of pre-modern  (e.g., biblical and rabbinic) Hebrew text. Class size: 15
ANTH 256
Race and Ethnicity in Brazil
Tues. Thurs. 10:10 - 11:30 am
OLIN 203
Mario Bick
SSCI/DIFF
Cross-listed: Africana Studies, GISP, Human Rights, Jewish Studies, LAIS, SRE Brazil, in contrast to the United States, has been portrayed by Brazilians and others, as a “racial democracy’. The course examines the debate over the “problem of race” in its early formulation shaped by scientific racism and eugenics, especially the fear of degeneration. It then turns to the Brazilian policy of the 19th and early 20th centuries of branquemento (whitening) which was the basis of large-scale migration to Brazil from all major regions of Europe. These “ethnic” populations settled mainly in southern and south central Brazil leading to significant regional differences in identity politics and racial attitudes. The interplay of “racial” vs. “ethnic” identities is crucial to understanding the allocation of resources and status in Brazilian society. Inequality in contemporary Brazil is explored in terms of the dynamics of racial ideologies, the distribution of national resources and the performance of identity as shaped by “racial” and “ethnic” strategies. The groups to be discussed are: indigenous/native Brazilians, the Luso-Brazilians, Afro-Brazilians, Japanese Brazilians, Euro-ethnic Brazilians, and Brazilians of Arab and Jewish descent.
REL 269
Sacred Pursuits
T. Thus. 1:30 - 2:50 pm
OLIN LC 120
Bruce Chilton
HUM
 
Cross-listed:  Jewish Studies, Theology   This seminar is devoted to developing theoretical self-awareness in the study of religion. In order to achieve that end, we will read some of the key theorists in the study of religion, apply their insights to case-studies, and refine their approaches as seems necessary.  Class size: 16
LIT 276B
Chosen Voices: Jewish Authors
W. 3:10 - 4:30 pm
Thus. 1:30 - 2:50 pm
ASP 302
Elizabeth Frank
ELIT/DIFF
Cross-listed:  Jewish Studies, Theology   (World Literature offering) In this course we will read major nineteenth and twentieth-century Jewish authors who, in their attempts sometimes to preserve Jewish tradition and just as often to break with it (or to do a little of both), managed to make a major contribution to secular Jewish culture. The struggle to create an imaginative literature by and about Jews is thus examined with respect to often conflicted literary approaches to questions of Jewish identity and history (including persistent anti-Semitism in the countries of the Diaspora and the catastrophe of the Holocaust). In the process we will discuss such notions as Jewish identity and stereotypes, questions of "apartness" and "insideness," and explore literary genres such as the novel, the tale, the fable, the folktale and the joke in relation to traditional forms of Jewish storytelling, interpretation and prophecy. We will look as well at what it is that makes "Jewish humor" both Jewish and funny and consider the consequences of a particular author's decision to write in either Hebrew or Yiddish, or in a language such as Russian, German or English. We will discuss as well Jewish participation in literary modernism. Authors include Rabbi Nachman of Bratzslav, Isaac Leib Peretz, Sholem Aleichem, Isaac Babel, Franz Kafka, Bruno Schulz, Primo Levi, Isaac  Bashevis Singer, Bernard Malamud, Grace Paley, Aharon Appelfeld, Leslie Epstein, and Angel Wagenstein."   Class size: 20

REL 104
Introduction to Judaism
M. 1:30 - 3:50
RKC 200
Alan Avery-Peck
HUM
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies, Theology   Diverse Judaic religious systems ("Judaisms") have flourished in various times and places. No single Judaism traces a linear, unitary, traditional line from the beginning to the present. This course sets forth a method for describing, analyzing, and interpreting Judaic religious systems and for comparing one such system with another. It emphasizes the formative history of Rabbinic Judaism in ancient and medieval times, and the development, in modern times, of both developments out of that Judaism and Judaic systems competing with it: Reform, Orthodox, Conservative Judaisms in the 19th century, Zionism, the American Judaism of Holocaust and Redemption, in the twentieth. In both the classical and the contemporary phases of the course, analysis focuses upon the constant place of women in Judaic systems as a basis for comparison and contrast.
Religion program category:  Historical  Class size: 15
HEB 201
Intermediate Hebrew
T. Thus. 11:50 - 1:10 pm
W. 10;10 - 11:30 am
OLIN 302
Kim Yaffe
FLLC
Cross listed: Jewish Studies, Middle Eastern Studies   This course will concentrate on developing a significant level of linguistic and communicative competence in Hebrew. Active and passive lexicon will be expanded and advanced grammatical structures will be introduced through exposure to different kinds of texts. Aspects of Israeli culture as well as differences between the Standard language and the spoken language will be highlighted. Class size: 12
 

Spring 2013 Courses

HIST 2701
The Holocaust, 1933-1945
11813 HIST 2701: The Holocaust, 1933-1945       Cecile Kuznitz
Mon. Wed. 10:10 – 11:30 am
RKC 200
HIST/DIFF
Cross-listed: Human Rights, German Studies, Jewish Studies, STS
Course description:
This course will provide an overview of the Nazi attempt to exterminate the Jewish people during the Second World War. We will examine topics including the background of modern antisemitic movements and the aftermath of World War I; the reactions of German Jews during 1933-1939; the institution of ghettos and the cultural and political activities of their populations; the turn to mass murder and its implementation in the extermination camps; the experiences of other groups targeted by the Nazis; the reactions of "bystanders" (the populations of occupied countries and the Allied powers;) and the liberation and its immediate aftermath. Emphasis will be on the development of Nazi policy and Jews' reactions to Nazi rule, with special attention to the question of what constitutes resistance or collaboration in a situation of total war and genocide. Class size: 20
HEB 102
Elementary Hebrew II
11373 HEB 102: Elementary Hebrew II               David Nelson
Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. 1:30-2:30 pm
OLIN 302
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies, Middle East Studies
The second in a two-semester introduction to modern Hebrew as it is spoken and written in Israel today. Beginning with script and pronunciation, the course works rapidly into a wide range of texts and topics that build active and passive lexicon as well as grammatical structures. Differences between standard and colloquial Hebrew and significant aspects of Israeli culture are highlighted. Indivisible.
 
SOC 140
Israeli Society at the Crossroads    
11662 SOC 140: Israeli Society at the Crossroads                     Yuval  Elmelech
Tues. Thurs. 4:40 – 6:00 pm
OLIN 203
SSCI/DIFF
Cross-listed: Global & Int’l Studies, Human Rights, Jewish Studies, Middle Eastern Studies
Course description:
Modern Israel is a vibrant and diverse society characterized by contradictions and profound tensions between political and religious ideologies, social classes, and ethnic groups. This course is an introduction to contemporary Israel. Using various theoretical models and relevant sociological concepts, the course explores aspects of Israeli society seldom discussed in the American media, and provides students with both the knowledge and the analytical tools needed to understand the social institutions and problems that dominate the public discourse in Israel. The course begins with a short review of the historical development of the state. It then describes key aspects of Israeli culture and social structure and continues with an exploration of the origins and consequences of the main religious, ethnic, social and political cleavages. Selected topics include: Jewish immigration, democracy and militarism, segmented residential patterns, social class and inequality, religion and religiosity, ethnicity and national origin, gender and family. These issues will be explored through a critical analysis of academic literature, films, news reports and short stories by contemporary Israeli writers. Class size: 22 

LIT 328
Ideology and Politics in Modern Literature  
11691 LIT 328: Ideology and Politics in Modern Literature            Justus Rosenberg
Thurs. 10:10 am – 12:30 pm
OLIN 303
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies; Political Studies
Course description:
We examine how political issues and beliefs, be they of the left, right, or center, are dramatically realized in literature. Works by Dostoyevsky, Ibsen, T.S. Eliot, Kafka, Thomas Mann, Brecht, Sartre, Malraux, Gordimer, Kundera, Neruda, and others are analyzed for their ideological content, depth of conviction, method of presentation, and the artistry with which these writers synthetize politics and literature into a permanent aesthetic experience. We also try to determine what constitutes the borderline between art and propaganda and address the question of whether it is possible to genuinely enjoy a work of literature whose political thrust and orientation is at odds with our own convictions. The discussions are supplemented by examples drawn from other art forms such as music, painting, and film. Class size: 15
REL 257 Gender and Sexuality in Judaism
11658 REL 257 Gender and Sexuality in Judaism              David Nelson
Tues. Thurs. 11:50 am – 1:10 pm
OLIN 203
HUM/DIFF
Cross-listed: Gender & Sexuality Studies, Jewish Studies
Course description:
Traditional Judaism is often seen as a highly patriarchal system in which women have little access to public ritual roles or community leadership. It enforces a strict separation between men and women in many social situations, and prohibits even casual physical contact between husband and wife during the wife’s menstrual period. It defines some sexual acts between two men as an “abomination” for which capital punishment is prescribed. What are the origins of these practices, and the social, theological, and psychological attitudes that they reflect? This course will examine a broad sweep of issues relating to gender and sexuality in the earliest strata of Jewish historical development, that is, the biblical and rabbinic periods. Topics to be covered will include public and private gender roles; power dynamics between men and women; views of sexuality, marriage and its variants; homosexuality; etc. We will read both narrative and legal primary texts, as well as current scholarship on the development of these issues in the ancient world. Our goal will be to gain an understanding of some of the beliefs and values that drove the development of early Judaism. Class size: 22
HIST 181
Jews in the Modern World     
11815 HIST 181: Jews in the Modern World          Cecile Kuznitz
Mon. Wed. 11:50 am - 1:10 pm
ASP 302
HIST/DIFF
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies, Religion
Course description:
In the modern period Jews faced unprecedented opportunities to integrate into the societies around them as well as anti-Semitism on a previously unimaginable scale. In response to these changing conditions they reinvented Jewish culture and identity in radically new ways. This course will survey the history of the Jewish people from the expulsion from Spain until the establishment of the State of Israel. It will examine such topics as the expulsion and its aftermath; social, intellectual, and economic factors leading to greater toleration at the start of the modern period; the varying routes to emancipation in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and the Islamic world; acculturation, assimilation, and their discontents; modern Jewish nationalist movements such as Zionism; the Holocaust; the establishment of the State of Israel; and the growth of the American Jewish community. Class size: 22
JS 315
The Culture of Yiddish  
11817  JS 315: The Culture of Yiddish                     Cecile Kuznitz
Thurs. 1:30-3:50 pm
OLIN 306
Cross-listed: History
Course description:
For nearly one thousand years Yiddish was the primary language of European Jewry and its emigrant communities. This class will explore the role of Yiddish in Jewish life and the rich culture produced in the language. Topics will include the sociolinguistic basis of Jewish vernacular languages; medieval popular literature for a primarily female audience; the role of Yiddish in the spread of Haskalah (the Jewish Enlightenment); attempts to formulate a secular Jewish identity around the Yiddish language; the flourishing of modern Yiddish press, literature, and theater and their intersection with European modernism; contemporary Hasidic (ultra-Orthodox) culture; and the ongoing debate over the alleged death of Yiddish. All readings will be in English translation. Familiarity with the Hebrew alphabet and/or Jewish history helpful but not required. Class size: 15.
 

Fall 2012 Courses

REL 215 Trading Places
Bruce Chilton /  Jacob Neusner        T . . . 10:10 - 12:30 pm OLIN 101
HUM Cross-listed: Jewish Studies, Theology 
At the beginning of the common era, Judaism presented a view of God which was so appealing in its rationality, it competed seriously with various philosophical schools for the loyalty of educated people in the Graeco-Roman world. Christianity, meanwhile, appeared to be a marginal group, neither fully Judaic nor seriously philosophical. Six centuries later, the Talmud emerged as the model of Judaism, and the creeds defined the limits and the core of Christianity. By that time, Judaism and Christianity had traded places. Christianity was the principal religion of the Empire, and philosophy was its most powerful vehicle for conversion; Judaism was seen as a local anomaly, its traditions grounded in customary use rather than reflection. Class size: 22

JS 101 Intro to Jewish Studies
Cecile Kuznitz        W . F 11:50 -1:10 pm OLINLC 208
HUM/DIFF Cross-listed: History, Religion
This interdisciplinary course will introduce students to major themes in the field of Jewish Studies. The primary focus will be on the history of the Jewish people and on Judaism as a religion, but we will also examine topics in Jewish literature, society, and politics. The course will treat selected themes from the Biblical period to the present, but with a greater emphasis on the medieval and especially the modern period. Among the issues to be explored: What role has the Land of Israel played in Jewish life, and how have Jews responded to their nearly 2,000-year experience of exile and Diaspora? How have they negotiated both the “push” of antisemitism and the “pull” of assimilation to maintain distinct forms of community and identity? What role have various types of texts played in Jewish culture, and what is their relationship to lived Jewish experience? Finally, what are the implications of such momentous recent events as the Holocaust, the establishment of the State of Israel, and the rise of the American Jewish community? Class size: 22


REL 111 The Hebrew Bible
David Nelson         T . Th . 11:50 -1:10 pm OLIN 305
HUM/DIFF Cross-listed: Jewish Studies, Theology
The Hebrew Bible is arguably one of the most important works of Western culture. This course will survey the text, meaning, historical background and ancient near eastern literary and cultural context of the Hebrew Bible, and will provide a crucial introduction to all further studies of the three Abrahamic faiths. We will examine the interplay between history and myth, the various forms and purposes of biblical law, the phenomenon of biblical prophecy, and the diverse literary genres that are found within the Bible. Our goal will be to understand the work as a religious, historical, legal, and narrative work that reflected the society from which all of later Judaism, Christianity and Islam grew. Class size: 18


REL 269 Sacred Pursuits
Richard Davis      M . W . . 3:10 -4:30 pm OLIN 307
HUM Cross-listed: Jewish Studies, Theology
This seminar is devoted to developing theoretical self-awareness in the study of religion. In order to achieve that end, we will read some of the key theorists in the study of religion, apply their insights to case-studies, and refine their approaches as seems necessary. Class size: 15


HIST 2137 Jewish Women
Gender Roles & Cultural Change
Cecile Kuznitz          W . F 10:10 - 11:30 am OLINLC 208
HIST/DIFF Cross-listed: Gender & Sexuality Studies, Jewish Studies, Religion
This course will draw on both historical and memoir literature to examine the lives of Jewish women and men and their changing social, economic, and religious lives across the medieval and modern periods. We will consider the status of women in Jewish law and then look at issues including forms of women’s religious expression; marriage and family patterns; the differing impact of enlightenment and secularization on women in Western and Eastern Europe; and the role of women in the Zionist and labor movements in Europe, Israel, and the United States. Among the central questions we will ask is how women’s roles changed from the medieval to the modern period. Did modernity in fact herald an era of greater opportunity for Jewish women? How did their experiences differ from those of Jewish men? Class size: 22


HEB 101 Beginning Hebrew
David Nelson
M T W Th . 1:30 -2:30 pm OLIN 302 FLLC
Cross-listed:  Jewish Studies  This introductory Hebrew course will cover the basics of Hebrew  language: reading, writing and speaking - assuming no previous  knowledge on the student’s part. Although the text used for the course  is explicitly a text for Modern Hebrew, the skills acquired on this  first-year level can be easily applied to the study of pre-modern  (e.g., biblical and rabbinic) Hebrew text. Class size: 15
HEB 201 Intermediate Hebrew
M T Th 10:10 – 11 :30   OLINLC 208/OLIN 107 FLLC
Cross listed: Jewish Studies, Middle Eastern Studies   This course will concentrate on developing a significant level of linguistic and communicative competence in Hebrew. Active and passive lexicon will be expanded and advanced grammatical structures will be introduced through exposure to different kinds of texts. Aspects of Israeli culture as well as differences between the Standard language and the spoken language will be highlighted. Class size: 12
 

Spring 2012 Courses

HIST 2141 Zionism and Jewish Nationalism
Cecile Kuznitz    . T. Th.    11:50- 1:10pm   RKC 115   HIST/DIFF
Cross-listed: Human Rights; Jewish Studies; Russian & Eurasian Studies This course will focus on Zionism and other forms of Jewish nationalism in historical context. We will explore the European background of these movements including the rise of nationalism among the “small peoples” of Eastern Europe; assimilation and its discontents in Western Europe and antisemitism in the Russian Empire; European colonialism; and the popularity of socialism and other radical movements. We will then examine various ideologies such as political, cultural, labor, religious and revisionist Zionism; Territorialism; and socialist and liberal Diaspora Nationalism. We will consider the answers proposed by each movement to questions such as, what is the most effective means of securing the rights of Jews as a stateless minority? How should Jews relate to the other groups among whom they live? Do Jews need a territory of their own, and if so, why? We will concentrate on European movements and thinkers but also consider how these ideas played out in the United States and Israel. Class size: 22

HIST 153 Diaspora and Homeland
A Global Core Course
Myra Armstead/Cecile Kuznitz    . T. Th.    3:10- 4:30pm     Olin 203     HIST/DIFF
Cross-listed: Africana Studies; Human Rights; Jewish Studies; Related interest: Asian Studies The concept of Diaspora has gained widespread popularity as a way of thinking about group identity and its relationship to place. In an era of increasing globalization individuals are more likely to emigrate to distant shores, although this is in fact a longstanding historical phenomenon. Homelands in turn have taken on multiple, complex meanings in the imaginations and lived experience of migrant populations, particularly in recent times as technological and transportation innovations facilitate the maintenance of links with native lands. In this course we will read recent theoretical works on Diaspora and then examine case studies of diasporic populations from ancient times to the present. We will inquire about the extent to which Diaspora is celebrated or lamented, how this attitude affects real and imagined ties to homelands. While our focus will be chiefly on diasporic peoples themselves, we will examine the perspective of native/homeland populations on such issues as well. Case studies will include the first and longest-lived diasporic minority group, the Jewish people; black African-descended people since the trans-Atlantic slave trade; and select groups othered as “Asian.” Class size: 44

JS 320 Antisemitism
A Comprehensive Examination

Kenneth Stern 
. . . .F   10:10- 12:30pm    Olin 202     HIST
Cross-listed: History, Human Rights This course considers one of the oldest and most persistent forms of hatred. What is antisemitism? How is it part of the family of bigotries, prejudice and discrimination, and how is it unique? Is it more bigotry or ideology? How has it manifested itself in different eras, regions, political and economic systems and culture? How is it defined? What different types are there? Is anti-Zionism antisemitism? Why does it exist in some countries which do not even have Jews? How can it be combated? This is a course designed for upper-level students, but a motivated and interested first or second year student should be capable of doing well. At the end of the course, students should be able to identify and differentiate different types of antisemitism, understand how antisemitism works (and changes) as an ideology, how historical and socio-economic factors do and do not impact it, and how it fits within (but is also different from other members of) the family of bigotries. Interested students should contact Prof. Stern via email ([email protected]). Class size: 15
HUM 135 DN What is Judaism?
David Nelson    M. .Th.    5:00- 6:20pm    Oline 201    HUM/DIFF
1 credit This short course will examine the fundamentals of Jewish history, belief, thought, and life. Our readings will be from primary sources spanning 2500 years of Jewish literature. Students with or without prior knowledge will gain a historically contextualized understanding of Jewish approaches to Torah, the cycle of the year, the development and functioning of the synagogue, the purposes of daily Jewish religious practice, the importance of story-telling and argument, and the beliefs that unite – and divide – the Jewish people. This class will meet February 27 – March 22nd.


HEB 102 Elementary Hebrew II
David Nelson  MTWTh  1:30- 2:30pm   Olin 107    FLLC
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies Students will continue to develop their language skills focusing on mastering the Verb System in the present tense, developing reading techniques for comprehension and building a rich and active vocabulary in order to improve their written and oral abilities. Students will continue to explore the various elements of Israeli Culture using technology and media ( popular songs, movies newspapers). This course is open to students who have completed Heb 101, or any other basic instruction in Hebrew. Class size: 15

HEB 202 Intermediate Hebrew II
Doron Noyman   MTWTh  10:30- 11:30am   Olin 302    FLLC
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies The purpose of this course is to enable students to improve their Hebrew skills: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. Stress will be put on syntactical and structural elements of Hebrew texts, Grammar and active use of communication. This course will use a mix of practical and literary texts relating to Israeli culture, social issues and politics. Special emphasis will be on students' personal contribution and group presentations. Class size: 8

 

Fall 2011 Courses

HIST 3133 Resistance and Collaboration
Cecile Kuznitz M 4:40-7:00pm HIST

Cross listed: Jewish Studies; German Studies; Human Rights  This course will consider the concepts of resistance and ocllaboration, in particular as they apply to the actions of victims and bystanders during the Holocaust. We will examine patterns of reaction variously termed passive, armed, cultural and spiritual resistance. We will also look at the range of behaviors among bystander groups including collaboration, inaction, and rescue. By reading a number of scholars with widely varying views, including Hannah Arendt, Yehuda Bauer, and Isaiah Trunk, we will grapple with the issues raised on several levels: Theoretically, what are the most useful definitions of the terms? Empirically, how can we assess the extent of resistance and collaboration that took place historically? Ethically, what types of behavior are "reasonable" or morally justified in such extreme circumstances? Students will write a research paper considering these questions as they apply to a particular event or group during the Holocaust; if they wish they may choose another historical case study for thier own research.

HIST 2122 The Arab-Israel Conflict
Joel Perlmann T Th 4:40-6:00pm

Cross listed: Global & Int'l Studies, Human Rights, Jewish Studies, Middle East Studies  This course is meant to provide students with an understanding of this conflict from its inception to the present. Considerable attention will be given to the present; nevertheless, the conflict is simply incomprehensible with a solid understanding of its evolution- incomprehensible not merely in terms of details, but in terms of broader themes and aroused passions. Among the themes to be discussed are the following. A Jewish national movement arose in the late nineteenth century to oppose the conditions of Jewish life in Europe, and an Arab national movement (as well as a specifically Palestinian movement) arose to oppose Ottoman and European rule of Arab peoples. Out of the clash of these movements emerged the State of Israel and the Palestinian refugees in 1948. The political character of the conflict has changed over the decades: first it involved competing movements (before 1948), then chiefly a conflict of national states (Israel vs. Egypt, Syria, Jordan, etc ), and now it is conceived as chiefly a conflict between Israeli military rule of territories (occupied since the 1967 war) and an insurgent Palestinian independence movement. Military realities also changed greatly, as did the accusations about the role of 'terror' as a tactic (from the Jewish Irgun to Hamas) and the role of religion. And not least, the conflict has been shaped by strategic and economic considerations of the great powers (Ottoman, British, American/Soviet, hegemonic American) as well as by considerations of domestic political culture in Israel and in the Arab world.

ANTH 256 Race and Ethnicity in Brazil
Mario Bick M W 10:10-11:30 SSCI/DIFF
Cross-listed: Africana Studies, Global & Int'l Studies, Human Rights, Jewish Studies, LAIS  Brazil, in contrast to the United States, has been portrayed by Brazilians and others, as a "racial democracy." The course examines the debate over the "problem of race" in its early formulation shaped by scientific racism and eugenics, espcially the fear of degeneration. It then turns to the Brazilian policy of the 19th and early 20th centuries of branquemento (whitening) which was the basis fo large-scale migration ot Brazil from all major regions of Europe. These "ethnic" populations settled mainly in sourthern and south central Brazil leading to significant regional differences in identity politics and racial attitudes. the interplay of "racial" vs. "thnic" identities is crucial to understandign the allocation of resources and status in Brazilian society. Inequality in contemporary Brazil is explored in terms of the dynamics of racial ideologies, the distribution of national resources and the performance of identity as shaped by "racial" and "ethnic" strategies. The groups to be discussed are: indigenous/native Brazilians, the Luso-Brazilians, Afro=Brazilians, Japanese Brazilians, Euro-ethnic Brazilians, and Brazilians of Arab and Jewish descent.

REL 215 Trading Places
Bruce Chilton/ Jacob Neusner M 10:10-12:30pm
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies, Theology  At the beginning of the common era, Judaism presented a view of God which was so appealing in its rationality, it competed seriously with various philosophical schools for the loyalty of educated people in the Graeco-Roman world. Christianity, meanwhile, appeared to be a marginal group, neither fully Judaic nor seriously philosophical. Six centuries later, the Talmud emerged as the model of Judaism, and the creeds defined the limits and the core of Christianity. By that time, Judaism and Christianity had traded places. Christianity was the principal religion of the Empire, and philosophy was its most powerful vehicle for conversion; Judaism was seen as a local anomaly; its traditions grounded in customary use rather than relection.
 
REL 269 Sacred Pursuits
Kristin Scheible M W 10:10-11:30am HUM
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies, Theology  This seminar is devoted to developing tehoretical self-awareness in the study of religion. In order to achieve that end, we will read some fo the key theorists in the study of religion, apply thier insights to case-studies, and refine their approaches as seems necessary. Class size: 15

REL 229 Modern Jewish Thought
David Nelson T Th 11:50-1:10pm HUM
Cross listed: Jewish Studies, Philosophy, Theology  When an ancient religious tradition like Judaism encounters the radical challenges of modernity, it must re-think all of its basic beliefs and assumptions. This course will explore the attempts of some of the key figures of twentieth century Jewish thought to come to terms with such fundamental notions as particularism vs. universalism, the limits of divine authority, and the voluntary nature of religious affiliation and observance in the modern world.

JS 120 Jewishness Beyond Religion
Defining Secular Jewish Culture
Cecile Kuznitz T Th 10:10-11:30am HIST/DIFF
Cross-listed: History  In the pre-modern world Jewish identity was centered on religion but expressed as well in how one made a living, what clothes on wore, and what language one spoke. In modern times Jewish culture became more voluntary and more fractured. While some focused on Judaism as (only) a religion, both the most radical and the most typical way in which Jewishness was redefined was in secular terms. In this course we will explore the intellectual, social, and political movements that led to new secular definitions of Jewish culture and identity, focusing on examples from Western and Eastern Europe and the United States. Topics will include the origins of Jewish secularization, haskalah (Jewish enlightenment) and Reform, acculturation and assimilation, modern Jewish political movements including Zionism, and Jews and the arts. In addition to secondary historical texts we will pay special attention to a wide variety of primary source documents. The class will also incorporate materials drawn from literature, film, and music.
HEB 101 Beginning Hebrew
David Nelson M T W Th 1:30-2:30pm FLLC
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies  This introductory Hebrew course will cover the basics of Hebrew language: reading, writing, and speaking- assuming no previous knowledge on the student's part. Although the text used for the course is explicitly a text for Modern Hebrew, the skills acquired on this first-year level can be easily applied to the study of pre-modern (e.g., biblical and rabbinic) Hebrew text. Class size: 12

HEB 201 Intermediate Hebrew
TBA M T W Th 10:30-11:30 am FLLC
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies, Middle Eastern Studies  This course will concentrate on developing a significant level of linguistic and communicative competence in Hebrew. Active and passive lexicon will be expanded and advanced grammatical structures will be introduced through exposure to different kinds of  texts. Aspects of Israeli culture as well as differences between the Standard language and the spoken language will be highlighted.
 

Spring 2011 Courses

HIST 2701 The Holocaust, 1933-1945
Cecile Kuznitz   T Th 10:10 - 11:30 am   OLIN 201
Cross-listed:   Human Rights, German Studies, Jewish Studies, STS, Rethinking Difference
This course will provide an overview of the Nazi attempt to exterminate the Jewish people during the Second World War. We will examine topics including the background of modern antisemitic movements and the aftermath of World War I; the reactions of German Jews during 1933-1939; the institution of ghettos and the cultural and political activities of their populations; the turn to mass murder and its implementation in the extermination camps; the experiences of other groups targeted by the Nazis; the reactions of  “bystanders” (the populations of occupied countries and the Allied powers and the liberation and its immediate aftermath. Emphasis will be on the development of Nazi policy and Jews’ reactions to Nazi rule, with special attention to the question of what constitutes resistance or collaboration in a situation of total war and genocide. 


SOC 329 Israeli Society
Yuval Elmelech   T Th 10:10  - 11:30 am   ALBEE 106
Cross-listed: Global & Int’l Studies, Human Rights, Jewish Studies, Middle Eastern Studies 
This course provides students with an overview of Israeli society with an emphasis on the key social cleavages that Israel is currently confronting. These tensions coincide with cultural and ideological discursive debates that dominate the Israeli media and the political arena. Through a critical analysis of academic literature, daily news reports, and popular films, this course will explore the sources and consequences of these conflicts and their manifestations. Topics include (but are not limited to) tensions between religious and secular groups, “hawks” and “doves,” immigrants and the native-born, women and men, Jews and non-Jews (Muslims, Christians, and Druze), Zionists and Post-Zionists, the rich and the poor, Jews of Middle Eastern origin (Sephardic) and those whose families came from Europe (Ashkenazi), and Israelis and Diaspora Jews. We will also study the intersection of these categorical distinctions and discuss such links as those that exist between religiosity (or lack thereof) and political views, nationality and poverty, ethnic origin and educational attainment.

HIST 3131 Jewish Power and Politics
Cecile Kuznitz   M 4:40 - 7:00 pm   OLIN 204
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies, Political Studies, Russian & Eurasian Studies
This course will focus on modern Jewish political movements such as Zionism and Diaspora Nationalism, as well as on attitudes towards power and powerlessness in Jewish culture. We will first consider how Jews as an oppressed minority responded to their lack of political power, and what constitutes “politics” for a stateless group living in the Diaspora.  We will then explore the rise of modern nationalist movements that challenged the traditional view of Jewish powerlessness, primarily in Eastern Europe, including political, cultural, labor, religious and Revisionist Zionism; Territorialism; and socialist and liberal Diaspora Nationalism. We will examine the answers proposed by each movement to the problems of anti-Semitism and assimilation, as well as to the question: Does combating powerlessness require Jews to have a state of their own? We will concentrate on European movements and thinkers but also consider how these ideas played out in the United States and Israel.


HEB 102 Beginning Hebrew II
David Nelson  M T W Th 1:30 - 2:30 pm  OLIN 306
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies 
Students will continue to develop their language skills focusing on mastering the Verb System in the present tense, developing reading techniques for comprehension and building a rich and active vocabulary in order to improve their written and oral abilities. Students will continue to explore the various elements of Israeli Culture using technology and media (popular songs, movies newspapers). This course is open to students who have completed Heb 101, or any other basic instruction in Hebrew.

HEB 202 Intermediate Hebrew II
Sigalit Celnik          
M 10:00-11:00 am OLIN LC
T W Th 8:50 -9:50 am OLIN 309
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies 
The purpose of this course is to enable students to improve their Hebrew skills: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. Stress will be put on syntactical and structural elements of Hebrew texts, Grammar and active use of communication. This course will use a mix of practical and literary texts relating to Israeli culture, social issues and politics. Special emphasis will be on students' personal contribution and group presentations.
 

Fall 2010 Courses

HIST 2357
Jerusalem: History, Theology, and Contemporary Politics
T Th 11:50-1:10
Mustafa Abu Sway
Cross-listed:  GIS;  Human Rights, Jewish Studies, Middle Eastern Studies  This course surveys past events that contributed to the making of the history of Jerusalem; the theologies that make it a Holy City for Judaism, Christianity and Islam; and the Israeli and Palestinian national narratives that make it a contested capital.  In addition to Israeli policies regarding Jerusalem and Palestinian responses, international initiatives and third party plans that present solutions to the problem of Jerusalem will be discussed.

PHIL 270
Spinoza and the Political
W F 10:10-11:30am
Adam Rosen
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies  This course will provide a comprehensive introduction to the major currents of Spinoza’s philosophy and examine the work of those who claim to philosophize in its wake (primarily, Gilles Deleuze and Antonio Negri). We will begin with a close reading of Spinoza’s Tractatus theologico-politicus, focusing on Spinoza’s account of the possibility of rational agency, the text’s status as a political intervention, and the methodological role of contradiction in the text. The topic of contradiction and its dialectical treatment will be central throughout. In the Tractatus and especially in the next text to which we will turn, Ethics, Spinoza regularly diagnoses pseudo-contradictions confounding (by generating skepticism or dogmatism within) the philosophical tradition – e.g., the one and the many, freedom and determinism, body and mind, God and nature, right and power, thought and emotion – in order to dissolve them by demonstrating their shared reliance on a false premise or resolve them by showing them to be moments of a greater synthesis. However, Spinoza is also prone to dissolve familiar contradictions in order to institute more trenchant ones; i.e., he will vehemently uphold one side of partisan dispute, only to reconceptualize and rehabilitate the other side. A primary concern of the course will be to situate and draw the consequences of the distinction between true and false (i.e., “seeming”) contradictions in Spinoza’s philosophy. If, for Spinoza, contradiction can be a political virtue, and acknowledging true contradiction a philosophical virtue, then the appropriateness of the standard characterization of Spinoza as a “rationalist” and “monist” will need to be seriously reconsidered.  The remainder of the course will center on Spinoza’s Ethics and its revival in contemporary European philosophy. Topics considered will include: Spinoza’s critiques of abstraction and stasis; the violence of law; the liberatory effects of and political conditions for critique; the value of free thought and speech; Spinoza’s ontology of power; the relative powers of reason and passion; the possibility of human perfection; the political significance of affective life; the bearing of Spinoza’s conception of the multitude on contemporary questions about collective agency, democratic legitimacy, and radical democracy; and the dialectical intertwining of nature and history, collectivity and power, and state sovereignty and individual freedom.

REL 215
Trading Places
T Th 10:10-11:30
Bruce Chilton/Jacob Neusner
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies, Theology  At the beginning of the common era, Judaism presented a view of God which was so appealing in its rationality, it competed seriously with various philosophical schools for the loyalty of educated people in the Graeco-Roman world.  Christianity, meanwhile, appeared to be a marginal group, neither fully Judaic nor seriously philosophical. Six centuries later, the Talmud emerged as the model of Judaism, and the creeds defined the limits and the core of Christianity.  By that time, Judaism and Christianity had traded places.  Christianity was the principal religion of the Empire, and philosophy was its most powerful vehicle for conversion; Judaism was seen as a local anomaly, its traditions grounded in customary use rather than reflection.


REL 269
Sacred Pursuits
T Th F 1:30-2:50pm
Bruce Chilton
Cross-listed:  Jewish Studies, Theology   This seminar is devoted to developing theoretical self-awareness in the study of religion. In order to achieve that end, we will read some of the key theorists in the study of religion, apply their insights to case-studies, and refine their approaches as seems necessary. This is a writing intensive course. Most weeks we will meet for an  extra hour writing lab, and regular short writing assignments will be  required. The general goals of these labs are to help with the  development, composition, organization, and revision of analytical  prose; the use of evidence to support an argument; strategies of  interpretation and analysis of texts; and the mechanics of grammar and  documentation.

HEB 201
Intermediate Hebrew
M T W Th 8:50-9:50 am
Sigalit Zelnick
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies, Middle Eastern Studies  This course will concentrate on developing a significant level of linguistic and communicative competence in Hebrew. Active and passive lexicon will be expanded and advanced, grammatical strucutres will be introduced through exposure to different kinds of texts. Aspects of Israeli culture as wll as differences between the standard language and spoken language will be highlighted.

REL 111
The Hebrew Bible: Origin and Context
T Th 11:50-1:10pm
David Nelson
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies, Theology   The Hebrew Bible is arguably one of the most important works of Western culture. This course will survey the text, meaning, historical background and ancient near eastern literary and cultural context of the Hebrew Bible, and will provide a crucial introduction to all further studies of the three Abrahamic faiths. We will examine the interplay between history and myth, the various forms and purposes of biblical law, the phenomenon of biblical prophecy, and the diverse literary genres that are found within the Bible. Our goal will be to understand the work as a religious, historical, legal, and narrative work that reflected the society from which all of later Judaism, Christianity and Islam grew.

HEB 101
Beginning Hebrew
M T W Th 1:30-2:30pm
David Nelson
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies  This introductory Hebrew course will cover the basics of Hebrew language: reading, writing and speaking- assuming no prevoius knowledge on the student's part. Although the text used for the course is explicityly a text for Modern Hebrew, the skills acquired on this first-year level can be easily applied to the study of pre-modern (e.g., biblical and rabbinic) Hebrew text.

LIT 3017
The Threshold of Modernity in European Jewish Literature
W 4:30-6:50pm
Jonathan Brent
Cross-listed:  Jewish Studies, Russian & Eurasian Studies  This course will explore the meaning of modernity in the works of 6 of  the greatest Jewish writers of the late 19th and 20th centuries:  Sholem Aleichem, I.L Peretz, Franz Kafka, S. Ansky, Isaac Babel, and  Bruno Schulz.  We will read significant selections from each writer's  work against the background of the radical changes in Jewish life at  the end of the 19th century across eastern Europe in response to the  rise of Fascism and Communism and the spread of avant-garde artistic  theories.  Works will include "The Dybbuk"; "The Diary of Isaac  Babel"; the stories and essays of Bruno Schulz; the autobiography of  I.L. Peretz; the diaries of Franz Kafka; and "The Letters of Menachem  Mendel and Sheyne Sheyndel," by Sholem Aleichem.

 

Spring 2010 Courses

HIST 2701
The Holocaust, 1933-1945
T Th 10:30-11:30
Cecile Kuznitz
Cross-listed:  Human Rights, German Studies, Jewish Studies, STS    This course will provide an overview of the Nazi attempt to exterminate the Jewish people during the Second World War. We will examine topics including the background of modern antisemitic movements and the aftermath of World War I; the reactions of German Jews during 1933-1939; the institution of ghettos and the cultural and political activities of their populations; the turn to mass murder and its implementation in the extermination camps; the experiences of other groups targeted by the Nazis; the reactions of  “bystanders” (the populations of occupied countries and the Allied powers;) and the liberation and its immediate aftermath. Emphasis will be on the development of Nazi policy and Jews’ reactions to Nazi rule, with special attention to the question of what constitutes resistance or collaboration in a situation of total war and genocide.
SST 298
Exiles, Refugees, and Survivors: The Exodus from Hitler's Germany
Th 4:00-6:20 pm
David Kettler
Cross-listed:  German Studies, Jewish Studies, History, Human Rights, Political Studies, Sociology   This interdisciplinary course explores the principal conflicts and adjustments affecting the immigration to the United States of refugees from Central Europe who sought asylum from Nazi oppression by choice, necessity, or both.  It also addresses the diverse political, social and cultural constellations implicated in the unsymmetrical negotiations that shaped the varied outcomes for these refugees, especially for those that succeeded in gaining admission to the United States.  The historical case study provides important materials for inquiries in political studies, sociology, Jewish Studies and Human Rights, as well as historical subfields of intellectual history, history of arts and literature, and students will be encouraged to develop research projects in the fields closest to their main interests.
THEO 214
Visions of the Social Order in Formative Judaism and Christianity
T 10:30-11:50 pm
Bruce Chilton/Jacob Neusner
Cross-listed:  Jewish Studies, Religion   The seminar will focus on how a select group of texts from Western antiquity envision human collectivity, on the normative pictures they construct and project of how human beings should live together in community.  The basic question of our inquiry is: How does religion imagine society? We want to explore the contours of religious imagination in the particular case of a vision of the social order.
JS 101
Introduction to Jewish Studies
T Th 2:30-3:50 pm
Cecile Kuznitz
Cross-listed: History, Religion  This interdisciplinary course will introduce students to major themes in the field of Jewish Studies. The primary focus will be on the history of the Jewish people and on Judaism as a religion, but we will also examine topics in Jewish literature, society, and politics. The course will treat selected themes from the Biblical period to the present, but with a greater emphasis on the medieval and especially the modern period. Among the issues to be explored: What role has the Land of Israel played in Jewish life, and how have Jews responded to their nearly 2,000-year experience of exile and Diaspora? How have they negotiated both the “push” of antisemitism and the “pull” of assimilation to maintain distinct forms of community and identity? What role have various types of texts played in Jewish culture, and what is their relationship to lived Jewish experience? Finally, what are the implications of such momentous recent events as the Holocaust, the establishment of the State of Israel, and the rise of the American Jewish community?
THEO 212
Archaeology of the Bible
T Th 1:00-2:20 pm
Bruce Chilton
Cross-listed:  Jewish Studies, Philosophy, Religion   In two senses, the Bible has been an object of excavation.  Artifacts and archaelological investigations have played a major part in the reconstruction of the meanings involved, while the depth of texts -- as compositions that took shape over time -- has been increasingly appreciated. This seminar involves understanding the social histories of Israel and the early Church as they shaped the biblical texts. This approach identifies the constituencies for which the sources of the texts were produced. By “sources” we mean, not the documents as they stand (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and so on), but the traditions that fed into those documents. The final, editorial moment when traditions were crystallized in writing is a vital juncture in the literary formation of the Scriptures, but is not solely determinative of their meaning. The unfolding of meanings within texts during the whole of their development explodes the claim of a single, exclusive meaning in biblical exegesis. The seminar will attend to the variety of meanings inherent within the Scriptures -- without limitation to a particular theory of interpretation, and with constant attention to issues of historical context. Religion program category:   Interpretive
HEB 202
Intermediate Hebrew II
M T W Th 9:20-10:20
Noa Marom
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies   The purpose of this course is to enable students to improve their Hebrew skills: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. Stress will be put on syntactical and structural elements of Hebrew texts, Grammar and active use of communication. This course will use a mix of practical and literary texts relating to Israeli culture, social issues and politics. Special emphasis will be on students' personal contribution and group presentations.
HEB 102
Elementary Hebrew II
M T W Th 1:30-2:30 pm
David Nelson
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies  Students will continue to develop their language skills focusing on mastering the Verb System in the present tense,developing reading techniques for comprehension and building a rich and active vocabulary in order to improve their written and oral abilities. Students will continue to explore the various elements of Israeli Culture using technology and media ( popular songs, movies newspapers). This course is open to students who have completed Heb 101, or any other basic instruction in Hebrew.
 

Fall 2009 Courses

HIST 3108 Jewish Women
Gender Roles & Cultural Change
M 4:00 - 6:20 pm
Cecile Kuznitz
Cross-listed:   Gender and Sexuality Studies    This course will draw on both historical and memoir literature to examine the lives of Jewish women and men and their changing social, economic, and religious lives across the medieval and modern periods.  We will consider the status of women in Jewish law and then look at issues including forms of women’s religious expression; marriage and family patterns; the differing impact of enlightenment and secularization on women in Western and Eastern Europe; and the role of women in the Zionist and labor movements in Europe, Israel, and the  United States. Among the central questions we will ask is how women’s roles changed from the medieval to the modern period. Did modernity in  fact herald an era of greater opportunity for Jewish women? How did their experiences differ from those of Jewish men?
HIST 2122
The Arab-Israel Conflict
T Th 4:00 -5:20 pm
Joel Perlmann
Cross-listed: GISP, Human Rights, Jewish Studies, Middle East Studies This course is meant to provide students with an understanding of this conflict from its inception to the present. Considerable attention will be given to the present; nevertheless, the conflict is simply incomprehensible without a solid understanding of its evolution - incomprehensible not merely in terms of details, but in terms of broader themes and aroused passions. Among the themes to be discussed are the following. A Jewish national movement arose in the late nineteenth century to oppose the conditions of Jewish life in Europe, and an Arab national movement (as well as a specifically Palestinian movement) arose to oppose Ottoman and European rule of Arab peoples. Out of the clash of these movements emerged the State of Israel and the Palestinian refugees in 1948. The political character of the conflict has changed over the decades: first it involved competing movements (before 1948), then chiefly a conflict of national states (Israel vs. Egypt, Syria, Jordan, etc), and now it is conceived as chiefly a conflict between Israeli military rule of territories (occupied since the 1967 war) and an insurgent Palestinian independence movement. Military realities also changed greatly, as did the accusations about the role of ‘terror’ as a tactic (from the Jewish Irgun to Hamas) and the role of religion. And not least, the conflict has been shaped by strategic and economic considerations of the great powers (Ottoman, British, American/Soviet, hegemonic American) as well as by considerations of domestic political culture in Israel and in the Arab world.
ANTH 267
Middle Eastern Diasporas
M W 3:00 - 4:20 pm
Jeff Jurgens
Cross-listed: Human Rights; Jewish Studies; Middle Eastern Studies; SRE This course examines the past and present experiences of Arabs, Iranians, Turks, and Kurds who reside in Europe and North America, as well as of Jews of diverse backgrounds who live in Israel and abroad. At the same time, we will explore how and why these groups are commonly regarded as “diasporas,” a term that is itself closely connected with the displacement and dispersion of Jews from their homeland in the sixth century BCE. Such an investigation demands that we critically investigate not only the history of “diaspora” as a concept, but also the contemporary circumstances that have encouraged its recent prominence in public and scholarly discussions. After all, it was not that long ago that the aforementioned groups often characterized themselves (and were regularly characterized by others) not as “diasporic,” but as “immigrant,” “expatriate,” “refugee,” “exile,” and “ethnic.” What has brought about this shift in terms? What assumptions about geographic territory, human movement, and social connection does “diaspora” imply, and what insights might it allow that other concepts (like “immigration” or “transnationalism”) do not? And finally, what might specific diasporic experiences reveal about broader cultural processes? To address these and other questions, this course will work comparatively across national contexts and historical eras, relying on readings and films from cultural anthropologists, sociologists, and “diasporans” themselves.
REL 175
Classics of Judaism
T . Th  10:30 - 11:50 am
Jacob Neusner
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies This is a course in the study of a particular religion, meaning to exemplify an important trait of religion in general. It concerns how writing serves as a medium for preserving and handing on religious experience in the life of an on-going religious community (a community formed principally by shared convictions about God and how God is made manifest to humanity). Judaism is the religion that knows God through the Torah, the self-manifestation of God to a particular group of people, who called and now call themselves "Israel," through the prophet, Moses. Other religions know God in other ways, through different media, in the person of Jesus Christ, God incarnate, for Christianity; in the Quran revealed through the prophet Muhammed, for Islam, to name two others. In this book we read writings that are part of the Torah of Sinai. Specifically, Judaism maintains that when God was made known at Sinai, the Torah was formulated and transmitted for Moses in two media. One was in the medium of writing, and the written Torah corresponds to the Five Books of Moses as we know them, also known as the Pentateuch; these form the beginning books of what Christianity calls the Old Testament, and Judaism, the written Torah. The other medium was through a process of oral formulation and oral transmission, that is, a process of memory. This other part of the one Torah of Sinai, the oral part, called in Judaism "the memorized Torah," encompasses all of the documents that are presented in this course, but the Torah extends far beyond those particular documents. We deal with the first writings beyond Scripture that the Judaism of the Dual Torah treats as part of the Torah, the Mishnah, Talmud, Midrash, and related writings, Every classical writing in this book forms part of the oral Torah, that is to say, the oral part of the one whole Torah that God revealed to Moses at Mount Sinai. And the first thing you learn is that, in Judaism, a classical, authoritative writing -- a document accepted by the consensus of the faithful as normative and true -- finds a place in the revealed will of God that the Torah comprises. Each of these writings, therefore, represents a moment at which, as at Sinai, in the conviction of the community of the faithful, the Torah encompassed still more truth, in an ever-growing and never-ending transaction of revelation.
REL 279
Jewish Responses to Destruction
T Th 2:30 - 3:50 pm
David Nelson
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies   The notions of destruction, suffering, and victimhood have often played prominent roles in Jewish collective identity. This course will examine Jewish textual responses to three important instances of destructions of Jewish communities: the destruction of the Second Temple, the destructions of European Jewish communities during the Crusades, and the destruction wrought upon most of Europe's Jewish communities during the Holocaust. We will study primary texts that express theological, philosophical, and literary responses to these important historical turning points.

Spring 2009 Courses

REL 284
Jewish Searches for Alternative Spirituality
W F 9:00-10:20 am
David Nelson
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies, Theology  Periodically throughout Jewish history, some individuals or groups have felt that what they perceive as “mainstream Judaism” had become stale, or insufficiently spiritual (but note that the very word “spiritual” is a modern coinage, without a classical Hebrew equivalent), and that it had drifted away from intimate relatedness to God. In response to each of these instances of dissatisfaction, a new movement was initiated to create more spiritual models of practice, and to write texts to support the movement. This course will examine several of these movements, focusing both on texts and practices. It will include a study of biblical ecstatic and mystical strands, rabbinic movements, a brief look at classical (Spanish) Kabbalah, the mysticism of 16th century Tsfat, early Hasidism, and the contemporary Jewish Renewal movement. We will compare these movements to one another, seeking both commonalities and differences. We will also explore the interactions between these spiritual movements and the more mainstream groups from which they distinguished themselves.
THEO 212
Archaeology of the Bible
T Th 10:30 -11:50 am
Bruce Chilton
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies, Philosophy, Religion  In two senses, the Bible has been an object of excavation. Artifacts and archaelological investigations have played a major part in the reconstruction of the meanings involved, while the depth of texts -- as compositions that took shape over time -- has been increasingly appreciated. This seminar involves understanding the social histories of Israel and the early Church as they shaped the biblical texts. This approach identifies the constituencies for which the sources of the texts were produced. By “sources” we mean, not the documents as they stand (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and so on), but the traditions that fed into those documents. The final, editorial moment when traditions were crystallized in writing is a vital juncture in the literary formation of the Scriptures, but is not solely determinative of their meaning. The unfolding of meanings within texts during the whole of their development explodes the claim of a single, exclusive meaning in biblical exegesis. The seminar will attend to the variety of meanings inherent within the Scriptures -- without limitation to a particular theory of interpretation, and with constant attention to issues of historical context. Program category: Interpretive
REL 233
Jewish Food & Jewish Eating: A Cultural & Religious Analysis
W F 10:30-11:50 am
David Nelson
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies   Comedians have gotten lots of laughs by talking about Jewish food and Jewish eating practices. But this course will use these topics as a serious lens through which to view Judaism as it has developed throughout the ages. By examining primary texts ranging from the Bible to the Talmud, to medieval legal and philosophical works, to modern literature, encompassing both law and lore, we will study the complex religious and cultural structures, theological narratives, and legal principles that have driven Jewish civilization. Our analysis of primary texts will be framed and enhanced by readings in anthropology, philosophy, and history, as well as by careful observation of the reality of the contemporary Jewish world.
LIT 276
The Holocuast and Literature
T 1:30-3:50 pm
Norman Manea
Cross-listed: Human Rights, Jewish Studies Reading and discussion of selected short fiction and novels by such major writers as Franz Kafka, Primo Levi, Tadeusz Borowski, W.G Sebald, Aleksandar Tisma, Danilo Kis, and by two Nobel Laureates for literature, I. B. Singer and Imre Kertesz. The Holocaust will be considered in comparison with such other genocides of the twentieth century as the Gulag, communist China and Cambodia and Rwanda etc. We will debate questions about the boundaries of art incorporating unprecedented cruelty and despair, about literature of extreme situations (the traditional and the more experimental modes of narrative representation). We will also pay attention to post-Holocaust reality, to the trivialization of tragedy in fashionable, simplistic melodramas of the current mass-media culture or in political-ideological manipulation (especially in former East European socialist countries).

HEB 102
Elementary Hebrew II
W Th F 11:40 am- 1:00 pm
Rivka Halperin
Students will continue to develop their language skills focusing on mastering the Verb System in the present tense, developing reading techniques for comprehension and building a rich and active vocabulary in order to improve their written and oral abilities. Students will continue to explore the various elements of Israeli Culture using technology and media ( popular songs, movies newspapers). This course is open to students who have completed Heb 101, or any other basic instruction in Hebrew.

HEB 202
Intermediate Hebrew II
W Th F 1:30-2:50 pm
Rivka Halperin
The purpose of this course is to enable students to improve their Hebrew skills: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. Stress will be put on syntactical and structural elements of Hebrew texts, Grammar and active use of communication. This course will use a mix of practical and literary texts relating to Israeli culture, social issues and politics. Special emphasis will be on students' personal contribution and group presentations.
JS 112
Beginning Yiddish
M 3:00-5:00 pm
Cecile Kuznitz
2 credits. This course will provide an introduction to reading, writing, and speaking the Yiddish language. Students will also learn about aspects of the East European Jewish culture in which Yiddish developed. Meeting time may be changed depending on the schedules of interested students; consult with instructor.

JS/HIST 115
Introduction to Yiddish Language, Literature and Culture
T Th 2:30-3:50 pm
Cecile Kuznitz
Yiddish was the primary language of European Jewry and its emigrant communities for nearly one thousand years. This class will explore the role of Yiddish in Jewish life and the rich culture produced in the language. Topics will include the sociolinguistic basis of Jewish languages; medieval popular literature for a primarily female audience; the role of Yiddish in the spread of haskalah (the Jewish Enlightenment); attempts to formulate a secular Jewish identity around the Yiddish language; the flourishing of modern Yiddish press, literature, and theater; contemporary Hasidic (ultra-Orthodox) culture; and ongoing debates over the alleged death of Yiddish. All readings will be in English translation and will include short fiction, plays and poetry as well as historical works.
 

Fall 2008 Courses

JS / HIST 216
Jewish Rebels & Radicals
Cecile Kuznitz
T Th  2:30-3:50
With the impact of modernization and secularization in the modern period, radical new ideas have repeatedly challenged traditional Jewish norms of belief and practice. Some have even posited that as an “outsider” minority, Jews have a particular affinity for revolutionary ideologies such as socialism and communism. In this class we will look at a series of individuals and movements that rebelled against mainstream Jewish society, from the seventeenth century philosopher Barukh Spinoza to the founders of secular Jewish nationalism (i.e. Zionism) to the contemporary American Jewish “Heebster” movement. Among the questions to be asked: What is the line between rejecting tradition outright and rebelling against the status quo in order to bring about constructive reform? In an era of increasing diversity, is there still a Jewish mainstream against which to rebel?

HIST 2701
The Holocaust
Cecile Kuznitz
T Th   10:30- 11:50
Cross-listed:   Human Rights, German Studies, Jewish Studies, STS
This course will provide an overview of the Nazi attempt to exterminate the Jewish people during the Second World War. We will examine topics including the background of modern antisemitic movements and the aftermath of World War I; the reactions of German Jews during 1933-1939; the institution of ghettos and the cultural and political activities of their populations; the turn to mass murder and its implementation in the extermination camps; the experiences of other groups targeted by the Nazis; the reactions of  “bystanders” (the populations of occupied countries and the Allied powers;) and the liberation and its immediate aftermath. Emphasis will be on the development of Nazi policy and Jews’ reactions to Nazi rule, with special attention to the question of what constitutes resistance or collaboration in a situation of total war and genocide.

JS 112
Beginning Yiddish
Cecile Kuznitz   
M  W     3:00-4:00
2 credits   This course will provide an introduction to reading, writing, and speaking the Yiddish language. Students will also learn about aspects of the East European Jewish culture in which Yiddish developed. Meeting time may be changed depending on the schedules of interested students; consult with instructor. Prerequisite: knowledge of the Hebrew alphabet. Students without such background should contact the instructor for materials they can study prior to the start of the fall semester.


HIST 2122
The Arab-Israel Conflict
Joel Perlmann   
T Th     4:00-5:20
Cross-listed: GISP, Human Rights, Jewish Studies, Middle East Studies
This course is meant to provide students with an understanding of this conflict from its inception to the present. Considerable attention will be given to the present; nevertheless, the conflict is simply incomprehensible without a solid understanding of its evolution - incomprehensible not merely in terms of details, but in terms of broader themes and aroused passions. Among the themes to be discussed are the following. A Jewish national movement arose in the late nineteenth century to oppose the conditions of Jewish life in Europe, and an Arab national movement (as well as a specifically Palestinian movement) arose to oppose Ottoman and European rule of Arab peoples. Out of the clash of these movements emerged the State of Israel and the Palestinian refugees in 1948. The political character of the conflict has changed over the decades: first it involved competing movements (before 1948), then chiefly a conflict of national states (Israel vs. Egypt, Syria, Jordan, etc), and now it is conceived as chiefly a conflict between Israeli military rule of territories (occupied since the 1967 war) and an insurgent Palestinian independence movement. Military realities also changed greatly, as did the accusations about the role of ‘terror’ as a tactic (from the Jewish Irgun to Hamas) and the role of religion. And not least, the conflict has been shaped by strategic and economic considerations of the great powers (Ottoman, British, American/Soviet, hegemonic American) as well as by considerations of domestic political culture in Israel and in the Arab world.  


HEB 101
Beginning Hebrew
TBA   
W Th F    11:40 -1:00
Cross listed: Jewish Studies, Middle Eastern Studies
The course is an introduction to modern Hebrew as it is spoken and written in Israel today. It begins with the learning of script and pronunciation and works rapidly into a wide range of texts and topics that build active and passive lexicon as well as grammatical structures. Differences between standard and colloquial Hebrew as well as significant aspects of Israeli culture will be highlighted. Students work in the language lab, watch movies and TV programs, and have an additional two-hour session with the Hebrew tutor for conversational practice. Open to students with no previous knowledge of Hebrew and to others in consultation with the instructor.


REL 353
Child Sacrifice in Judaism, Christianity, & Islam
Bruce Chilton     
Th     4:00-6:20
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies, Theology
The story of Abraham and Isaac has influenced the West as powerfully as the archetypal biblical narratives of the Creation, Fall, Flood, Exodus, and Crucifixion. Known by Jewish commentators since the second century as the Aqedah, literally the "binding" of Isaac, it has been written about exhaustively and beautifully. But the ways in which it has shaped our culture, and particularly how it is playing itself out today, have yet to be fully appreciated or understood. The Aqedah has typically been read as marking the end of human sacrifice, but the reverse is actually more true. All three religions developed enormously influential interpretations of the Aqedah that state, with dreadful certainty, that no angel interrupted Abraham. Rather, he obeyed God's initial command and shed the blood of his son. These interpretations of the Aqedah have been the inspiration, both implicit and explicit, for cults of death in all three faiths.
 

Spring 2008 Courses

JS 101
Introduction to Jewish Studies
Cecile Kuznitz
Mon Wed   3:00 -4:20 pm   PRE 128
Distribution    Humanities/ Rethinking Difference
Cross-listed: History, Religion

This interdisciplinary course will introduce students to major themes in the field of Jewish Studies. The primary focus will be on the history of the Jewish people and on Judaism as a religion, but we will also examine topics in Jewish literature, society, and politics. The course will treat selected themes from the Biblical period to the present, but with a greater emphasis on the medieval and especially the modern period. Among the issues to be explored: What role has the Land of Israel played in Jewish life, and how have Jews responded to their nearly 2,000-year experience of exile and Diaspora? How have they negotiated both the “push” of antisemitism and the “pull” of assimilation to maintain distinct forms of community and identity? What role have various types of texts played in Jewish culture, and what is their relationship to lived Jewish experience? Finally, what are the implications of such momentous recent events as the Holocaust, the establishment of the State of Israel, and the rise of the American Jewish community?


HIST 2627
Diaspora and Homeland
Cecile Kuznitz
Mon Wed       10:30 - 11:50 am    Olin 306
Distribution    History/ Rethinking Difference
Cross-listed:  Jewish Studies, SRE
In recent years the concept of Diaspora has gained widespread popularity as a way of thinking about group identity and its relationship to place. In an era of increasing migration and globalization, individuals are both more likely to leave their homeland and to maintain links on it. In this course we will read some recent theoretical work on Diaspora and then examine the first and longest-lived Diasporic minority group: the Jewish people, which has maintained a distinct religious and ethnic identity during a worldwide dispersion lasting two thousand years. We will look at how Jews’ attitudes towards homeland and Diaspora have changed over time, as place has become increasingly important as a basis of secular identity in the modern period. We will also examine other Diasporic groups, including Southeast Asians and Africans. Readings will include theoretical writings and literature as well as historical studies. For a final project, students may choose to examine a group not discussed in class.


HEB 102
Elementary Hebrew II
Hezi Brosh
Tu Wed Th  1:00 -2:20 pm  Olin L.C. 206
Distribution    Foreign Language, Literature, and Culture
The second in a two_semester introduction to modern Hebrew as it is spoken and written in Israel today. Beginning with script and pronunciation, the course works rapidly into a wide range of texts and topics that build active and passive lexicon as well as grammatical structures. Differences between standard and colloquial Hebrew and significant aspects of Israeli culture are highlighted.  Indivisible. 


REL 285
Golden Rule in the Religions of the World
Bruce Chilton / Jacob Neusner
Tues  1:00 – 2:20 pm  RKC 101
Distribution    Humanities
The Golden Rule figures in the ethical teachings of all the important religions in the world. This seminar investigates the roles of the Golden Rule in the various religious systems and compares them.  The seminar studies papers by scholars who specialize in the several world religions and by those who analyze the golden rule as an ethical norm. A conference on April 13-15 2008 will bring together these specialists for discussion of their papers.


SOC / HIST 315
The Blending of American Peoples: Intermarriage: Assimilation and Group Continuity
Joel Perlmann
Th   4:00 -6:20 pm        Olin 310
Distribution    History/ Rethinking Difference
Throughout American history, people of different ethnic or racial background have formed sexual unions (some of which society defined as legal marriages, others not) -- and from these unions have emerged generations of multi-ethnic, or multi-racial, children.    This course focuses first on the crucial role of these unions in determining American ethno-racial assimilation -- and indeed the creation of an American people. European immigrants watched with horror or satisfaction as their children or grandchildren chose to marry outside their own group. Non-white intermarriage was slower in coming, but today it is uncommon only among blacks (and it’s increasing among them too). And co-habitation is even more common than is marriage across group lines.  Second, the course will explore group-level responses to the challenges posed by the presence of many mixed origin people. For example, American Indian tribes have developed guidelines based on “blood quantum” and as well as behavior to judge who can be a member of the tribe. In a very different way, American Jewish organizations have tried to address the status of mixed-origin offspring at the communal level. Then too, the U.S. government seeks ways to classify multiracial people in federal statistics on race and ethnicity for various purposes.   Nevertheless, issues of blending are handled mostly not by the ethnoracial group as a whole, or by the government, but rather by families and individuals. And we will focus on how family and individual handle the relevant issues. And third, we will ask how ethnic and racial groups survive at all following extensive blending.   Can group culture or identity persist when many couples include one member who is not a group member – or when most “group members” have origins both in the group and outside the group? The obvious answer would seem to be no; but that answer appears to be only partly correct, because individuals make choices about what to preserve. Besides weekly readings the major student assignment will be a term paper based on considerable independent research.


THEO / REL 212
Archaeology of the Bible
Bruce Chilton
TuTh  10:30 - 11:50 am    OlinLC 120
Distribution    History
In two senses, the Bible has been an object of excavation.  Artifacts and archaelological investigations have played a major part in the reconstruction of the meanings involved, while the depth of texts -- as compositions that took shape over time -- has been increasingly appreciated. This seminar involves understanding the social histories of Israel and the early Church as they shaped the biblical texts. This approach identifies the constituencies for which the sources of the texts were produced. By “sources” we mean, not the documents as they stand (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and so on), but the traditions that fed into those documents. The final, editorial moment when traditions were crystallized in writing is a vital juncture in the literary formation of the Scriptures, but is not solely determinative of their meaning. The unfolding of meanings within texts during the whole of their development explodes the claim of a single, exclusive meaning in biblical exegesis. The seminar will attend to the variety of meanings inherent within the Scriptures -- without limitation to a particular theory of interpretation, and with constant attention to issues of historical context.
 

Fall 2007 Courses

ANTH 267
Middle Eastern Diasporas
Jeffrey Jurgens
CRN 97128
Tu Th 1:00 -2:20 pm OLIN 305
Distribution Social Science / Rethinking Difference
Cross-listed: Human Rights; Jewish Studies; Middle Eastern Studies; Studies in Race and Ethnicity
This course examines the past and present experiences of Arabs, Iranians, Turks, and Kurds who reside in Europe and North America, as well as of Jews of diverse backgrounds who live in Israel and abroad. At the same time, we will explore how and why these groups are commonly regarded as "diasporas", a term that is itself closely connected with the displacement and dispersion of Jews from their homeland in the sixth century BCE. Such an investigation demands that we critically investigate not only the history of "diaspora" as a concept, but also the contemporary circumstances that have encouraged
its recent prominence in public and scholarly discussions. After all, it was not that long ago that the aforementioned groups often characterized themselves (and were regularly characterized by others) not as "diasporic", but as "immigrant", "expatriate", "refugee", "exile", and "ethnic". What has brought about this shift in terms? What assumptions about geographic territory, human movement, and social connection does "diaspora" imply, and what insights might it allow that other concepts (like "immigration" or "transnationalism") do not? How do contemporary diasporas differ from past ones, especially those that emerged before the advent of nationalism and the nation-state? And finally, what might specific diasporic experiences reveal about broader cultural processes? To address these and other questions, this course will work comparatively across national contexts and historical eras, relying on readings and films from cultural anthropologists, sociologists, and "diasporans" themselves.
HEB 101
Beginning Hebrew
Hezi Brosh
CRN 97108
Tu Wed Th 1:00 -2:20 pm OLINLC 210
Distribution Foreign Language, Literature & Culture
Cross listed: Jewish Studies, Middle Eastern Studies
The course is an introduction to modern Hebrew as it is spoken and written in Israel today. It begins with the learning of script and pronunciation and works rapidly into a wide range of texts and topics that build active and passive lexicon as well as grammatical structures. Differences between standard and colloquial Hebrew as well as significant aspects of Israeli culture will be highlighted. Students work in the language lab, watch movies and TV programs, and have an additional two-hour session with the Hebrew tutor for conversational practice. Open to students with no previous knowledge of Hebrew and to others in consultation with the instructor.
 
ANTH 281
Biology and the Imagining of the Jews: Science and the Jews as a Race
Mario Bick
CRN 97134
Tu Th 9:00 - 10:20 am OLIN 303
Distribution Social Science
Cross-listed: Human Rights; Jewish Studies; STS; Studies in Race and Ethnicity
This course uses the history of the persistent biological / racial classification of the Jews since about the 15th century as a window onto the sciences of race as they have flourished and floundered / failed, including the recent reemergence of scientific justification for the race concept, and its application to the Jews. The course will explore social constructions of race as applied to the Jews, and the critiques of these constructions, as represented in the writings of both non-Jews and Jews. It will also examine some non-Euro-American efforts to account for Jewish difference in Brazil, India, Africa and elsewhere.
 
THEO 215
Trading Places:Judaism and Christianity
Bruce Chilton / Jacob Neusner
CRN 97199
Mon Wed 1:30 -2:50 pm OLIN 306
Distribution Humanities
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies, Religion
At the beginning of the common era, Judaism presented a view of God which was so appealing in its rationality, it competed seriously with various philosophical schools for the loyalty of educated people in the Graeco-Roman world. Christianity, meanwhile, appeared to be a marginal group, neither fully Judaic nor seriously philosophical. Six centuries later, the Talmud emerged as the model of Judaism, and the creeds defined the limits and the core of Christianity. By that time, Judaism and Christianity had traded places. Christianity was the principal religion of the Empire, and philosophy was its most powerful vehicle for conversion; Judaism was seen as a local anomaly, its traditions grounded in customary use rather than reflection.
 

Spring 2007 Courses

HIST/ SOC 3335
America, its Jews & Israel
Joel Perlmann
Th 4:00 -6:20 pm OLIN 203
OLD: C
NEW: History / Rethinking Difference
Cross-listed: American Studies, Human Rights, Jewish Studies, Middle Eastern Studies

This course deals with ethnicity, domestic politics and foreign policy. First, it deals with themes of American ethnicity by tracing striking shifts in American Jewish attitudes towards Israel since the establishment of the Jewish state in 1948. Second, the course deals with American politics by illuminating the changing role of Israel in the American Jewish voting patterns, lobbying efforts, and financial contributions for politics. The course will also take up various non-Jewish domestic pressure groups that call for or oppose strong support for Israel – for example, in recent years the religious right has been an important supporting force, while Arab-American organizations have typically opposed such support. And third, this course deals with American foreign policy itself, evaluating the dramatically shifting history of American involvement with the Jewish state, a history in which domestic interest groups comprise only one among several important components.
REL 110
The Bible as Literatures
Bruce Chilton
Wed Fr 12:00 -1:20 pm OLIN 201
OLD: B/C
NEW: Humanities

The Bible is of pivotal importance in understanding the development of literature and history in the West, and it offers unique insights into the nature of the religious consciousness of humanity. Familiarity with the biblical documents, and a critical appreciation of those documents are therefore among the attainments of an ordinarily well-educated person in our culture. By means of lectures, discussions, quizzes, essays, and a test, the present course is designed to help students become biblically literate. Tutorials in Greek and Hebrew may be arranged in association with the course.
 
REL 290
Special Topics in Religion: Religious Foundations Of Tolerance. Comparing Religions
Bruce Chilton / Jacob Neusner
Tu 1:00 -2:20 pm OLIN 301
OLD: A/C
NEW: Humanities
Cross-list: Theology

A course in preparation for an academic conference at Bard on April 24-26 2007, Religious Resources of Toleration takes up theideas of major world religions on how to make sense of religious difference and why to put up with other religions. Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and other religions are asked to explain the basis for toleration. Each religion is presented through academic papers written for this seminar by various experts.
 

Fall 2006 Courses

JS / HIST 115
The Golden Tradition: Yiddish Language, Literature and Culture
Cecile Kuznitz
Mon Wed 3:00 – 4:20 pm OLINLC 210

Yiddish was primary language of European Jewry and its emigrant communities for nearly one thousand years. This class will explore the role of Yiddish in Jewish life and the rich culture produced in the language. Topics will include the sociolinguistic basis of Jewish languages; medieval popular literature for a primarily female audience; the role of Yiddish in the spread of haskalah (the Jewish Enlightenment); attempts to formulate a secular Jewish identity around the Yiddish language; the flourishing of modern Yiddish press, literature, and theater and their intersection with European modernism; contemporary Hasidic (ultra-Orthodox) culture; and the ongoing debate over the alleged death of Yiddish. All readings will be in English translation. Our class will work collaboratively with students in “THTR 310 H Survey: Yiddish Theater”. Students may enroll in both classes for additional credits with consent of the instructors.
HIST 2122
The Arab-Israel Conflict
Joel Perlmann
Tu Th 4:30 -5:50 pm OLIN 205

This course is meant to provide students with an understanding of this conflict from its inception to the present. Considerable attention will be given to the present; nevertheless, the conflict is simply incomprehensible without a solid understanding of its evolution. Among the themes to be discussed are the following. A Jewish national movement arose in the late nineteenth century to oppose the conditions of Jewish life in Europe, and an Arab national movement (as well as a specifically Palestinian movement) arose to oppose Ottoman and European rule of Arab peoples. Out of the clash of these movements emerged the State of Israel and the Palestinian refugees in 1948. The political character of the conflict has changed over the decades: first it involved competing movements (before 1948), then chiefly a conflict of national states (Israel vs. Egypt, Syria, Jordan, etc), and now it is conceived as chiefly a conflict between Israeli military rule of territories (occupied since the 1967 war) and an insurgent Palestinian independence movement. Military realities also changed greatly, as did the accusations about the role of ‘terror’ as a tactic (from the Jewish Irgun to Hamas). And not least, the conflict has been shaped by strategic and economic considerations of the great powers (Ottoman, British, American/Soviet, hegemonic American) as well as by considerations of domestic political culture in Israel and in the Arab world.
HEB 101
Beginning Hebrew
Hezi Brosh
Tu Wed Th 1:00 -2:20 pm OLINLC 118

The course is an introduction to modern Hebrew as it is spoken and written in Israel today. It begins with the learning of script and pronunciation and works rapidly into a wide range of texts and topics that build active and passive lexicon as well as grammatical structures. Differences between standard and colloquial Hebrew as well as significant aspects of Israeli culture will be highlighted. Open to students with no previous knowledge of Hebrew and to others in consultation with the instructor.
REL / THEO 215
Trading Places
Bruce Chilton / Jacob Neusner

At the beginning of the common era, Judaism presented a view of God which was so appealing in its rationality, it competed seriously with various philosophical schools for the loyalty of educated people in the Graeco-Roman world. Christianity, meanwhile, appeared to be a marginal group, neither fully Judaic nor seriously philosophical. Six centuries later, the Talmud emerged as the model of Judaism, and the creeds defined the limits and the core of Christianity. By that time, Judaism and Christianity had traded places. Christianity was the principal religion of the Empire, and philosophy was its most powerful vehicle for conversion; Judaism was seen as a local anomaly, its traditions grounded in customary use rather than reflection.
 
THTR 310H
Survey: Yiddish Theater
Shelley Wyant
Mon 3:00 - 5:20 pm Fisher Perf Arts

In this course we examine the tradition of the Yiddish Theater as it evolved in the United States and trace its evolution from its European beginnings into the present day. The large numbers of eastern European Jewish immigrants that flocked to America at the turn of the century created a uniquely Yiddish-American culture which resulted in the development of a Yiddish Broadway on Second Avenue. We will investigate the historical aspect of the culture through historical books (Vagabond Stars by Nahma Sandrow) and primary resources – a visit to NYC’s Tenement Museum and YIVO at The Jewish Historical Society. We will focus on the recurrent themes of the promise of a just world and a longing for another time and place. We will study the Folksbienne theatre, a ninety-year-old professional Yiddish theatre company, classic literary texts - particularly the stories of Isaac Bashevis Singer (Gimpel the Fool, Taibele and Her Demon) - and popular plays of the period (God of Vengeance, The Golem). Students will perform scenes from plays as well as watch classic film performances of 1930’s Poland starring Molly Picon (Yidl Miten Fidl, Mirele Efros). Completing our investigation of the relevance and importance of the Yiddish Theatre, we will end with an analysis of Tony Kushner’s translation of Ansky’s play The Dybuk. Topics for papers and presentations include a translation of a Yiddish drama or an in-depth study of some aspect of the Yiddish Theatre: Klezmer music, Second Avenue Theatres, and notable personages (The Adlers, Boris Thoamsevsky, Maurice Shwartz, Shalom Alecheim etc.) Our class will work collaboratively with students in “JS 115 The Golden Tradition: Yiddish Language, Literature and Culture.” Students may enroll in both classes for additional credits, with consent of the instructors.
ANTH 256
Race and Ethnicity in Brazil
Mario Bick
Mon Wed 10:30 - 11:50 am OLIN 303

Brazil, in contrast to the United States, has been portrayed by Brazilians and others, as a “racial democracy’. The course examines the debate over the “problem of race” in its early formulation shaped by scientific racism and eugenics, especially the fear of degeneration. It then turns to the Brazilian policy of the 19th and early 20th centuries of branquemento (whitening) which was the basis of large-scale migration to Brazil from all major regions of Europe. These “ethnic” populations settled mainly in southern and south central Brazil leading to significant regional differences in identity politics and racial attitudes. The interplay of “racial” vs. “ethnic” identities is crucial to understanding the allocation of resources and status in Brazilian society. Inequality in contemporary Brazil is explored in terms of the dynamics of racial ideologies, the distribution of national resources and the performance of identity as shaped by “racial” and “ethnic” strategies. The groups to be discussed are: indigenous/native Brazilians, the Luso-Brazilians, Afro-Brazilians, Japanese Brazilians, Euro-ethnic Brazilians, and Brazilians of Arab and Jewish descent.
 

Spring 2006 Courses

JS / HIST 215
From Shtetl to Socialism: East European Jewry in the Modern Era
Cecile Kuznitz
Tu Th 10:30 – 11:50 HDR 302
NEW: Humanities
Cross-listed: Russian & Eurasian Studies

Eastern Europe was the largest and most vibrant center of Jewish life for three hundred years prior to the Holocaust. In that period East European Jewry underwent a wrenching process of modernization, creating radically new forms of community, culture, and political organization that still shape Jewish life today in the United States and Israel. Yet this rich history is often obscured by nostalgic stereotypes of the shtetl in popular culture. We will begin by dissecting such stereotypes and comparing them to the realities of traditional Jewish society. We will then consider topics including the rise of Chasidism and Haskalah (Enlightenment), modern Jewish political movements including Zionism, and pogroms and Russian government policy towards the Jews. Course materials will include both primary and secondary historical sources, as well as literature and film of the period under study.
 
HIST 2137
Jewish Women: Gender Roles and Cultural Change
Cecile Kuznitz
Mon Wed 3:00 – 4:20 pm OLIN 304
NEW: History / Rethinking Difference
Cross-listed: Gender & Sexuality Studies, Jewish Studies, Religion

This course will draw on both historical and memoir literature to examine the changing economic, social, and religious roles of Jewish women, exploring the intersection of gender with religious and ethnic identities across the medieval and modern period. The course will begin by considering the status of women in Jewish law and then looking at issues including forms of women’s religious expression; marriage and family patterns; the differing impact of enlightenment and secularization on women in Western and Eastern Europe; and the role of women in the Zionist and labor movements in Europe, Israel, and the United States. Among the central questions we will ask is how women’s roles changed from the medieval to the modern period. Did modernity in fact herald an era of greater opportunity for Jewish women? How did their experiences differ from those of Jewish men?
 
SOC 253
Pluralism & Identity in Israel
Yuval Elmelech
Tu Th 2:30 -3:50 pm OLIN 203
NEW: Social Science
Cross-listed: GISP, Human Rights, Jewish Studies, Middle East Studies

Israel is undergoing major changes in its cultural, religious, and political institutions. These changes coincide with growing ideological and social divisions. Through lectures, academic literature, films, and analysis of news reports, this course examines the sociology of Israeli society and explores some of the key questions of pluralism, identity and social divisions in contemporary Israel. Specifically, we will discuss the questions: how do Israelis define themselves and others as Israelis/Diaspora Jews; Jews/Arabs; secular/religious, new immigrants (Olim hadashim)/veteran Israelis (Vatikim), Ashkenazim/Mizrachim? What are the historical and social origins of these distinctions? What implications do they have for Israel today? The theoretical component of the course presents various approaches for an analysis and understanding of the dynamics of group identity and conflicts. We then explore key questions pertaining to political, demographic, economic, and social forces that shape group identity and social conflict today. Special attention will be given to the media and how it portrays and shapes social and ethnic distinctions.
HEB 102
Elementary Hebrew II
M T W Th 4:30 -5:30 pm OLINLC 120
NEW: Foreign Language, Literature, & Culture
Cross-listed: Jewish Studies, Middle East Studies

The second in a two-semester introduction to modern Hebrew as it is spoken and written in Israel today. Beginning with script and pronunciation, the course works rapidly into a wide range of texts and topics that build active and passive lexicon as well as grammatical structures. Differences between standard and colloquial Hebrew and significant aspects of Israeli culture are highlighted. Indivisible.
 
THEO / REL 201
Working Theology: the Bible as Literatures
Bruce Chilton
Wed 12:00 -1:20 pm OLIN 308
NEW: Humanities

The Bible is of pivotal importance in understanding the development of literature and history in the West, and it offers unique insights into the nature of the religious consciousness of humanity. Familiarity with the biblical documents, and a critical appreciation of those documents are therefore among the attainments of an ordinarily well-educated person in our culture. By means of lectures, discussions, quizzes, essays, and a test, the present course is desIGned to help students become biblically literate. Tutorials in Greek and Hebrew may be arranged in association with the course.
 
THEO / REL 256
Historical Knowledge: Problems in Ancient Judaism and Christianity
Bruce Chilton
Jacob Neusner
Tu 2:30 -3:50 pm OLIN 310 + conference
NEW: History

For more than two centuries, the study of Judaism and the study of Christianity have been revolutionized by attempts to understand those religions in historical terms. During that period, history has been portrayed as both the friend and the enemy of religious insight. Profound controversies in regard to the aims and methods of historical knowledge have also characterized discussion since the Enlightenment. The purpose of this course, which will convene during a weekly seminar and also during a conference over several days, is to enable students to develop approaches to historical study that they believe are viable.
ANTH 267
Middle Eastern Diasporas
Jeffrey Jurgens
Tu Th 1:00 -2:20 pm ASP 302
NEW: Social Science
Cross-listed: GISP, Human Rights, Jewish Studies, Middle East Studies and SRE

This course examines the past and present experiences of Arabs, Iranians, Turks, and Kurds who reside in Europe and North America, as well as of Jews of diverse backgrounds who live in Israel and abroad. At the same time, we will explore how and why these groups are commonly regarded as “diasporas,” a term that is itself closely connected with the displacement and dispersion of Jews from their homeland in the sixth century BCE. Such an investigation demands that we critically investigate not only the history of “diaspora” as a concept, but also the contemporary circumstances that have encouraged its recent prominence in public and scholarly discussions. After all, it was not that long ago that the aforementioned groups often characterized themselves (and were regularly characterized by others) not as “diasporic,” but as “immigrant,” “expatriate,” “refugee,” “exile,” and “ethnic.” What has brought about this shift in terms? What assumptions about geographic territory, human movement, and social connection does “diaspora” imply, and what insights might it allow that other concepts (like “immigration” or “transnationalism”) do not? How do contemporary diasporas differ from past ones, especially those that emerged before the advent of nationalism and the nation-state? And finally, what might specific diasporic experiences reveal about broader cultural processes? To address these and other questions, this course will work comparatively across national contexts and historical eras, relying on readings and films from cultural anthropologists, sociologists, and “diasporans” themselves.
 

Fall 2005 Courses

JS / HIST 120
Jewishness Beyond Religion: Defining Secular Jewish Culture
Cecile Kuznitz
Tu Th 10:30 -11:50 am HEG 300
Distribution: OLD : A;
NEW: HUMANITIES / RETHINKING DIFFERENCE

In the pre-modern world Jewish identity was centered on religion but expressed as well in how one made a living, what clothes one wore, and what language one spoke. In modern times, Jewish culture became more voluntary and more fractured. While some focused on Judaism as (only) a religion, both the most radical and the most typical way in which Jewishness was redefined was in secular terms. In this course we will explore the intellectual, social, and political movements that led to new secular definitions of Jewish culture and identity in the modern period. We will focus on examples drawn from Western and Eastern Europe but will also look at American and Israeli societies. Topics will include the Haskalah (Jewish enlightenment), acculturation and assimilation, modern Jewish politics including Zionism, and Jewish literature in Hebrew, Yiddish, and European languages.
 
REL 104
Introduction to Judaism
Jacob Neusner
Tu Th 2:30 -3:50 pm OLIN 310
Distribution: OLD : A/C; NEW: HUMANITIES

Diverse Judaic religious systems ("Judaisms") have flourished in various times and places. No single Judaism traces a linear, unitary, traditional line from the beginning to the present. This course sets forth a method for describing, analyzing, and interpreting Judaic religious systems and for comparing one such system with another. It emphasizes the formative history of Rabbinic Judaism in ancient and medieval times, and the development, in modern times, of both developments out of that Judaism and Judaic systems competing with it: Reform, Orthodox, Conservative Judaisms in the 19th century, Zionism, the American Judaism of Holocaust and Redemption, in the twentieth. In both the classical and the contemporary phases of the course, analysis focuses upon the constant place of women in Judaic systems as a basis for comparison and contrast.
Religion program category: Historical
HEB 101
Beginning Hebrew I
Hezi Brosh
Tu Th 2:30 -3:50 pm OLINLC 120
Wed 3:00 -4:00 pm OLINLC 120
Fr 10:30 -11:30 am OLINLC 206
Distribution: OLD : D; NEW: FOREIGN LANGUAGE, LITERATURE & CULTURE

The course is an introduction to modern Hebrew as it is spoken and written in Israel today. It begins with the learning of script and pronunciation and works rapidly into a wide range of texts and topics that build active and passive lexicon as well as grammatical structures. Differences between standard and colloquial Hebrew as well as significant aspects of Israeli culture will be highlighted. Open to students with no previous knowledge of Hebrew and to others in consultation with the instructor.
HEB 102
Beginning Hebrew II
T B A
Mon 2:55 – 3:55 pm OLINLC 118
Tu Th 2:30 – 3:50 pm OLIN 304
Distribution: OLD : D; NEW: FOREIGN LANGUAGE, LITERATURE & CULTURE

The second in a two semester introduction to modern Hebrew as it is spoken and written in Israel today. Beginning with script and pronunciation, the course works rapidly into a wide range of texts and topics that build active and passive lexicon as well as grammatical structures. Differences between standard and colloquial Hebrew and significant aspects of Israeli culture are highlighted. Indivisible.
HIST / SOC 258
Jews in American Society, 1880 to the present
Joel Perlmann
Tu Th 4:30 -5:50 pm OLIN 204
Distribution: OLD : C; NEW: HISTORY / RETHINKING DIFFERENCE
Cross list: American Studies, Jewish Studies, SRE

The great waves of east-European Jewish migration west after 1880 constitute a major event in the modern history of the Jews and of the United States, creating a large and important American social group. This course examines Jewish social and cultural transformations during the succeeding century. We will keep in mind throughout two (overlapping) questions. First, what major developments are shared with other immigrant and ethnic groups and what is distinctive to the Jews (as a people, civilization or religion)? And second, what meanings does ‘Jewishness’ have for American Jews as their social conditions, and the wider culture, change across generations? Substantively, the course will consider such major themes as 1) the pattern of migration and cultural amalgam of the ‘Yiddish’ immigrant generation 2) the rapid upward mobility of American Jews as well as their concentration on the political left and explanations for both patterns 3) concern with antisemitism and American Jewish behavior during the European Holocaust, 4) the meaning of intermarriage to couples, their children and the culture of the group and 5) evolving attitudes towards Israel over the past half century, and their impact on American foreign policy. A term paper will be the major writing assignment in a seminar-discussion context.
LIT 276B
Chosen Voices: Jewish Authors
Elizabeth Frank
Wed 3:00 -4:20 pm PRE 101
Th 1:00 -2:20 pm PRE 101
Distribution: OLD : B/C; NEW: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH / RETHINKING DIFFERENCE
Related Interest: SRE

The course surveys the contribution of European and North American Jewish writing to twentieth-century literature. We will examine various works by Jewish writers and discuss whatever questions come up, most particularly questions about Jewish identity and stereotypes, mythology, folk wisdom, humor, history, culture, and relation to language. Jewish participation in literary modernism will be explored as well. Authors include Sholem Aleichem, Isaac Babel, Franz Kafka, Bruno Schulz, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Primo Levi, Bernard Malamud, and Grace Paley.
 

Fall 2000 Courses