Please consult the online course catalog for cross-listed courses and full course information.
The courses listed below are provided by the JHU Public Course Search. This listing provides a snapshot of immediately available courses and may not be complete.
This course explores the origins and evolution of antisemitism, with focus on questions of historical continuity and rupture, comparison with other hatreds, and the politics of history.
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Antisemitism in Historical Perspective AS.100.226 (01)
This course explores the origins and evolution of antisemitism, with focus on questions of historical continuity and rupture, comparison with other hatreds, and the politics of history.
This course surveys the history of Jewish magic, mysticism, and secret traditions from the Middle Ages to the 19th century. We will explore the concept of sod (mystery) and its historical variations, examining how it evolved over time. Readings will include excerpts from foundational texts of Jewish esotericism, such as Sefer Yetzirah, the Bahir, and the Zohar. Additionally, we will discuss practical Kabbalah—including the preparation and use of amulets and charms—as well as beliefs surrounding demonic (and angelic) possession.
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History of Kabbalah AS.100.256 (01)
This course surveys the history of Jewish magic, mysticism, and secret traditions from the Middle Ages to the 19th century. We will explore the concept of sod (mystery) and its historical variations, examining how it evolved over time. Readings will include excerpts from foundational texts of Jewish esotericism, such as Sefer Yetzirah, the Bahir, and the Zohar. Additionally, we will discuss practical Kabbalah—including the preparation and use of amulets and charms—as well as beliefs surrounding demonic (and angelic) possession.
Days/Times: M 9:30AM - 12:00PM
Instructor: Maciejko, Pawel Tadeusz
Room: Gilman 308
Status: Open
Seats Available: 7/20
PosTag(s): INST-GLOBAL
AS.130.216 (01)
History of the Jews in Pre-Modern Times, from the Middle Ages to 1789
TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Katz, David
Smokler Center 213
Fall 2025
A broad survey of the significant political and cultural dynamics of Jewish history in the Medieval and Early Modern eras.
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History of the Jews in Pre-Modern Times, from the Middle Ages to 1789 AS.130.216 (01)
A broad survey of the significant political and cultural dynamics of Jewish history in the Medieval and Early Modern eras.
Days/Times: TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Instructor: Katz, David
Room: Smokler Center 213
Status: Open
Seats Available: 3/19
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.130.440 (01)
Elementary Biblical Hebrew
TTh 9:00AM - 10:15AM
Saunders, Matthew John
Gilman 238
Fall 2025
Introduction to the grammar, vocabulary, and writing system of biblical Hebrew.
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Elementary Biblical Hebrew AS.130.440 (01)
Introduction to the grammar, vocabulary, and writing system of biblical Hebrew.
Days/Times: TTh 9:00AM - 10:15AM
Instructor: Saunders, Matthew John
Room: Gilman 238
Status: Open
Seats Available: 10/12
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.130.442 (01)
Readings - Hebrew Prose
TTh 1:30PM - 2:45PM
Saunders, Matthew John
Gilman 238
Fall 2025
Reading of biblical Hebrew prose, especially from the Pentateuch, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings. Cross-listed with Jewish Studies.
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Readings - Hebrew Prose AS.130.442 (01)
Reading of biblical Hebrew prose, especially from the Pentateuch, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings. Cross-listed with Jewish Studies.
Days/Times: TTh 1:30PM - 2:45PM
Instructor: Saunders, Matthew John
Room: Gilman 238
Status: Open
Seats Available: 9/10
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.134.450 (01)
Seminar in Hebrew: Archaic Biblical Poetry
T 3:00PM - 5:30PM
Lewis, Ted
Gilman 130G
Fall 2025
Translation and analysis of selected texts in Biblical Hebrew giving attention to advanced features of grammar and syntax. Topic: "Archaic Biblical Poetry".
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Seminar in Hebrew: Archaic Biblical Poetry AS.134.450 (01)
Translation and analysis of selected texts in Biblical Hebrew giving attention to advanced features of grammar and syntax. Topic: "Archaic Biblical Poetry".
Days/Times: T 3:00PM - 5:30PM
Instructor: Lewis, Ted
Room: Gilman 130G
Status: Open
Seats Available: 4/5
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.191.335 (01)
Arab-Israeli Conflict (IR)
T 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Freedman, Robert
Bloomberg 168
Fall 2025
The course will focus on the origin and development of the Arab-Israeli conflict from its beginnings when Palestine was controlled by the Ottoman Empire, through World War I, The British Mandate over Palestine, and the first Arab-Israeli war (1947-1949). It will then examine the period of the Arab-Israeli wars of 1956, 1967, 1973, and 1982, the Palestinian Intifadas (1987-1993 and 2000-2005); and the development of the Arab-Israeli peace process from its beginnings with the Egyptian-Israeli treaty of 1979, the Oslo I and Oslo II agreements of 1993 and 1995, Israel's peace treaty with Jordan of 1994, the Road Map of 2003; and the periodic peace talks between Israel and Syria. The conflict will be analyzed against the background of great power intervention in the Middle East, the rise of political Islam and the dynamics of Intra-Arab politics, and will consider the impact of the Arab Spring.
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Arab-Israeli Conflict (IR) AS.191.335 (01)
The course will focus on the origin and development of the Arab-Israeli conflict from its beginnings when Palestine was controlled by the Ottoman Empire, through World War I, The British Mandate over Palestine, and the first Arab-Israeli war (1947-1949). It will then examine the period of the Arab-Israeli wars of 1956, 1967, 1973, and 1982, the Palestinian Intifadas (1987-1993 and 2000-2005); and the development of the Arab-Israeli peace process from its beginnings with the Egyptian-Israeli treaty of 1979, the Oslo I and Oslo II agreements of 1993 and 1995, Israel's peace treaty with Jordan of 1994, the Road Map of 2003; and the periodic peace talks between Israel and Syria. The conflict will be analyzed against the background of great power intervention in the Middle East, the rise of political Islam and the dynamics of Intra-Arab politics, and will consider the impact of the Arab Spring.
Days/Times: T 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Instructor: Freedman, Robert
Room: Bloomberg 168
Status: Open
Seats Available: 10/20
PosTag(s): INST-IR, INST-CP, POLI-IR
AS.210.120 (01)
Elementary Modern Hebrew
MWF 10:00AM - 10:50AM
Bessire, Mirit
Smokler Center 301
Fall 2025
Elementary Modern Hebrew is the first exposure to the language as currently used in Israel in all its functional contexts. All components of the language are discussed: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Simple idiomatic sentences and short texts in Hebrew are used. Students learn the Hebrew alphabet, words and short sentences. Cultural aspects of Israel will be intertwined throughout the course curriculum.
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Elementary Modern Hebrew AS.210.120 (01)
Elementary Modern Hebrew is the first exposure to the language as currently used in Israel in all its functional contexts. All components of the language are discussed: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Simple idiomatic sentences and short texts in Hebrew are used. Students learn the Hebrew alphabet, words and short sentences. Cultural aspects of Israel will be intertwined throughout the course curriculum.
Days/Times: MWF 10:00AM - 10:50AM
Instructor: Bessire, Mirit
Room: Smokler Center 301
Status: Open
Seats Available: 12/15
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.210.121 (01)
Modern Hebrew for Beginners II
MWF 9:00AM - 9:50AM
Staff
Gilman 443
Fall 2025
Hebrew for Beginners 121 is a continuation of Hebrew 120 and as such, students are required to have a foundation in Hebrew. The course will enhance and continue to expose students to Hebrew grammar, vocabulary, and syntax. All components of the Hebrew language will be emphasized in this course; we will highlight verbs, adjectives, and the ability to read longer texts. Speaking in Hebrew will also be highlighted to promote students’ engagement and communication. Cultural aspects of the language will be incorporated into lessons too
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Modern Hebrew for Beginners II AS.210.121 (01)
Hebrew for Beginners 121 is a continuation of Hebrew 120 and as such, students are required to have a foundation in Hebrew. The course will enhance and continue to expose students to Hebrew grammar, vocabulary, and syntax. All components of the Hebrew language will be emphasized in this course; we will highlight verbs, adjectives, and the ability to read longer texts. Speaking in Hebrew will also be highlighted to promote students’ engagement and communication. Cultural aspects of the language will be incorporated into lessons too
Days/Times: MWF 9:00AM - 9:50AM
Instructor: Staff
Room: Gilman 443
Status: Open
Seats Available: 10/10
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.210.163 (01)
Elementary Yiddish I
TTh 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Lang, Beatrice
Smokler Center 214
Fall 2025
Look at Jewish history and culture backwards and forwards through the Yiddish language! The vernacular of Ashkenazi Jews for a thousand years, Yiddish connects back to recent and distant generations in Europe, America, and elsewhere. But Yiddish is not just a bridge to the past, it is also the center of vibrant contemporary cultures, both religious and secular.
This four-skills language class (reading, writing, listening, speaking) places emphasis on the active use of Yiddish in oral and written communication while guiding students towards the use of Yiddish as a tool for the study of Yiddish literature and Ashkenazi history and culture.
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Elementary Yiddish I AS.210.163 (01)
Look at Jewish history and culture backwards and forwards through the Yiddish language! The vernacular of Ashkenazi Jews for a thousand years, Yiddish connects back to recent and distant generations in Europe, America, and elsewhere. But Yiddish is not just a bridge to the past, it is also the center of vibrant contemporary cultures, both religious and secular.
This four-skills language class (reading, writing, listening, speaking) places emphasis on the active use of Yiddish in oral and written communication while guiding students towards the use of Yiddish as a tool for the study of Yiddish literature and Ashkenazi history and culture.
Days/Times: TTh 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Instructor: Lang, Beatrice
Room: Smokler Center 214
Status: Open
Seats Available: 8/10
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.210.164 (01)
Elementary Yiddish II
TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Lang, Beatrice; Reisberg, Joseph Benjamin
Smokler Center 301
Fall 2025
This four-skills language class (reading, writing, listening, speaking) places emphasis on the active use of Yiddish in oral and written communication while guiding students towards the use of Yiddish as a tool for the study of Yiddish literature and Ashkenazi history and culture. Continuation of 210.163, but students may join the class with the permission of the instructor.
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Elementary Yiddish II AS.210.164 (01)
This four-skills language class (reading, writing, listening, speaking) places emphasis on the active use of Yiddish in oral and written communication while guiding students towards the use of Yiddish as a tool for the study of Yiddish literature and Ashkenazi history and culture. Continuation of 210.163, but students may join the class with the permission of the instructor.
Days/Times: TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Instructor: Lang, Beatrice; Reisberg, Joseph Benjamin
Room: Smokler Center 301
Status: Open
Seats Available: 12/12
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.210.220 (01)
Intermediate Hebrew I
MW 3:00PM - 4:15PM
Bessire, Mirit
Smokler Center 214
Fall 2025
Intermediate Modern Hebrew enhances and enforces previous knowledge of Hebrew as acquired from previous foundational coursework and/or experience. Grammatical aspects of the language such as past and present tenses as well as combined and complex sentence syntax and construction would be applied. Reading comprehension and writing skills will be emphasized. Modern Israeli cultural links and facets of the Hebrew language will also be introduced to inform the holistic understanding of the modern language.
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Intermediate Hebrew I AS.210.220 (01)
Intermediate Modern Hebrew enhances and enforces previous knowledge of Hebrew as acquired from previous foundational coursework and/or experience. Grammatical aspects of the language such as past and present tenses as well as combined and complex sentence syntax and construction would be applied. Reading comprehension and writing skills will be emphasized. Modern Israeli cultural links and facets of the Hebrew language will also be introduced to inform the holistic understanding of the modern language.
Days/Times: MW 3:00PM - 4:15PM
Instructor: Bessire, Mirit
Room: Smokler Center 214
Status: Open
Seats Available: 7/10
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.210.263 (01)
Intermediate Yiddish I
TTh 1:30PM - 2:45PM
Lang, Beatrice
Smokler Center 301
Fall 2025
For students who have completed one year of Yiddish language study or equivalent, this course will provide the opportunity to broaden and deepen their knowledge of Yiddish culture while continuing to improve their skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking Yiddish. Alongside textbook-based language work, students will read, listen to and interact with a variety of texts, for example literature, journalism and oral history.
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Intermediate Yiddish I AS.210.263 (01)
For students who have completed one year of Yiddish language study or equivalent, this course will provide the opportunity to broaden and deepen their knowledge of Yiddish culture while continuing to improve their skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking Yiddish. Alongside textbook-based language work, students will read, listen to and interact with a variety of texts, for example literature, journalism and oral history.
Days/Times: TTh 1:30PM - 2:45PM
Instructor: Lang, Beatrice
Room: Smokler Center 301
Status: Open
Seats Available: 12/12
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.210.320 (01)
Advanced Modern Hebrew I
MW 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Bessire, Mirit; Nachum, Adi
Smokler Center 213
Fall 2025
Advanced Modern Hebrew I will focus on conversational and interactive language skills to expose learners to attributes of different genres and layers of the language. Students will be introduced to various original texts and lingual patterns to better understand and formulate proper syntax. The course will include contemporary readings from Israeli journalism and essays, along with other relevant Hebrew resources to inform class discussions and students’ reflective writings. Israeli cultural aspects will be integral to the course curriculum.
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Advanced Modern Hebrew I AS.210.320 (01)
Advanced Modern Hebrew I will focus on conversational and interactive language skills to expose learners to attributes of different genres and layers of the language. Students will be introduced to various original texts and lingual patterns to better understand and formulate proper syntax. The course will include contemporary readings from Israeli journalism and essays, along with other relevant Hebrew resources to inform class discussions and students’ reflective writings. Israeli cultural aspects will be integral to the course curriculum.
Days/Times: MW 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Instructor: Bessire, Mirit; Nachum, Adi
Room: Smokler Center 213
Status: Open
Seats Available: 6/10
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.210.367 (01)
Advanced Yiddish I
TTh 9:00AM - 10:15AM
Lang, Beatrice
Gilman 277
Fall 2025
This course will provide students who have completed at least two years of Yiddish with the opportunity to hone their skills in all four language areas: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. It will include advanced grammar study, readings in Yiddish literature, and work with audio/video recordings, taking into account the interests of each individual student.
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Advanced Yiddish I AS.210.367 (01)
This course will provide students who have completed at least two years of Yiddish with the opportunity to hone their skills in all four language areas: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. It will include advanced grammar study, readings in Yiddish literature, and work with audio/video recordings, taking into account the interests of each individual student.
Days/Times: TTh 9:00AM - 10:15AM
Instructor: Lang, Beatrice
Room: Gilman 277
Status: Open
Seats Available: 11/12
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.211.333 (01)
Representing the Holocaust
TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Spinner, Samuel Jacob
Gilman 400
Fall 2025
How has the Holocaust been represented in literature and film? Are there special challenges posed by genocide to the traditions of visual and literary representation? Where does the Holocaust fit in to the array of concerns that the visual arts and literature express? And where do art and literature fit in to the commemoration of communal tragedy and the working through of individual trauma entailed by thinking about and representing the Holocaust? These questions will guide our consideration of a range of texts — nonfiction, novels, poetry — in Yiddish, German, English, French and other languages (including works by Primo Levi and Isaac Bashevis Singer), as well as films from French documentaries to Hollywood blockbusters (including films by Alain Resnais, Claude Lanzmann, and Steven Spielberg). All readings in English.
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Representing the Holocaust AS.211.333 (01)
How has the Holocaust been represented in literature and film? Are there special challenges posed by genocide to the traditions of visual and literary representation? Where does the Holocaust fit in to the array of concerns that the visual arts and literature express? And where do art and literature fit in to the commemoration of communal tragedy and the working through of individual trauma entailed by thinking about and representing the Holocaust? These questions will guide our consideration of a range of texts — nonfiction, novels, poetry — in Yiddish, German, English, French and other languages (including works by Primo Levi and Isaac Bashevis Singer), as well as films from French documentaries to Hollywood blockbusters (including films by Alain Resnais, Claude Lanzmann, and Steven Spielberg). All readings in English.
Days/Times: TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Instructor: Spinner, Samuel Jacob
Room: Gilman 400
Status: Open
Seats Available: 3/15
PosTag(s): INST-GLOBAL
AS.216.414 (01)
Modern Hebrew Poetry and its Quest for a Poetic Self
M 4:30PM - 7:00PM
Stahl, Neta
Bloomberg 276
Fall 2025
This seminar will follow the journey of Hebrew poets from the turn of the 20th century through the 21st century to construct (and reconstruct) a poetic self. Emerging as part of a national secular awakening that revolted against traditional Judaism and soon saw itself as part of European modernism, Hebrew poetry set itself to pave the way for creating a collective self. Questions such as what the main struggles were and how this collectivity of the self was challenged when various perceptions of selfhood and poetics emerged will be central to our discussion. Through a close reading of poems in the Hebrew original, we will study both the changes in the poetic self in each poet and the larger trajectory of the poetic self and its development in modern and contemporary Hebrew poetry.
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Modern Hebrew Poetry and its Quest for a Poetic Self AS.216.414 (01)
This seminar will follow the journey of Hebrew poets from the turn of the 20th century through the 21st century to construct (and reconstruct) a poetic self. Emerging as part of a national secular awakening that revolted against traditional Judaism and soon saw itself as part of European modernism, Hebrew poetry set itself to pave the way for creating a collective self. Questions such as what the main struggles were and how this collectivity of the self was challenged when various perceptions of selfhood and poetics emerged will be central to our discussion. Through a close reading of poems in the Hebrew original, we will study both the changes in the poetic self in each poet and the larger trajectory of the poetic self and its development in modern and contemporary Hebrew poetry.
Days/Times: M 4:30PM - 7:00PM
Instructor: Stahl, Neta
Room: Bloomberg 276
Status: Open
Seats Available: 9/10
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.225.316 (01)
Modern Jewish Plays
TTh 9:00AM - 10:15AM
Gruenhut, Johanna
Gilman 55
Fall 2025
This course explores the rich and diverse landscape of modern Jewish theater, examining how playwrights have used the stage to navigate questions of identity, history, faith, and cultural memory. From Yiddish theater traditions to contemporary works on Broadway and beyond, students will analyze plays that grapple with themes of exile, assimilation, trauma, resistance, and renewal. The course involves close readings of key texts, performance analysis, and historical context. Students will engage with the plays through discussion, creative projects, and critical writing, considering how theater serves as a space for storytelling, cultural preservation, and social commentary.
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Modern Jewish Plays AS.225.316 (01)
This course explores the rich and diverse landscape of modern Jewish theater, examining how playwrights have used the stage to navigate questions of identity, history, faith, and cultural memory. From Yiddish theater traditions to contemporary works on Broadway and beyond, students will analyze plays that grapple with themes of exile, assimilation, trauma, resistance, and renewal. The course involves close readings of key texts, performance analysis, and historical context. Students will engage with the plays through discussion, creative projects, and critical writing, considering how theater serves as a space for storytelling, cultural preservation, and social commentary.