Jewish Studies
JWST 1030-3. Biblical Hebrew. This course is designed to enable students to read the Hebrew Bible in the original language. The focus will be the ability to read the various genres of the text, utilizing both the tools of modern language acquisition and the study of classical grammar methods. Same as HEBR 1030.
JWST 1040-3. Biblical Hebrew 2. Building on HEBR/JWST 1030, this course continues to build expertise in reading the Hebrew Bible. Modern language acquisition and classical grammar study methods equip students with the tools to translate and read the various genres of the Biblical material. Prereq., HEBR/JWST 1030 or instructor consent. Same as HEBR 1040.
JWST 1108-3. Introduction to Jewish History. Surveys Jewish history from the earliest times to the present. Includes biblical history; Judaism in late antiquity, medieval, and early modern times; and special emphasis on the 19th century to the present, including American Judaism, the Holocaust, anti-Semitism, Zionism, and Israel. Same as HIST 1108 and GSLL 1108. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: historical context.
JWST 2350-3. Introduction to Jewish Culture. Explores the development and expressions of Jewish culture as it moves across the chronological and geographical map of the historic Jewish people, with an emphasis on the variety of Jewish ethnicities and their cultural productions, cultural syncretism, and changes. Sets the discussion in a historical context, and looks at cultural representations that include literary, religious, and visual texts. Same as HEBR 2350. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: human diversity.
JWST 2502-3. Representing the Holocaust. Examines how the memory of the Holocaust in Nazi Germany is increasingly determined by the means of its representation, e.g., film, autobiography, poetry, architecture. Same as GRMN 2502. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: ideals and values.
JWST 2551-3. Jewish World Literature: Modern to Contemporary. Studies the literary expression of Jewish writers throughout the world in English translation. Gives special attention to questions of secularity versus tradition, identity, cultural change, diaspora and exile. Taught in English. Same as HEBR 2551.
JWST 2600-3. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Introduces literature, beliefs, practices, and institutions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, in historical perspective. Same as RLST 2600. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: ideals and values.
JWST 3100-3. Judaism. Explores Jewish religious experience and its expression in thought, ritual, ethics, and social institutions. Same as RLST 3100. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: historical context.
JWST 3202-3. Women, Gender, and Sexuality in Jewish Texts and Traditions. Examines some of the ways Jewish texts and traditions look at women, gender and sexuality from biblical times to the present. Starts with an analysis of the positioning of the body, matter and gender in creation stories, moves on to the gendered aspects of tales of rescue and sacrifice, biblical tales of sexual subversion and power, taboo-breaking and ethnos building, to rabbinic attitudes towards women, sexuality and gender and contemporary renderings and rereadings of the earlier texts and traditions. Same as HEBR 3202. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: human diversity.
JWST 3312-3. The Bible as Literature. Surveys literary achievements of the Judeo-Christian tradition as represented by the Bible. Restricted to sophomores/juniors/seniors. Same as ENGL 3312.
JWST 3401-3. The Heart of Europe: Filmmakers and Writers in 20th Century Central Europe. Surveys the major works of 20th century central and central east European film and literature. Examines cultural production in the non-imperial countries and non-national languages of the region including Yiddish, Belarusian, Czech, Hungarian, Polish and Romanian, among others. Traces the rise of nationalism over the course of the century from the age of empires through the “Cold War.” Same as GSLL 3401.
JWST 3501-3. German-Jewish Writers: From the Enlightenment to the Present. Provides insight into the German-Jewish identity through essays, autobiographies, fiction, and journalism from the Enlightenment to the post-Holocaust period. Examines the religious and social conflicts that typify the history of Jewish existence in German-speaking lands during the modern epoch. Same as GRMN 3501. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: human diversity.
JWST 3677-3. Jewish-American Literature. Explores the Jewish-American experience from the 19th century to the present through writers such as Sholom Alelchem, Peretz, Babel, Singer, Malamud, Miller, Ginsberg, and Ozick. The Jewish experience ranges from the travails of immigration to the loss of identity through assimilation. Restricted to sophomores/ juniors/seniors. Same as ENGL 3777. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: human diversity.
JWST 3901-3. Internship in Jewish Studies. Learn beyond the classroom by interning in a local non-profit organization that connects with the Program in Jewish Studies through its mission and/or program. Interns will be supervised by the faculty member or record as well as the employer housing the intern. Prereqs., HEBR/JWST 2350 or HIST/JWST 1108. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours.
JWST 4101-3. Topics in Hebrew Studies. Explores topics in Hebrew and Jewish literature and culture. These may include topics such as diasporic literatures, Jewish artists and thinkers, courses on specific authors, figures or communities. Topics change each semester. May be repeated up to 9 total credit hours. Same as HEBR 4101.
JWST 4348-3. Topics in Jewish History. Covers topics in Jewish history from biblical beginnings to present day. Topics vary each semester. Consult the online Schedule Planner for specific topics. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours within the degree. Restricted to sophomores/juniors/seniors. Same as HIST 4348.
JWST 4544-3. History of Yiddish Culture. Jews have produced culture in Yiddish, the vernacular language of eastern European Jewry, for 1000 years and the language continues to shape Jewish culture today. In this course, we will look at the literature, film, theater, music, art, sound, and laughter that defined the culture of eastern European Jewry and, in the 20th century, Jews around the world. Recommended prereqs., HIST 1108 or HEBR 2350. Same as HIST 4544.
JWST 4580-3. The Holocaust: An Anthropological Perspective. Focuses on the Holocaust during the Third Reich, which involved the murder of millions of people, including six million Jews. Reviews the Holocaust’s history, dynamics, and consequences as well as other genocides of the 20th century, using an anthropological approach. Restricted to juniors/seniors. Same as ANTH 4580.
