JUDAIC STUDIES COURSE OFFERINGS
Fall 2000

The purpose of this and the complementary course, (ACABS 102. Elementary Biblical Hebrew, II) in Winter Term, is to equip the beginning student with the tools necessary for reading the Hebrew Bible. The course will introduce students to the grammar of biblical Hebrew; its phonology (the study of speech sounds), morphology (the study of word formation), and syntax (the study of phrase and sentence formation). In addition to mastering the grammar, students will need to acquire a sizable working vocabulary of the language, because competency in grammar and lexicon best facilitates the goal of reading the biblical text. The grading will be based on corrected daily assignments (i.e., the exercises), 13–14 announced quizzes (one class-day advance notice), a final comprehensive exam, as well as attendance and participation. The daily assignments will comprise 25% of the grade, the ten best quizzes 25%, the final exam 25%, and attendance and participation 25%. Prerequisite: None. TTh 11:30–1PM, 2006MLB. (LR)

This course is an introduction to the literature of the Hebrew Bible. Texts representing different literary genres, and dating from different periods, will be read in the original. Students will be introduced to the history of the text of the Hebrew Bible and to the problems of its translation and interpretation. Special emphasis will be placed on refining the student's knowledge of Biblical Hebrew through the study of Hebrew syntax. Required books are (1) a copy of the Biblica Hebraica, and (2) a proper dictionary of classical Hebrew. Prerequisite: ACABS 102. (Schmidt: bschmidt@umich.edu). TTh 1–2:30PM, 3508FB. (LR)

This course serves two main functions: the first is to provide an introductory sense of what is involved in the academic study of religion; the second, which will occupy almost the entire term, is to introduce the major religious traditions of the Near East, with emphasis on the development and major structures of Israelite Religion, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The course will maintain two foci: one will have to do with the historical development of these religious traditions, their sacred texts and major personalities; the second will involve a comparative view of these traditions by analyzing their sense of the sacred in space, time, text, and their views on holy people. This is an introductory course; it is not necessary for students to have any previous experience in the study of religion. The course consists of three weekly lectures and a discussion group. Writing for the course typically involves an essay, a mid-term, and a final exam. (Williams) MWF 2–3PM, MLB AUD 3.

In this course we examine the Arab-Israeli conflict as it is portrayed in both Arabic and Hebrew/Israeli literary traditions — poetry, short stories, novels, novellas, literary essays, and personal accounts — and film, looking at how adversaries portray each other, how mutual stereotypes are created and reinforced, or broken down as the case may be, and how the conflict has shaped the development of these respective literary and filmic traditions in substantially different ways. Complementing courses which examine the Arab/Israeli conflict from political and historical approaches, this course offers the unique perspective of examining it through the literature produced by parties to the conflict. Readings will include works of Kanafani, Habiby, Khalifeh, Shammas, Yehoshua, Grossman, Oz, et al, as well as a selection of Palestinian and Israeli films pertaining to the conflict. Prerequisite: None. (Bardenstein: cbardens@umich.edu) TTH 1–2:30PM, 3518FB. (HU)

This course will consider the literature of the past century written by Jews in America. Reading fiction and poetry written by immigrants and those born in the United States, in Yiddish and English, we will consider questions such as the following: What is "Jewish" and "American" about this literature? What are its major themes and concerns? Who writes Jewish literature and how? How central is the Holocaust, Israel, family myths, Biblical themes, tradition? In addition to reading some familiar authors, we will read a number of Yiddish texts in English translation (no knowledge of Yiddish is required) in order to reclaim this largely unknown literature. We will choose among the following: I.B. Singer, Yankev Glatshteyn, Kadia Molodovsky, Saul Bellow, Bernard Malamud, Cynthia Ozick, Grace Paley, H. Leivick, Henry Roth, Philip Roth, and others. Course requirements include lively participation, three papers, and short in-class writing assignments. This course fulfills the American Literature and New Traditions requirements for English concentrators. May be repeated for a total of six credits with department permission. (Levinson) MW 2:30–4PM, G115AH. (HU)

441. Section 003. National Cinemas--Israeli Cinema. (3) The course examines the place of cinema in the history of modern Israel as a participant, a witness and a critical commentator. The different roles assumed by the filmmakers vis-a-vis their society and nation correspond to different periods in the evolution of Israel. Thus, the chronological survey of Israeli cinema will address issues related to the formation of national ideology and the changing social realities and group identity (ethnic, religious, minorities, etc.). The analysis of the films will explore the continuous struggle for cultural identity, and the search for local cinematic expression in relation to the hegemony of American audio-visual culture and the models of European cinemas. Films will include social comedies (Kishon and Topol's Sallah), war dramas (Menahem Golan's Operation Jonathan, Avanti Popolo), documentaries, and award-winning personal art films. (Avisar) TTH 2:30-4PM + Screenings T 4-6PM

455. Section 003. Topics in Film Studies--The Holocaust in Cinema. (3) The dual function of film as a source of images of reality and as a force used by historical agents to shape perceptions of reality has shaped the special connections between the Holocaust and cinema. The course will review the important stages in the shared history of the medium and the genocide, analyzing the films by exploring the unique aspects of the historical event, artistic strategies and the limits of representation, the discourse of the Holocaust in popular culture, and the politics of national or collective memory. The main stages in chronological order will focus on the following themes and movies: Propaganda — Nazi art and ideology in Triumph of the Will, the antisemitic film The Eternal Jew, Hollywood anti-Nazi movies like The Great Dictator; Documentation — the newsreels from the end of the war, Night and Fog, Shoah; Realistic Dramas — Kapo, The Diary of Anne Frank, The Shop on Main Street; Modernist Visions — The Damned, The Garden of the Finzi-Continis, Mr Klein; Postmodernist Versions — Lili Marleen, Schindler's List, Life is Beautiful. (Avisar) MW 2:30-4PM + Screenings M 4-6PM

The focus of instruction is on the development of basic communication skills in standard modern Hebrew. Speaking, writing, reading, and listening comprehension are emphasized in classroom activities in an appropriate cultural context. This course is taught in small sections. The final grade is based on class activities, students’ presentations, written assignments and unit tests: mid-term and final. Class discussions and activities are exclusively in Hebrew. 001. MWF 9–11AM, 3008FB; 002. MWF 11AM–1PM, 3008FB; 003. MWF 11AM–1PM, 3004FB; 004. MWF 1–3PM, 3008FB

Rabbinic Literature, commonly referred to as "oral law," was the basis of Jewish culture for almost 2,000 years and a basic knowledge of it is a prerequisite for any study of Jewish life and/or literature until modern times. This course will examine the concept of oral law and focus on the written sources of the "oral law," from the time of the Second Temple until the exile from Spain, emphasizing the way these texts relate to their predecessors and have influenced their successors. Prerequisite: None. (Eliav) MW 10-11:30 AM

An overview of 3,000 years of Jewish Civilization, from its Near Eastern roots to contemporary times, from the rabbis to the uncertainties of the year 2000. This is a social and intellectual history of Judaism with emphasis on the interaction between Jewish and non-Jewish cultures and civilizations. The course is taught as an interactive and interdisciplinary experience for the student, with the Instructor providing the general framework in introductory presentations, UofM specialists in Judaic Studies offering guest lectures on the major topics of Jewish history and religion, and discussion sessions giving the opportunity for direct contact with primary sources. Prerequisite: None. (Boccaccini) MW 2:30–4PM, MLB LEC RM 1. (HU).

This is the third-year course within the Hebrew language sequence. As such, it constitutes a transitional stage from the lower levels — in which the concern is with learning introductory grammar and acquisition of functional vocabulary — to the more advanced levels in which we will focus on the more complex linguistic structures. At this level we will treat original texts which will serve as the jumping-off point for in-class discussion and the basis for composition of essays at home. The goal is to expose the student to a wide range of texts as a window into "the Israeli Experience." The course will incorporate other communications media, e.g., material recorded on audio tape, video clips, and multi-media. Prerequisite: HJCS 202. TTH 10–11:30AM, 3004FB. (Excl)

The social genre of the communications media (newspaper and television) serves as the basis for discussion of current events, readings, and writing tasks. Unedited newspaper selections and television news broadcasts provide the basis for classroom activities. Special projects, in the form of debates and individual presentations, constitute an important part of the course activities, and are designed to enhance speech and communication. The final grade is based on class activities, students' presentations, written assignments, and two examinations: mid-term and final. Class discussions and activities are exclusively in Hebrew. (Edna Coffin: eacoffin@umich.edu) TTH 11:30–1PM, 3512FB. (Excl)

A study of the historical development of Jewish mysticism, its symbolic universe, meditational practices, and social ramifications. While we will survey mystical traditions from the late second Temple period through modernity, the central focus will be on the rich medieval stream known as kabbalah. Among the issues to be explored are: the nature of mystical experience; images of God, world, and Person; sexual and gender symbolism (images of the male and female); the problem of evil; mysticism, language, and silence; mysticism and the law; mysticism and community; meditative and ecstatic practices (ranging from visualization to chant, letter combination, and modulated breathing); kabbalistic myth and ritual innovation; and kabbalistic interpretations of history. Modern interpretations of mysticism will also be considered. Readings for the course consist of secondary sources from the history of Judaism and comparative religion, and selected primary texts (in translation). Requirements include two exams and a research paper. Class lectures will be supplemented by discussion, comtemplative exercises, and on occasion, music and other media. Jewish Literature and Culture in English. Prerequisite: None. (Ginsburg: elgins@umich.edu). TTh 10–11:30AM, 3319MLB

In Jewish (mystical) tradition, the round of the year paces out a comprehensive devotional path, both a world-view and a spiritual practice. In this course, we will explore the yearly cycles of time — as expressed in Hasidic mysticism: especially the Bnei Yissaschar, but also the Sefat Emet, the Izbiczer and Slonimer, and that latter day mystic, Zalman Schachter-Shalomi. These primary (Hebrew language) texts will be supplemented by English-language readings from the history and philosophy of religions, from Judaism (Schooem, Heschel, and Rosenzweig) and from the anthro-pology of time. This course will be conducted as a seminar: it calls for both intellectual rigor and engagement, to understand Judaism not only as an "argument" but as "deep song." Reading knowledge of Hebrew is required for this course. Short essays, term paper or project. Prerequisite: None. May be repeated for a total of nine credits. (Ginsburg: elgins@umich.edu) W 3–5PM, 3319MLB. (Excl)

In this first-year history seminar you will be introduced to fundamental historical questions such as the relationship between law and social reality and the interplay of class and gender. You will do this while developing skills in reading primary (prescriptive and descriptive) sources, studying the history of Jewish women in pre-modern Christian and Muslim contexts (mainly North Africa, Spain, Italy and western Europe). Specific topics we may examine include: marriage, dowry, and inheritance; divorce, the 'agunah; widowhood; marital and extramarital sexuality; concubinage, child marriage, slavery, and polygyny. We will also step outside of social history to examine the image of women in rabbinic texts written by men, the roles assigned to women in some aspects of rabbinic culture and the kabbalah, and the history of Jewish women's piety (including kashrut) and prayer in different Jewish sub-cultures. Grades will be based on active participation in the seminar and from a series of short papers and oral reports. Prerequisite: Only first-year students, including those with sophomore standing, may pre-register for First-Year Seminars. All others need permission of instructor. (Siegmund) TTH 4–5:30PM, 2444MH. (SS)

This course will survey major trends in Jewish history in European and Mediterranean lands from c. 1450 to c. 1700. The themes of this course include: developments in Jewish communal structure, familial structure; the question of "marrano" or converso identity; the relationship of Jews and Judaism to the Catholic Church and to the events and ideas of the Reformation; the economic, political, and theoretical relationship between the Jews and developing European states and the Ottoman empire. Specific topics to be addressed include: the impact of the expulsion of the Jews from Spain and Portugal; the emergence and spread of Lurianic Kabbalah; the development of the ghetto in the Italian states; the emergence of Jewish mercantile communities in Northern Europe and in the "New World"; the "court Jews"; male and female expressions of Jewish piety and folk-religion; the Sabbatian movement; and rabbinic authority. Readings will include two seventeenth century Jewish autobiographies (of Leone Modena, a Venetian Rabbi) and of Gluckl of Hameln, a Jewish merchant woman of Hamburg); an early modern printed work describing the customs of the Jews of Italy, and other primary sources and selections from recent scholarship. Prerequisites: none, but Judaic Studies 205, History 110 or History 381 are advised. (Siegmund) TTH 11:30–1PM, 3439MH

This course will attempt to answer some of the most vexing historical problems surrounding the Nazi regime's systematic extermination of six million Jews during World War II. For example: What role did Christian hostility to Judaism play in the growth of genocidal racism in Germany? How did German political traditions prepare the way for Nazi authoritarianism? Why did the German people acquiesce in the Nazi program of mass murder? Why did the American and British governments refuse to come to the aid of European Jews? How did European Jews behave in crisis and extremity? Was the Holocaust "unique"? There will be a mid-term, a paper of 10 to 15 pages, and a comprehensive final. (Endelman) MWF 2–3PM, 140 LORCH.

This is the first of a two-term sequence designed to develop basic skills in speaking, understanding, reading, and writing Yiddish. Active class participation is required as are periodic quizzes, exams, a mid-term, and a final. Prerequisite: None. (Norich: norich@umich.edu) MWF 12–1PM. (LR)

This seminar will explore the life and culture of East European Jews before the Holocaust. In our effort to build a picture of a dynamic and multi-faceted society, we will especially focus on the transition from tradition to moder-nity and we will rely on a variety of disciplines — history, literature, art, film, music, anthropology, linguistics. Requirements will include several short response papers, a research project and a group-led discussion. Prerequisite: Only first-year students, including those with sophomore standing, may pre-register for First-Year Seminars. All others need permission of instructor. (Nysenholc) TTh 2:30–4PM. (HU)

This is the third term of a language sequence in Yiddish. The course is designed to develop fluency in oral and written comprehension, and to offer a further understanding of the culture within which Yiddish has developed. Special emphasis will be devoted to reading material. Course grade will be based on exams, quizzes, written work, and oral class participation. Prerequisite: Yiddish 102. (Nysenholc) MWF 2–3PM, 3529FB (LR)

496*. Section 002. Seminar in Yiddish Literature. (3)
Fall Term 2000, Judaic Studies will offer a graduate-level seminar in Yiddish literature with readings and discussion in Yiddish. The selection of authors and text will be tailored to the level and interests of the students. (Nysenholc) F 9a-12n (tentative; may be changed to accommodate students' schedules
*A 500-level course number may be available for this class by mid-term Fall2000. At the time, students may opt to remain in JS496 for graduate credit, or may choose to drop/add the new 500-level course number.

This course will focus on the dynamic tension of immutability vs. change, permanence vs. adaptation, constancy vs. evolution, as it pertains to the drama of Jewish law. Topics include an introduction to the basic legal sources of Jewish law; alternate approaches to Jewish law as formulated by the Conservative and Reform movements; the relationship between Jewish law and morality; the potential conflicts between the demands of Jewish law and the demands of the civil government; and how a legal system can function in the absence of sanctions of enforcement and legal remedies. (Glogower) TH 3:30–5:30PM.

This course examines the political and cultural history of modern East European Jewry over the last hundred years. By doing so, we aim to illuminate interrelationships between ethnicity, politics and culture. We study how East European Jews developed means for dealing with states and societies that regarded them as alien; how states dealt with this ethno-religious minority; and, more generally, how states manage multiethnic societies. Ideologies, move-ments, parties and institutions are analyzed, partly through literature, folklore, music, and art. Requirements include midterm and final examinations and a term papers. Prerequisite: A course in East European and/or Jewish history, or Comparative Politics is recommended. (Gitelman: zvigitel@umich.edu) TTH 2:30–4PM, G127AH. (Excl)

Open to all graduate level students and to undergraduate seniors, SW 645 provides an overview of career oppor-tunities within Jewish communal service. In this course, students will be introduced to the origins, current programs, and anticipated changes in major Jewish communal service institutions. Emphasis will be placed on the relationship of the human services to community building and maintenance. Students will be expected to seek answers to a number of questions. For example, what are the critical challenges faced by the professionals who staff these organizations? What lessons for American volunteerism and democracy can be learned from an examination of Jewish communal services? Which of these might be applicable to other ethnic and religious minorities with the context of a pluralistic and multicultural society? While American Jewish communal service will be the focus, an underlying theme of the course will be the contributions of ethnic groups to the growth of social welfare and community self-help in a multicultural society. (Lauffer) W 9AM–12Noon.

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