Biblical Hebrew

• JSTU-B 100 Introduction to Biblical Hebrew I (4 cr.) An accelerated introduction to biblical Hebrew. No prior knowledge of Hebrew required. Introduces grammar, morphology, and syntax. Students acquire a sizeable vocabulary to learn how to read original biblical materials. I Sem.

• JSTU-B 150 Introduction to Biblical Hebrew II (4 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in B100 or equivalent proficiency. A continuation of B100 that builds the student's knowledge of the fundamentals of biblical Hebrew. II Sem.

• JSTU-B 200 Intermediate Biblical Hebrew I (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in B150 or equivalent proficiency. A continuation of B150. Establishes students' grammatical knowledge and skills, allowing them to understand Biblical Hebrew narrative, law, prophecy, and poetry. I Sem.

• JSTU-B 250 Intermediate Biblical Hebrew II (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in B200 or equivalent proficiency. A continuation of B200. Further develops students' grammatical knowledge and skills, allowing them to understand Biblical Hebrew narrative, law, prophecy, and poetry.
  

Israeli Culture

• JSTU-C 214 Multiple Voices of Israeli Society (3 cr.) A survey of academic work by and about different groups in Israel. Attention is paid to local and theoretical issues highlighted by this work, such as collective memory, identity of immigrants, diaspora and the experience of homecoming, gay and lesbian families, reproductive regimes, and religious and secular worldviews. Credit given for only one of C214 or NELC-N 214.

• JSTU-C 216 Israeli Inequality in Context (3 cr.) How does Israeli inequality compare to inequality in other societies? And within Israel, how do different axes of inequality, like nation, gender, sexual orientation, immigration status, etc., relate to and inform each other? The course addresses these questions using a social stratification approach. Credit given for only one of C216 or NELC-N 216.

• JSTU-C 240 Contemporary Israeli Culture (3 cr.) Through literature and other media (essay, film, music), this course examines a number of Israeli cultural, social, and political phenomena: the Holocaust in the Israeli imagination, Labor and the Israeli body, Jewish ethnicity, the Israeli Arab, and the creation of new national holidays. Students develop methods of “reading” these artifacts of Israeli culture with the help of approaches from the fields of literary and cultural studies.

• JSTU-C 340 The Kibbutz in Fact and Fiction (3 cr.) A survey of the representation of kibbutz ideology and community in Hebrew fiction and anthropological and sociological studies. Compares early representations of the kibbutz with its recent transformations to acquaint students with the impact of this unique social system in Israeli society and culture.

• JSTU-C 360 Israeli Film and Fiction (3 cr.) A sampling of Israeli novels and stories in English translation whose texts were made into film. All readings and discussions conducted in English. Subjects covered pertain to the representation of Israeli culture, values, and experience, including individualism and the collective, war and peace, the self and the nation. Credit given for only one of JSTU C360 or H460.

Modern Hebrew

• JSTU-H 100 Elementary Modern Hebrew I (4 cr.) Introductory course that lays groundwork for the study and use of Modern Hebrew, developing reading, writing, and conversational skills while building the necessary grammatical foundations. No previous knowledge of Hebrew required. Credit given for only one of H100 or B100. I Sem.

• JSTU-H 150 Elementary Modern Hebrew II (4 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in H100 or equivalent proficiency. Continues to develop reading, writing, and conversational skills in Hebrew, laying the necessary grammatical foundation for intermediate Modern Hebrew. Credit given for only one of H150 or B150. II Sem.

• JSTU-H 190 Intensive Elementary Hebrew (6 cr.) Intensive course in elementary Modern Hebrew, combining ulpan with standard language instruction techniques. The course covers the equivalent of one full year of elementary Hebrew in one term, and is open to those desiring to acquire all facets of language communication, morphology, phonology, and syntax. Credit given for only one of H190 or JSTU H100-H150.

• JSTU-H 196 Foreign Study in Hebrew (1-6 cr.) P: Acceptance into an overseas study program. Credit for foreign study in Hebrew language or literature when no specific equivalent is available among departmental offerings. Does not count toward credit for major, certificate, or minor.

• JSTU-H 200 Intermediate Modern Hebrew I (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in H150 or equivalent proficiency. Continuation of H150, for students who choose the Modern Hebrew track. Continues to develop reading, writing, and conversational skills, while expanding the grammatical foundation of students' Modern Hebrew knowledge.
  

• JSTU-H 250 Intermediate Modern Hebrew II (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in H200 or equivalent proficiency. Continues to develop reading, writing, and conversational skills, while expanding the grammatical foundation of students' Modern Hebrew knowledge.
  

• JSTU-H 296 Foreign Study in Hebrew (1-6 cr.) P: Acceptance into an overseas study program. Credit for foreign study in Hebrew language or literature when no specific equivalent is available among departmental offerings. Does not count toward credit for major, certificate, or minor.

• JSTU-H 300 Advanced Modern Hebrew I (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in H250 or equivalent proficiency. Reviews and completes the acquisition of the grammatical system of Modern Hebrew, using modern Israeli literary work and media resources, focusing on verbal and written communication skills.

• JSTU-H 350 Advanced Modern Hebrew II (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in H300 or equivalent proficiency. Sets the foundations for the study of complete written works in Modern Hebrew, whether for literary or research purposes. Offers extensive practice of reading, writing, and conversational skills.
  

• JSTU-H 365 Advanced Hebrew Conversation and Composition (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in H350 or equivalent proficiency. A full summation of Modern Hebrew, with review of grammar and vocabulary. The course aims to enrich students’ vocabulary, reading and writing skills, comprehension, and free expression. Emphasis will be on vocabulary, usage, and pronunciation. Writing practice and review of grammar will be integrated with conversation and readings of selections from literary and nonliterary texts.

• JSTU-H 375 Introductory Readings in Hebrew Literature (in Hebrew) (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in H350 or equivalent proficiency. Reading, in the original Hebrew, of selected poetry and prose from among the chief writers of Modern Hebrew literature. Emphasis on familiarization with the diverse styles, forms, and themes of Modern Hebrew literature. Discussion and analysis in Hebrew.

• JSTU-H 396 Foreign Study in Hebrew (1-6 cr.) P: Acceptance into an overseas study program. Credit for foreign study in Hebrew language or literature when no specific equivalent is available among departmental offerings. Does not count toward credit for major, certificate, or minor.

• JSTU-H 460 Israeli Film and Fiction in Hebrew (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in any Hebrew course above H350 (such as H365, H375, H480, H485, or H497), or equivalent. A sampling of Israeli novels and stories whose texts were made into film. Subjects covered pertain to the representation of Israeli culture, values, and experience, including individualism and collective, war and peace, the self and the nation. Readings, assignments, and discussion in Hebrew. Credit given for only one of JSTU H460 or C360.

• JSTU-H 477 Victims and Avengers: Readings in the Holocaust Literature of Israel in Hebrew (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in any Hebrew course above H350 (such as H365, H375, H485, or H497), or equivalent. Readings (in Hebrew) of Holocaust literature in translation primarily from Hebrew and Yiddish works of poetry and prose, diaries and stories, to highlight the lasting impact of this event on Israel's social and cultural landscape. Issues covered include representation of Jews as victims, avengers and heroes. Credit given for only one of JSTU-H 477 or JSTU-L 377.

• JSTU-H 480 Modern Hebrew Literature in Hebrew (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in any Hebrew course above H350 (such as H365, H375, H485, or H497), or equivalent. A survey of nineteenth- and twentieth-century fiction, poetry, essays in the original Hebrew under such headings as assimilation, ghetto, and world; secularism versus tradition; ethnicity, land, and universalism; nation, religion, state; utopia and revolution; nostalgia, self-hate, rejuvenation; portrayal of anti-Semitism in literature. Credit given for only one of JSTU H480 or L380.

• JSTU-H 485 Recent Hebrew Literature in Hebrew (3 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in any Hebrew course above H350 (such as H365, H375, H460, H480 or H497), or equivalent proficiency. Extensive readings of Hebrew texts and scholarly works grouped according to periods or specific themes in language, literature, or intellectual movements adapted to specific individual programs. Readings, assignments, and discussions in Hebrew. Credit given for only one of JSTU H485 or L385.

• JSTU-X 491 Individual Readings in Hebrew (1-4 cr.) P: Grade of C or higher in H350 or equivalent proficiency. Extensive readings of Hebrew texts and scholarly works grouped according to periods or specific themes in language, literature, or intellectual movements adapted to specific individual programs. Readings, assignments, and discussion in Hebrew. May be repeated for a maximum of 9 credit hours in X491 and H497.

• JSTU-H 496 Foreign Study in Hebrew (1-6 cr.) P: Acceptance into an overseas study program. Credit for foreign study in Hebrew language or literature when no specific equivalent is available among departmental offerings. Does not count for major, certificate, or minor.

Jewish Studies

• JSTU-J 203 Arts and Humanities Topics in Jewish Studies (3 cr.) Selected arts and humanities topics and issues in Jewish studies. May be repeated with different topics for a maximum of 9 credit hours.

• JSTU-J 204 Social and Historical Topics in Jewish Studies (3 cr.) Selected social and historical topics and issues in Jewish studies. May be repeated with different topics for a maximum of 9 credit hours.

• JSTU-J 220 Sacred Books of the Jews (3 cr.) Explores the sacred texts of Judaism after the Bible. Considers how tradition works; how people created new religious knowledge after the Bible was canonized; why some texts are considered sacred, while others are not. Includes a variety of sacred texts, including Mishnah, Talmud, Midrash, and Kabbalah. Credit given for only one of J220 or REL-A 235.

• JSTU-J 230 Introduction to Judaism (3 cr.) The development of post-biblical Judaism: major themes, movements, practices, and values. Credit given for only one of J230, REL-A 230 or REL-R 245.

• JSTU-J 251 Introduction to Jewish History: From the Bible to Spanish Expulsion (3 cr.) Topics include the origins of Judaism, Jewish life in ancient Israel and the Diaspora, Judaism and the origins of Christianity, Jewish society and culture under Christian and Muslim rule in the Middle Ages. Credit given for only one of J251 or HIST H251.

• JSTU-J 252 Introduction to Jewish History: From Spanish Expulsion to the Present (3 cr.) Jewish history from early modern times to the present. Topics include Jewish daily life in early modern Europe and Ottoman Turkey, Jewish mysticism, Hasidism, Jewish emancipation, modern Judaism, anti-Semitism, the Holocaust, Zionism, the State of Israel, and the history of American Jewry. Credit given for only one of J252 or HIST H252.

• JSTU-J 254 Israel: History, Society, Culture (3 cr.) Israel plays a central role in world politics. Its existence and deeds evoke extreme emotional reactions. This course explores major events in the history of Israel and the ways in which these events have influenced its society and cultural life from its establishment in 1948 to today. Credit given for only one of J254 or HIST-C 230.

• JSTU-J 258 Representing Jews and African Americans in American Musical Theater (3 cr.) Musical theater serves as a vital mode for airing American social issues and anxieties. Shows often portrayed minority characters in ways that reflected current attitudes and biases. This course examines several key works that highlight the dilemmas of American ethnic representation, with a focus on African Americans and Jews.

• JSTU-J 259 American Jewish History (3 cr.) Explores American Jewish history from its beginnings to the present through primary source readings, documentary films, and historical readings. Credit given for only one of J259, REL-C 230, or HIST-H 259.

• JSTU-J 260 Literary Masterpieces of Muslim Spain (3 cr.) Overview of the Golden Age of Arabic and Hebrew literature in the Iberian Peninsula under Muslim rule (al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages. Covers the historical context in which the Golden Age occurred, as well as examples from its poetry and prose, in English translation. Credit given for only one of JSTU-J 260 or NELC-N 260.

• JSTU-J 262 Muslim-Jewish Relations in the Twentieth and Twenty-first Centuries (3 cr.) Investigation into Muslim-Jewish relations in the twentieth century and the opening decades of the twenty-first century, focusing on North Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. Cooperation between Muslims and Jews is highlighted but tensions and violent conflicts are also discussed.

• JSTU-J 303 Arts and Humanities Topics in Jewish Studies (3 cr.) Selected arts and humanities topics and issues in Jewish studies. May be repeated with different topics for a maximum of 9 credit hours.

• JSTU-J 304 Social and Historical Topics in Jewish Studies (3 cr.) Selected social and historical topics and issues in Jewish studies. May be repeated with different topics for a maximum of 9 credit hours.

• JSTU-J 310 Jews and Race (3 cr.) Explores the spectrum of Jewish thought on race and ethnicity from historical and regional perspectives. Addresses the questions "Are Jews white?" and "Are Jews a race?" looking at both contemporary and historical sources to see how the answers differ in relation to the specific racial landscapes of particular times and places. Credit given for only one of J310 or REL-C 323.

• JSTU-J 316 Jews, Christians, and Others in Late Antiquity (3 cr.) Explores the interactions and so-called parting of the ways between Jews, Christians, and other religious groups in Roman Palestine and Sasanian Persia from the first through seventh centuries C.E. Pays special attention to the portrayals of Christians in Jewish literature such as the Mishnah and Talmud. Credit given for only one of J316 and REL-A 316.

• JSTU-J 317 Judaism in the Making (3 cr.) The development of Jewish traditions from circa 400 BCE to 200 CE in their linguistic, geographical, and cultural diversity. Discusses emergence of scripture, apocalyptic traditions, place in Hellenistic and Roman cultures, relationship with early Christianity, and emergence of Judaism as a religion. Credit given for only one of J317 or REL-A 317.

• JSTU-J 320 Rabbinic Judaism: Literature and Beliefs (3 cr.) The rabbis of late antiquity were masters of the Bible who produced a corpus of writings in which they interpret holy scriptures. These writings, known as rabbinic literature, remain to this day the foundation of normative Jewish behavior and traditions. This course explores what these rabbis believed and how they interpreted the Bible. Credit given for only one of J320 or REL-A 318.

• JSTU-J 323 History of the Holocaust (3 cr.) Anti-Semitism in the modern world; the Nazi rise to power; the destruction of European Jewry; Jewish behavior in crisis and extremity; the attitude of the Allied nations; mass murder in comparative historical perspective; anti-Semitism and racial thinking; collaboration, resistance, and rescue. Credit given for only one of J323 or HIST-B 323.

• JSTU-J 324 Zionism and the State of Israel (3 cr.) Topics to be treated include the development of Jewish nationalism (Zionism) against the background of nineteenth- and twentieth-century European developments, Jewish colonization and the growth of Jewish institutions in the period of the British mandate (1918-1948), the Arab-Israeli conflict, and statehood to the present. Credit given for only one of JSTU-J 324 or HIST-B 324.

• JSTU-J 357 American Jewish Popular Music (3 cr.) How does a small minority population create its own "popular music"? This course explores the many ways American Jews have addressed the idea of popular music over the last century by examining how American Jewish communities have adapted popular music styles, built up music stars, and created music labels and production companies. Credit given for only one of J357 or FOLK-F 357.

• JSTU-J 358 Music in Judaism (3 cr.) Explores the variety of ways people have used music to describe, inscribe, symbolize and editorialize the Jewish experience. More than just a survey in Jewish music history, this course uses music as a means to address questions of religious, ethnic, national and historical identity from biblical times to the present.

• JSTU-J 359 Exploring Jewish Identity Today (3 cr.) When people describe what they believe, do, create, or experience as "Jewish," what do they mean? Using multiple perspectives and multiple forms of media, we will explore how different communities--from orthodox Jews to evangelical Christians--incorporate senses of Judaism into their cultural, religious, racial, ethnic, and artistic identities. Credit given for only one of J359 or FOLK-F 359.

• JSTU-J 360 Muslim Spain and Portugal: History and Memory (3 cr.) P: One year of Arabic, Hebrew, Latin, or Spanish language study. Introduces the history, culture, and memory of Muslim Iberia, a multicultural society in a corner of premodern Europe ruled by Islam. Provides the history from 711 until 1492, focuses on its cultural achievements, and explores the roles that Muslim Iberia played in various historical and religious contexts. Credit given for only one of JSTU-J 360 or NELC-N 360.

• JSTU-J 375 Women in the Bible (3 cr.) Considers representations of women and the feminine in the Hebrew Bible, New Testament, and literature of early Judaism and Christianity. Explores how these texts have been interpreted in the history of Western culture, and how they continue to shape attitudes about women, gender, and sexuality in the contemporary world. Credit given for only one of J375 or REL-A 375.

• JSTU-J 403 Arts and Humanities Topics in Jewish Studies (3 cr.) Selected arts and humanities topics and issues in Jewish studies. May be repeated with different topics for a maximum of 9 credit hours.

• JSTU-J 404 Social and Historical Topics in Jewish Studies (3 cr.) Selected social and historical topics and issues in Jewish studies. May be repeated with different topics for a maximum of 9 credit hours.

Hebrew Literature

• JSTU-L 270 Coming to America: History and Memory of Immigration in Jewish Literature (3 cr.) Studies the encounter of Jews immigrating to America in the later nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Readings (in English translation) of memoirs, prose fiction and poetry composed in English, Hebrew and Yiddish illustrate the clash of civilizations and ensuing acculturation. Assimilation and reciprocal effects are also explored.

• JSTU-L 280 David: The Man and the King (3 cr.) This course uses works of poetry and prose against the background of biblical and post-biblical (midrash) narratives focused on interpreting the image of David as a man and a king and as an example of how power affects people. Cinema, opera, and fine arts inspired by David's image will focus recognition of the diverse ways in which David continues to be viewed as a man and a king in his day and ours.

• JSTU-L 285 Guns and Roses: Representations of Soldiers and War in Modern Hebrew Literature (3 cr.) Explores the nuances behind the stereotypes of the Israeli as soldier in modern Hebrew literature and the evolving image of the Jew as soldier through works of non-fiction, theory, and criticism from before World War I, through World War II and the Holocaust, and the establishment of the State of Israel. Begins with a survey of Jews, soldiering, and war since biblical times.

• JSTU-L 377 Victims and Avengers: Readings in the Holocaust Literature of Israel (in English Translation) (3 cr.) Readings of Holocaust literature in translation primarily from Hebrew and Yiddish works of poetry and prose, diaries and stories, to highlight the lasting impact of this event on Israel's social and cultural landscape. Issues covered include representation of Jews as victims, avengers and heroes. Credit given for only one of JSTU-L 377 or JSTU-H 477.

• JSTU-L 380 Modern Hebrew Literature in English (3 cr.) Nineteenth- and twentieth-century fiction, poetry, essays, under such headings as assimilation (ideal or aberration?); ghetto and world; secularism versus tradition; ethnicity, land, and universalism; nation, religion, state; utopias and revolutions; nostalgia, self-hate, rejuvenation; portrayal of anti-Semitism in literature. No knowledge of Hebrew necessary. Readings and lectures in English. Credit given for only one of JSTU L380 or H480.

• JSTU-L 385 Recent Hebrew Literature in English (3 cr.) Fiction, poetry, and essays with relevance to contemporary issues, such as the past (burden or asset?); the meeting of Europe and Near East; the kibbutz; ideal and reality; Jews, Arabs, Canaanites; diaspora and center; the personal and the collective; inwardness or realism; wars, holocausts, peace. No knowledge of Hebrew necessary. Readings and lectures in English. Credit given for only one of JSTU L385 or H485.

• JSTU-L 390 Biblical Themes in Modern Hebrew Literature (3 cr.) An examination of how modern Hebrew literature, read in English translation, has perceived and reinterpreted narratives of the Hebrew Bible. Among the issues to be examined are the contemporary individual, social, and historical factors contributing to the process of “rewriting” the Bible in the image of our times. No knowledge of Hebrew necessary. Readings and lectures in English.

• JSTU-L 395 S. Y. Agnon and the Jewish Experience (3 cr.) Intensive study of the fictional work (in English translation) of S. Y. Agnon. Among the themes explored are religion and secularism; tradition versus modernity and change; love, marriage, and divorce; nostalgia for the past and life in the present; Israel and the diaspora. No knowledge of Hebrew necessary. Readings and lectures in English.

Special Topics

• JSTU-X 490 Individual Readings in Jewish Studies (1-3 cr.) P: Consent of instructor. Designed for advanced Jewish Studies students who wish to concentrate on a particular area of Judaica previously introduced to them in other courses. Arrangements are made between the student and professor prior to registration. A student must have course authorization with the Jewish Studies advisor prior to registration. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours in X490 and H495.

Honors

• JSTU-H 399 Readings for Honors in Jewish Studies (3 cr.) P: Approval of instructor and honors advisor. Independent guided readings in preparation for the honors thesis (H499) in Jewish Studies.

• JSTU-H 499 Honors Thesis (3-6 cr.) P: Approval of program honors committee. Guided research culminating in an honors thesis written under the direction of a faculty member and reviewed in oral examination by three faculty members.

Experiential Courses

• JSTU-X 170 Leadership in Jewish Studies (1 cr.) Variable topic course, designed to be practical in nature. Allows students to study and apply leadership skills through obtaining leadership roles in the community. Does not count toward Jewish Studies major or certificate or minor in Hebrew. S/F grading. May be repeated with different topics for a maximum of 3 credit hours in X170 and P180. Only one enrollment per term is allowed.

• JSTU-X 376 Professional Leadership and the Jewish Community (3 cr.) Designed to introduce students to the demography, sociology, and structure of contemporary American Jewry, and to the wide range of agencies serving the community, as well as the most effective steps to begin a career within them. Through guest presentations by professional and lay-leaders in the field, along with a practicum experience, students learn about current challenges and trends in Jewish studies-related professions. Credit given for only one of X376 or P300.

• JSTU-X 473 Internship in Jewish Studies (1-6 cr.) Through internships, students make particular use of their skills, learn new skills, and start to build professional contacts in the field of their interest. Students who wish to receive credit through Jewish Studies for their internship need to have a Jewish Studies faculty sponsor and are responsible for finding and securing their own internships. S/F grading. May be repeated for a maximum of 12 credit hours in X473 and P498.