American Jewish Humor
RELI 278
Spring 2017
| Section:
01
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| Crosslisting:
CJST 278, AMST 292 |
| Certificates: Jewish and Israel Studies |
This course is a look at American Jewish history through one particular lens--that of the peculiar phenomenon of Jewish humor. There is a long history of Jews and humor that has nothing to do with the immigrant experience in America, but the immigrant experience in America nonetheless has a great deal to do with the humor that has been produced by Jews in this country, particularly in the 20th century. We will read some historical background on American Jews and some humor theory as our foundation for our understanding of film viewings, short stories, stand-up comedy performances, and musical recordings. By looking at the way Jewish humor changed throughout the 20th century, we should, in the end, be able to chart the way the lives of American Jews were changing and have a deeper understanding of the American Jewish experience. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS HIST |
| Course Format: Lecture / Discussion | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (AMST) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: 50% - 74% |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Lawrence Epstein, THE HAUNTED SMILE
Woody Allen, THE INSANITY DEFENSE
Vincent Brook, SOMETHING AIN'T KOSHER HERE
Simcha Weinstein, SHTICK SHIFT
Neil Simon, BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS
Selections from David Zurawick, THE JEWS OF PRIME TIME
Selections from Jonathan Sarna, AMERICAN JUDAISM
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Examinations and Assignments:
Midterm exam, Final Exam, 3 short 2-3 page papers, class discussion/blog. Students will have the option to revise and resubmit their short papers. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
The class will meet most Thursday evenings for film or TV screenings. This course fulfills the "Thematic Approach" requirement for the Religion Department major. |
| Instructor(s): Caplan,Jennifer Ann Times: ..T.R.. 01:20PM-02:40PM; ....R.. 04:30PM-07:00PM; Location: PAC004; PAC004; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 50 | | SR major: 15 | JR major: 10 | | |
| Seats Available: 3 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 10 | JR non-major: 5 | SO: 5 | FR: 5 |
| 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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