JUDAIC
STUDIES COURSE OFFERINGS
Fall 2002
The following list includes courses offered by faculty associated with the Center for Judaic Studies, as well as other courses of interest to Judaic Studies students. We try to make this list as accurate and comprehensive as possible. If you have questions about offerings or times, check with the department in which the course is listed for the latest information.
English (Division 361)
English 317
Literature and Culture – Yiddish Classics
MW 1-2:30pm
Credits 3
Anita Norich (norich@umich.edu)
Class number: 26234
What is modern Yiddish culture? What are its origins and how did it develop? Who were its major writers and what were the themes, social structures, literary forms of primary concern to them? In this course we will answer these and other questions by reading the fiction of three writers: Sh.Y. Abramovitch (also known as Mendele Moykher Sforim), Sholem Aleichem, and Y.L. Peretz. Their short stories and novels are considered the classics of modern Yiddish literature and offer a provocative introduction into the Eastern European Jewish milieu in which they wrote. We will also consider some of the adaptations made of their work in Yiddish and English drama and film, and some of the changes made when their stories and novels were brought to an American audience. Requirements for the course include weekly reading assignments, active classroom participation, three short essays and a final. All works will be read in English translation; no knowledge of Yiddish is required.
English 383
Topics in Jewish Literature
TTH 11:30-1pm
Credits 3
Julian Levinson (jlevinso@umich.edu)
Class number: 13758
How do Jewish writers
in America straddle the divide between Jewish culture and modern American life?
How do they interpret the collective past and create a collective memory? What
features, if any, define the Jewish-American literary canon? What recurring
metaphors, images, and characters animate this literature? To respond to these
questions, this course explores a range of texts from the immigrant writings of
Mary Antin to the post-Holocaust writings of Cynthia Ozick. Other authors
include Morris Rosenfeld, Anna Margolin, Jacob Glatstein, Saul Bellow, Bernard
Malamud, Grace Paley, and Isaac Bashevis Singer. While some of these authors
wrote in Yiddish, all of their works will be read in translation. Two papers
(4-6 pages), midterm, and final.
English 417
Senior Seminar
TTH 2:30-4pm
Credits 3
Julian Levinson (jlevinso@umich.edu)
Class number: 13768
Beginning with the rise
of the "New York intellectuals" and concluding with the Klezmer
revival, this senior seminar traces the development of Jewish culture in
America during the last half century. We will examine a wide range of cultural
forms including literary works, essays, plays, films, stand-up comedy, and
musical recordings. Among the themes to be discussed are the tensions between
"high" and popular culture, American assimilation and its
discontents, classical Jewish themes in modern forms, and the problem of representing
the Holocaust. Among the figures we will consider are Alfred Kazin, Micky Katz,
Grace Paley, Saul Bellow, Lenny Bruce, Philip Roth, Allen Ginsberg, Cynthia
Ozick, Art Spiegelman, Irena Klepfisz, and Tony Kushner. Students will write a
number of short response papers and one 8-12 page paper.
History (Division 390)
History 307/ACABS 322/Religion359
Meets with Judaic Studies 317
Topics in Judaic Studies: History and Religion of Ancient Judaism.
MW 10-11:30am
Credits 4
Gabrielle Boccaccini (gbocca@umich.edu)
Class number: 30864
The course covers the history and religion of ancient Judaism from the Babylonian exile (6th century BCE) to the emergence of Rabbinic Judaism (3rd century CE). The liveliness of the period is testified by its many names. For the Jew, it is the "Second Temple Period" – the cradle of Jewish civilization. For the Christian, it is the "intertestamental period" between the Old and the New Testament – the age in which Jesus was born and the Church arose. For the historian, it is all that and much more. It was an age of great conflicts, in which the Jewish people had to face powerful neighbors and rulers: the Egyptians and the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans. But it was also an age of great creativeness, in which different varieties of Judaism (including the early Christian movement) developed sophisticated and lasting theologies and restlessly struggled for supremacy or simply survival. No prerequisites. Course grade is based on attendance and daily readings of primary sources, midterm, final and a term paper.
History 381/Mems 381
History of the Jews from the Muslim Conquests to the Spanish Expulsion
TTH 10-11:30am
Credits 3
Nina Caputo
Class number: 25726
This course will survey major historic developments in medieval Jewish society under both Islam and western Christendom. Broadly, the course will look at the divergence of Judaism and Christianity, the rise of the Babylonian geonim, the social and cultural history of Jews in the Arab Mediterranean world, the emergence of Jewish communities in Medieval Ashkenaz, and the impact on Jewish society of the Crusades, the Reconquista, the emergence of the mendicant orders, and the Black Death. The course will examine the interaction of Jews with the majority culture, political structure, and economy, as well as changing cultural trends within Jewish society. The distinctive religious climate of the medieval period will serve as a unifying theme throughout. We will study primary sources as well as recent historical scholarship, and our focus will include the history of women as well as that of men. Class is conducted as lecture and discussion of texts with an occasional film or slide lecture. Requirements for the course: several short written and oral assignments, tests, and final examination. Prerequisites: None. History 110 and some familiarity with Judaism or Jewish civilization (Religion 201, Judaic Studies 379/HJCS 379, or similar) is recommended background.
History 383
Modern Jewish History
to 1880
TTH 1-2:30pm
Credits 3
Mitchell Hart
Course number: 25815
This course is
focused around a series of themes including the Jew in transition between the
ghetto and emancipation, demographic changes, organization of the autonomous
Jewish community, the beginnings of Hasidism, and the French Revolution and
emancipation. Religious and secular responses to emancipation and the
development of modern anti-Semitism are discussed.
History 386
The Holocaust
MWF 11-12pm
Credits 4
Todd Endelman (endelman@umich.edu)
Class number: 32151
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 midterm, a paper of 10 to 15 pages, and a comprehensive final.
History 397
Jews and Modern Culture
M 1-4pm
Credits 3
Mitchell Hart
Class number: 32287
Jews have been intimately involved in the cration of modern culture and in the ideas and judgments generated about “culture”. This colloquium explores the nexus of Jews and culture and pays particular attention to the “politics of culture”. We will analyze the roles of culture in a number of historical contexts and thus address many of the key themes in modern Jewish history: emancipation, assimilation, anti-Semitism, nationalism, the Holocaust and its aftermath.
History 628/Judaic Studies 601
Introduction to Methods and Topics in Judaic Studies
M 7-9pm
Todd Endelman (endelman@umich.edu)
Class number: 30814
This course introduces graduate students to the disciplines, texts, and methods of Jewish studies. Students read textual materials from various eras of Jewish history (from antiquity to the modern period) and current scholarly literature that illustrates critical and disciplinary approaches to these texts.
Judaic Studies (Division 407)
Judaic Studies 101/Yiddish 101
Elementary Yiddish I
MWF 12-1pm
3 credits
Vera Szabo (verele@umich.edu)
Class number: 14525
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 midterm, and a final. There are no prerequisites.
Judaic Studies 201/Yiddish 201
Intermediate Yiddish I
MW 2:30-4pm
3 credits
Vera Szabo (verele@umich.edu)
Class number: 14526
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.
Judaic Studies 270/HJCS 270
Meets with Judaic Studies 500.009 and HJCS 592
Introduction to Rabbinic Literature
MWF 11-12pm
Credits 3
Yaron Eliav (yzeliav@umich.edu)
Class number: 26188
In this course, we will explore the history and substance of rabbinic writing on three levels. First, we will talk about the rabbinic literary enterprise within the broad cultural, historical and religious context of the Roman and Byzantine eras. Second, we will examine the many genres of rabbinic literature and consider the sages—the elite group of Jewish intellectuals who created this corpus. Finally, we will trace the way in which subsequent generations have gradually shaped these texts to their current format and endowed them with their exalted status.
Judaic Studies 317.001
Meets together with ACABS 322 / HISTORY 307 / RELIGION 359
Topics in Judaic Studies: History and Religion of Ancient Judaism.
TTH 11:30-1pm
Credits 4
Gabrielle Boccaccini (gbocca@umich.edu)
Class number: TBA
See History 307 for a course description.
Judaic Studies 467/ HJCS 577/ Religion 471
Seminar: Topics in the Study of Judaism
Section 001. The Emotions and Senses in Judaism.
T 3-5:30pm
Credits 3
Elliot Ginsburg (elgins@umich.edu)
Class number: 14531
The ways in which human communities understand, express, repress, intimate and explain their emotions are stunningly varied. Laws, customs, song, ritual life, e.g., all serve to simultaneously give vent to the emotions and to control their chaos. This seminar will explore dynamics of emotional expression with special emphasis on the Jewish tradition. We will explore some of the following: joy, brokenheartedness, fear, wonder, awe, grief, disgust, shame, expiation, love (ecstatic and contained, filial and erotic), wholeness, equanimity, acceptance, rage, regret (that complex amalgam of feeling and cognition); as well as those "mixed" emotions that contain shifting measures of emptiness and fullness: longing, anticipation, savoring. We will explore how these emotions are framed, nurtured, celebrated, and denied in Jewish devotional and literary sources, as well as in cross-cultural and theoretical writings. We use the category "emotion" to investigate Judaism, and use "Judaism" to ask questions about human emotion. Throughout, we will explore the role played by the senses (vision – deep seeing, chanting and attentive listening, smell and breath, touch and movement) in shaping the world of feeling and in mobilizing and concentrating desire. We will thus uncover how the senses may serve as both gateway to and metaphor for the spiritual path. Previous coursework in Judaism or the study of Religion strongly recommended. Working knowledge of Hebrew desirable. Brief weekly essays (2 pp.) and a term paper/project.
Judaic Studies 468/ HJCS 478/ Religion 469
Jewish Mysticism
TTH 10-11:30am
Credits 3
Elliot Ginsburg (elgins@umich.edu)
Class number: 27569
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:
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,
contemplative exercises, and on occasion, music and other media.
Judaic Studies 500.009/ HJCS 592
Meets with Judaic Studies 270/HJCS 270
Reading the Rabbis
MWF 11-12pm
Yaron Eliav (yzeliav@umich.edu)
Class number: 32302
This is an intensive graduate seminar in rabbinic literature that
requires approximately 150-200 pages of reading each week. Second year proficiency in Hebrew is a pre-requisite. Students will attend HJCS 270
- Introduction to Rabbinic Literature - and meet all the assignments of that
course. In addition, the seminar will meet separately once every two weeks for
an intensive reading session in the original language (time will be determined
in class), during which we will read through the entire Mishnah and Tosefta.
Students will also be asked to read 5-7 scholarly books and write a short paper
about 2.
Judaic Studies 601/History 628
Introduction to Methods and Topics in Judaic Studies
M 7-9pm
Todd Endelman (endelman@umich.edu)
Class number: 31503
See History 628 for a course description.
Judaic Studies 652/ Political Science 652
Jewish Political Thought and Experiences: Eastern Europe, America and Israel
T 5-7pm
Zvi Gitelman (zvigitel@umich.edu)
Credits 3
Class number: 32308
The course explores political ideas embedded in "classic" Jewish texts and sees how these ideas were implemented (or not) in sovereign Jewish states, ancient and contemporary, and in Jewish self-government (kehillot) in the diaspora. The course analyzes the transformation of Jewish political life from traditional to modern modes - the shift from oligarchical to mass politics, from kehillot to political parties, from postures of pleading to those of political aggregates and articulation. We will examine political movements such as Zionis, Bundism, and Communism; Jewish political behavior in the United States; and the Jewish and other sources of Jewish political thought and behavior in Israel.
Law 642
Jewish Law
Th 3:40-5:40PM, 132 Hutchins Hall
Rod Glogower
2 Credits
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 is formulated by the
Conservative and Reform movements; the relationship between Jewish law and
mortality; 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.
Ancient Civilizations and Biblical Studies
(ACABS) (Division 314)
ACABS 101
Elementary Classical Hebrew I
Credits 3
MWF 9-10am
Class number: 11963
The purpose of this and the complementary course, 102 Elementary Biblical Hebrew II (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, for 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%.
ACABS201
Intermediate Classical Hebrew I
Credits 3
Day and Time: TBA
Class number: 11983
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 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 Biblical Hebraica, and (2) a proper dictionary of classical Hebrew.
ACABS 322/ HISTORY 307 / RELIGION 359
Meets together with Judaic Studies 317
Topics in Judaic Studies: History and Religion of Ancient Judaism.
MW 10-11:30am
Credits 4
Gabrielle Boccaccini (gbocca@umich.edu)
Class number: 30713
See History 307 for a course description.
ACABS601
Advanced Reading in Classical Hebrew
Credits 3
MW 10-12pm
Meets with ACABS 201
Class number: 11989
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 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.
Hebrew and Jewish
Cultural Studies (HJCS) (Division 389)
HJCS101
Elementary Modern Hebrew I
Credits 5
MWF
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: midterm and final. Class discussions and activities are exclusively in Hebrew.
9-11am
Pauli Weizman (pauliw@umich.edu)
Class number: 14162
11-1pm
Pauli Weizman (pauliw@umich.edu)
Class number: 14163
11-1pm
Milka Eliav (milka@umich.edu)
Class number: 14164
1-3pm
Milka Eliav (milka@umich.edu)
Class number: 14165
HJCS201
Intermediate Modern Hebrew I
Credits 5
MWF
The focus of instruction is on the development of advanced language skills with an emphasis on oral and written communication and in standard modern Hebrew. In addition to reading texts, relevant cultural materials are provided through the use of video and technology based materials. This course is taught in small sections and class discussion. The final grade is based on class activities, students presentations, written assignments, and unit tests: midterm and final. Class discussions and activities are exclusively in Hebrew.
9-11am
Doron Lamm (dlamm@umich.edu)
Class number: 14185
11-1pm
Doron Lamm (dlamm@umich.edu)
Class number: 14186
11-1pm
Rosenburg, Ilan (ilanr@umich.edu)
Class number: 14187
1-3pm
Rosenburg, Ilan (ilanr@umich.edu)
Class number: 14188
HJCS270/ Judaic Studies 270
Meets with Judaic Studies 500.009 and HJCS 592
Introduction to Rabbinic Literature
MWF 11-12pm
Credits 3
Yaron Eliav (yzeliav@umich.edu)
Class number: 14189
HJCS301
Advanced Modern Hebrew I
Ruth Tsoffar (rtsoffar@umich.edu)
Credits 3
TTH
11:30-1pm
Class number: 14194
This is the third-year course within the Hebrew language sequence at the University of Michigan. 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 unto "the Israeli Experience." The course will incorporate other communications media, e.g., material recorded on audio tape, video clips, and multi-media.
HJCS401
Hebrew of the Communications Media, I
Credits 3
TTH 11:30-1
Class number: 31302
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: midterm and final. Class discussions and activities are exclusively in Hebrew.
HJCS 478/ Judaic Studies 468/Religion 469
Jewish Mysticism
Credits 3
TTh 10-11:30am
Elliot Ginsburg (elgins@umich.edu)
Class number: 14197
See Judaic Studies 468 for a course description.
HJCS 577/ Judaic Studies 467/Religion 471
Seminar, Topics in the Study of Judaism: The Emotions and Senses in Judaism
Credits 3
T 3-5:30pm
Class number: 14201
See Judaic Studies 467 for a course description.
HJCS 592/ Judaic Studies 500.009
Meets together with Judaic Studies 270/ HJCS 270
Reading the Rabbis
Class number: 31292
See Judaic Studies 500.009 for a course description.
Political Science (Division
450)
Political Science 353
The Arab-Israeli Conflict
TTh 10-11:30am
Mark Tessler (tessler@umich.edu)
Credits 4
Class number: 30408
This
course will present both factual and interpretive material about the
Arab-Israeli conflict, an international dispute that has lasted for almost a
century and whose significance extends far beyond the Middle East. After
providing background information about Israel and the Arab world, including the
Arabs of Palestine, the course will trace the historical development of the
conflict from its origins in the 19th century until the present. The course
will also examine the most important issues associated with the conflict,
giving special attention to the competing territorial claims advanced by
Israelis and Palestinians and to the rights of self-determination asserted by
each. Attention will be given as well to relations between Israel and the Arab
states. In discussing the many controversial issues associated with the Arab-Israeli
conflict, the course will strive for objectivity and balance and will encourage
the evaluation of differing points of view, including not only the competing
views of Israelis and Arabs but also the important differences existing within
Israel and the Arab world. The instructor for the course has attended
university and subsequently conducted research in both the Arab world and
Israel, having spent over four years in the former and almost three years in
the latter. He visits the area frequently and regularly collaborates with
Israeli and Arab scholars.
Political Science 652/ Judaic Studies 652
Jewish Political Thought and Experiences: Eastern Europe, America and Israel
T 5-7pm
Zvi Gitelman (zvigitel@umich.edu)
Credits 3
Class number: 30252
See Judaic Studies 652 for a course description.
Religion (Division 457)
Religion 359/History 307/ACABS 322
Meets together with Judaic Studies 317
MW 10-11:30am
Credits 4
Gabrielle Boccaccini (gbocca@umich.edu)
Class number: 30865
See History 307 for a course description.
Religion 469/Judaic Studies 468/ HJCS 478
Jewish Mysticism
TTH 10-11:30am
Credits 3
Elliot Ginsburg (elgins@umich.edu)
Class number: 15766
See Judaic Studies 468 for a course description.
Religion 471/Judaic Studies 467/ HJCS 577
Seminar, Topics in the Study of Judaism: The Emotions and Sense in Judaism
Credits 3
T 3-5:30pm
Class number: 15767
See Judaic Studies 467 for a course description.