Undergraduate - Fall 2012 Course Descriptions
JEWISH STUDIES
Jewish Studies 180W. Introduction to Jewish Studies. Introduction to Judaism and to Jewish history through philosophical, political, social, psychological, and artistic perspectives: Biblical Studies; Antiquity and the Medieval World; the Modern and Contemporary Experience; and Culture, Philosophy, and Literature. [3] Meyer. (INT)
Jewish Studies 289. Independent Study. A research project carried out under the supervision of a faculty mentor. [Variable credit: 1-3; may be repeated to a maximum of 3] (No AXLE credit)
Jewish Studies 290. Directed Readings. Advanced readings and research on a selected topic done under the supervision of a faculty mentor. [3] (No AXLE credit)
Jewish Studies 294. Special Topics. Topics as announced. May be repeated if there is no duplication of material. [3] (No AXLE credit)
Jewish Studies 295. Senior Seminar. Advanced reading and research in a particular area of Jewish studies. [3] (No AXLE credit)
Jewish Studies 296. Senior Project in Jewish Studies. Readings and independent research. Open to seniors. [3] (No AXLE credit)
Jewish Studies 298a. Senior Honors Research Seminar. Presentation and discussion of progress being made on honors theses. Open only to senior departmental honors students. [3] (No AXLE credit)
LANGUAGES
Hebrew 111a. Elementary Hebrew. Introduction to alphabet, the basics of grammar, and elementary conversation. Classes meet three times per week with an additional two hours a week required in the language laboratory. [4] Halachmi. (NO AXLE CREDIT) Updated: 3/2/2011 4:37 PM
Hebrew 113a. Intermediate Hebrew. Introduction to modern Hebrew reading, conversation, advanced grammar, and conversation. Classes meet three times a week with an additional three hours a week spent in independent work in the language laboratory. [3] Halachmi. (INT)
Hebrew 201. Hebrew Grammar and Composition. Prerequisite: Hebrew 113b. [3] Halachmi. (INT)
Hebrew 289a-b. Hebrew Independent Study. (NO AXLE CREDIT)
AREA 1: BIBLICAL STUDIES
Religious Studies 108. Themes in the Hebrew Bible. A thematic introduction to the Hebrew Scripture/Old Testament. Selected themes-such as creation, revelation, covenant, law, suffering, and messianic expectations-are traced through the diverse parts of the Bible (Pentateuch, Prophetic Writings, and Wisdom Literature) as well as in early Jewish texts. The comparison of the various expressions of these themes shows both the distinctiveness of each document and the continuity of the Biblical faith through the centuries. [3] (HCA)
AREA 2: ANTIQUITY AND THE MEDIEVAL WORLD
Anthropology 104. Introduction to Archaeology. Archaeological interpretation and knowledge of global human history from early settled villages through the rise of the first civilizations. Archaeological methods and analysis, interpretive controversies, and cultural heritage. Environment, technology, religion, and human diversity in past cultural transformations, and the rise of early cities and states. [3] Janusek. (SBS)
Anthropology 215. The Collapse of Civilizations. Causes of the decline or collapse of complex societies. Old World and New World examples. Historical, anthropological, and paleoecological theories and controversies. [3] Demarest. (P)
Classics 209. Greece and the Near East from Alexander to Theodosius. From Alexander‘s conquest of the Persian Empire to the ascendancy of Christianity in the late fourth century. Emphasis on social, cultural, and religious transformations, within the framework of political history. [3] Rife. (INT)
Philosophy 211. Medieval Philosophy. Comparative study of key figures in Islamic, Jewish, and Christian philosophy as they struggle with the philosophy of logic, metaphysics, language, culture, politics, ethics, and nature. [3] Dobbs-Weinstein. (INT)
AREA 3: MODERN & CONTEMPORARY EXPERIENCE
European Studies 240.01. Topics in European Studies: Conspiracy Theories, Paranoid Politics, and National Myths. Go on a journey into the history of paranoid politics, rumors, and national myth-making in modern Europe from 1700-present. Enlightenment conspiracy theories, anti-Jesuit and antisemitic myths, myth-making and the formation of the modern nation state; UFOs. [3] Joskowicz (NO AXLE CREDIT)
History 219. Last Empire of Islam. The Ottoman "long nineteenth century," 1789 to 1923. The Reforms (Tanzimat), state patriotism, intercommunal relations, national "awakenings," and the emergence of a public sphere. Historiographical issues, such as perceptions of the empire as the "Sick Man of Europe" and debates over its decline. [3] Cohen. (INT)
History 230.01. Twentieth-Century Germany. The turbulent history of Germany, as it went from authoritarian state to volatile democracy, to National Socialist dictatorship, to divided country, and to reunification. Special emphasis placed on the Nazi dictatorship, its origins and legacy. Serves as repeat credit for students who completed 231 prior to fall 2008. [3] (INT)
Jewish Studies 115F.09. FYS: Jews and Muslims: A Modern History. What do you think of when you hear the words “Jews and Muslims”? Can we think of Muslims and Jews together without conjuring a vision of raised guns and bombs exploding? What is the history of Muslim-Jewish relations beyond the images of violence in the Middle East that so often flash across our television screens? Turning our focus to Jewish communities indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa, this class seeks to answer that question by covering a neglected chapter of Muslim-Jewish relations. It is a history of Jews and Muslims who lived as neighbors, in cooperation as well as in conflict. We will look at the experiences of individuals who lived through periods of major upheavals (including the impact of colonialism, imperialism, nationalism and decolonization) in order to understand the effect these different processes had on inter-communal relations across time and space. Our sources will include letters, newspapers, memoirs, histories, ethnographies, photographs, postcards, music and films. Special attention will be given to reading these sources critically and to honing writing skills. [3] Cohen.
Jewish Studies 125. Modern Israel. Internal dynamics, debates, and conflicts within Israeli society. Political, social, and cultural transformations from the 1980s to the present. [3] Maggor, Maggor. (INT)
Jewish Studies 155. American Jewish Life. Diversity, individualism, and change in Jewish life. Food and culture, memory and identity, gender and assimilation, Reform-Conservative-Orthodox culture wars. [3] Kelner. (SBS)
Jewish Studies 156.01. The Holocaust. The history of the Holocaust: its origins, development, and its legacy in the context of Germany and European history. [3] Applegate (INT)
Jewish Studies 156.02. The Holocaust. The history of the Holocaust: its origins, development, and its legacy in the context of Germany and European history. [3] Joskowicz (INT)
Jewish Studies 288a. Internship Training. Under faculty supervision, students gain experience in any of a variety of settings, such as community, municipal, or government agencies. A thorough report and research paper are required. Must be taken on a Pass/Fail basis only and must be taken concurrently with 288b. Co-requisite: 288b. [Variable credit: 1–3] (No AXLE credit)
Religious Studies 229. The Holocaust: Its Meanings and Implications. An interdisciplinary study of the systematic destruction of the European Jewish communities during World War II. Historical, social, political, cultural developments that led to it. Psychological and sociological dimensions of its aftermath. Philosophical and theological problems it raises for both Jews and Christians. [3] Geller. (P)
AREA 4: CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, AND LITERATURE
English 283. Jewish American Literature. A survey of major developments in twentieth-century Jewish American literature through works by a range of Jewish writers to investigate the response of Jewish literature to major events in both American and World history. Also an examination of how Jewish writers have influenced and have been influenced by other literary movements in America and abroad. This will include a look at questions about immigration, ethnic and racial identity, language choice, and cultural stereotypes. [3] Schachter. (HCA)
German 273. Nazi Cinema: The Manipulation of Mass Culture. Nazi manipulation of mass culture through film (propaganda, musicals, westerns). Some comparison with American film of the era, additional examination of ―fascist‖ aesthetic legacy in American culture today. No knowledge of German required. [3] (P)
Jewish Studies 115F.04. FYS: Civil Rights and Civil Wrongs: Black-Jewish Relations in the 1950s and 1960s. Through an examination of historical and literary texts, as well as visual images, this course will explore the shared history of Blacks and Jews, focusing on the period of its greatest intensity, the 1950‘s and 1960‘s. The course will show examples of Black-Jewish relations ranging from the heights of utopian co-operation to the depths of dystopian conflict, with many halfway points in between. [3] Meyer. (HCA)
Jewish Studies 136W. Imagining the Alien: Jewish Science Fiction. Science fiction and speculative fiction by Jewish writers in cultural context. Aliens, robots, and secret identities; time travel; utopia and political critique; questions of Jewish identity. [3] Klass. (HCA)
Jewish Studies 248W. Jewish Storytelling. Twentieth-century Jewish short fiction. Traditions, transition from religious to secular cultural forms, immigration, and ethnic literary forms. All works are in English or English translation. [3] Schachter. (HCA)
Jewish Studies 250. Is G-d Guilty? The Problem of Evil in Judaism. Origin, nature, and representations of evil from Scripture through the Hasidic masters. Reflections of modern thinkers. [3] Urban. (HCA)
Music Literature (Blair) 261. Music, Identity, and Diversity. Issues of multiculturalism and intersections with musical expression in America. Cultural determinants such as race, gender, ethnicity, class, religion, language, ideology, folklore, and history will be studied critically. Prerequisite: any MUSL course or American and Southern Studies 100. [3] Simonett. (NO AXLE CREDIT)
Philosophy 115F.08. First Year Seminar: Concepts of God. We will be concerned to ask whether the Judeao/Christian tradition is essentially tied to the view of God as a transcendent supernatural being and if so what grounds can be offered for and against such a view. This course will involve a careful examination of alternative conceptions of God and the religious life. naturalistic and existential alternatives. We will deal with such questions as the nature, content and ground of religious belief, the limitations of religious knowledge over against science and the relation between religion and values. [3] Hodges.
Philosophy 353.02. Figures in Philosophy: Fig:Spinoza. [3] Goodman, L
Religious Studies 140. Great Books of Literature and Religion. "Great Books" of the Western intellectual tradition, tracing Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian literature and culture from their origins to synthesis in the medieval period. [3] Franke. (HCA)
Religious Studies 203. Jewish Theories of Religion. Critical analysis and discussion of modern Jewish constructions of religion: politically, symbolically, ethically, normatively, and aesthetic-mystically. Selected readings from Cohen, Buber, Rosenzweig, Kaplan, and social philosophers such as Simmel and Habermas on the function, nature, and meaning of religion in secular culture. [3] Urban. (P)
Religious Studies 240. The Nature of Evil. Human evil as expressed in the Shoah, religious fundamentalism, and ethnic cleansing. Theological, philosophical, biological, and literary texts. Evil transformed by scientific inquiry since 1600. [3] McCarthy. (HCA)