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.

• Days/Times: MW 12:00PM - 1:15PM
• Instructor: Loeffler, James
• Room: Gilman 377
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 14/20
• PosTag(s): HIST-EUROPE, HIST-US, HIST-MIDEST, INST-GLOBAL

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

• Days/Times: TTh 9:00AM - 10:15AM
• Instructor: Gruenhut, Johanna
• Room: Gilman 55
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 10/12
• PosTag(s): n/a