Course Descriptions

JS 105. THE JEWISH EXPERIENCE (RLG 105)
This course surveys and examines the wide variety of Jewish cultures from late antiquity to the modern period in the land of Israel and the Middle East, Spain, Eastern Europe, Germany, and the United States.We will consider the multifarious religious and secular aspects of the Jewish experience, and how Jews adapted to, resisted, and contributed to the cultures around them.

JS 110. ELEMENTS OF HEBREW I (4)
The three-semester sequence begins with the basics of conversation, reading, and writing with practice. This beginning course covers the following grammatical topics: pronouns, prepositions, basic verbs, days of the week, and numbers one to 1,000. The intermediate level teaches a more advanced level of conversation, reading, writing, and grammatical usage. Students will progress in the active use of the spoken and written language, including the reading of a Hebrew newspaper. The course sequence is designed to make it possible for students to attain a high-intermediate level in oral, aural, and written Hebrew at the completion of the program. A minimum grade of C- must be attained to advance from one course to the next.

JS 120. ELEMENTS OF HEBREW II (4)
A continuation of previous elementary work with abundant oral and aural practice. The intermediate level teaches a more advanced level of conversation, reading, writing, and grammatical usage. Students will progress in the active use of the spoken and written language, including the reading of a Hebrew newspaper. Prerequisite: Hebrew I with a minimum grade of C- or permission of the instructor.

JS 130. ELEMENTS OF HEBREW III (4) (GEN. ED. #2)
A continuation of previous work. This course sequence is designed to make it possible for students to attain a high-intermediate level in oral, aural, and written Hebrew at the completion of this course.

JS 200. JEWISH MYSTICISM (3) (RLG 244)
A comprehensive study in Jewish thought from the time of the Mishnah, Talmud, and Midrash to the emergence of the religious and secular Jewish thinkers of the 19th and 20th centuries. The course will present historical and conceptual developments of Jewish thought through a study of the works of the prominent Jewish philosophers, mystics, and ethical writers who shaped the major beliefs of Judaism. An exploration of the basic philosophical methods and terminology that are used in the literary research of the history of ideas will be included in the survey. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.

JS 205. JUDAISM (3) (RLG 205) (GEN. ED. #4 AND #9)
This course offers a general introduction to Judaism, its history, beliefs, and practices. Through an analysis of primary sources and consideration of diverse secondary materials, we will encounter Judaism as a dynamic tradition in which innovation and change emerge through a relationship and dialogue with the past. Topics of the course will include scripture and commentary, ritual and liturgy, the life cycle, and festival calendar.We will also consider some of the ways in which the Jewish tradition has responded to and been shaped by the challenges posed by the modern world.

JS 210. ADVANCED MODERN HEBREW AND ISRAELI CULTURE (3)
A continuation of JS 130, this advanced Hebrew course will focus on improving speaking, reading and writing skills as well as grammatical concepts at a higher level. The course will explore Israeli culture, through various genres of literature and media (e.g. short stories, poetry, newspaper and magazine articles, movies, music, and art).We will virtually “visit” new and historical places and “meet” the people of Israel. Prerequisite: JS 130 or permission of instructor.

JS 220. ISRAEL IN THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST (3)
The major literary product of Israelite civilization, the Bible is the primary vehicle for the understanding of this civilization. Critical examination of the Bible and its literature should, therefore, induce a more informed knowledge of literary form, style, and function in ancient Israel; an intelligent understanding of Israel’s culture and history during the first millennium BCE; and insight into Israel’s religious ideas, institutions, and theology that informs this great literature. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.

JS 225. TOPICS IN JUDIAC STUDIES (3)
Study of a historical period, theme, issue, or thinker in Judaic studies. Topics for a given semester are posted for registration. Courses may be repeated if the topic is different. Prerequisite: one 100- or 200-level course in Judaic studies, sophomore standing, or permission of the instructor.

JS 233. CONTEMPORARY JEWISH LITERATURE (3)
This course will provide students with an opportunity to read a wide variety of literary material by European Jewish writers from the turn of the century to the present day. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.

JS 235. A SURVEY OF MODERN HEBREW LITERATURE (3)
Modern Hebrew literature reflects the distinctive heritage and the turbulent recent history of the Jews, so it is markedly different from the modern American literature that we know. This course, taught in English, supplies the background needed to make Hebrew literature accessible in translation. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.

JS 240. THE ISRAELI MEDIA (3)
This course will be conducted in Hebrew and will include an analysis of Israeli media as a reflection of historic goals and cultural values in the society. Prerequisite: JS 133.

JS 241. ISRAELI FILM AND TV (3)
An advanced Hebrew culture course that focuses on various aspects of Israeli society as portrayed in Israeli films and TV. This course is conducted in Hebrew. Prerequisite: placement test in Hebrew.

JS 242. THE MODERN JEWISH EXPERIENCE (3) (RLG 242) (GEN. ED. #4)
Through an analysis of various forms of literature and media—autobiography, theological and philosophical writings, political treatises, fiction, and film—we will consider the ways in which secular Jewish identities and commitments in the modern world have been articulated and contested.We will work to define the meaning of “the secular,” “secularization,” and “secularism” and consider how these terms may be applied to Judaism.We will be attentive throughout to the complex dialectical relationship between Judaism as a religion and secular manifestations of Jewishness. Topics will include Spinoza and the theological-political critique of Judaism, the varieties of Jewish nationalism, and the phenomenon of “non-Jewish” Jews.

JS 245. THE HOLOCAUST (3) (RLG 245)
The socioeconomic, political, and theological roots of the Holocaust inWestern European thought and culture. Analysis of foreign reaction to German persecution of the Jews, early and late. The gathering stages of the Holocaust, from programmed euthanasia to death camps. The meaning of the Holocaust inWestern religion and culture. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or permission of the instructor.

JS 246. LITERATURE AND FILM ON THE HOLOCAUST (3) (HIS 229/GER 260/HUMANITIES) (GEN. ED. #9)
Beginning with the historical factors that led to the Holocaust, this course further focuses on the analysis of literary works (memoirs, diaries, poems, fiction, etc.) and films (documentaries and features) on the Holocaust within the historical context ofWorldWar II. Readings and discussions in English (films with English subtitles).

JS 247. ISSUES IN CONTEMPORARY JEWISH THOUGHT (3) (RLG 247) (GEN. ED. #9 AND #10)
The modern world opened up vistas of possibilities for Jews, but it also posed profound problems for Judaism. The development of a modern historical consciousness and the possibility of political and social integration challenged traditional models of Jewish religiosity and identity and opened up the space for new forms of “Jewishness.” In this course, we will inquire into the nature and meaning of “Jewish modernity.”What does it mean to be a Jew and a modern at the same time? In what ways can modern Jewish commitment be understood? This course examines these issues from the writings of Moses Mendelssohn, Herman Cohen, Martin Buber, Franz Roseznweig, Abraham J. Heschel, Rav Joseph Soloveitchik, Judith Plaskow, and Rachel Adler.

JS 250. WORLD CRISIS (1.5) (PSC 252)
This course focuses on world crisis. Each crisis is studied within a framework that uses methods and concepts in international relations theory. Topics are selected based on current world problems. Prerequisite: PSC 101 and PSC 114.

JS 251. JEWS IN GERMANY FROM THE ENLIGHTENMENT TO THE RISE OF THE NAZI REGIME (3) (HIST/GER 251) (GEN. ED. #4)
This course focuses on the history of German Jews from the period of emancipation in the late 18th and early 19th century to the end of theWeimar Republic.We will examine the role of German Jews in German politics, economic life, and culture; Jewish enlightenment (“Haskalah”); the rise of anti-Semitism in the 19th century; the rise of the Reform movement; Jewish assimilation and its discontents; and theWeimar Jewish Renaissance.

JS 253. THE RISE OF AMERICAN JEWRY (3)
The history of the Jews in the United States from the earliest settlements to the present. The course will focus on political, economic, religious, and cultural developments; anti-Semitism; and the rise of American Jewry to a position of leadership and responsibility in the world Jewish community. Special emphasis will be placed on comparing and contrasting the American Jewish historical experience with prior Jewish historical experiences in Europe. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.

JS 255. THE DYNAMICS OF ISRAELI POLITICS (3)
An analysis of the institutions and processes of Israel’s government with particular emphasis on party structure, the role of religion, the position of Israeli Arabs, socioeconomic problems and ethnic cleavages, and Israeli security concerns. The course will also include a brief analysis of the development of Zionism and the Jewish community in Palestine under the British Mandate. A special analysis will be made of the 1992 elections as they reflect Israel’s domestic and foreign problems and its future direction, as well as of the ongoing Arab-Israeli peace process. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.

JS 257. THE JEWS OF RUSSIA UNDER TSARS, SOVIETS, AND IN THE POST-SOVIET ERA (3) (HIS 254)
A study of the development of the Jewish community in Russia from the time of Catherine the Great (1772) to the present day. Emphasis will be placed on the political history of the Jewish community and its reaction to the changing policies of Tsarist, Soviet, and post-Soviet governments. Special attention will be placed on the role of Jews in Russia’s revolutionary movements, Soviet Jewry as a factor in Soviet-American relations, the Soviet-Jewish emigration movement, and the position of the Jews in the successor states of the Soviet Union following the Russian parliamentary elections of December 1995. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.

JS 258. THE INTERNATIONAL POLITICS OF THE MIDDLE EAST (3) (PSC 258)
Examination of regional and international issues in the Middle East. Topics include the Arab- Israeli conflict, inter-Arab rivalries, instability in the Persian Gulf, and the crisis in Lebanon. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.

JS 259. ORAL HISTORIES OF HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS (3) (GER 259/HIS237) (GEN. ED. #4 AND#10)
A community-based learning experience in which students interview Holocaust survivors and retell their stories to help these stories live on. Training in interviewing techniques and storytelling will be provided. Students will be expected to interview survivors, videotape sessions, and then present the oral histories inside and outside of class. Prerequisites: GER 260/HIS 229/JS246 or JS 245.

JS 264. JEWISH LAW AND ETHICS (3)
Issues of ethical and legal concern as understood by traditional Jewish legal and ethical sources and by contemporary Jewish thinkers. The basic structure and methodology of Jewish law will be introduced in the first few lectures, and understanding of the system will be refined as the different issues to be discussed are presented.

JS 272G. INTENSIVE COURSE ABROAD (GEN. ED. #3)
Course provides a three- or four-week intensive course abroad in the winter intersession or summer.

ODESSA: CHARM CITY BY THE BLACK SEA (4) (HIS 272G, RUS 272G)
A four-credit, three-week intensive interdisciplinary language and cultural program with revolving themes dealing with the city of Odessa. Designed to appeal to a broad constituency including students who speak no Russian. Students will pursue their individual interests (family, life, religion, literature, etc.), while learning how Russian/Jewish history and culture were memorialized in Odessa. Credits may be applied toward a minor or major in Russian history or Judaic studies. Prerequisites: HIS 254/JS 257 or RUS 396.

JS 272Y. INTENSIVE COURSE ABROAD (GEN. ED. #3)
Courses include a pre-departure or post-departure discussion (or both) in the fall or spring term and a three-week intensive course abroad in the winter intersession or summer.

EDUCATION IN A MULTICULTURAL ISRAELI SOCIETY (1.5-3) (ED 272Y)
This course will provide fieldwork experience and lectures from the faculty of Ben Gurion University of Negev in Israel concerning education for Bedouin Arabs and Jewish immigrants from Ethiopia and the former Soviet Union. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.

JS 299. INDEPENDENT WORK (1-4)
Department.

JS 305. TOPICS IN JUDAIC STUDIES (3) (RLG 305)
Advanced study in a historical period, theme, issue, or thinker in Judaic studies. Topics for a given semester are posted for registration. Course may be repeated with a different topic. Courses may include: The Jewish Political Tradition, The Problem of Evil in Jewish Thought, or American Jewish Literature. Prerequisite: one 100- or 200-level course in Judaic studies, sophomore standing, or permission of the instructor.

JS 399. ADVANCED INDEPENDENT WORK (1.5-4)
Department.