Courses - Fall 2023
JWST141
Cross-listed with: HIST106.
Credit only granted for: HIST106 or JWST141.
History of the Jews in America from Colonial times to the present. Emphasis on the waves of migration from Germany and Eastern Europe; the changing nature of the American Jewish community and its participation in American social, economic, and political life.
JWST171
Cross-listed with: RELS171.
Credit only granted for: JWST171 or RELS171.
Jewish identity can be framed in terms of ethnicity, culture, and religious practice, but also in terms of more contemporary social constructions including social action, political engagement, and intellectual pursuit. In the context of such diverse social and individual frames, what does it mean to identify Judaism as a religion? Attention to Jewish society in historical and global perspective will provide a backdrop for a particular focus on contemporary Jews in the United States and Israel.
JWST262
Introduction to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
Cross-listed with: ENGL262, HEBR298B.
Credit only granted for: JWST262, HEBR298B, or ENGL262.
Origins of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), with attention to literary formations, archaeology, and social-political settings. Explorations of major questions, including who wrote the Bible, and when; relationships of the biblical tradition to the mythology and religious structures of ancient Israel's near eastern neighbors; and dynamics of politics, religious leadership, and law.
JWST274
Jerusalem in Antiquity: The History of Sacred Space in a Holy City
Cross-listed with: RELS274.
Credit only granted for: JWST274, RELS274, JWST289J or RELS289J.
Formerly: JWST289J, RELS289J.
Examines the complex history of Jerusalem's status as a holy city, with a focus on constructions of sacred space in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
JWST289E
Civil Discourse or Urban Riot: Why Cities Don't (Often) Explode
Cross-listed with: HIST135.
Credit only granted for: HIST135 or JWST289E.
An examination of the mechanisms that promote peaceful co-existence in urban societies and a discussion of how and why city streets sometimes become violent.
JWST319V
Special Topics in Jewish Studies; Religious and Political Transformations in Modern Jewish History
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Cross-listed with HIST329F. Credit only granted for HIST329F or JWST319V.
Analysis of the social, cultural, and political forces that led to the emancipation of the Jews--the granting to them of equal rights with all other inhabitants of the countries in which they lived-- and the integration of a once-detested ethnic-religious group into European society. The focus will be Europe, where most Jews lived in the period between 1650 and1870.
Analysis of the social, cultural, and political forces that led to the emancipation of the Jews--the granting to them of equal rights with all other inhabitants of the countries in which they lived-- and the integration of a once-detested ethnic-religious group into European society. The focus will be Europe, where most Jews lived in the period between 1650 and1870.
JWST319Y
Archaeological Methods and Practice
Prerequisite: ANTH240, ARTH200, or CLAS180.
Cross-listed with: ANTH305, ARTH305, CLAS305.
Credit only granted for: ANTH305, ARTH305, CLAS305, or JWST319Y.
A team-taught, interdisciplinary course discussing theories, methods, and ethical issues in the practice of archaeology.
JWST334
Cross-listed with: ISRL330, HIST377.
Credit only granted for: JWST319D, JWST334, HIST377, HIST329Z, ISRL329M, or ISRL330.
Formerly: ISRL329M.
It is impossible to understand Israeli society today without examining the Mizrahi experience. Despite the common misconception that Israel is predominantly made up of Jews from European origin, the fact of the matter is that Jews of Mizrahi origin, whose parents and grandparents immigrated to Israel from the Middle East and North Africa, represent a major part of the Israeli population. Moreover, Ashkenazi-Mizrahi relations continue to be a major source of tension in Israeli politics, and issues of race continue to come up on social media and polarize the Israeli society. This course brings to light narratives of Mizrahi identity in Israel and explores the trajectory of the Mizrahi struggle for equality and against racism through its various milestones: the 1959 Wadi Salib Revolt, the Black Panthers Movement in the 1970s, the emergence of the Israeli Sephardi-Orthodox party Shas, and the new wave of Mizrahi activism in the 21st century.
JWST418
Honors Thesis Research in Jewish Studies
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg
JWST429C
Advanced Topics in Jewish Studies; Personal Stories of Migrations: (Re)Creating Communities Amidst Dramatic Change
Credits:
3 - 4
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Cross-listed with JWST648C and HIST428E. Credit only granted for JWST429C, JWST648C, or HIST428E.
As migrants struggle to establish themselves in new social, economic, and political environments they must cope with the trauma that drove them from their homes and with the culture shock of their new lands. They require resilience to reinvent themselves, to seize new opportunities, and to build new lives and communities. We will use oral histories, autobiographical writings, as well as paintings, photos and other visual expressions of self, to explore the experience of Jewish immigrants to North America. Personal stories will give us new insights into the long history of Jewish communities in North America.
As migrants struggle to establish themselves in new social, economic, and political environments they must cope with the trauma that drove them from their homes and with the culture shock of their new lands. They require resilience to reinvent themselves, to seize new opportunities, and to build new lives and communities. We will use oral histories, autobiographical writings, as well as paintings, photos and other visual expressions of self, to explore the experience of Jewish immigrants to North America. Personal stories will give us new insights into the long history of Jewish communities in North America.
JWST469C
Readings in Rabbinic Hebrew; What Did the Rabbis Think the Bible Really Means
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: Course will be taught in English, with readings in Hebrew. Students should have at least first year Hebrew or equivalent. Cross-listed with HEBR498B. Credit only granted for JWST469C or HEBR498B.
Sacred texts like the Hebrew bible challenge human understanding the voice of the divine, they demand our constant study, interpretation and reinterpretation. Jewish scholars have been engaged in this process, known as exegesis, for many centuries, and have used many different methods to make the Bible give up its mysteries. In this course we will use the method of close reading to watch as rabbis struggled with, and argued over, biblical passages in order to construct Jewish law and Jewish rationalist and mystical theologies. We will examine issues ranging from vegetarianism to messianism, gender to eros, the purpose of life, the holiness of Jerusalem to the legitimacy of Halacha. The course is based on close text study of the biblical text and rabbinic commentaries in Hebrew.
Sacred texts like the Hebrew bible challenge human understanding the voice of the divine, they demand our constant study, interpretation and reinterpretation. Jewish scholars have been engaged in this process, known as exegesis, for many centuries, and have used many different methods to make the Bible give up its mysteries. In this course we will use the method of close reading to watch as rabbis struggled with, and argued over, biblical passages in order to construct Jewish law and Jewish rationalist and mystical theologies. We will examine issues ranging from vegetarianism to messianism, gender to eros, the purpose of life, the holiness of Jerusalem to the legitimacy of Halacha. The course is based on close text study of the biblical text and rabbinic commentaries in Hebrew.
JWST499
Independent Study in Jewish Studies; Independent Study in Jewish Studies
Credits:
1 - 3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: permission of department.
JWST499A
Independent Study in Jewish Studies; The Archaeology of Jerusalem
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
JWST609
Supervised Instruction-Practicum in Jewish Studies
Credits:
1
Grad Meth:
S-F
JWST648C
Readings in Jewish History; Personal Stories of Migrations: (Re)Creating Communities Amidst Dramatic Change
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg
Cross-listed with JWST429C and HIST428E. Credit only granted for JWST429C, JWST648C, or HIST428E.
As migrants struggle to establish themselves in new social, economic, and political environments they must cope with the trauma that drove them from their homes and with the culture shock of their new lands. They require resilience to reinvent themselves, to seize new opportunities, and to build new lives and communities. We will use oral histories, autobiographical writings, as well as paintings, photos and other visual expressions of self, to explore the experience of Jewish immigrants to North America. Personal stories will give us new insights into the long history of Jewish communities in North America.
As migrants struggle to establish themselves in new social, economic, and political environments they must cope with the trauma that drove them from their homes and with the culture shock of their new lands. They require resilience to reinvent themselves, to seize new opportunities, and to build new lives and communities. We will use oral histories, autobiographical writings, as well as paintings, photos and other visual expressions of self, to explore the experience of Jewish immigrants to North America. Personal stories will give us new insights into the long history of Jewish communities in North America.
JWST799
Masters Thesis Research
Credits:
1 - 6
Grad Meth:
S-F
Prerequisite: permission of department.
Flagship Institution of the University System of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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