| courses - academic year 2003-2004 | |
Fall Term 2003 | |
| History 249-001 Modern Jewish History TTh 11 am - 12:20 pm Professor Rakhmiel Peltz |
This course is an exploration of the social, cultural, political and religious forces that have shaped Jewry the world over from the 18th to the 20th centuries. Topics will include emancipation and enlightenment, modern religious movements, socialism, Hebrew and Yiddish literature, the Holocaust, Zionism and the state of Israel. |
| English 395-001 Holocaust Testimonies TTh 9:30 - 10:50 am Professor Emilie Passow |
Our knowledge of the past comes from many sources including historical records, interpretations of and responses to past events and records, and personal as well as fictional narratives about the events. Among these, testimonies can give us extraordinary insight into the experience of destruction and survival. Such accounts become critical in our on-going attempts to probe a catastrophe as perplexing and horrifying as the Holocaust. How, then, can we imagine what it was like to live through the Holocaust? In an attempt to do so, this course will focus on four to five narratives describing some of the most prominent aspects of these times: dislocation and deportation; hiding from the Nazis; life and death in the ghetto or the concentration camps; and reconstructing life in America. Authors will include Elie Wiesel, Anne Frank, and Abba Kovner among others. |
Winter Term 2004 | |
| History 298-004 Contemporary Jewish Life TTh 11 am - 12:20 pm Professor Rakhmiel Peltz |
A course on the twentieth-century history of the Jews and their communal institutions. Starting with the East European roots of American Jewry, the class analyzes an historical, ethnographic film on 19th and 20th century Polish Jewry. Following the life of immigrants, students gain knowledge of family and neighborhood history, as well as the growth and development of institutions, such as the synagogue, religious school, community center, and senior citizen day center. Finally, the course compares the contemporary community with its European antecedent. |
| English 350-001 Jewish Literature and Civilization TTh 9:30 - 10:50 am Adjunct Professor Emilie Passow |
Learn about the Jewish Bible and its influence on the lives of Jews. Emphasis will be placed on the biblical basis for the Jewish lifecycle and calendar. |
Spring Term 2004 | |
| History 298-003 Jewish Life and Culture in the Middle Ages TTh 9:30 - 10:50 am Adjunct Professor Emilie Passow |
An introductory survey of the history of the Jewish people, their civilization, religion, and contacts with other cultures in medieval times. Topics will include the rise of Christianity and Islam, the Talmud, Jewish mysticism, and the growth of Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jewry. |
| English 395-002 Yiddish Literature and Culture TTh 2:00 - 3:20 pm Professor Rakhmiel Peltz |
This course will describe the major culture of European Jews and their descendants the world over during the past thousand years. In a lively classroom stressing the arts and humor, students will be introduced to the multi-faceted language and culture through song, literature and film. The class will survey different forms of literature from oral and written sources, including folktales, diaries, prayers, and modern fiction and poetry. |