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JDST 280/RLGN 280 (Israel: Religion and Health Across the Life Span)
(approved for Global and Cultural Diveristy)
SPRING BREAK, 2010 (March 4-14) in Israel, with pre- and post-meetings at CWRU
This 3-hr course offers an intensive look at the relationship between religion and health across the life span among the various religious traditions in the Middle East, with special attention to the Jewish,Christian and Muslim communities in Israel. The aim of the course is to generate an understanding on not only the religious and health issues among these communities, but also of the issues that generate debate within each community. Participants will have the opportunity to interact directly with members of the regions diverse religious groups within the political, social, cultural contexts in which they live. The role of Religion and health care and service delivery will be explored via university, NGO and agency visits; lectures; and discussion with Israeli experts in the area of health care. For more information go to http://msass.case.edu/international/tripfaq.html.
JDST/HSTY/ETHS 218 (Jews in Early Modern Europe) -- Prof. Weiss
JDST 228 (Jewish Image in Popular Film)-- Prof. Neulander
JDST 254 (The Holocaust) -- Prof. Haas
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| An introduction to the academic study of Judaic religion and culture, this course does not presuppose any previous study of, or experience with, Judaism. The course takes an interdisciplinary approach to Judaic Studies, drawing on a variety of methods used in the Social Sciences and Humanities. Through the use of these methods, the students will examine the diverse issues and questions that are driving the current field of Judaic Studies and come to conclusions about the state of the question. There will be some "field" experience including a visit to a synagogue and to a Jewish museum. Required for the Minor in Judaic Studies. |
| The course will trace tradition and transformation in Jewish artistic expression over time and across space. The semester will carry us from the Israelite phase beginning with Solomon's Temple, to the present day in Israel and America, over the course of which 29 centuries terms like "Jewish," and even "art," will also undergo change. |
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| The course will explore film as social practice, from the flickering silent era through Hollywood's Golden Age, to the technological dazzle of the present day. Standing at the confluence of society, history, ideology, and culture, students will come to understand how popular film is shaped by, and how it actively shapes, the constant reconstruction of Jewish ethnicity in the American mainstream. |
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| (Cross-listed as RLGN 231, HSTY 238.) An examination of the changes in Jewish life, religion, and culture brought about by the end of the medieval ghettoes and the beginning of modern, secular Western society from the middle of the 18th century. In addition to studying the development of contemporary Jewish "denominations" (including Reform, Conservative and Orthodox forms of Judaism), the course will trace the development of secular Jewish culture, the emergence of modern Hebrew and Yiddish, the rise of Zionism, and the current debates about the character and future of the State of Israel. Attention will also be paid to the growth of American Judaism. |
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Jewish myth and magic, festival and foodways, folktales, art, music and more, will give us access to the spirit and mentality of the many different peoples who have carried these traditions from remote Middle Eastern antiquity to the present day in Israel and the U.S.A. We will follow Jewish folklore as it shapes, and is shaped by, the vast expanse of western history and civilization. |
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(Cross-listed as RLGN 330, PHIL 332.) Why would a benevolent God allow evil and suffering? Does modern science truly challenge the notion of God as creator? This course examines the notion of God in traditional and modern classical Jewish texts. We begin with exploring images of God in the Hebrew Bible and then raise questions concerning God as the creator of the universe, God's benevolence (the problem of evil), and matters of faith and reason. |
| A survey of the history of Jews in Europe and the wider world from the Spanish expulsion through the French Revolution. Tracking Peregrinations out of the Iberian Peninusla to the British Isles, France, Holland, Italy, Germany, Poland-Lithuania, the Ottoman Empire and the American colonies, this course wexamines the diverse ways Jews organized their communities, interacted with ther noon-Jewish neighbors and negotiated theif rocial, economic and legal status within different states and empires. |
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(Limit 35.) This is an introductory course about Middle East Politics, in regional as well as international aspects. Though popular today for regrettable reasons, the Middle East is nevertheless one of the world’s most fascinating and diverse regions. In this course we will explore broad social, economic, and political themes that have defined the region since the end of the World War Two. Since this is an introductory course, a major goal will be to gain comparative knowledge about the region’s states and peoples. The 22 countries that comprise the modern Middle East are quite diverse; therefore, we will only be able to focus on a few cases in depth. A second goal is to examine and use the tools and theories social scientists employ to answer broad questions related to the region, such as: How have colonial legacies shaped political and economic development in the Middle East? How do oil, religion, and ethnicity interact with politics? How have external powers affected the region’s political development? What drives regional conflict? In short, this course will tackle the controversial issues and dilemmas of the region, but from an analytical vantage. We want to try to answer why questions about the region, not simply what and how. |
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| This
course examines the rhetoric and symbols used by various voices
in the Middle East in the ongoing debate about the future shape
of the region. For historical and cultural reasons, much of the
discourse draws on religious symbolism, especially, (although
not exclusively) Islamic, Jewish and Christian. Because of the
long and complex history of the region and the religious communities
in it, virtually every act and every place is fraught with meaning.
One of the main goals in the course will be to examine the diverse
symbols and rhetorical strategies being used by the various sides
in the conflict and to see how they are understood by the various
audiences that make up the conflict. |
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| Jewish
thought since the 18th century, with focus on religious reform
movements, Zionist theory, and formulation of Jewish identity. |
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| History
of racism in European society from 18th to 20th century; investigation,
from perspectives of history, psychology, literature, philosophy,
and religion, of how bureaucracy could exterminate six million
Jews; responses of individuals, groups, institutions, and nations
to deliberate extermination of nearly a whole people. Cross-listed
as: HSTY 254 |
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| From
Ishtar to Esther, the Virgin Mary to Mary Magdalene, we will examine
ways in which biblical texts and rabbinic--as well as other traditional
interpretations--have shaped images of, and attitudes toward,
women in western civilization. Students will come to understand
how these various views of women inform, reflect, and challenge
gender roles in modern society. |
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| RLGN 280 Religion
and Politics in the Middle East (Supervised Study in Israel) |
| An in-depth look at the relationship
between politics, religion and culture in the Middle East. Students
will spend the first week on campus and the last three weeks in
Israel, where time will be divided between classroom teaching,
guest lectures, and "field trips" to important sites. Students
will have the opportunity to interact directly with members of
the region's diverse religious groups within the political, social,
and cultural contexts in which they live. A final research paper
will be required. Knowledge of Hebrew is not necessary. |
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| An
exploration of Jewish moral and ethical discourse. The first half
of the course will be devoted to studying the structure and content
of classical Jewish ethics on issues including marriage, abortion,
euthanasia and social justice. Students will read and react to
primary Jewish religious texts. The second half of the course
will focus on various modern forms of Judaism and the diversity
of moral rhetoric in the Jewish community today. Readings will
include such modern thinkers as Martin Buber and Abraham Joshua
Heschel. |
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| For
students with no knowledge of Hebrew. Introduces skills for speaking
and writing. One hour of assigned lab work required. |
| Continuation
of HBRW 101. Students must attend the Language Resource Center
in addition to class meetings. Prereq: HBRW 101 or equivalent. |
| Intensive
review of grammar and conversational skills through readings,
discussions, and other activities that explore contemporary Israeli
life and Hebrew culture. Prereq: HBRW 102 or equivalent as determined
by department. |
| Continuation
of HBRW 201. Exploration of contemporary Israeli life and Hebrew
culture. Students must attend the Language Resource Center in
addition to class meetings. Prereq: HBRW 201 or equivalent. |
| Conversation
and advanced grammar and writing. Short readings and introduction
to contemporary Israeli culture. Creative writing practice. Prereq:
HBRW 202 or equivalent. |
| Advanced
reading and composition. Emphasis on contemporary culture of Israel.
Creative writing component. |
| For
students who have progressed beyond available course offerings.
Prereq: Permission of department. |
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