UW-Madison, Center for Jewish Studies-Courses/Timetable

FALL 2006 COURSES

SPRING 2007 COURSES

COURSE CATALOG

FALL 2007 COURSES

CENTER FOR JEWISH STUDIES - FALL 2007 TIMETABLE

211 Introduction to Judaism - Lecturer Tim Mackie
219 The American Jewish Experience - Professor Tony Michels
220 Introduction to Modern Jewish History - Professor David Sorkin
227 Introduction to Biblical Literature - Professor Ron Troxel
237 Biblical Poetry in Translation - Professor Cynthia Miller
301 Introduction to Hebrew Literature - Professor Gilead Morahg
328 Classical Rabbinic Literature in Translation - Lecturer Todd Twist
371 Topics in Jewish Civilization: Lamentations and Its Interpretations - Lecturer Kim Nguyen
401 Survey of Modern Hebrew Literature - Professor Rachel Brenner
490 Topics: Lec 1 - Kosher/Hala Food Regulations - Professor Joe Regenstein
513 Biblical Texts, Poetry - Professor Michael Fox
515 Holocaust: History, Memory & Education - Professor Simone Schweber
533 Readings in Contemporary Hebrew Literature - Professor Gilead Morahg
665 Israeli Politics and Society - Professor Nadav Shelef
681 Senior Honors Thesis
682 Senior Honors Thesis
691 Senior Thesis
692 Senior Thesis
699 Directed Study
953 Seminar: Pentatuechal Criticism - Professor Michael Fox

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SPRING 2008 COURSES

299 Directed Study
302 Introduction to Hebrew Literature - Lecturer Bilha Mirkin
332 Prophets of the Bible - Lecturer Ron Troxel
371 Lecture 1: Interpretations of Exodus - Lecturer Eric Tully
Lecture 2: Exekiel and Its Readers - Lecturer Tod Twist
Lecture 3: The Changing Ideas of Torah - Lecturer Kent Reynolds
Lecture 4: Jewish Mysticism Though the Middle Ages - Lecturer Israel Sandman
374 Modern Political History of the Jews - Professor Tony Michels
377 Jewish Cultural History - Lecturer Richard Benton
402 Survey of Modern Hebrew Literature - Professor Rachel Brenner
417 History-Telling of the Bible - Lecturer Ron Troxel
490 Lecture 1: Collective Memory and Teaching History - Professor Simone Schweber
Lecture 2: Law, Theology and the State - Professor Leonard Kaplan
Lecture 3: Holocaust: Testimony, Poetry and Philosophy - Professor Sara Guyer
Lecture 4: From Jesus to the Rebbe: Jewish Mysticism through the Ages - Lecturer Katja Vehlow
Lecture 5: Israeli Political Behavior - Professor Ken Goldstein
Lecture 6: Transatlantic Jewishness - Professor Susan Bernstein
514 Biblical Texts, Poetry - Professor Michael Fox
515 Holocaust: History, Memory and Education - Lecturer Laura Weinstein
534 Readings in Contemporary Hebrew Literature - Professor Gilead Morahg
675 Research Colloquium for Majors - Professor David Sorkin
677 Independent Research for Majors
681 Senior Honors Thesis
682 Senior Honors Thesis
691 Senior Thesis
692 Senior Thesis
699 Directed Study
955 Study - Religion of Ancient Israel - Professor Michael Fox

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COURSE CATALOG

(Consult current Timetable to ascertain whether the course is being offered.)

202 Topics in Jewish Studies. Past topics: Introduction to Modern Jewish History, Classical Jewish Philosophers: Maimonides, Spinoza and Mendelsohn; The Jewish People in America.

210 Literature in Translation: French and Italian Jewish Writers of the 20th Century (crosslisted with Lit Trans) 3 cr (e-L-E) An examination of cultural differences as they are revealed in literary texts written by Jews in French and Italian during the twentieth century and understood by North American historians writing about France and Italy.

211 Introduction to Judaism (crosslisted with Hebrew St and Religious St) I, II, SS; 3 cr General introduction to Judaism covering the biblical, classical rabbinic, medieval, and modern periods, focusing on features shaping Jews' subjective experiences. The course concerns worship, holidays and ideals as expressed in biblical/rabbinic sources and then traces their medieval/Modern transformations. Schoffer

219 The American Jewish Experience: From Shtetl to Suburb (crosslisted with History) 4 cr. Surveys American Jews from the eighteenth century until after WWII, examining political behavior (radicalism, liberalism, and nationalism), class formation, social mobility, culture, inter-ethnic group relations, religion, and problems in community building. Michels

220 Introduction to Modern Jewish History (crosslistd with History) 3 cr (e-H-E) The history of the Jews in selected parts of the world since the 17th century. Particular attention will be paid to the fact that this is the history of a minority group whose life unfolds in relationship to a larger society. Sorkin

225 The Jew in Russian Literature in Translation (crosslisted with Lit Trans) 3-4 cr (e-L-E) Investigation of the image of the Jew in 19th and 20th-century Russian literature in works written by both Jewish and non-Jewish authors. Kornblatt, Rosenshield

227 Introduction to Biblical Literature (in English) (crosslisted Religious St and Lit Trans; meets with Hebrew St 217)3 cr (H-I) Introduction to the literature and literary history of the Old Testament, Apocrypha, Dead Sea Scrolls, Talmud, and Midrashim. P: Open to Fr. Not recom for Grads. Selected readings in Hebrew for majors.

228 Survey (in English) of Hebrew Literature: Medieval to Modern Periods (crosslistd with Lit Trans, meets with Hebrew St 218) 3 cr Hebrew secular literature and poetry of medieval Spain and Europe, the Renaissance, the rebirth of modern Hebrew literature, contemporary Hebrew short stories and poetry.

229 Representation of the Jew in Eastern European Culture (crosslisted with Slavic St) The image and representation of the "Jew" and Jews in the literatures and cultures of the Slavic countries of Eastern Europe, including Russia, Poland, Serbia, Croatia, and Bosnia. Both pre- and post-Holocaust texts will be read and critically examined. Kornblatt, Rosenshield

236 Topic: Jewish Composers: Early Modern to Modern (meets with Music) The study of the role of the Jewish artist (composers and musicians) in Europe, the US and Israel from the end of the sixteenth century to the present. This course is designed to teach critical reasoning, critical reading, writing, research, and communication skills. There are regular reading assignments. Swack

236 Topic: Modern American Jewish Fiction (meets with English) Jewish American fiction meets at the intersection of three discreet literary traditions. This interconnected legacy produced a literature rife with contradictions between assimilation and marginality, communal and individual identity, Jewish orthodoxy and postmodern secularism. This course incorporates the fiction of selected Jewish American writers whose works recount the evolving experience of Jewish writers in America and their respective endeavors to detail a reality that is increasingly as American as it is Jewish.

237 Biblical Poetry in Translation (crosslisted with Hebrew St, Lit Trans, Relig St) A study of the poetry of the Hebrew Bible as literature within the context of other ancient Near Eastern poetry. Influence of biblical poetry on the Dead Sea Scrolls, New Testament, medieval Hebrew poetry, and Jewish and Christian lituragies. Miller

241 Introduction to Biblical Archaeology (crosslisted with Hebrew St) An overview of archaeology and its relationship to understanding the biblical world.

258 The Jews, States, and Citizenship: A Sociological Perspective (crosslisted with Sociology) I; 3cr (S) Introduction to historical sociology of citizenship through a comparative investigation of Jewish emancipation in nineteenth-century Europe, including social origins of emancipation, it consequences for the social organization and collective identity of Jews, and Jewish responses to emancipation. Goldberg

269 Yiddish Literature in Eastern Europe [In Translation] (crosslisted with Lit Trans) 2-3 cr (L-E) Focus in greater depth on Yiddish Masters as well as a closer study of Yiddish culture in Eastern Europe; its literature, music, art and theatre. Saposnik

279 Yiddish Literature in the United States [In Translation] (crosslisted with Lit Trans)3 cr (L-I) This Yiddish course will explore the rich and varied Yiddish culture that the Eastern European Jews brought with them to America. Yiddish Language and culture is the major
link between the Jews of Eastern Europe and their American descendants, and it is likewise the source of the many contributions that the Jews have made to American culture in music, comedy, film, theater, food, literature and language. Saposnik

299 Directed Study. P: Graded on a letter basis; So St; requires cons inst.

301 Introduction to Hebrew Literature (crosslisted with Hebrew St) 3 cr (L-A) Selected works from different periods and genres; class disc in Hebrew.

302 Introduction to Hebrew Literature (crosslisted with Hebrew St) 3 cr (L-A) Continuation of 301. P: Hebrew 301 or cons inst. Morahg

328 Classical Rabbinic Literature in Translation (crosslisted with Hebrew St, Religious St and Lit Trans) II; 3 cr. Introduction to the literature of the Classical Rabbinic or Talmudic period of Judasim (2nd to 7th centuries CE). Historical and intellectual background; the interrelation of liturgy, legal and non-legal literature. Schofer

332 Prophets of the Bible (crosslisted with Hebrew St and Religious St) 3-4 cr (L-E) An introduction to the thought, literature, and history of the prophets of ancient Israel (in English).

346 Jewish Literature of the Greco-Roman Period (crosslisted with Hebrew St and Relig Studies) II; 3 cr; (I-H) Jewish literature from about 350 BCE to 150 CE. The Greek and Hebrew sources from this turbulent transition period include stories, religious poetry, wisdom books and apocalyptic texts. Readings (in translation) from the Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha, and the Dead Sea Scrolls will be studied in their historical, cultural and literary settings.

355 Representations of Women in 20th Century Jewish Literature (crosslisted with Hebrew St and Women St) 3 cr. (H-E) Jewish women's writings and portrayals of Jewish women in literature, in light of central events in modern Jewish history, with emphasis on the double marginality of women in an ethnic minority. Brenner

356 Zionism in Thought, Culture, and Literature: From the Inception to the State (crosslisted with Hebrew St) Representations of Zionism from biblical and medieval times to the rise of Jewish nationalism. Discussion of ideological models with special attention to the Arab issue and to the significance of Zionism in America. Brenner

367 Israeli Fiction [in Translation] (crosslisted with Lit Trans, meets with Hebrew St 343) 3-4 cr (e-L-I) Major writers, trends and themes in Israeli fiction from pre-State period to present. 4th credit earned by prosmr meetings and research paper. Morahg

369 Jewish Cultural History (in English) (crosslisted with Hebrew St) 3-4 cr (e-H-I) Survey of Jewish cultural history from the Biblical to Talmudic and early Muslim periods; and its interaction with other cultures, including Hellenistic, Roman, and Muslim. P:So st.

370 Jewish Cultural History (in English) (crosslisted with Hebrew St) 3-4 cr (e-H-I) Jewish cultural history from the medieval to the modern period; emphasis on socio-economic and cultural conditions, Jewish civilization in various countries to the First World War. P: So st.

371 Topics in Jewish Civilization (crosslisted with Hebrew St) P: Open to all undergrads, 2-3 cr (H-D) Past topics: Jews of Russia and Eastern Europe Prior to the Revolution of 1918, The Jewish Novel, Modern Jewish Thought, Jews of Eastern Europe, 19th and 20th Century,Image of Women in Jewish Literature, Eastern European Jewish Immigrant Experience, 1800s-1920s, Jews of Central and Eastern Europe, Dead Sea Scrolls and Hellenistic Literature.

372 Jews of Central and Eastern Europe (crosslisted with Anthro and Religious St) I or II, 3-4 cr. Open to freshman. Course will focus on main characteristics of Central and Eastern European Jews (Ashkenazim) in their cultural-historical development. Khazanov

373 Modern Political History of the Jews: I (crosslisted with History) I or II; 3-4 cr; (I-e) This course will focus on the politics of emancipation (the acquisition of civil rights), analyzing Jewish politics from the beginnings of political integration into European society (1655) to the completion of the process in the aftermath of World War I. Part I of a two sequence course. Please see 374.

374 Modern Political History of the Jews: II (crosslisted with History) I or II; 3-4 cr; (I-e) This course will focus on Jewish socialist and nationalist political movements, analyzing their origins in imperial Russia in the late 19th century and their development in the Soviet Union, Poland, Palestine/Israel, and the US in the 20th century. Part II of a two sequence course. Please see 373.

401 Survey of Modern Hebrew Literature (crosslisted with Hebrew St) 3 cr (L-A) Readings in Hebrew literature, class conducted in Hebrew. P: Hebrew 302 or cons inst. Brenner

402 Survey of Modern Hebrew Literature (crosslisted with Hebrew St) 3 cr (L-A) Continuation of 401. P: Hebrew 401 or cons inst. Brenner

410 Holocaust Theme in Western Drama (crosslisted with Theatre and Drama) 3 cr (e-L-D) Major dramatic works on the Holocaust theme; theatrical forms and aesthetic problems; moral implications of dealing with the Holocaust through art. P: Jr st or cons inst.Skloot

416 Eastern European Jews in the United States, 1880s-1930s (crosslisted with History) 3-4 cr Analyzes the culture and community of the two million Jews who migrated to the United States between 1880 and 1930. Michels

420 Antisemitism: History, Literature, and the Arts. 3 cr (e-L-D) A study of the origins, evidence and effects of anti-Semitism through history as seen in literature, drama, film and art. P: Jr st. Skloot

421 Seminar: Introduction to Jewish Studies. This course will introduce prospective majors to the methods and concerns of Jewish Studies. It will focus on a topic relevant to all periods of the Jewish experience using multiple disciplines (e.g., History, Philosophy, Literature, Biblical studies, Political Science). Soph and Juniors only; 3 cr.

435 Jewish Philosophy from Antiquity to the Seventeenth Century (Crosslisted with Philosophy and Religious Studies) 3 cr. A survey of major philosophers and philosophical trends within Judaism from antiquity through the seventeenth century. Philosophers studied include Philo of Alexandria, Saadya Gaon, Judah Halevi, Maimonides, and Spinoza. Nadler

442 Moral Philosophy and the Holocaust (crosslisted with Philosophy) Selected moral and philosophical issues raised by the Holocaust such as when and whom to rescue; includes issues arising after the annihilation such as forgiveness and reconciliation. Card/Wikler

448 Classical Rabbinic Texts (crosslisted with Hebrew St and Relig St) II; 3 cr Introduction to the language and literature of the rabbinic period in Judaism (2nd and 7th century CE). Acquisition of language skills to read Hebrew texts of this period, including Mishna, Tosephta, and Midrash. Schofer

451 Biblical Archaeology (crosslisted with Hebrew St) 3 cr (H-I) An examination of current problems and trends in archaeological research in the lands of the Bible. P: Jr st. Blakely

452 Biblical Archaeology (crosslisted with Hebrew St) 3 cr (H-I) Continuation of 451. P: Cons inst or JS 451. Blakely

473 Jewish Civilization in Medieval Spain (in English) (crosslisted with Hebrew St and Medieval) 3 cr (e-H-I) Cultural, political, economic and scientific contributions of the Jews in medieval Islamic and Christian Spain (711-1492). Emphasis on interaction of the Jews with the general society. P: So st.

475 Education and Jewish Civilization (crosslisted with Ed Policy and Religious St) I, II; 3 cr. Examines the changing role of education in Jewish history and debates within Jewish civilization concerning the nature and value of learning. Topics include: relationships between learning and life; ethical and pedagogical dimensions of teacher-student relationships; gender and learning. Pekarsky

490 Topics in Jewish Studies. The topic is footnoted in the Timetable. P: Jr st; some prior coursework in Jewish Studies or cons inst. 1-4 cr. Past topics: Russian Jewish Artists in a Century of Change, 1890-1990, Studying American Jews Through Film and Television, Modern Jewish Thought and Education, American Jewish History, Jewish Civilization and Education, and The Holocaust: History, Memory and Education.

510 German-Jewish Culture since the 18th Century (crosslisted with German)3cr This course investigates German-Jewish culture since the 18th Century, concentrating on toleration, emancipation, acculturation, assimilation, anti-Semitism, and Bildung. Berghahn

513 Biblical Texts, Poetry (crosslisted with Hebrew St) 3 cr (L-A) Critical reading of selected texts from the Minor Prophets and the Writings. Troxel

514 Biblical Texts, Poetry (crosslisted with Hebrew St) 3 cr (L-A) Continuation of 513. Troxel, Miller

515 Holocaust: History, Memory and Education (crosslisted with C&I and History) II, 3 cr. This course explores the ways in which Holocaust history,memory and education are mutually entangled, politically charged and will critically analyze a variety of representations of the Shoah - in literature, films, memoirs, monuments, museums and classrooms.

518 Anti-Semitism in European Culture, 1700-1945 (crosslisted with German and History) A critical review of major theories of anti-Semitism and a history of modern anti-Semitism. Berghahn

529 Intellectual and Religious History of European Jewry - 1648-1939 (crosslisted with History and Relig St) 3 cr (e-H-I) Major intellectual and religious trends in the period in which the Jewsgained equal rights and entered European society. Topics include: Hasidism, religious Reform, Neo-Orthodoxy, the "Science of Judaism," and Jews in secular culture. P: So st. Sorkin

533 Readings in Contemporary Hebrew Literature (crosslisted with Hebrew St) 2-3 cr (L-A) P: Hebrew St 402 or cons inst. Brenner, Morahg

534 Readings in Contemporary Hebrew Literature (crosslisted with Hebrew St) 2-3 cr (L-A) P: Cons inst or Hebrew St 533. Brenner, Morahg

593 American Autobiography: Jewish Identity and the "Melting Pot" (crosslisted with English) 3 cr (e-L-I) The construction of Jewish American identity within American life. Ivry

613 Jewish Law and Ethics in Comparative Perspective (crosslisted with Hist Med and Law) 2-3 cr (e-Z-D) History, sources and methods of Jewish Law reflecting the diversity of Jewish Life and culture. Topical focus on family law, the role and status of women, and bioethical issues. Some comparisons with other systems of religious law, secular law, and secular philosophical ethics. P: Jr st; some prior course work in Jewish studies, law or both; or cons instr. Weisbard

625 The Holocaust: Facts, Trials, Verdicts, Post Verdicts (crosslisted with Law) 3 cr (A) The background to the Holocaust, its implementation, the efforts to impose the criminal law on its perpetrators and the points of interaction between the Holocaust and US policy. P: Law student or junior standing. Tuerkheimer

675 Research Colloquium for Majors: 1 credit Colloquium for students conducting research under Jewish Studies 677, which must be taken concurrently. Discussion of problems that arise in conducting research, interpreting evidence, and composing an argument. Sorkin

677 Independent Research for Majors: 3 credits Original research project supervised by individual faculty. Topics depend upon student’s interest and faculty member’s expertise. Students must register concurrently in Jewish Studies 675.

699 Directed Study. P: Graded on a lettered basis; Jr st; requires cons inst.

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