JUDAIC STUDIES COURSE OFFERINGS
The following list includes courses offered by faculty associated with the Center for Judaic Studies, as well as other courses of interest to Judaic Studies students.� We try to make this list as accurate and comprehensive as possible.� If you have questions about offerings or times, check with the department in which the course is listed for the latest information.
English (Division_361)
English 317.003
Jewish American Literature
TTH 10:00-11:30
Credits 3
Tresa Grauer (please contact dept. for more
information)
Our aim in this course will be to consider the ways in which Jewish American
writing reflects and explores issues of identity formation, with particular
attention to potentially competing and often problematic cultural allegiances.
We�ll ask such questions as: what does it mean to �be Jewish�? to
�be American�? to �be Jewish and a woman (or a man)�? How do we
understand the link between individual identity and collective identity? What
role does memory play in the creation of a sense of self? What�s the
relationship between Judaism and Jewishness? Between identity and narrative
traditions? We�ll look at many forms of cultural production in our
efforts to understand how these questions have been inscribed by American Jews;
our texts will include not only novels, short stories, plays, and
autobiographies, but also films and photographs, plus works of history,
sociology, theology, and literary criticism. There will be a heavy
emphasis on placing our primary texts within their cultural context(s), so that
alongside our efforts at textual analysis and interpretation, we�ll also be
asking questions about the culture(s) that produced these texts. Our
primary reading will be drawn from the works of Abraham Cahan, Mary Antin,
Delmore Schwartz, Philip Roth, Grace Paley, Art Spiegelman, Cynthia Ozick, Eva
Hoffman, Tony Kushner, Myla Goldberg, and Daniel Mendelsohn. Course
requirements will certainly include regular reading and active participation;
they will likely also include several short response papers, one longer paper,
and a final exam.
History (Division 390)
History 307/ACABS 322/Religion 359
The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Qumran Community
TTH 1:00-2:30pm (and discussion section)
Credits 4
Hanan Eshel (please contact dept. for information)
Class Number: 30429
See ACABS 322 for course description.
History 384
Modern Jewish History: 1880 to the Present.
MWF 11:00am-12:00pm
Credits 3
Todd Endelman ([email protected])
Class Number: 31292
This course surveys the history of the Jewish
people in Europe, America, and the Middle East over the last one hundred and
twenty-five years. The course begins with the rise of virulent forms of
antisemitism at the end of the nineteenth century and examines how these
undermined Jewish assimilation in Western Europe and dashed all hope for
emancipation in Eastern Europe. The course then considers the various ways in
which Jews responded to this new crisis: nationalism, revolutionary socialism,
emigration, assimilationist defense activities, and conversion. The last third
of the course is devoted to the dramatic and often tragic events of the
twentieth century that totally changed the face of world Jewry - the Bolshevik
revolution, the Holocaust, the creation of the State of Israel, and the
emergence of the American Jewish community as the largest and most secure
community in the history of the diaspora. There will be a midterm and a 10-12
page paper.
History 406
The Church and the Jews
TTH
11:30am-1:00pm
Credits 3
Stefanie Siegmund
([email protected])
Class Number: 31283
The history of the Jews and the history of the Church are
deeply intertwined. In this course we will focus on this interaction,
proceeding topically, on a chronological path from the earliest religious
rivalry and theological differentiation of these two systems in the period that
saw the emergence of both rabbinic Judaism and Christianity (c. 70-450 CE), to
the development of medieval and early modern papal policies and popular
Christian beliefs that affected the Jews.�
The class will also discuss topics in the modern and contemporary
relationship of the Catholic Church and the Protestant Evangelical Church to
the Jewish people and to the Jewish State. We will read a combination of
primary sources in translation and current scholarship. In addition, we will
consider the representations of Jews and Judaism in the artistic, dramatic, and
musical traditions of the church and consider their impact.�
Judaic Studies (Division 407)
Judaic Studies 101
Elementary Yiddish I.
MWF 12:00-1:00pm
Credits 3
Vera Szabo ([email protected])
Class Number: 13382
This is the first of a six-term language sequence designed to develop basic skills in speaking, understanding, reading, and writing Yiddish.� Active class participation is required as are periodic quizzes, exams, a midterm, and a final.� Prerequisites:� None.
Judaic Studies 201
Intermediate Yiddish I.
MW 2:30-4:00pm
Credits 3
Vera Szabo ([email protected])
Class Number: 13383
This is the third of a six-term language sequence in Yiddish.� Special emphasis will be devoted to reading and discussing original texts, which will enhance the understanding of the culture within which Yiddish has developed.� Course grade will be based on exams, quizzes, written work, and oral class participation.� Prerequisites:� Yiddish 102.
Judaic Studies 205/HJCS 276
Meets with Judaic Studies 505/HJCS 576
Introduction to Jewish Civilizations
TTH 4:00-5:30pm (and discussion section)
Stefanie Siegmund ([email protected])
Credits 4
Class Number: 28284
This course is a sweeping overview of Jewish civilization, from its ancient Near Eastern roots to its various expressions in the contemporary world. We will focus on developments within Jewish religious culture and political and social organization that united the Jewish people historically. At the same time, we will pay close attention to the diversity of expression of the Jewish people that reflects regional and gender differences, rational and mystical modes of expression, dissent and sectarian developments. The Introduction to Jewish Civilization is taught by an interdisciplinary team: the primary instructor provides the general framework in introductory lectures for each unit and UM specialists in Judaic Studies offer guest lectures each week on a range of topics pertaining to Jewish history and religion. Discussion sessions provide the opportunity for direct contact with primary sources and for conversation.� No prerequisites. Grades are based on attendance and participation in section, a midterm, a final, and a creative project.
Judaic Studies 301
Advanced Yiddish I
WF�� TBA
Credits 3
Vera Szabo ([email protected])
Class Number: 28289
This is the last term of a six-term language sequence, focusing primarily on reading and speaking Yiddish.� Literary, historical and other texts will be considered, along with film, folklore, and music.� Students will also learn how to approach handwritten documents.� Prerequisites:� Yiddish 202.
Judaic Studies 317.001
Meets with Sociology 495.003
Topics in Judaic Studies:� Jewish Identities
MW 1:00-2:30pm
Credits 3
Sammy Smooha
Class Number: 22725
The course will discuss the questions: who and what is a Jew, how one can be an ethnic and not religious Jew, how secular Jewishness is conceived and practiced in both Israel and the Diaspora, and how secular Jews pass their Jewish heritage to the next generation.� Special attention will be given to several sets of historical forces that have shaped Jewish identity: secularism and modernism-postmodernism, antisemitism and the Holocaust, and Israel and Zionism.� The relative centrality of religion, language, culture, nationality (peoplehood), ethnic descent, and citizenship in Jewish identity will be linked to the differences in the characteristics and status of the Jewish community.� Currents in Jewish public thought (Mordecai Kaplan, Ben Halpern, Eliezer Schweid, David Hartman), historical transformations of Jewishness (Jacob Katz, David Weinberg, Emanuel Goldsmith) and contemporary attitudes and behavior of the Jewish population (Egon Mayer, Barry Kosmin, Steven Cohen, Charles Liebman, Calvin Goldscheider, Zvi Gitelman, Sergio Della Pergola, Jonathan Webber, Dominique Schnapper) will be surveyed.� The focus will be on secular expression of Jewishness in the United States, Europe, and Israel in the period since 1945.� The approach will be sociological, historical, and comparative.� Requirements: short term paper and final exam.
Judaic Studies 317.002
Meets with Sociology 495.002
Topics in Judaic Studies:� Israeli Society
MW 4:00-5:30pm
Credits 3
Sammy Smooha
Class Number: 29028
The course will present a macro-sociological, historical, and comparative approach to selected issues in Israeli society.� It will focus on the question:� in which ways and to what extent is Israel Western and secular?� Topics to be discussed will include a conceptual framework for the comparative study of development societies, distinct characteristics of Israeli society, the formative period, demography, culture, economy, politics, military, religion, and grand forces reshaping Israeli society (continued growth, globalization, privatization of society and state, Westernization and transition to non-belligerency).� Requirements: mid-term exam and final exam.� Note:� the class will be offered by Sammy Smooha, who is professor of Sociology at the University of Haifa and is a Posen Visiting Professor at Michigan.
Judaic Studies 467/HJCS
577/ Religion 471 (Section 001)
Seminar:� Topics in the study of Judaism
Exile and Homecoming in Modern Hebrew and Jewish Literature
W 3:00-6:00pm
Credits 3
Shachar Pinsker ([email protected])
Class Number: 30675
Exile and homecoming were central concepts in
traditional Jewish texts and culture long before they became metaphors in the formation
of European modernism. In recent years, Jews have also figured in postmodernist
thought as the paradigmatic �exilic� people. However, literary representations
of the experience of migration, displacement, and homecoming in modern
Hebrew and Jewish literatures offer different, and often contradictory,
approaches to these issues. In this seminar, we will read a variety of texts
(poems, short stories, essays) by and about immigrants, emigrants, travelers,
and exiles from the end of the nineteenth century until today in English,
Hebrew, Yiddish, and German (all in English translation). Readings
include writers such as Agnon, Abramovitz (Mendele), Applefeld, Sholem-Aleichem,
Herzl, Kafka, Goldberg, Roth, Amichai, and Ballas, as well as
central twentieth century thinkers such as Benjamin, Adorno, Arendt,
Lyotard, and Steiner.
Judaic Studies 467.002/HJCS 577.002/Religion 471.002�
Seminar:�
Topics in the study of Judaism
Reading the Dead Sea Scrolls as Political
Documents
TH 4:00-7:00pm
Credits 3
Eshel Hanan (contact dept. for more
information)
Class Number:� 306725
A graduate level seminar that will examine how we can learn political history from the Dead Sea Scrolls. In this class we will read in the original language the main compositions found at Qumran, such as Pesher Habakuk, Pesher Nahum, 4QTestimonia, Miqtsat Ma'asei ha-Torah, 4Q248 and more. Most of the texts are written in Hebrew, but some are in Aramaic. The class will introduce the major scholarly methods for the study of these documents as well as discuss some of the current debates about them.� Note: the class will be offered by Prof. Hanan Eshel, Associate Professor of Jewish History at Bar Ilan University, and Padnos visiting professor of Judaic Studies at the University of Michigan. Prerequisites: Second Year of Hebrew.
Judaic Studies 468/ HJCS 478/Religion 469
Jewish Mysticism
Elliot Ginsburg ([email protected])
MW 10:00-11:30am
Credits 3
Class Number: 23745
A study of the historical development of Jewish mysticism, its symbolic universe, meditational practices, and social ramifications. While we will survey mystical traditions from the late-Second Temple period through modernity, the central focus will be on the rich medieval stream known as kabbalah. Among the issues to be explored are:
� the nature of mystical experience;
�
images
of God, world, and Person;
�
sexual
and gender symbolism (images of the male and female); the problem of evil;
�
mysticism,
language, and silence;
�
mysticism
and the law;
�
mysticism
and community;
�
meditative
and ecstatic practices (ranging from visualization to chant, letter
combination, and modulated breathing);
�
kabbalistic
myth and ritual innovation; and
�
kabbalistic
interpretations of history.
Modern interpretations of mysticism will also be considered. Readings for the course consist of secondary sources from the history of Judaism and comparative religion, and selected primary texts (in translation). Requirements include two exams and a research paper. Class lectures will be supplemented by discussion, contemplative exercises, and on occasion, music and other media.
Judaic Studies
481/Slavic 481
Jews and Modernism in Twentieth-Century Eastern and Central Europe
TTH 1:00-2:30pm
Credits 3
Mikhail Krutikov
([email protected])
Class Number: 30697
The
course will focus on the representations of Jewish identity in the multilingual
and multicultural contexts of arts and literatures of Eastern and Central
Europe in the twentieth century.� More
specifically, the course will address the challenges that the choice of a
language and artistic orientation posed for a European writer of Jewish origin
who wished to be Jewish and modern at the same time. Readings will include
novels, short stories and memoirs written in German, Hebrew, Hungarian, Polish,
Russian, and Yiddish (all texts are available in English translation).� Every text on the reading list occupies a
prominent place in its respective national literary canon; taken together, they
present a complex and diverse picture of European Jewish civilization in the
most critical moments of its history. A significant part of the course will be
devoted to visual arts and film.� By
bringing together texts written in Jewish (Yiddish and Hebrew) and non-Jewish
languages as well as works of visual arts and film, this course will explore
the multilingual complexity of Jewish creativity in twentieth century Eastern
and Central Europe. Class discussion will revolve around literary and visual
representations of ethnic, religious, and cultural identity, politics and
ideology, antisemitism and assimilation, memory and reality.� Course requirements: active participation in class discussions,
one class presentation, and one twenty-page paper.
Judaic Studies 505/HJCS 576
Meets with Judaic Studies 205/HJCS 276
Introduction to Jewish Civilizations
TTH 4:00-5:30pm
Credits 4
Stefanie Siegmund ([email protected])
Class Number: 29547
See JS 205 for course description.
Judaic Studies 601
Introduction to Methods and Topics
M 5:00-8:00pm
Credits 3
Julian Levinson ([email protected])
Class Number: 25853
This course introduces graduate students to the disciplines, texts, and methods of Jewish studies. Students read textual materials from various eras of Jewish history (from antiquity to the modern period) and current scholarly literature that illustrates critical and disciplinary approaches to these texts. Specific topics include (but are not limited to) the following: rabbinic and modern academic approaches to the Bible; the cultural function of Jewish historiography; the prophetic mode in modern Jewish literature; the rise of Jewish cultural studies; and modes of response to the Holocaust.
Arabic, Armenian, Persian, Turkish & Islamic Studies (AAPTIS) (Division 325)
AAPTIS 383/ Comparative Literature 430 Section 002
The Arab-Israeli Conflict in Middle East
Literature
TTH 1:00-2:30pm
Credits 3
Carol
Bardenstein ([email protected])
Class Number: 30395
In this course, we examine the Arab-Israeli conflict as portrayed in both Arabic and Hebrew/Israeli literary traditions � poetry, short stories, novels, novellas, literary essays and personal accounts � and film, looking at how adversaries portray each other, how mutual stereotypes are created and reinforced, or broken down as the case may be, and how the conflict has shaped the development of these respective literary and filmic traditions in substantially different ways.� Complementing courses which examine the Arab-Israeli conflict through political and historical lenses and approaches, this course offers the unique perspective of examining the conflict through the literature produced by parties to the conflict. Readings will include works by David Grossman, Emile Habiby, Ghassan Kanafani, Sahar Khalifeh, Sami Mikhail, Amos Oz, Khalil Sakakini, Anton Shammas, A.B. Yehoshua, and S. Yizhar, as well as a selection of Palestinian and Israeli films pertaining to the conflict.
Ancient Civilizations and Biblical Studies (ACABS) (Division 314)
ACABS 101
Elementary Classical Hebrew
MWF 9-10 am
Credits 3
Instructor:� TBA
Class Number: 30474
The purpose of this course is to equip the beginning student with the tools necessary for reading the Hebrew Bible. The course will introduce students to the grammar of biblical Hebrew; its phonology (the study of speech sounds), morphology (the study of word formation), and syntax (the study of phrase and sentence formation).� In addition to mastering the grammar, students will need to acquire a sizable working vocabulary of the language, for competency in grammar and lexicon best facilitates the goal of reading the biblical text.
ACABS 200/HJCS 200/Religion 201
Introduction to World Religions
MWF 2:00-3:00pm (and a discussion section)
Credits 4
R. Williams, S. Jackson, E. Ginsburg ([email protected])
Class Number: 11425
See HJCS 201 for course description.
ACABS 201
Intermediate Classical Hebrew 1
Meets with ACABS 601.001
TTH 1:00-2:30pm
Credits 3
Brian Schmidt ( [email protected] )
Class Number: 11444
This course is designed to introduce the second
year or intermediate level student of biblical Hebrew to the fundamental
syntactic features of the language of the Hebrew Bible. The approach employed
entails a comprehensive identification and illustration of those features along
with their application to the analysis of the biblical text. The features
covered include the syntax of individual words (nouns, verbs, and particles)
and phrases as well as the larger relationships between words such as clauses
and sentences. The goal is to advance the student�s analytical skills beyond
morphological observations to syntactic analysis as a means to better
facilitate interpretation.�
Prerequisite: ACABS 101/102 or the equivalent determined by testing.
ACABS 322/Religion 359/ History 307
The Dead
Sea Scrolls and the Qumran Community
TTH 1:00-2:30pm (and a discussion section)
Credits 4
Hanan Eshel (please contact dept for information)
Class Number: 30413
One cannot overestimate the importance of the
scrolls found at Qumran to our understanding of the Second Temple period. In this
course we will survey the content of the library found at Qumran, and examine
the importance of the scrolls to our understanding of the political history of
the Hasmonean period, to the history of Judaism, to Jewish literature of the
Second Temple period, and to the background of the early church. The lectures
will be illustrated with slides. All readings will be in English.
ACABS 591
Aramaic and Syriac Dialects of the Roman World
MW 1:00-2:30
Credits 3
Robert Hawley ([email protected])
Class Number:31126
This course offers students of the Roman
period a chance to study in detail the dialects of Aramaic (including Syriac)
which existed between roughly 100 BCE - 300 CE. Numerous examples of texts from
all of the major corpora will be read.�
In addition to mastering script, vocabulary, and grammar, students will
also become comfortable with essential research and bibliographical tools. The
class would be especially important for students in Judaic Studies, Classics,
the Interdepartmental Programs in Greek and Roman History (IPGRH) and in
Classical Art and Archaeology (IPCAA), and, of course, Near Eastern Studies
(ACABS and HJCS), who wish to use Judean, Nabatean, Palmyrene, Hatraean, and/or
Old Syriac texts in the course of their own historical, anthropological,
religious, or literary research.�
Standard reference work to be used extensively will be made available
through the University Reserve Desk. Other necessary materials will be
distributed in class as handouts. Evaluation will be based on attendance,
participation in class, and performance on occasional quizzes and the final
exam.�
ACABS 601
Meets with ACABS 201
Advanced Readings in Classical Hebrew
TTH 1:00-2:30pm
Credits 3
Brian Schmidt ([email protected])
Class Number: 11448
See ACABS 201 for course description.
ACABS 723.001
Ancient Israel/Hebrew Bible Seminar: Topics in Religion and Culture
Credits 3
T 1:00-4:00pm
Brian Schmidt ([email protected])
Class Number: 30472
This
class is a seminar in which
participants will address various topics and issues pertaining to the
historical reconstruction of early Israelite society in pre-Hellenistic times.
Various theoretical and methodological approaches informing modern historical
syntheses will be explored along with some of the complex issues that arise
from the interface of Late Bronze to Iron Age Syro-Palestinian material
cultural data, ancient Near Eastern Epigraphic sources and the traditions
preserved in the Hebrew Bible. Prerequisites: Intermediate Classical Hebrew,
working knowledge of at least two other Northwest Semitic languages,
archaeological field experience or prior coursework in a general survey course
in ancient Near Eastern archaeology.
ACABS 811
Northwest Semitic Inscriptions:� Inscriptions in Old Hebrew and Related Dialects
MW 11:30-1:00
Robert Hawley ([email protected])
Class Number: 31127
This seminar introduces graduate students and advanced undergraduates to the study of the oldest known writings in the Hebrew language: inscriptions dating from the early centuries of the 1st Millennium BCE until the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE. The learning of Old Hebrew ought still to begin with the Tiberian tradition, and for this reason, ACABS 202 or its equivalent is a prerequisite for this seminar. Students will learn to deal with the Tiberian vocalization in a critical way, however, with exposure to the full array of evidence for the vocalic structure of Old Hebrew, including transcriptions of Hebrew into Greek or Latin characters. Such a study of vocalic structure provides a springboard into historical morphology, since the ancient transcriptions show that the Tiberian patterns do not always correspond directly to those of earlier periods of the language. This emphasis on morphology allows students effectively to read and analyze Hebrew inscriptions from the Iron Age, which are unvocalized, of course, and do not necessarily show orthographic features consistent with Tiberian spellings.� In addition to grammar, students will also learn to read the ancient scripts in which these inscriptions were written (all employ variations of the same script), enabling them to read (from photographs or hand copies) actual Old Hebrew inscriptions from the Israelite capital of Samaria, and from important Judean centers such as Jerusalem, Lachish, Arad, Khirbet el-Q�m, and the southern site of Kuntillet Ajrud. The texts include many letters and administrative texts, but also many other genres, such as blessings and other apotropaic inscriptions, commemorative texts, and even a few pieces of poetry.� Finally, since Hebrew alone among all of the "Canaanite" languages of antiquity has preserved a living vocalization tradition, this seminar also provides the starting point for the study of the less well understood dialects of the Transjordan such as Moabite, Edomite, and Ammonite; and, of course, the Phoenician language, which merits a special treatment in a subsequent seminar, ACABS 812.
Hebrew and Jewish Cultural Studies (HJCS)
(Division 389)
HJCS 101
Elementary Modern Hebrew I.
Credits 5
MWF
The
focus of instruction is on the development of basic communication skills in
standard modern Hebrew. Speaking, writing, reading, and listening comprehension
are emphasized in classroom activities in an appropriate cultural context. This
course is taught in small sections. The final grade is based on class
activities, students' presentations, written assignments, and unit tests:
midterm and final. Class discussions and activities are exclusively in Hebrew.�
Sections 003 and 004 are for students with previous knowledge of
Hebrew.� Students with no background in
Hebrew will be directed to sections 001 and 002.
9-11am
Pauli Weizman (pauliw@umich.edu)
Class Number: 13119
11-1pm
Pauli Weizman (pauliw@umich.edu)
Class Number: 13120
11-1pm
Instructor:� TBA
Class Number: 13121
1-3pm
Instructor:� TBA
Class Number: 13122
HJCS 200/Religion 201/ ACABS 200
Introduction to World Religions
MWF 2:00-3:00pm (and a discussion section)
R. Williams, S. Jackson, E. Ginsburg ([email protected])
Credits 4
Class number: 13123
This course serves two main functions: the first of these is to provide an introductory sense of what is involved in the academic study of religion; the second, which will occupy almost the whole term, is to introduce the major religious traditions of the Near East, with emphasis on the development and major structures of Israelite religion, Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam. The course will keep
two foci in view: the first, the historical development of these religious
traditions, their sacred texts, and major personalities; the second, will
involve a comparative view of these traditions through analysis of their sense
of the sacred in space, time, and text, and their views on holy people. This is
an
introductory course: it is not necessary for
students to have any previous experience in the study of religion. The course
consists of three lectures and a discussion group each week. Writing for the
course typically involves an essay, a midterm, and a final exam.
HJCS 201
Intermediate Modern Hebrew I.
Credits 5
MWF
The focus of instruction is on the development of advanced language skills with an emphasis on oral and written communication in standard modern Hebrew.� In addition to texts, relevant cultural materials are provided through the use of video and technology based materials. This course is taught in small sections, with an emphasis on class discussion. The final grade is based on class activities, students� presentations, written assignments, and unit tests: midterm and final. Class discussions and activities are exclusively in Hebrew.
���������� 9-11am
Doron Lamm ([email protected])
Class Number: 13142
11-1pm
Doron Lamm ([email protected])
Class Number: 13143
11-1pm
Rosenberg, Ilan (ilanr@umich.edu)
Class Number:
13144
1-3pm
Rosenberg, Ilan (ilanr@umich.edu)
Class Number:
13145
HJCS 276/Judaic Studies 205
Meets with JS 505/HJCS 576
Introduction to Jewish Civilizations
TTH 4:00-5:30pm (and discussion section)
Credits 4
Stefanie Siegmund
([email protected])
Class Number: 28341
See
JS 205 for course description.
HJCS 301
Advanced Modern Hebrew I.
TTH 11:30am-1:00pm
Credits 3
Shachar Pinsker ([email protected])
Class Number: 13146
This is the third-year course within the Hebrew language sequence at the University of Michigan. The course aims to acquaint students with a variety of Hebrew texts and to use them as a basis for conversation, discussion, and writing in Hebrew. In this course students will develop a sophisticated vocabulary for understanding central contemporary cultural issues. It is a content-based course, focusing on Israeli and Jewish culture. There will be emphasis on reading comprehension and conversation, as well as reviews of grammar and syntactical structures that are commonly found in reading. Students will learn to identify different registers of Hebrew (literary, media, slang etc.), as well as different periods of the language. In this course students will read articles, poems and short stories, listen to the radio, watch video clips and films, write short essays and discuss their individual projects in class. The language of instruction and discussion is Hebrew.
HJCS 373
Israeli Society and Culture
TTH 2:30-4:00
Credits 3
Ruth Tsoffar ([email protected])
Class Number:31395
The objective of this course is to introduce students to both the Israeli culture and the complexity of studying it. It explores the formation of modern Israeli culture since the beginning of Zionist immigration to Palestine, although its emphasis is on the contemporary Israeli situation. We follow Modern Israeli culture through the revival of the Hebrew as a national language, the reinterpretation of traditional Jewish symbols and rituals, the development of a strong collectivist ethos, and the creation of a national heroic lore. Subsequently, we focus on the invention of youth culture and its importance to the creation of collective ideology, the role of archeology and pilgrimages in biblical geography, the creation of an Israeli national Jewish calendar, or the invention of Israeli folk dance, singing, and food cultures. The material selected for this course includes a wide range of works reflective of different directions in the history of Israeli culture. Such works include those by and about the Zionist pioneers, the second generation of immigrants to Israel, Holocaust survivors, women, Sephardic/Mizrahi Jews, and Palestinians. Films, music, and slides as well as guest lectures will supplement the readings for the course.� Course requirements: Assigned Readings and Class discussions are an important part of the grade. Students are expected to actively participate in class discussions based on the assigned readings, submit response papers and lead class discussions.�� There will be a midterm and final exam in addition to a final paper (10 pages long, double space).
HJCS 478/Judaic Studies 468/Religion 469
Jewish Mysticism
MW 10:00-11:30am
Credits 3
Elliot Ginsburg ([email protected])
Class Number: 13149
See Judaic Studies 468 for course description.
Topics in HJCS: Israeli Film and Theater
TTH 11:30am-1:00pm
Credits 4
Ruth Tsoffar ([email protected])
Class Number:
Israeli Film and Theater focuses on award winning plays, critically acclaimed films, and popular TV productions, intending to build a bridge between language classes and upper division Hebrew literature and culture classes by further developing reading, listening, and writing skills.� This material helps students to explore different writing styles, language registers, thematic constructs, and cultural contexts.� The course is designed primarily with heritage students (Bney Yisra�elim) and other advanced Hebrew students in mind.� More than focusing on systematic language acquisition (dikduk), the class material is specifically tailored toward obtaining fluency of reading, writing, and listening.� The topics of discussion include the family, violence in every day life, place of religion, army and politics in the life of individuals, the conceptualization of love and intimate relationships, and others.� In general, the course helps students develop a better understanding of contemporary Israeli society in its unique, rich, diverse, and complex form.� The material provides a venue for asking wider questions and elaborating on different theoretical frameworks.� Students will watch 4-5 films (evening screening in MLB), read 4-5 plays, and participate in class discussions.� One of the most important components of this course is the individual process through which each student works on his or her particular language, gradually developing active knowledge of language by working on the different writing assignments and their corrections.� The course requirements include weekly assigned reading and viewing of films; active participation in class discussions; submitting weekly response papers; and a final paper based on research.� Students also have a choice of writing and performing the final project in class.� As this course is taught entirely in Hebrew, instructor�s approval is required.
HJCS 576/JS 505
Meets with JS 205/HJCS 276
Introduction to Jewish Civilizations
TTH 4:00-5:30pm (and a discussion section)
Credits 4
Stefanie Siegmund
([email protected])
Class Number: 29576
See JS 205 for course description.
HJCS
577/JS 467/Religion 471 (Section 001):
Seminar: Topics in the study of Judaism:� Exile and Homecoming in Modern Hebrew and��� Jewish Literature
W 3:00-6:00pm
Credits 3
Shachar Pinsker ([email protected])
Class Number: 31017
See JS 467 (section 001) for course
description.
HJCS 577/JS 467/Religion 471 (Section 002)
Seminar: Topics in the study
of Judaism:� Reading the Dead Sea Scrolls
as Political Documents
TH 4:00-7:00pm
Credits 3
Hanan Eshel
Class Number:� 31408
See JS 467 (section 002) for course
description
Political Science (Division 450)
PolSci 353
Arab-Israeli Conflict
MW 9:00-10:00am
(and discussion section)
Credits 4
Mark Tessler ( [email protected]
)
Class Number: 25552
Must also enroll in discussion section.
This course will present both factual and interpretive material about the Arab-Israeli conflict, an international dispute that has lasted for almost a century and whose significance extends far beyond the Middle East. After providing background information about Israel and the Arab world, including the Arabs of Palestine, the course will trace the historical development of the conflict from its origins in the 19th century until the present. The course also will examine the most important issues associated with the conflict, giving special attention to the competing territorial claims advanced by Israelis and Palestinians and to the rights of self-determination asserted by each. Attention will be given as well to relations between Israel and the Arab states.� In discussing the many controversial issues associated with the Arab-Israeli conflict, the course will strive for objectivity and balance and will encourage the evaluation of differing points of view, including not only the competing views of Israelis and Arabs but also the important differences existing within Israel and the Arab world. The instructor for the course has attended university and subsequently conducted research in both the Arab world and Israel, having spent over four years in the former and almost three years in the latter. He visits the area frequently and regularly collaborates with Israeli and Arab scholars.
Religion (Division 457)
Religion 201/ACABS 200/HJCS 200
Introduction to World Religions
MWF 2:00-3:00pm (and a discussion section)
Credits 4
Williams, Jackson, Ginsburg ([email protected])����
Class number: 14314
See HJCS 201 for course description.
Religion 359/ACABS 322/History 307
History and Religion of Ancient Judaism:
The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Qumran Community
TTH 1:00-2:30pm (and a discussion section)
Hanan Eshel
Credits 4
Class Number: 30432
See ACABS 322 for course description.
Religion 469/Judaic Studies 468/ HJCS 478
Jewish Mysticism
MW 10:00-11:30am
Credits 3
Elliot Ginsburg ([email protected])
Class Number: 14339
See Judaic Studies 468
for course description.
Religion
471/ HJCS 577/JS 467 (Section 001)
Seminar:� Topics in the study of Judaism: Exile and Homecoming in Modern Hebrew and Jewish Literature
W 3:00-6:00pm
Credits 3
Shachar Pinsker ([email protected])
Class Number:�
31017
See JS 467 (section 001) for course description.
Religion 471.002/ HJCS 577.002/JS 467.002�
Seminar:� Topics in
the study of Judaism: Reading the Dead Sea Scrolls as Political Documents
TH 4:00-7:00pm
Credits 3
Hanan Eshel (contact dept. for more
information)
Class Number:� 31408
See JS 467 (section 002) for course description.
Slavic
Languages and Literatures (Division 466)
Slavic 150
First Year Seminar
The Shtetl: Reality and Image
TTH 10:00-11:30am
Credits 3
Mikhail Krutikov ([email protected])
Class
Number: 30735
For over three centuries the
majority of East European Jews lived in numerous shtetlekh, small market
towns that served as centers of local trade and commerce. The shtetl, with
its distinct character, became the primary setting of Yiddish literature. It
also left a lasting impact on Jewish imagination and historical memory. The
seminar will explore interactions between reality and imagination, as the shtetl
mythology has gradually become a key feature of the Jewish "usable
past," particularly in the United States. We will look into a variety of
historical sources, memoirs, works of fiction, and literary criticism, as well
as examine visual representations of the shtetl in art and film.� This seminar can serve as an introduction to
East European Jewish culture, but it also addresses more general issues such as
the formation of collective memory, preservation and transmission of cultural
legacy, relationships between fiction and reality. Emphasis will be placed on
the development of analytical and critical skills that enable close reading of
literature, memoirs, and historical sources.�
Course requirements: two papers, one presentation, and active
participation in class discussions. All readings are in English. Open to
first-year students only.
Slavic 481/ Judaic Studies 481
Jews and Modernism in Twentieth Century Eastern and Central Europe
TTH 2:30-4:00pm
Credits 3
Mikhail Krutilov ([email protected])
Class Number: 31053
See Judaic Studies 481 for course description.
Sociology (Division 482)
Sociology 495.002
Meets with Judaic Studies 317.002
Israeli Society
MW 4:00-5:30pm
Credits 3
Sammy Smooha
Class Number: 30607
See JS 317.002 for course description.
Sociology 495.003
Meets with Judaic Studies 317.001
Jewish Identities
Credits 3
MW 1:00-2:30pm
Sammy Smooha
Class Number: 30608
See JS 317.001 for course description.
Social
Work (Division 790)
SW 645
W 9:00am-2:00pm
Credits 3
Robin
Axelrod ([email protected])
Class
number:
The American Jewish Community includes a vital complex of human service, community relations, education, and fund-raising organizations that address local, national, and overseas concerns.� Changing circumstances in part generated by the Jewish community's successes, have called earlier communal organizational structures and missions into question.� New directions are required within the institutions established by the community's forebears if such institutions are to respond effectively to the consequences of integration, assimilation, and changing global realities.� Students will be introduced to the origins, current programs, and anticipated challenges of major Jewish communal institutions in the United States and abroad.� Emphasis will be placed on human service programs and their relationship to other community building programs.� Attention will be given to the application of historic and traditional sources of Jewish law and ethics in tandem with social work ethics as guides for action.
Women�s Studies (Division������ )
WSTD XXX/JS XXX
Jewish Women in America
TIME
CREDITS
CLASS NUMBER
See JS XXX for description.