Varieties of Judaism in the Modern World * 2006
T, F 12:30-1:50 Dr. Susan Marks
PME 219 smarks@ncf.edu
Office Hours: Mon 2:30-3:30p.m. PME 221; x 24271
Thurs 11:00a.m.- Noon http://faculty.ncf.edu/marks/
Objectives:
Students will explore the great variety of modern self-identifications labeled “Jewish.” In order to understand this diversity we will consider aspects of pre-modern and modern Jewish history through primary texts and secondary sources concerning Europe, Eastern Europe, Turkey, North Africa, the Mid-East and America. We will examine how modern history and modern Jewish history impact one another and give a special consideration to emerging definitions of “religion,” asking how they fit or challenge the particulars of Jewish practice. In order to integrate this vast cross-section of experiences, students will engage in observation of modern Judaisms as well as conduct in-depth library research in one particular area of this panorama.
Expectations:
Regular attendance is required. In order to facilitate review by myself or your peers, assignments must be handed in on time. Class participation counts towards your overall evaluation. Your classmates will come to depend on your comments even as you will come to depend on theirs. If you are a person who does not readily talk in public, I encourage you to come see me during my office hours, and we can devise other ways for you to have input into class discussions.
Responsibilities:
1. Academic integrity.
2. Active participation. Since participation depends on regular attendance, three absences will achieve an official warning, and more than three absences will be grounds for an unsatisfactory evaluation. Students should arrive on time, with readings in hand, having done relevant readings before class session as well as any informal writing assignments (including #3 below).
3. Framing questions. For each class session, students will bring three questions to be reviewed mid-semester and handed in at the end of term.
4. Two papers. Each student will prepare two written assignments, each involving observation or research, drafts and revisions (a 6-8 page paper and a 9-12 page paper).*
5. (?) A possible final exam.
*An appropriately formatted hard [paper] copy of formal assignments must be handed in on-time, together with all drafts and doodles. You will be evaluated based on the energy of the original exploration as well as the development in the revision process.
Required Texts:
Borowitz, Eugene. Choices in Modern Jewish Thought. Second edition. New York: Behrman House, 1995 [Borowitz]
Lewis, Bernard. Cultures In Conflict: Christians, Muslims, And Jews In The Age Of Discovery. New York : Oxford University Press, 1995 [Lewis]
Mendes-Flohr and Jehuda Reinharz. The Jew in the Modern World. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 1995 [JMW]
and electronic reserve which includes additional articles [* = Reserve Readings]
***Please also check Library Reserve for related books***
Comparative practices: written assignment handed out
*** Thurs Feb 2 7:00-8:30 pm: Community Lecture: "The Ruth Room and Other
Tales of My Search for the Jews of Cuba" - Sainer Auditorium
Attend: Thursday night lecture by Ruth Behar (see above), and/or
Read: *Behar, 261-279, and 197-213 and/or
Watch: Video: Adio Kerido (on reserve in media center under “Wallace”)
Sat Feb 4, 8:45am -- Meet in Heiser parking lot. Visit to Temple Beth Sholom
Tues Feb 7 Prior to Modernity
Read: Lewis, 1-81
Fri Feb 10 Political and Religious Changes
Read: *Scholem, 287-324
JMW, 8-20
Week 3
Tues Feb 14 Modernity
Read: Borowitz, chapter 1
JMW, 22-26, 36-40, 49-53, 114-121, 128-133, 141-143
*Katz, 25-34
Fri Feb 17 Ideas and Movements
Read: Borowitz, chapter 2
JMW, 57-61, 68-9, 85-7, 90-9
*Cohen, 131-160
*Eisen, 1-13, 35-43
Fri Feb 17, 4:30pm -- Meet in Heiser parking lot. Visit to Temple Sinai
Tues Feb 21 The Origins of Reform Judaism
Read: JMW, 161-173, 177-188, 233, 250-253 256-261
Reform Judaism Today
Read and compare: CCAR platforms:
http://ccarnet.org/documentsandpositions/platforms/
Read and explore: URJ – what is Reform Judaism?
Fri Feb 24 Modern Orthodox
Read: Borowitz, chapter 10
JMW, 197-206
*Soloveitchik, 3-29
*Boyarin, 131-137
Varieties of orthodox
http://www.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/363_Transp/08_Orthodoxy.html
Orthodox Union
Sat Mar 24, 9:30am -- Meet in Heiser parking lot. Visit to Chabad of Bradenton
Week 5
Tues Feb 28 Eastern European: Hasidism and Daily Life
Read: JMW, 387-393, 137-138, 372-386
*Weissler, xvii, xxvi, 3-35, 51-65
Fri Mar 3 AntiSemitism and Nationalism/Zionism
Read: Borowitz, chapter 4
*Baeck, 169-185
JMW, 331-334, 363-367, 417-419, 533-539, 546
Tues Mar 7 Jews Arrive in America
Read: JMW, 452-466, 472-491
Fri Mar 10 Due: Comparison Paper
Class Cancelled so that you can take advantage of the:
New College Conference on Medieval and Renaissance Studies
http://faculty.ncf.edu/MedievalStudies/program06.html
See Section 29 concerning Judaism in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages
Tue Mar 14 Conservative Judaism
Read: JMW, 194-7, 492-493, 497-499
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
http://www.uscj.org/index1.html
HAPPY PURIM!
Fri Mar 17 Secularism and Neo-Traditionalism
Read: Borowitz, chapter 8
*Heschel, 1-10
BREAK
Tue Mar 27 The Reconstructionist Movement
Read: Borowitz, chapter 5
*Kaplan, 173-85, 209-224, 535-8
Jewish Reconstructionist Federation
Fri, Mar 31 – Research Tools -- presentation by Librarian Caroline Reed -- PMA 117
Read: *Zenner, 161-172
*Sered, 197-214
*Goitein, 217-231
Fri Apr 7 Holocaust
Read: JMW, 646,-649, 656-665, 668-679, 683-690
Borowitz, chapter 9
*Rubenstein and Roth, 159-196
Tues Apr 11 Zionism in the 20th century
Read: Borowitz, chapter 6
*Rosenzweig, 398-417, 435-6
JMW, 532-543, 571-579, 603-626
Fri Apr 14 No Class for first days of Passover
Tues Apr 18 The State of Israel
Read: Borowitz, chapter 7
*Buber, 3-24, 214-226, 258-263
JMW, 580-582, 593, 626-627
Fri Apr 21 The Poetry of Israel
Read: JMW, 629-633
*Carmi ed, 532-3, 534, 553-4, 558, 560, 565, 571, 575
Due: Draft of Research paper
Tues Apr 25 Peer Review
Due: PRF for each paper
Read: Two papers from peers
Fri Apr 29 Recognizing Women Jews & Gay Jews
Read: Borowitz/Umansky, chapter 13
*Alpert, 1-17
*Riv-Ellen Prell, 329-359
Tues May 2 Mysticism (or making the many pieces one)
Read: Borowitz, chapter 11
*Steinsaltz, 35-47, 175-181
Due: Research Paper
Fri May 5 Post Modern Judaisms
Read: Borowitz, chapters 12 and 14
Tues May 9 Presentations
Fri May 12 Conclude
(?) Final Exam due on Tuesday, May 16th by 12:30pm (?)