Spring 2008 Jewish Studies Courses
Jewish Studies 032.401 Beginning Yiddish II Hellerstein TR 12:00-1:30
Jewish Studies 034.401 Intermediate Yiddish II Botwinik TR 6:30-8:00
Jewish Studies 051.401 Elementary Modern Hebrew I Staff MWF 1:00-2:00 and TR 1:30-2:30
Jewish Studies 052.401 Elementary Modern Hebrew II Staff MTWRF 11:00-12:00
Jewish Studies 052.402 Elementary Modern Hebrew II Staff MTWRF 12:00-1:00
Jewish Studies 053.401 Intermediate Modern Hebrew III Staff MWF 1:00-2:00 and TR 1:30-2:30
Jewish Studies 054.401 Intermediate Modern Hebrew IV Staff MTWRF 11:00-12:00
Jewish Studies 054.402 Intermediate Modern Hebrew IV Staff MTWRF 12:00-1:00
Jewish Studies 054.403 Intermediate Modern Hebrew IV Staff MTWRF 12:00-1:00
Jewish Studies 059.401 Advanced Modern Hebrew: Reading and Composition Engel TR 1:30-3:00
Jewish Studies 102.401 Modern Hebrew Literature & Culture in Translation: The Many Voices of Israel Gold TR 1:30-3:00
Jewish Studies 102.402 Jewish Humor Ben-Amos TR 10:30-12:00
Jewish Studies 126.401 Introduction to Jewish Mysticism Fishman TR 10:30-12:00
Jewish Studies 156.401 History of Jewish Civilization I Dorhmann MW 3:30-5:00
Jewish Studies 158.401 History of Jewish Civilization II Wenger MW 12:00-1:00 (plus recitation)
Jewish Studies 172.401 Elementary Biblical Hebrew II Carasik MW 3:30-5:00
Jewish Studies 174.401 Intermediate Biblical Hebrew II Carasik MW 5:00-6:30
Jewish Studies 200.401 Teaching Jewish Texts Reiss-Medwed R 1:30-4:30
Jewish Studies 202.401 Secular Judaism Steinberg/Kant M 2:00-5:00
Jewish Studies 208.401 Jerusalem: Jews, Christians and the Struggle for the Holy City in Late Antiquity Irshai T 1:30-4:30
Jewish Studies 229.401 Early Jewish Magic: Practice, Text and Context Harari R 1:30-4:30
Jewish Studies 232.680 Studies in Ladino II Braverman W 3:00-5:00 (and online TBA)
Jewish Studies 255.401 Bible in Translation: Genesis Tigay TR 4:30-6:00
Jewish Studies 257.401 Structure and Meaning in the Babylonia Talmud Steinmetz T 3:00-6:00
Jewish Studies 265.401 Yiddish Literature in Eastern Europe Hellerstein TR 10:30-12:00
Jewish Studies 359.407 Seminar in Modern Hebrew Literature: The Representation of the City Gold TR 10:30-12:00
Jewish Studies 399.301 Senior Honors Thesis TBA
Jewish Studies 449.401 Jewish Historical Writing Ruderman T 3:00-6:00
Jewish Studies 490.401 Becoming Modern: The German-Jewish Experience Weissberg T 3:00-5:00
Jewish Studies 523.401 Senses in Jewish Culture: Medieval and Early Modern Perspectives Fishman M 2:00-5:00
Jewish Studies 550.401 A Book of the Bible: Amos Tigay W 2:00-5:00
College of General Studies Course
Jewish Studies 122.601 Religions of the West Treat W 6:00-9:00
Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations 104.601 Jerusalem Through the Ages Zimmerle M 6:00-9:00
Law School Course
Law School Law and the Holocaust Reicher T 4:30-7:15
Related Course
Religious Studies 735.401 Early Book Technology Kraft T 3:00-6:00
German 237.401 Berlin: History, Politics, Culture Weissberg T 3:00-5:00
| JWST 032.401 |
Beginning Yiddish II |
Hellerstein |
| Yiddish is a 1000-year-old language with a rich heritage. In this course you can continue to develop basic reading, writing and speaking skills. Discover treasures of Yiddish culture: songs, literature, folklore, and films. (YDSH 102, YDSH 502) |
| Time: TR 12:00-1:30 |
| JWST 034.401 |
Intermediate Yiddish II |
Botwinik |
| A continuation of Intermediate Yiddish I. Emphasis on reading texts and conversation. (YDSH 104, YDSH 504) |
| Time: TR 6:30-8:00 |
| JWST 051.401 |
Elementary Modern Hebrew I |
Staff |
An introduction to the skills of reading, writing, and conversing in modern Hebrew. This course assumes no previous knowledge of Hebrew. (HEBR 051, HEBR 651)
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| Time: MWF 1:00-2:00 and TR 1:30-2:30 |
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| JWST 052.401 |
Elementary Modern Hebrew II |
Staff |
A continuation of HEBR 051, First Year Modern Hebrew, which assumes basic skills of reading and speaking and the use of the present tense. Open to all students who have completed one semester of Hebrew at Penn with a grade of B- or above and new students with equivalent competency. HEBR 051 or permission of instructor. (HEBR 052, HEBR 652)
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| Time: MTWRF 11:00-12:00 |
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| JWST 052.402 |
Elementary Modern Hebrew II |
Staff |
| A continuation of HEBR 051, First Year Modern Hebrew, which assumes basic skills of reading and speaking and the use of the present tense. Open to all students who have completed one semester of Hebrew at Penn with a grade of B- or above and new students with equivalent competency. HEBR 051 or permission of instructor. (HEBR 052, HEBR 652) |
| Time: MTWRF 12:00-1:00 |
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| JWST 053.401 |
Intermediate Modern Hebrew III |
Staff |
Development of the skills of reading, writing, and conversing in modern Hebrew on an intermediate level. Open to all students who have completed two semesters of Hebrew at Penn with a grade of B- or above and new students with equivalent competency. HEBR 052 or permission of the instructor. (HEBR 053, HEBR 653)
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| Time: MWF 1:00-2:00 and TR 1:30-2:30 |
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| JWST 053.402 |
Intermediate Modern Hebrew III |
Staff |
| Development of the skills of reading, writing, and conversing in modern Hebrew on an intermediate level. Open to all students who have completed two semesters of Hebrew at Penn with a grade of B- or above and new students with equivalent competency. HEBR 052 or permission of the instructor. (HEBR 053, HEBR 653) |
| Time: MWF 1:00-2:00 and TR 1:30-2:30 |
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| JWST 054.401 |
Intermediate Modern Hebrew IV |
Staff |
| This course constitutes the final semester of Intermediate Modern Hebrew. Hence, one of the main goals of the course is to prepare the students for the proficiency exam in Hebrew. Emphasis will be placed on grammar skills and ability to read literary texts. Open to all students who have completed three semesters of Hebrew at Penn with a grade of B- or above and new students with equivalent competency. HEBR 053 or permission of instructor. (HEBR 054, HEBR 654) |
| Time: MTWRF 11:00-12:00 |
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| JWST 054.402 |
Intermediate Modern Hebrew IV |
Staff |
This course constitutes the final semester of Intermediate Modern Hebrew. Hence, one of the main goals of the course is to prepare the students for the proficiency exam in Hebrew. Emphasis will be placed on grammar skills and ability to read literary texts. Open to all students who have completed three semesters of Hebrew at Penn with a grade of B- or above and new students with equivalent competency. HEBR 053 or permission of instructor. (HEBR 054, HEBR 654)
|
| Time: MTWRF 12:00-1:00 |
| JWST 054.403 |
Intermediate Modern Hebrew IV |
Staff |
This course constitutes the final semester of Intermediate Modern Hebrew. Hence, one of the main goals of the course is to prepare the students for the proficiency exam in Hebrew. Emphasis will be placed on grammar skills and ability to read literary texts. Open to all students who have completed three semesters of Hebrew at Penn with a grade of B- or above and new students with equivalent competency. HEBR 053 or permission of instructor. (HEBR 054, HEBR 654)
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| Time: MTWRF 12:00-1:00 |
| JWST 059.401 |
Advanced Modern Hebrew: Reading and Composition |
Engel |
Further development of reading, writing, and speaking skills in modern Hebrew. The course is designed for students who have completed the basic language courses and passed the proficiency examination (or passed the Department's placement test at the appropriate level). The readings are based on literary texts and poetry. Special attention is given to the recurrence of biblical themes in modern Hebrew writing. HEBR 054 or permission of instructor. Since the content of this course may change from year to year, students may take it more than once (but only once for credit). Fulfills Distribution CRS Arts & Letters -- Class of '09 and prior. (HEBR 059, HEBR 552)
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| Time: TR 1:30-3:00 |
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| JWST 102.401 |
Modern Hebrew Literature & Culture in Translation: The Many Voices of Israel |
Gold |
This course listens and responds to Israeli literary and cinematic expressions of "others," such as new immigrants, women, Arabs, gays, orthodox Jews, first and second generations of Holocaust survivors, and those of Middle Eastern descent. The Zionist meta-narrative that dominated Israeli literature and film from its inception ignored or suppressed their varied voices until the late 20th century. Initially, authors and directors were predominantly Israeli-born (or educated), Ashkenazi (of European descent) men who tackled the nationalistic, territory-based aspirations of the people. Now that the "periphery" has invaded the "center," a cacophony of voices replaces the mainstream ideological search for a Zionist utopia. We will analyze and examine how postmodernist and subversive writers and filmmakers use the different languages of film, prose and poetry to capture the outsider's experience. Taught in English. There will be five film screenings. Grades are based on film response papers, one 6-page term paper, a final and class participation. The content of this course changes from year to year, and therefore, students may take it for credit more than once. Fulfills Arts & Letters Sector (all classes) and Cross Cultural Analysis - Class of '10 and after. (NELC 159, COML 282, CINE 329)
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| Time: TR 1:30-3:00 |
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| JWST 102.402 |
Jewish Humor |
Gold |
This course examines Jewish humor in the context of folklore research and the studies of ethnic humor. We will explore the particular circumstances surrounding the development of the concept of Jewish humor in scholarly literature and popular writings, and bring into the discussion general theories of humor as formulated in folklore, philosophy, psychology and anthropology. Course requirements: A field-based term paper and mid-term and final examinations. Fulfills Arts & Letters Sector (all classes). (NELC 254, FOLK 296) |
| Time: TR 10:30-12:00 |
| JWST 126.401 |
Introduction to Jewish Mysticism |
Fishman |
Survey of expressions of Jewish mysticism from Hebrew Scripture through Madonna.
Topics include rabbinic concerns about mystical speculation, the ascent through the celestial chambers [heikhalot], the Book of Creation, the relationship of Jewish philosophy and mysticism, techniques of letter permutation, schematization of the Divine Body, the prominence of gender in kabbalistic thought, the relationship of kabbalah to the practice of the commandments, Lurianic kabbalah, Hasidism. All primary source readings will be in English translation. Benjamin Franklin Seminar. Fulfills Distribution CRS Arts & Letters - Class of '09 and prior and Cross Cultural Analysis - Class of '10 and after. (RELS 126, NELC 186)
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| Time: TR 10:30-12:00 |
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| JWST 156.401 |
History of Jewish Civilization I |
Dohrmann |
| A broad introduction to the history of Jewish civilization from its Biblical beginnings until the Middle Ages, with the main focus on the formative period of classical rabbinic Judaism and on the symbiotic relationship between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Fulfills History & Tradition Sector (all classes) and Cross Cultural Analysis - Class of '10 and after. (HIST 139, RELS 120, NELC 051, NELC 451) |
| Time: MW 3:30-5:00 |
| JWST 158.401 |
History of Jewish Civilization III |
Wenger |
| This course offers an intensive survey of the major currents in Jewish life from the early modern period to the present. We will trace the process by which the Jews gradually ceased to be a society unto themselves and confronted the sweeping transformations of the modern era, from the Enlightenment and the rise of a bourgeois middle class to projects of nation-building and revolutionary socialism. Within the evolving forms of Jewish religious experience, culture, and identity, we will explore such topics as emancipation, Jewish-gentile relations, the emergence of distinct denominations within Judaism, and the reestablishment of political sovereignty in modern Israel. Weekly readings include broad historical interpretations as well as primary sources such as memoirs, petitions, folklore, and works of literature. Curiosity about Jewish history and the desire to explore its drama and complexity are the only prerequisites for this course. No prior knowledge of the subject is assumed. Fulfills History & Tradition Sector (all classes) and Cross Cultural Analysis - Class of '10 and after. (HIST 141, RELS 122, NELC 053, NELC 453) |
| Time: MW 12:00-1:00 (plus recitation) |
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| JWST 172.401 |
Elementary Biblical Hebrew II |
Carasik |
A continued introduction to the grammar of Elementary Biblical Hebrew I, focusing on the verbal system, with an emphasis on developing language skills in handling Biblical texts. A suitable entry point for students who have had some modern Hebrew. (HEBR 152, HEBR 452, JWST 472)
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| Time: MW 3:30-5:00 |
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| JWST 174.401 |
Intermediate Biblical Hebrew II |
Carasik |
| This course is a continuation of the Fall semester's Intermediate Biblical Hebrew I. It will continue to focus on using the grammar and vocabulary learned at the introductory level to be able to read biblical texts independently and take advanced Bible exegesis courses. We will concentrate this semester on various selections of Biblical poetry, including Exodus 15 and Job 28. We will also continue to translate English prose into Biblical Hebrew. (HEBR 154, HEBR 454, JWST 474) |
| Time: MW 5:00-6:30 |
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| JWST 200.401 |
Teaching Jewish Texts |
Reiss-Medwed |
| This course is designed to provide you with opportunities to develop the intellectual and practical tools and skills crucial to teaching Jewish texts. Over the course of the semester, we will consider concurrently three different overarching questions: 1) What does it mean to learn something and how does that affect our practice of teaching? 2) What are the unique qualities of learning content for teaching? 3) How do teachers move from thinking about content, to designing lessons, to creating ways to assess their students? We will split time in the course studying texts from Bible, Mishnah and Talmud while exploring ideas and assumptions about education and teaching. It is strongly desirable for students to have an ability to read these texts in the original. (EDUC 200) |
| Time: R 1:30-4:30 |
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| JWST 202.401 |
Secular Judaism |
Steinberg/Kant |
| Can Judaism exist without the religion? Are there secular Jews? Is it possible for people to consider themselves to be Jewish without any formal affiliation with either a religious or other specifically Jewish institution? If so, what sort of Jews are they? These questions trouble all those interested in the history, present position and future prospect of the Jews as a people. There have been many answers: Zionist, non-Zionist, cultural, ethnic, sociological, theological (both Christian and Jewish) and others less respectable. We have no answer, but we have a different way to put the question, a biographical way, which may help to define the parameters of a possible answer. We ask how have individual Jews defined themselves and how have they chosen to live their lives. Such choices only became possible in the Western world after the Enlightenment, the American and the French Revolutions had created the category of "citizen," a new, free, universal, abstract person, who had the right to be what he or she chose. This course will try to address these questions in a strictly historical way, following a selection of lives of important Jews who at different times and places attempted their own answers to these questions. These lives will be drawn mainly from Western Europe, where until the Second World War, the majority of Jews lived. We shall also consider some American lives since during the Twentieth Century the American Jewish community became the place where choice of identity became an unusually important issue. We shall also look at the lives of some who chose Israel as the "national" answer to the question of Jewish identity. Seminar. (HIST 202) |
| Time: M 2:00-5:00 |
| JWST 208.401 |
Jerusalem: Jews, Christians and the Struggle for the Holy City in Late Antiquity |
Irshai |
(Jerusalem between Its Demise as a Jewish Center and Its Appropriation by the Church, 1st - 5th centuries CE)
This course examines the role of the city of Jerusalem within the ongoing polemics and dialogue between Christianity and Judaism in Late Antiquity. The seminar focuses on the holy city of Jerusalem, exploring the events leading to its demise in 70 CE at Roman hands and its fate in the centuries that followed. We will examine the complex history and symbolic legacy of the city in the Jewish and Christian imaginations--from the formative period of early Christianity when Jerusalem was at the forefront of contention between the two groups, to the relative demise of attention to the city in Jewish and Christian thought during the 2nd and 3rd centuries under pagan Roman rule, to the revival of interest in the 4th century under Roman Emperor Constantine, with the appropriation of Jerusalem as a Christian city in a Christian world. Following the fascinating transmutations in the history of the holy city, this course explores the exchange of ideas between adherents of both Judaism and Christianity in this ancient cradle of their pasts. Seminar. (CLST 208, RELS 219, ANCH 208, NELC 288) |
| Time: T 1:30-4:30 |
| JWST 229.401 |
Early Jewish Magic: Pratice, Text and Context |
Harari |
| This course will deal with the Jewish culture of magic in Late Antiquity and the early Middles Ages. It will focus on two aspects: how was Jewish magic characterized within the evidence provided by "insiders," namely practitioners, and how was it described and presented in "outsider" accounts, mainly rabbinic sources. We will examine magical artifacts such as amulets and magic bowls, as well as manuals and treatises of magic. The course explores the beliefs, practices and aims of Jewish magic activity. At the same time, we will delve into the political question of accusations of magic and their role in the struggle of the religious elites for monopoly over holiness and ritual power. All course materials will be in English. Seminar. (RELS 229, ANCH 230, NELC 289, FOLK 129) |
| Time: R 1:30-4:30 |
| JWST 232.680 |
Studies in Ladino II |
Braverman |
| The course will explore the origins of Judeo-Spanish (Ladino) in Spain and trace its historical and linguistic development. Linguistic differences between various dialects of the language will be described and the various components of the language analyzed. Students will learn contemporary Judeo-Spanish through a study of dialogues, poetry, songs, contemporary and historical texts and original materials. Seminar. (ROML 120) |
| Time: W 3:00-5:00 (and online TBA) |
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| JWST 255.401 |
Bible in Translation: Genesis |
Tigay |
Note: Following spring break, the class will go until 6:30.
This course is a careful textual study of the book of Genesis in the light of modern scholarship, including archaeological evidence and pertinent Near Eastern documents. Topics will include the Biblical accounts of the origins of the physical world and living things, of the human race, and of the Israelite people. Episodes such as the Garden of Eden, the sin of Adam and Eve, Cain's murder of Abel, Noah and the Flood, the Tower of Babel, God's call to Abraham, Abraham's near-sacrifice of Isaac, Jacob and his family, and Joseph in Egypt, and the reverberations of Genesis in later Judaism, Christianity, and Western (particularly American) culture will be explored. Benjamin Franklin Seminar. Fulfills Distribution CRS Arts & Letters - Class of '09 and prior and Cross Cultural Analysis - Class of '10 and after. (NELC 250, COML 380, RELS 224, NELC 550) |
| Time: TR 4:30-6:00 |
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| JWST 257.401 |
Structure and Meaning in the Babylonia Talmud |
Steinmetz |
| This course will focus on the third chapter of Masekhet Taanit, a chapter that is almost entirely composed of narrative. This chapter includes some famous talmudic stories as well as many less-known stories, many of which are surprising and some of which are surreal, disturbing, or puzzling. Through a close study of the Bavli text and parallels, we will consider questions relating to the individual stories as well as to the chapter as a whole and to its place within the tractate. In particular, we will try to discover whether there is an overall literary structure to the chapter, how the range of stories in this chapter contributes to the development of core themes, and how the themes of this chapter relate to the tractate as a whole. All texts will be studied in the original Hebrew or Aramaic. Students must be able to prepare these texts independently, with appropriate study aids; some background in studying Rabbinic literature is recommended. If you have questions as to whether you have the appropriate background, please contact Dr. David Stern, dstern@ccat.sas.upenn.edu. Seminar. Fulfills and General Requirement III: Arts & Letters - Class of '09 and prior and Cross Cultural Analysis - Class of '10 and after. (HEBR 257, RELS 226) |
| Time: T 3:00-6:00 |
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| JWST 265.401 |
Yiddish Literature in Eastern Europe |
Hellerstein |
| This course presents the major trends in Yiddish literature and culture in Eastern Europe from the mid-19th century through World War II. Divided into four sections - "The Shtetl," "Religious vs. Secular Jews," "Language and Culture," and "Confronting Destruction" - this course will examine how Jews expressed the central aspects of their experience in Eastern Europe through history, literature (fiction, poetry, drama, memoir), film and song. Fulfills and General Requirement III: Arts & Letters - Class of '09 and prior and Cross Cultural Analysis - Class of '10 and after. (GRMN 265, HIST 265) |
| Time: TR 10:30-12:00 |
| JWST 359.407 |
Seminar in Modern Hebrew Literature: The Representation of the City |
Gold |
| The course focuses on the artistic ways in which the city, be it Jerusalem, Haifa or Tiberias, is represented in Israeli literature. In turn, the depiction of the city in prose and poetry will be read as reflecting the inner world as well as ideological and political conflicts. The emotional and physical connection between the writer and his/her place of dwelling is transformed in the literary work. It may become a locus for national expression, of gender identification, or even pure aesthetic enchantment. We will analyze how, through her portrayals of the Carmel mountain and the Haifa bay, Yehudit Katzir expresses the complex bond with her mother; how Tel Aviv streets enable Dahlia Ravikovitch and Meir Wieseltier to examine questions of loyalty; how Jerusalem of A.B. Yehoshua and Yehuda Amichai reflects their loves and hatreds. The class is conducted in Hebrew and the texts read in the original. Grading is based on five 2-page response papers in Hebrew, a final exam, preparation for class and participation. The content of this course changes from year to year; therefore students may take it for credit more than once. Seminar. Fulfills Literatures of the World, Arts & Letters Sector (all classes) and Cross Cultural Analysis - Class of '10 and after. (COLL 220, HEBR 359, COML 359, JWST 556, HEBR 659) |
| Time: TR 10:30-12:00 |
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| JWST 399.301 |
Senior Honors Thesis |
Staff |
| Jewish Studies Honors majors must take JWST 399 in which they will design, with the guidance of an advisor, an individualized directed reading program culminating in the writing of an honors thesis. |
| Time: TBA |
| JWST 449.401 |
Jewish Historical Writing |
Ruderman |
| The seminar will consider Jewish reflections on the meaning of the past from the Bible until the present. It will present a survey of the history of Jewish historical writing including Josephus, medieval chronicles written both in the Moslem and Christian worlds, Jewish histories of the Renaissance and Early Modern Europe, and the rise of the academic study of Judaism in the 19th century. It will conclude with a consideration of modern and contemporary historical trends. The alleged tension between Jewish notions of memory and the modern writing of history, as articulated in Yosef Yerushalmi's well-known book Zachor, will be a consistent theme throughout the course. Considerable reading of primary sources. A reading knowledge of Hebrew is helpful but not required. Seminar. (HIST 449) |
| Time: T 3:00-6:00 |
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| JWST 490.401 |
Becoming Modern: The German-Jewish Experience |
Weissberg |
| In a recent book, Yuri Slezkine described the twentieth century as a "Jewish Age"--to be modern would essentially mean to be a Jew. In German historical and cultural studies, this linkage has long been made--only in reference to the last years of the German monarchy and the time of the Weimar Republic. Indeed, what has become known as "modern" German culture--reflected in literature, music, and the visual arts and in a multitude of public media--has been more often than not assigned to Jewish authorship or Jewish subjects. But what do authorship and subject mean in this case? Do we locate the German-Jewish experience as the driving force of this new "modernity," or is our understanding of this experience the result of this new "modern" world? The graduate course will be accompanied by a conference, to be held at Penn on March 30, 2007. Seminar. Fulfills Cross Cultural Analysis - Class of '10 and after and Distribution CRS History & Tradition - Class of '09 and prior (GRMN 581, RELS 429, HIST 490) |
| Time: T 3:00-5:00 |
| JWST 523.401 |
Senses in Jewish Culture: Medieval and Early Modern Perspectives |
Fishman |
| Through close reading of primary sources (many available in English translation), this course will explore perspectives on the senses expressed in medieval and early modern Hebrew writings, and the efforts made by Jews to enroll the senses in the practice of Jewish ritual and theology. Attention will be paid to concerns about idolatry and temptation, the place of aesthetics, the visualization of God and of the Temple, the cultivation of prophetic powers, the sensory training of memory, the wonders of nature, and the enrollment of the senses in the service of religious polemic. Seminar. (RELS 523, HIST 523, HEBR 583) |
| Time: M 2:00-5:00 |
| JWST 550.401 |
A Book of the Bible: Amos |
Tigay |
| The Hebrew text of the book of Amos, studied in the light of modern archaeological discoveries as well as traditional commentaries. Topics covered will include the nature of prophecy, differences between pre-classical and classical prophecy, the original ideas of Amos, the literary structure of the book, and its relation to Israelite history and society. The book varies each semester and the course may be repeated for credit. Prerequsites: Thorough command of Biblical Hebrew and prior experience studying the Bible in the original in high school, college or a comparable setting. Qualified undergraduates are welcome but must contact the instructor for permission to register and show how they meet the requirements. Language of instruction is in English. Seminar. Since the content of this course may change from year to year students may take it for credit more than once. Fulfills Cross Cultural Analysis - Class of '10 and after. (HEBR 550, RELS 521) |
| Time: W 2:00-5:00 |
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| JWST 122.601 |
Religions of the West |
Treat |
| Introduction to Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the three major traditions that originated in the Middle East. Attention to sacred scriptures, historical development and modern expressions. Fulfills History & Tradition sector (all classes). (RELS 002) |
| Time: W 6:00-9:00 |
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| NELC 104.601 |
Jerusalem Through the Ages |
Zimmerle |
| A study of Jerusalem, the sacred city for three different world religions, is
fundamental to a rich understanding of the history and religions of the Middle
East. Beginning in antiquity and continuing through the medieval and modern
periods, this course will chronicle the rise, fall and reconstruction of
Jerusalem many times over. Particular emphasis will be placed on the archaeology
and architecture of the city, the phenomenology of sacred space, the meanings of
Jerusalem in literature and art, and the religious history of the city. We will
investigate the meanings Jerusalem has had in the past and will also consider
current questions about its future. Fulfills Distribution CRS History & Tradition - Class of '09 and prior. |
| Time: M 6:00-9:00 |
| RELS 735.401 |
Early Book Technology |
Kraft |
| The technological development of the codex as a vehicle for the transmission of literary texts (including Jewish and Christian scriptures) and its gradual replacement of the older scroll format continues to receive a great deal of attention both in studies of "material culture" in the ancient worlds and with reference to the effect this development may have had on the conceptualization of "text" and "book," among other matters. The influence of Christian practices in this development has been noted and noteworthy, although possible Jewish influences have received little attention. In this seminar we will review the evidence and the available contemporary literature, especially the compilation of information in C.H. Roberts and
T.C. Skeat, Birth of the Codex (1983, reissued 1987), and will contribute to the creation of an accessible online site dealing with the subject in a comprehensive manner. Knowledge of Greek and Latin will be helpful, although not absolutely necessary. Seminar. (CLST 735) |
| Time: T 3:00-6:00 |
| GRMN 237.401 |
Berlin: History, Politics, Culture |
Weissberg |
| What do you know about Berlin's history, architecture, culture, and political life? The present course will offer a survey of the history of Prussia, beginning with the seventeenth century, and the unification of the small towns of Berlin and Koelln to establish a new capital for this country. It will tell the story of Berlin's rising political prominence in the eighteenth century, its transformation into an industrial city in the late nineteenth century, its rise to metropolis in the early twentieth century, its history during the Third Reich, and the post-war cold war period. The course will conclude its historical survey with a consideration of Berlin's position as a capital in reunified Germany. The historical survey will be supplemented by a study of Berlin's urban structure, its significant architecture from the eighteenth century (i.e. Schinkel) to the nineteenth (new worker's housing, garden suburbs) and twentieth centuries (Bauhaus, Speer designs, postwar rebuilding, GDR housing projects, post-unification building boom). In addition, we will read literary texts about the city, and consider the visual art and music created in and about Berlin. Indeed, Berlin will be a specific example to explore German history and cultural life of the last 300 years. The course will be interdisciplinary with the fields of German Studies, history, history of art, and urban studies. It is also designed as a preparation for undergraduate students who are considering spending a junior semester with the Penn Abroad Program in Berlin. Seminar. (RELS 429, HIST 490) |
| Time: T 3:00-5:00 |
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| LAW SCHOOL |
Law and the Holocaust |
Reicher |
| This is a course in the Holocaust, albeit through an unusual, and
little known, prism, namely law. It examines the counter-intuitive and
bizarre way in which a whole legal system, comprising both legislation
and the judiciary, was converted into an instrument of brutality to
oppress its victims. No legal background is necessary.
The course examines the Nazi philosophy of law, emanating from the
egregious racial ideology, and how it was used to pervert Germany's
legal system to discriminate against, ostracize, dehumanize, and
ultimately eliminate, certain classes of people; then, to study the
role of international law in seeking to rectify the damage by bringing
perpetrators to justice and constructing a system of international
human rights designed to prevent a repetition. The course will consider
the following areas: 1. The Holocaust: "Lawful Barbarism." Overview of
the Holocaust, and the ways in which it was "anchored" in law. 2. The
Ideology That Made It Possible. Nazi theories of race and the nature
and role of the State, and the legal system as an instrument of both.
3. The Nazi Legal System In Action. Laws giving effect to the theories
of race, and their interpretation and application by the judges. 4.
Jurisprudential Issues. Parts 2 and 3 above will form the foundation
for an exploration of the role of morality in a system of law, through
a consideration of academic writings and judicial reflection. An
example of the former is the celebrated Hart-Fuller debate, in the
Harvard Law Review; and an example of the latter is the controversial
Bernstein litigation, in which the Courts grappled with the effect to
be accorded in the US to expropriations of property by the Nazi regime.
5. Measure For Measure: The Response Of The International Legal System.
Prosecution of crimes against humanity at Nuremberg; national
legislation and court decisions bringing perpetrators of atrocities to
justice; the Genocide Convention; and the evolution of international
human rights, stressing the equality and dignity of all human beings,
as a direct antithesis of the Nazi racial philosophy. 6. Lessons For
The 21st Century. Case studies in which contemporary history--in
Cambodia, the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Sudan, etc.--raises the
disturbing question: What lessons, if any, has the world learned from
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