| courses - academic year 2004-2005 | |
Fall Quarter 2004 | |
| English 395-001 Women's Studies 280-004 Jewish Women in Literature and History TTh 9:30 - 10:50 am Adjunct Professor Emilie Passow |
Although the male voice may be the loudest in Biblical texts and Jewish history, women have been powerful shapers of Jewish culture in their own right. This course explores the strengths, strategies, and concerns of Jewish women from the Matriarchs in the Torah to contemporary American Jewish writers. Our focus will include such figures as Ruth, Esther, and Judith, who are the heroines of sacred texts named in their honor, to historical figures such as Gluckl of Hamlin and Anne Frank, and writers such as Cynthia Ozick, Grace Paley, Marge Piercy and Myla Goldberg. |
| History 298-501 The American Jewish Experience T 6:00 – 9:00 pm Professor Rakhmiel Peltz |
The course explores development in the culture and communal organization of Jews in America from colonial times until the current day. We will identify the factors in the society of the USA that have led to the most nurturing experience of the Jewish people in its two thousand year history in the diaspora. A diverse array of sources and topics will provide the framework for the course, covering foodways, music, sports, the settlement of the West, the evolution of urban neighborhoods, politics, religion, entertainment, and literature. The case study of the Jews in the United States elucidates major national historical issues, such as the role of immigration, the formation of a majority culture, minority rights, prejudice and discrimination, intergroup relations, ethnic and racial pride, and intermarriage. |
Winter Quarter 2005 | |
| History 298-002 Jewish Life and Culture in the Middle Ages TTh 9:30 - 10:50 am Adjunct Professor Emilie Passow |
This is a special opportunity at Drexel to explore the pivotal Medieval period in history. This course is 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. |
| History 298-004 Language and Cultural Diversity in the USA MWF 9:00 – 9:50 am Professor Rakhmiel Peltz |
We will review language diversity in the USA, the use of varieties of English as well as non-English languages throughout the history of the United States. We will explore the significance of non-English-based resources in American cultural history. Topics will include African American vernacular, the language of men and women, and the longevity of immigrant and ethnic language institutions, such as the school, church, and the media. A lively classroom will highlight this rich multicultural scene by focusing on such diverse cultures as Hispanic and Scandinavian, and such varied texts as the comic strip, autobiography, and film. The case study of the immigrant tongue Yiddish will reveal crucial influences of immigrant theater, press, and belles lettres on the development of mainstream English-language American culture. |
Spring Quarter 2005 | |
| English 350-001 Jewish Literature and Civilization TTh 9:30 - 10:50 am Adjunct Professor Emilie Passow |
This course will introduce students to the first five books of the Torah, the Jewish Bible, and explore the influence of the Torah on the Jewish calendar and the daily lives of Jews, including personal and family life cycles. |
| History 249-001 Modern Jewish History TTh 11:00 am – 12:30 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. |