Courses

JWST-113 Introduction to Judaism

Examines Judaism as it has been defined and developed as a way of thought and a way of life. The course focuses on central religious concepts, holidays, life-cycle ceremonies, and various formsof religious expression, including prayer andritual, in order to help students understand what it means, and has meant, to be a Jew. Sponsored inpart by the Jewish Chautauqua Society.

JWST-115 Jewish Philosophy and Ethics

Explores issues and problems related to the spiritual literature and philosophy of the Jewish people, from the Talmudic period through the present. Topics vary, and may include classical Jewish texts, spiritual traditions, mysticism, religious organization, gender and community, and Judaism in America. The course encourages studentsto recognize in Jewish texts reflections of Judaism that are diverse and, at times, antithetical to one another. Sponsored in part by the Jewish Chautauqua Society.

JWST-201 The Old Testament

An introduction to the texts of the Hebrew Bible, with concern for their socio-historical contexts, literary forms, and theological insights. Attention also to the variety of ways in which this literature has been and continues to be valued.

JWST-207 Women in Biblical Tradition

An extensive inquiry into women?s stories andimages in the Hebrew Bible, New Testament, and related literature from the biblical period. Explores the range of roles played by women withinbiblical narratives, the variety ofmetaphorical/symbolic uses of femininity in biblical traditions, and legal and ethical precepts related to the status of women in the biblical period. Methods and approaches from the social sciences, history, literary studies, and theology, as shaped by feminist theory, will serveas the main guides for this study.

JWST-255 Jewish Literature

A survey, in English translation, of Hebrew, Yiddish, and Sephardic literature, and Jewishliterature of Europe and the Americas. Examines the literatures of a civilization that evolved from a territory-based to an exilic culture, and has, in the 20th century, reclaimed its territorial status, registered the cataclysms of genocide, and reflected the challenges of a regenerating diasporic culture.

JWST-312 History & Culture of Jewish Cuisines

Examines the meanings and uses of various Jewish cuisines as they developed in diverse regions and historical periods. Will consider the laws ofkashrut and their modern interpretations, thesocial history of traditional Jewish foods, the literary development of Jewish cookbooks, andliterary and cinematic representations of Jewish cuisines and dining.

JWST-338 The Holocaust

Examines the origins, implementation andconsequences of the Nazi program of mass murder. Topics include history of modern anti-semitism, Nazi ideology and politics, the meaning of survival, forms of resistance, and ethical issues.

JWST-390 Topics in Jewish Studies

Discussion, debate, and evaluation of significant trends and phenomena in Jewish studies. Topics vary according to instructor preference, and may include regional literatures and histories, Jewishlanguages, gender and identity issues, folklore, Jewish film, Jewish music, Sephardic studies,Zionism, Christian/Jewish relations, Black/Jewish relations, etc.