Winter 2023 Undergraduate Course Descriptions

Description: This course will serve as a general introduction to the nature and history of Jewish Law. Among the topics to be addressed are Law, Religion, and Morality, Redemption of Hostages, Beginning and End of Life Issues, Jewish Community, and the like. While secondary material will be assigned for background, the focus will be on the close reading of selected Jewish legal texts from the Mishnah and Talmud as well as such post-Talmudic texts as Maimonides’ great code of Jewish Law, the Mishneh Torah, and a variety of both medieval and modern responsa (judicial opinions). A key goal will be to acquire a “feel” for characteristic modes of halakhic (Jewish legal) thinking and reasoning, precisely through immersing oneself in the primary sources. A special feature of this course will be its havruta style: that is, for part of some classes, students will study and prepare the primary texts in havrutot (small groups) All texts and readings assigned are in English, with no prior background pre-supposed.

Evaluation:
10%: Class Attendance and Participation
20%: Take Home Mid-Term
30%: Eight to ten-page analysis of a primary text or important secondary discussion
40%: Three Hour Take-Home Final

Description: This will be a dynamic survey of Jewish and non-Jewish contexts in which Jewish music has developed since ancient times in the East and in the West. We will emphasize the artistry of Jewish musicians performing today, drawing their work into conversation with previous eras in a framework of vital and energizing cultural convergences.

Texts:

• The Cambridge Companion to Jewish Music – Edited by Walden, Joshua S.
• Jewish Music – Its Historical Development by Abraham Z. Idelsohn
• Musically Speaking: A Life Through Song By Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer
• The Rosendorf Quartet By Nathan Shaham

Evaluation:
Attendance: 10%
Participation: 15%
Ongoing assignments: 60%
Final assignment: 15%

Description: This is a survey course that highlights the encounters between Jews and the states and cultures of Europe from the medieval period to the present. The focus is on the effects of the encounters between Jews and their neighbours. The course pays particular attention to communal organization, patterns of migration, and cultural developments.

Texts:

• John Efron, et. al., The Jews: A History 3^rd edition.
• Coursepack and assigned online readings.

Evaluation:
Attendance and participation in all class meetings.
Completion of required reading assignments on time.
Short Paper: 10%
Class Tests: 50%
Term Paper: 40%

Description: The objective is to master basic communication in Modern Hebrew language. Students will develop the four language skills of understanding, speaking, reading and writing through the acquisition of basic structures of the language, i.e., grammar, syntax, vocabulary, as well as idiomatic expressions, in order to be able to communicate in Modern Hebrew orally and in writing. Communicative activities, oral practice, written exercises and compositions will be assigned regularly, in order to help integrate skills and reinforce learning. In addition, because the acquisition of a modern language also entails awareness of the culture of its linguistic community, the students will become aware of cultural elements associated with the language. 

Texts: Shlomit Chayat et al. Hebrew from Scratch, Part I

Evaluation:
60% 4 class tests
15% essays
20% oral presentation
5% class participation

Description: The second part of the introduction to the millennium-old language of Ashkenazic Jews. This course will continue covering the fundamentals of Yiddish grammar and vocabulary and will include further practice in speaking, reading, and writing. The course materials draw on Yiddish literature, songs, and films, allowing students to combine the acquisition of practical language skills with an exploration of Yiddish culture—from its beginnings in medieval Germany through its past and present in Central and Eastern Europe, the Americas, Israel, and all over the world. An important component of the course is the opportunity students will have to pursue Yiddish-related artistic or research projects (individually or in small groups), combining exploration of Yiddish with creative writing, translation, acting, filmmaking, religion, anthropology, history, painting, and journalism, to name just some of the options. While this course is the direct continuation of JWST 281 Introductory Yiddish 1, it may also be taken independently by students with adequate prior knowledge. With any questions, please email the instructor.

Texts: Course Pack; online resources

Evaluation:
Attendance and Homework (40%)
In-Class Quizzes (20%)
Final Project (20%)
Final Exam (20%)

Description: At mid-twentieth century, half a million Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) Jews arrived in Israel and enabled the fledgling state to triple its size in its first decade of existence. Today, more than half of Israelis trace their origins to this group, known collectively as Mizrahim (lit. Easterners). Through engagement with music, film, fiction, and the latest in historical scholarship, we will examine the ways in which the Mizrahim have long stood at the forefront of dramatic social, cultural, and political changes in Israel despite being underserved and subject to discrimination.

Texts: Bryan K. Roby, The Mizrahi Era of Rebellion: Israel's Forgotten Civil Rights Struggle, 1948-1966 (Syracuse University Press, 2015); Orit Bashkin, Impossible Exodus: Iraqi Jews in Israel (Stanford University Press, 2020); Sasson Somekh and Deborah A. Starr (editors), Mongrels or Marvels: The Levantine Writings of Jacqueline Shohet Kahanoff (Stanford University Press, 2020).

Evaluation: Reading responses, midterm, research paper, and final exam.

Description: The objective is to master communication in Modern Hebrew language.

Students will develop the four language skills of understanding, speaking, reading and writing through the acquisition of basic structures of the language, i.e., grammar, syntax, vocabulary, as well as idiomatic expressions, in order to be able to communicate in Modern Hebrew orally and in writing. Communicative activities, oral practice, written exercises and article analysis will be assigned in order to help integrate skills and reinforce learning. In addition, because the acquisition of a modern language also entails awareness of the culture of its linguistic community, the students will become aware of cultural elements associated with the language and the diversity of the Israeli society.

Texts: Shlomit Chayat et al. Hebrew from Scratch, Part I + CD

Evaluation: 
48% - 4 Class Tests (6%, 10%, 14%, 18%)
12% - Quizzes
12% - 2 In-Class Essays
10% - Compositions
10% - Oral Presentation
​8% - Class Participation

Description: Taking the beautiful novel Yasmin as our centerpiece for this course, we will explore representations of Jews and Arabs in an autobiographical trilogy by the Israeli, Iraqi-born writer, Eli Amir. In The Dove Flyer (1992), Amir recounts his childhood and departure from Iraq after the Farhud “pogroms.” In Scapegoat (1983) he describes his family’s emigration to Israel and the difficulties they experienced during the 1950s in hastily built ma’abarot to house the new immigrants. The trilogy’s third volume, Yasmin (2005), is set in 1967 in the aftermath of the Six Day War and it dramatizes Israel’s conquest of East Jerusalem from the perspective of Jerusalem’s Jews, Muslims and Christians. We will create collaborative assignments to contextualize these events within a political and historical framework and we will host Eli Amir by Zoom from Jerusalem.

Texts:

• The Dove Flyer (1992)
• Scapegoat (1983)
• Yasmin (2005)

Evaluation: Class participation; collaborative research and oral presentations; midterm and final essays.

Description: In this course, we will study in depth the two Bible texts named for women. Special attention will be given to the historical and cultural context, linguistic features, and literary analysis. We will also explore the images of women in these narratives in later rabbinic midrashim, medieval commentaries, modern biblical scholarship, art and literature.

All texts will be examined in translation; Hebrew proficiency is not required.

Evaluation: Grades will be based on two written assignments, a series of short group “thinking questions” on secondary readings and themes that emerge from the lectures, class preparation and participation.

Description: We tend to think of Jews and Muslims in the Middle East and North Africa as enemies, not neighbours. This course examines the modern history of Jewish-Muslim relations beyond just conflict. Students will explore the interconnected and entangled worlds of Jews and Muslims––from Morocco to Iraq––as the two communities navigated colonialism, nationalism, war, and decolonization. Through close readings of a wide variety of primary sources (including letters, memoirs, fiction, music, and film) and historical scholarship, we will approach Jewish-Muslim relations from a number of vantage points––including those of politics and culture. In doing so, we will seek to challenge our assumptions about the ways in which Jews and Muslims lived together in the not too distant past.

Texts:
Norman A. Stillman, The Jews of Arab Lands: A History and Source Book (Jewish Publication Society, 1979); Sasson Somekh, Baghdad, Yesterday: The Making of an Arab Jew (Ibis Editions, 2007); Orit Bashkin, New Babylonians: A History of Jews in Modern Iraq (Stanford University Press, 2012); Ethan Katz, The Burdens of Brotherhood: Jews and Muslims from North Africa to France (Harvard University Press, 2015).

Description: Plato famously argues that a good state can only come into existence if philosophers rule. Why? Because only philosophers have a firm grasp of the best life and of how to attain it. Hence they alone are qualified to establish the laws and institutions that can guide citizens to such a life.

In this course we will examine how medieval Muslim and Jewish philosophers integrated Plato's ideas into their religious tradition by recasting the prophet as philosopher-king. Moses and Muhammad, they argue, were great philosophers whose laws direct the members of their respective religious communities to virtue, wisdom, and happiness.They thus interpret Islam and Judaism as the moral-political order of Plato's ideal state. Core concepts we will study include prophecy, divine law, education, justice, and human perfection.

On the Muslim side we will start by reading excerpts from On the Perfect State by al-Fârâbî (ca. 870-950), one of the most influential statements of political philosophy in the tradition of Plato and Aristotle in medieval Islamic thought. Our main Muslim text will be the summary of Plato's Republic by Ibn Rushd (Averroes, 1126-1198) in which he not only lays out Plato's views, but also adapts them for the medieval Islamic world.

On the Jewish side we will focus on Maimonides (1138-1204), a contemporary of Ibn Rushd, and, like him, a native of Córdoba in Muslim Spain. Maimonides, the most famous medieval Jewish philosopher, was a keen student of Greek and Arabic philosophy. He was especially fond of al-Fârâbî and was also familiar with Ibn Rushd's work.

We will look at how Maimonides incorporates the moral and political theory of the philosophers into a Jewish framework. Like Greek and Muslim philosophers, Maimonides conceives the best life as one that is both virtuous and happy. We can only attain such a life in a well-ordered community in which all members collaborate to create the conditions for human flourishing. The best guide to a successful personal and social life, Maimonides contends, is the Torah, the Law of Moses, whose prescriptions embody the practical wisdom we need to flourish.

At the end of the class we will have familiarized ourselves with core themes in medieval Islamic and Jewish political thought and their ancient sources.

Texts:

• Medieval Political Philosophy: A Source Book (2nd ed. J. Parens & J. Macfarland)
• Al-Fârâbî, On the Perfect State (excerpts)
• Ibn Rushd / Averroes, Averroes on Plato's Republic (Eng. trans. Ralph Lerner)
• Maimonides, Ethical Writings of Maimonides
• Maimonides, Guide of the Perplexed (excerpts)

Evaluation:
Active course participation: 10%
Presentation: 15%
Short paper: 20%
Presentation of final paper project: 15%
Final comparative paper on a core theme in medieval Islamic and Jewish ethics: 40%

Description: The objective is to communicate on familiar topics in Modern Hebrew language. Students will develop the four language skills of understanding, speaking, reading and writing through the acquisition of the advanced structures of the language, i.e., grammar, syntax, vocabulary, as well as idiomatic expressions, in order to be able to communicate in Modern Hebrew orally and in writing. Communicative activities, oral practice, written exercises and compositions will be assigned regularly, in order to help integrate skills and reinforce learning. In addition, because the acquisition of a modern language also entails awareness of the culture of its linguistic community, the students will become aware of cultural elements associated with the language.

Texts: Edna Amir Coffin. Lessons in Modern Hebrew: Level II (2) Publisher: University of Michigan Press

Recommended Text: Hebrew Dictionary (Oxford, Eng-Heb, Heb-Eng Dictionary, Kernerman – Lonnie Kahn)

Evaluation:
48% - 4 Class Tests (6%, 10%, 14%, 18%)
12% - Quizzes
12% - 2 In-Class Essays
14% - Compositions
10% - Oral Presentation
4% - Class Participation

Description: Looking beyond the borders of empires and nation states, this course aims to study the experience of Jews in Europe, vis-à-vis those residing in the Middle East, North and South America, as well as Australia. While studying the key developments of the twentieth century, arguably the most transformative period in Jewish history, this course will pay particular attention to patterns of social and cultural exchange(s) between European Jews and their coreligionists elsewhere, along with the themes of migration, diasporas, memory, and material culture.

Texts:

• John Efron, et. al., The Jews: A History 3^rd edition
• Ava F. Kahn and Adam Mendelsohn ed., Transnational Traditions: New Perspectives on American Jewish History, 2014 (selections)
• Course Reader

Evaluation:
Attendance and participation: 15%
In Class Presentation: 25%
Test: 30%
Final Exam: 30%

Description: This course will examine both the person and varied teachings of the great Hasidic master, whose influence today is greater than ever, Rabbi Nahman of Breslov (1772-1810). We will read selections from his profound mystical and existential sermons, from his mysterious and enchanting tales that anticipate those of Kafka and Agnon, from his conversations recorded by his devoted disciples, and from his biography and autobiography. Above all, we will seek to penetrate the core of his personality and to account for the fascination it has exerted and continues to exert not only on his disciples, but on a multitude scholars and seekers, both Jewish and non-Jewish. Most of the course will focus on primary sources, all available online in English, but we will also look at some selected secondary scholarly literature as well.

Evaluation:
15%: Class Attendance and Participation
15%: Oral presentation of a either a Tale or Sermon of Rav Nahman
30%: Six to eight-page analysis of a Tale of Rav Nahman
40%: Eight to ten-page analysis of a Sermon of Rav Nahman

Description: Israel's multifaceted contemporary culture expresses itself through the visual arts, music, theatre, stand-up comedy, dance, film, TV series, and so on. Exposure to these materials facilitates a deeper understanding of contemporary Israeli society, while enhancing the Hebrew proficiency of participants in this course. The course will be conducted in Hebrew with some assignments submitted in English.

Prerequisite: Advanced Hebrew- JWST 340D1/D2 or equivalent. Please consult with the instructor.

Description: Focusing on four locales, this course will survey social, cultural, and political Jewish history across the region during the 1920s and 1930s. This time, marked by profound contradictions, contained growing economic and political distress, yet concurrently, an incredible resourcefulness and vitality. We will interrogate the internal developments within various Jewish communities, studying the diversity of Jewish religious, linguistic, cultural, political, and secular expressions. Through film, Jewish press across four languages: Yiddish, Polish, Hebrew and Russian (translated), advertisements, autobiographies of Jewish adolescents, selections from cookbooks, and literary sources, we will further consider everyday life in large Jewish metropolises, vis-à-vis the realities of shtetlekh (small towns). Throughout this course, we will also examine the economic and social conditions, as well as various increasing pressures that Jewish citizens were experiencing from society at large, namely rampant nationalism and antisemitism.

Texts:

• Ezra Mendelsohn, The Jews of East Central Europe, Between the World Wars, Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1983.
• Zvi Gitelman, A Century of Ambivalence: The Jews of Russia and the Soviet Union, 1881 to the Present, Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2001.
• Course Reader

Evaluation:
Attendance and participation: 15%
Primary Source Analysis (3-4 pg.): 25%
Research Essay: 30%
Final Exam: 30%

Description: An exploration of some of the central themes in Yiddish literature: religious faith and doubt; the role of fear––both awe of the divine and terror of the demonic; and the nature of good and evil. We will discuss Yiddish writers’ use of East European Jewish folklore, the influence of Christian culture, as well as the effects of secularization, mass emigration, and the Holocaust. Readings will include works by major Yiddish writers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including I. L. Peretz, Sholem Aleichem, and Isaac Bashevis Singer.

​All readings in English.

Texts: The Book of Job (selections); Judah ben Samuel, The Book of the Pious; Elijah ben Solomon Abraham ha-Kohen of Smyrna, The Rod of Chastisement; The Mayse-Bukh; Sholem-Yankev Abramovitsh, The Mare; Nahman of Bratslav, “A Tale of a Rabbi and His Only Son”; S. Anski, The Dybbuk; I. L. Peretz, “Three Gifts” and other stories; Jacob Gordin, God, Man, and Devil; Esther Singer Kreitman, “The New World”; Isaac Bashevis Singer, Satan in Goray, “Zeidlus the Pope,” “Why the Geese Shrieked”; Israel Joshua Singer, Of a World That Is No More; Moyshe Kulbak, The Messiah of the House of Ephraim; Sarah Hamer-Jacklyn, “My Mother’s Dream”; Mirl Erdberg Shatan, “The Bagel Baker.” Note: Most of the texts will be available in PDF format on the course website.

Evaluation: Grading will be based on attendance and participation (10%), weekly reading responses (30%), a midterm paper/project (20%), and a final paper/project (40%).

Format: Lecture.

Description: This course continues helping students improve their knowledge of the Yiddish language and to further explore the culture behind it. Further development of speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills, with a particular emphasis on expanding vocabulary and mastering grammar. Drawing inspiration from Yiddish writer Isaac Bashevis Singer, who in his Nobel Lecture described Yiddish as "the wise and humble language of us all, the idiom of frightened and hopeful humanity [which possesses] treasures that have not been revealed to the eyes of the world,” this course introduces students to selections from Yiddish literature, songs, and films of Jewish life past and present. An important component of this course is the opportunity students will have to pursue Yiddish-related artistic or research projects (individually or in small groups), combining exploration of Yiddish with creative writing, translation, acting, filmmaking, religion, anthropology, history, painting, and journalism, to name just some of the options. While this course is the direct continuation of JWST 384 Intermediate Yiddish 1, it may also be taken independently by students with adequate prior knowledge. With any questions, please email the instructor.

Texts: Course Pack; online resources

Evaluation:
Attendance and Homework (40%)
In-Class Quizzes (20%)
Final Project (20%)
Final Exam (20%)

Format: Seminar

Description: Although this course will emphasize the period referred to as "early modern" - roughly the period between 1453 and 1789 - we will venture into the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as well. A variety of topics and issues will be discussed including: the print revolution; absolutism; codification; kabbalah; Iberian inquisition and expulsion; commerce and early capitalism; tolerance and toleration; messianism and gender; did Jews have a Renaissance?; Ukrainian catastrophe; kabbalah; Jewish responses to the Reformation and more. To the extent possible the students' interests will configure the topics examined in depth. Discussions will focus on primary materials in English.

Texts: TBA

Evaluation:

1. Weekly summary-evaluations of the assigned reading. These will be presented orally as well. Each written submission will be graded /10 and the best four grades will be considered and will count for 40%
2. Punctual completion of all reading assignments; attendance at class meetings. Students are expected to prepare for and participate in class discussion. The incentive for this will be the assignment of 10% of the final grade for such participation. 10%
3. A substantial research paper (20 to 30 pp.) 50%