Jewish History: From Spanish Expulsion to Jon Stewart
HIST 248
Spring 2015
| Section:
01
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| Crosslisting:
RELI 262 |
| Certificates: Jewish and Israel Studies |
This course explores Jewish history on the eve of modernity and during the modern era. Modern Jewish experience has often been characterized as an era of increasing participation of Jews in the civil society, and was juxtaposed to the "premodern" era of the ghettoes. This course will explore these dichotomous stereotypes and introduce students to the complexity of the Jewish experience, their active involvement in the political and cultural processes that were taking place in the "non-Jewish" environment both before and during the modern times. We will see Jews as a part of the social and cultural fabric, rather than an "alienated minority" whose history is separate from that of their surroundings. We will explore the transformations from a traditional society, defined by religious identities, into a modern society, of complex religious, ethnic, political identities. We will look at the acceptance of and resistance to the new ideas brought by the Enlightenment and explore the consequences of secularization of the society, including the rise of modern anti-Semitism, Jewish nationalism, Zionism, the Holocaust, questions of women and gender, migrations, religious fundamentalism, and American, Israeli, and Diaspora Jewish cultures, etc.
This course is a gateway course to the Jewish and Israel studies; it also counts toward several modules for a history major: religion and history; Jewish history, society, and culture; nation and ethnicity; Europe; migration, and others if approved by the majors advisor. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS HIST |
| Course Format: Lecture / Discussion | Grading Mode: Student Option |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (HIST-MN)(HIST)(RELI) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: 90% or above |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
E. Fram, Ideals Face Reality
P. Hyman, Gender and Assimilation in Modern Jewish History
T. Herzl, The Jewish State
M. Mendelssohn, Jerusalem
J. Marcus, Jew in the Medieval World
P. Mendes-Flohr & J,. Reinharz The Jew in the Modern World
D. Biale, Modern Encounters (or Cultures of the Jews)
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Examinations and Assignments:
take-home midterm and final exams; two 5-6 pp. papers, one bibliographic assignment based on the EndNote workshop, 4 short responses to readings. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
The course will require regular attendance, reading of both primary and secondary sources, and participation in class discussions (in class and online). |
| Instructor(s): Teter,Magda Times: ..T.R.. 09:00AM-10:20AM; Location: PAC004; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 28 | | SR major: 3 | JR major: 4 | | |
| Seats Available: 10 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 3 | JR non-major: 4 | SO: 7 | FR: 7 |
| Web Resources: Syllabus |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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