Course Descriptions

Judaic Studies | Middle Eastern Studies

Hebrew & Yiddish courses are listed at bottom of page.

(All courses carry 3 credits unless otherwise noted.)

101 The Jewish People I (AT)
A survey of the literature and culture of the Jewish people in the formative years of its history. Emphasis on the development of Judaism in the biblical, Graeco-Roman, and rabbinic periods. Final unit treats the Jewish life-cycle and the system of religious practices.

102 The Jewish People II (HSD)
The life and history of the Jews in the medieval and modern worlds. Topics include Jewish-Christian relations; development of Jewish philosophy and mysticism; Jewish life in Eastern Europe; the Holocaust; State of Israel; Jews and Judaism in North America.

101/H01; 102/H02 Honors Colloquia for The Jewish People I/II  (1 credit)
Weekly meetings to discuss supplemental readings-primary historical and literary documents of various kinds. In-depth research paper concerning topic agreed upon with instructor.

191, 192, 193, 194 Seminars (1 credit)
Offered through either Hillel Foundation or Chabad House. Topics vary.  (Please note: these courses cannot be repeated for additional credit.)

195A Anti-Semitism and Racism in Western Civilization
Anti-Semitism and racism as part of human nature, or as products of history. How Jews and Blacks define themselves. How they were defined by others throughout Western history. Concepts of anti-Semitism and race from ancient Egypt through Greek and Roman civilizations, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Enlightenment to the present. Changes in these concepts examined in the literature, drama, historical writings, and art from the various historical periods.

301 The Bible and Archaeology
The history and contents of the Hebrew Bible in the light of Near Eastern archaeology. Chronological approach; topics include ancient Near Eastern creation and flood stories, the patriarchal period, conquest of Canaan, the cities and kingdoms of Israel and Judah through the Hellenistic period.

305 Judaism and Christianity in the Ancient World (HS)
First two-thirds: Jewish history and intellectual life from Alexander the Great to end of rabbinic period. Topics include meeting of Judaism and Hellenism, Jewish Hellenism in Alexandria, confrontation with Rome, formation of rabbinic Judaism. Last third: early Christianity: its origins, essential documents, and spread in first four centuries of Common Era.

319 Representing the Holocaust (ALG)
Major writers, works, themes, and critical issues comprising the literature of the Holocaust. Exploration of the narrative responsed to the destruction of European Jewry and other peoples during World War II (including diaries, memoirs, fiction, poetry, drama, video testimonies, and memorials).

325 Jews, Christians and Muslims in the Medieval World (HSD)
Jewish life, literature and thought in the Middle Ages. Social and intellectual life of Jewish communities in Muslim Spain and North Africa, as well as Christian Europe. Topics include Jewish-Gentile relations; everyday life; philosophy and ethics; mysticism and messianic movements.

333 Jewish Philosophers of the 20th Century
Examination of major philosophical problems of contemporary Jewish existence in the modern world, including thought as seen through the writings of Buber, Rosenzweig, Heschel, Soloveitchik, Fackenheim, and others.

344 Film and Society in Israel
This course uses cinema to introduce students to an array of issues that define Israel, such as foundation of Israel, Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as ethnic, religious, and gender identities. Discussion includes a brief survey of Israeli history and film-making. All film screenings are with English subtitles.

345 The Making of Modern Jewry (HSD)
The emergence of modern Jewish identity and culture, focusing on the socio-economic, political, and intellectual forces which led to improved treatment of Jews. Topics include: Hasidim, Enlightenment, and the impact of the French Revolution. Analysis of the implications of modernity for the Jewish community and family, the synagogue, secular Judaism, and Jewish-Gentile relations.

350 Jewish Law and Society (SBD)
Introduction to major issues in Jewish legal thought. Historical development of Jewish law and the interplay of religious, social, and moral considerations. Reading selected Talmudic texts in translation; focus on various ethical dilemmas. Students with sufficient Hebrew background, or desiring credit toward the Hebrew minor, may arrange to read texts in Hebrew.

353 Sephardic Cultures and Literatures of the Spanish Diaspora (IG)
The literatures and cultures of Judeo-Spanish peoples from "Golden Age" Spain to contemporary America; "Sephardic" defined as all Jewish or secret-Jewish communities who either dwelled in the Iberian peninsula (Spain and Portugal) or who do or did self-consciously trace their origins to that peninsula. All readings in English or in English-translation from the Hebrew, Spanish, Ladino (Judeo-Spanish), Portuguese, and German, with an option to read texts in the original languages.

360 Biblical Tales and Legends
Examines such Biblical figures as Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob, Joseph, and others through the study of traditional midrashim as well as contemporary ones by Elie Wiesel, Rabbi Marc Geller, and others.

363 Negotiating Religion and State
Today, the question of the relation between Religion and State has returned to center stage. Although the relations of Religion and State have been negotiated differently across national boundaries and over time, this course will focus on the distinctive role of Jews and Judaism in shaping some of the basic terms of these negotiations. We will start by attending to the beginnings of this negotiation between Religion and State first by considering the Napoleonic “Sanhedrin” and then subsequent developments of the, so called, “Jewish question” in the emergence of the modern nation-states. We will then turn to the negotiation of the question of Religion and State in early modern philosophy and political thought and then focus on the emergence of new forms of Jewish nationalism, including Zionism. We will conclude the course with a consideration of the return of the question of the separation/relation between Religion and State in the modern State of Israel and its consequences for both religious and secular forms of Judaism.

365 Antisemitism in Historical Perspective (HSD)
Survey of antisemitism through its various stages of historical development, from ancient times to the present. Primary focus on the intellectual, religious, political, and social roots of Jew-hatred. Special attention to its impact on Jewish life and thought, and to the range of Jewish re-sponses to anti-semitism. Topics include: the Jews in Graeco-Roman society; medieval Christendom and Islam; the emergence of modern political and racial anti-semitism.

366 Modern Israel: History, Society, and Change
The historical background to the emergence of the Zionist movement and the establishment of the State of Israel. Emphasis on the forces that have shaped contemporary Israeli society and culture, with special attention given to the following topics: secular and religious roots of Jewish nationalism; the impact of modern antisemitism, the emergence of the Kibbutz movement; the Arab-Israeli conflict; the role of religion in modern Israel and the Middle East; prospects for peace.

373 Jewish Travelers & Travel Liars: Exploration & Imagination, Ancient to Modern Times (HSG)
This course will explore the genre of travel literature from antiquity to modernity. Moving chronologically throught time, we will consider travel accounts of both actual and imaginary Jewish journeys, all of which will be compared to contemporaneous Christian, Muslim, Pagan, animist, and atheist travel accounts. We will also look at texts written by gentiles who have traveled to sites of Jewish and general interest. These to be explored: "dwelling-in-travel" (nomadism); the lost ten tribes; the search for lands of refuge; Jewish emissaries (shlihim); religious pilgrimages; the Cairo genizah; distinctions between travel, voluntary migration, and forced migration; travel experienced by men as opposed to women; the effect of travel on Jewish consciousness and memory; and the mutually transformative effect of travel and cross-cultural encounters. The sweep of history will allow us to challenge the idea of globalization as a modern phenomenon.

374 Culture and Immigration in Israel (HSG)
The course will apply theories of intercultural communicaiton and cultural studies to the context of interethnic relations in Israel. Among the topics to be covered are the history and poitics of immigrationto Israel; the connections between ideology and immigration; the major ethnic groups within Israeli society and their interrelations; and comparisons between Jewish immigration to Israel and other diasporas and repatriations.

375 The Jewish Experience in America (HSD)
The development of Jewish identity and social institutions in the United States examined in socio-historical perspective. Topics include immigration patterns, labor movement, Yiddish culture, religious innovations, women's experiences, interaction with American culture.

376 Post-Holocaust Thought
In this course, we will study a range of philosophical and theological responses to the Holocaust, primarily-but not only- in the Jewish tradition. Some basic historical knowledge of the Shoah is required. The beginning of the course will focus on survivor testimonies as a starting point for philosophical and theological reflection. The texts treated represent a wide variety of approaches and positions. Students are encouraged to critically engage this diversity of understanding of the Holocaust and its aftermath by: (1) examining a given thinker's or text's assumptions about history, language, meaning, memory, God and tradition and (2) attending to the philosophical and theological consequences of these differing assumptions and interpretation.

383 Women, Gender, Judaism
This course examines the ways in which the categories "woman/man," "feminine/masculine" and "gender" differently construe the character of Judaism. "Judaism" is here understood in religious, cultural and social terms. This is not a course that focuses primarily on questioning contemporary forms of Jewish women's identities, nor on filling-in the blanks of the "missing women" of Jewish history and tradition, although some attention will be paid to these matters. Rather, our main focus will be on historical constructions of women's gender roles and identities in Judaism and their cultural and social consequences. Three types of literature, therefore, will be important in this course: (1) primary religious texts about women and gender in Judaism: (2) interpretations and historical accounts of different periods and aspects of women's (and men's) gender roles in Judaism and Jewish culture; (3) current critical, feminist theories of discourse, culture and politics through which to problematize our readings of both primary and interpretative texts.

385 The Jews of Eastern Europe (HSD)
Jewish life in Eastern Europe from the perspective of cultural studies. Origins of Soviet-Jewish culture, ethnicity, and identity, interaction with the surrounding society, immigration, Jews under communism, transformation of East European Jewish life. Readings from various historical and literary sources, excerpts from film and media.

390A Women in Jewish History (HS)
A survey of some recent works on Jewish women, analyzing them in terms of historiographic approaches. Focus on women as historical actors, how acknowledging women's experiences might change traditional periodizations of Jewish history, and how historians have used methods from other disciplines to uncover the role of women. Comparison of works on the roles of women in Jewish history to works on women in other specific subject areas.

390B World Jewry Since 1945
A chronological view of the last fifty years of Jewish history. The Jewish experience in the U.S., Israel, and Europe from a political, social, and cultural perspective. The impact of the Holocaust, the founding of the state of Israel, the anti-semitic policies of the Soviet Union, the baby-boom generation, the resurgence of feminism and shifting notion of minority identity. Term paper involves primary source research into a topic in recent Jewish history.

390C Jewish Mysticism
The esoteric dimension of Jewish thought and practice known as 'Kabbalah'. The rich symbolic language of kabbalistic consciousness, the mystical longings at the heart of Jewish spiritual devotion,and the esoteric elements of Jewish ritual and ethical practices. The historical development of the Kabbalah. Focus on the spiritual experience that is at the core of kabbalistic teachings. Includes group discussion of classical mystical texts, in English translation, that teach kabbalistic psychology, theology, and praxis.

390E New Views on the Jews
This course focuses on the American Jewish community from 1654 until the present. We will explore Jewish identity and interactions with other groups through three often overlapping lenses; religious, ethnic and racial. This course will combine historical with sociological approaches, emphasizing "race" as an ever-transforming, socially constructed category.

390G Women in Patriarchy (HSD)
The image and status of women in patriarchal cultures from the perspective of Judaic and Near Eastern Studies. Historical instances of patriarchy rooted in Judaism; the position of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim women in ancient, medieval and modern times through a cross-cultural perspective and a social science orientation. The degree of personhood assigned to women by religious law and custom; the impact of the past on the contemporary western quest for equal participation of the sexes in public religious life.

391B Jewish-American Literature and Culture
The multiple voices and themes of Jewish-American literature and culture, from the turn of the century to the present. Issues include early immigrant and "Americanization" experiences; Yiddish in America; women and the chains of tradition; the political novel; the Holocaust in the American mind; urbanity and suburbanity; humor; and fracture identities.

391C The Proverb
The folkloric genre that has been characterized as "the minimal poetic utterance." Topics include the use of proverbs in various cultures, the connection between proverbs and other literary and folkloric genres, the poetic and linguistic structure of proverbs, the linguistic status of proverbs and related genres (proverbial comparisions, curses and blessings, taunts, riddles, etc.), and the role of metaphor in language and folklore. Material includes American, Russian, Polish, Yiddish, Yoruba, Maori, and other proverbs. All readings in English; students with a reading knowledge of another language encouraged to explore the relevant literature in that language.

391E The Holocaust and Jewish Identity
Victims or Victors? This course will consider the question of Jewish identity after the Holocaust by asking: What's the role of anti-Semitism, assimilation, and affiliation in creating Jewish Diasporic identity? How feminism and gay rights impacted the postmodern Jewish narrative? What's the role of religion in constructing a post-Holocaust identity? Have Jews finally melted into the "American" pot?

391F Jewish Women Writers
Feminists or Just Feminine? Seen but not heard? Just what is a “nice Jewish girl?” This course will explore the voices of Jewish women writers and their ethnically gendered narratives. Questions include the following: What does it mean for these writers to be Jewish and female? What role, if any, do Judaism, politics, and sexuality play in their writing. A one-credit Honors section is available.

391L Religion in Western Literature
Examination of literature from a variety of religious experiences-Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Native American, and other traditions-to gain a fuller understanding of religion and the religious experience and the role it plays in the lives of individuals and societies. Prerequisite: ENGLWP 112 or equivalent.

391M History of the Holocaust
Destruction of the Jews of Europe. Topics include antisemitism, the rise of Nazism, treatment of Jews within Germany between 1933 and 1939, plans for the “final solution” and their execution, life and death within the concentration camps. Lengthy readings, some of them emotionally taxing. Not recommended for freshmen. Same as History 387.

392F Secularization in Israel
This course will explore the relationship between religion, politics and emerging secular identities among Jews and non-Jews in pre-State Palestine and Israel, with a focus on the late 19th century through the present day. We will consider secularism through two lenses: Jewish identity and movements that are cultural and Jewish, but not necessarily religious, and Jewish identity and movements that are specifically secularly-oriented. This course will consider not only intra-ethnic Jewish relations but also interactions between Jews and their Arab (Muslim, Christian and Druse) neighbors as a way of tracking political movements and ideologies and identifying the modern emergence of secular, cultural and political identities. Readings will be from across the disciplinary spectrum, including history, literature and sociology.

392K World Jewish Cultures: Diaspora and Peoplehood
This course employs an anthropological lens to focus on Jewish life in Eastern Europe, North Africa, Central Asisa, Israel and the United States. Select cases will provide a framework for understanding some of the critical issues in the discussion of the Jewish Diaspora experience, including: cultural and religious adaptability to modern secular societies, social boundary flexibility and maintenance, and ambivalence surrounding the question of where Home is. Each case study will include one recent publication and one older publication for comparison of what was written (about the Jews of North America, for example, in the early twentieth century), to what was written about them in the 1970s and to what is being written about them today. This discussion will enable us to explore the question of peoplehood as an ancient consciousness versus one that developed with the rise of modern Zionism. No prerequisites.

392L Jews of Muslim Lands: Responses to Modernity
This course focuses on the Modern era through the gaze of the Jews in Muslim lands. In this part of the world, modernization and secularization were introduced by European colonial powers. As such, Jewish responses did not grow organically out of changes within the larger society. Rather, they were a reaction to processes that were imposed from without. This course explores these reactions in a comparative context with a focus on the Jews of North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia.

392O Jewish Theatre and Film
This course tells a cultural history of Jewish theatre and Jewish film. The topics include: performativity in Jewish ritual; Jewish drama, characters, audiences; theatre- and film-makers. The focus is on issues of cultural, national, and religious identity. All readings and film excerpts are in English.

393B Comic Art in North America
An introduction to comic art, from the beginnings of the newspaper comic strip through the development of comic books, the growth of graphic novels, and current developments in electronic media. We focus on the history and aesthetics of the medium, comparison between developments in the United States, Mexico, and French Canada, and the social and cultural contexts in which comic art is created and consumed. The first half of the semester concentrates on early comic strips and the development of the comic book form through the 1940s; the second on the social changes affecting comic art in the 1950s and 1960s, and the development of a comic book subculture in the 1970s and 1980s, and contemporary electronic media developments. Requirements: Midterm for first half of the course, final on the second half. and one ten-page paper. Reading knowledge of at least one language other than English, preferably Spanish or French. Same as ComLit 393B.

393C International Graphic Novel
This course will examine contemporary works in the literary and artistic medium of the graphic novel, including works from the United States, Japan, Mexico, and Europe. The course will concentrate on the period between 1978 (when the term “graphic novel” was invented by Will Eisner for the publication of A Contract with God) and the present, combined with examination of antecedents to contemporary graphic novels and traditions of visual narrative in the popular and high arts. The first half of the semester concentrates on Surrealist and wordless graphic novels, the development of the European graphic novels from albums and aimed primarily at children to adult graphic novels on fantasy themes, the internationally influential politically aware historical and theoretical graphic novels of Mexico and the growth of autobiographical works in the U.S.A.’s Underground movement; the second on the social changes affecting comic art in the 1970s through 1990s, the reinvention of mainstream superheroes under the influence of the graphic novel form, historical and fantastic graphic novels from Japan, and the development of two major divisions in the U.S.A.’s graphic novels, naturalism and magic realism. Artists and writers whose work is studies include Eisner, Art Spiegelman, Alan Moore, Keiji Nakazawa, Osamu Tezuka, Rius, and Frank Miller.

393E Will Eisner and His Impact
This course will examine the work of the graphic novelist and comic creator Will Eisner, and his impact on sequential art and other works of literature in the U.S. and internationally. The course will include examination of his series Spirit short stories, graphic novels including A Contract with God and A Family Matter, and the works of American, Latin American, Brazilian and European artists and writers influenced by Eisner, including Lethem, Eco, Mutarelli, Cantor and Gaiman.

393J American Jewish History
The history of the Jewish people in America from the first settlement until the present. Includes the development of Judaism in America; the economic, social, and political evolution of American Jewry and its institutions; Jewish immigration to the U.S. and the issues created by this process; American Jewish self-perception and the relationship between Jews and non-Jews in American society. Assignments draw upon secondary historical studies, primary documents, fiction, and film. Students present certain readings to the class and participate actively in classroom discussions as part of their overall evaluation.

394A Major Issues in Contemporary Jewish Life and Culture
An examination of major issues in contemporary Jewish life, with focus on the role of the past in the shaping of Jewish identity. Topics include: Israel and the Palestinians; Black-Jewish relations; Jewish life and culture in American society; the Jewish-Christian debate; the Holocaust as icon. Reconsiderations of these topics in the last quarter-century. Guest lectures and panel discussions.

394C Ritual and Belief in Judaism
A detailed examination of the riutals of Judaism, their conneciton to belief, and their role in defining Jewish identity. Emphasis on the origins of rituals in text (biblical and rabbinic) and folk traditions. Special focus on rites of passage, including birth, marriage, and death; Jewish festivals; and prayer. Historical discussion of the differences between Ashkenazic and Sephardic ritual; the impact of Kabbalah; the mechanics of memory; and the role of gender. Reading will include introduction to general ritual theory and comparative perspectives.

395A Family and Sexuality in Judaism
An examination of transformations in the Jewish family and attitudes toward sexuality in Judaism, from antiquity to the present. Topics include love, sexuality, and desire in the Bible and Talmud; marriage and divorce through the ages; position and treatment of children; sexuality and spirituality in the Kabbalah; sexual stereotypes in American Jewish culture and Israeli society. Interdisciplinary readings draw on biblical and rabbinic literature, comparative Christian and Islamic sources, historical and scientifc research on family and sexuality, and contemporary fiction.

397J Observing Jewish Cultures
This course explores questions about continuity and change in Jewish cultures, especially Jewish experiences of age, gender, and life transitions. The readings and class discussions aim to show how to answer these questions using methods of participant observation, interview, and collections of documents or objects.

397R Jewish Folklore
The course will serve as an introduction to the study of folklore using Jewish materials. We will examine such genres as proverbs, folktales, folksongs, jokes, curses and blessings, folk theater, etc. Most of the material will be taken from the Yiddish tradition, but we will also consider examples of Biblical, Sephardic and Israeli folklore. All readings will be in English, but students with a knowledge of another language will be encouraged to make us of that knowledge.

397V Archaeology of Israel and Palestine
In this course, we will explore the peoples who inhabited the region currently known as Israel and Palestine from the million-year-old first human presence in the area to the assimilation of the region into the circum-Mediterranean empire of Rome two thousand years ago. We will investigate the material culture of early non-sedentary societies, the first villagers, and the emergence and disappearance of urban and pastoral societies in the Bronze and Iron Ages. We will study these cultures within their environmental and cultural contexts, and take a close look at their contacts and interactions with societies in the neighboring regions of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Mediterranean coast.

In addition, we will discuss the cultural and academic trends underpinning the development of archaeological research in Israel and Palestine during the 19th and 20th-centuries, and the political issues that influence the practice of archaeology in the region today.

398R Residential Area Programmers
A practicum course intended to provide training for students planning, initiating, and conducting programming of a Jewish cultural, social, religious, educational, and/or community service nature with and for Jewish students in their residential areas. Student programmers plan events, serve as resources, and are the catalyst for Jewish student life in theirresidential areas.

398W Junior Year Writing Requirement
Completion of two credits mandatory. One two-credit course associated with a "writing-intensive" Judaic Studies course at or above the 300 level. Arrange with faculty member, approval by Chair.

491C Freud & Interpretation
The Messiah "will come only on the day after his arrival..." (Franz Kafka)
As we approach the 21st century, questions of "new age" religions, messianism and millenarianism are being revisited by contemporary theorists such as Harold Bloom, Jacques Derrida, Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi and others. The course provides a survey of some new apocalyptic thinking against the background of traditional early modern debates on religion in Sigmund Freud, Walter Benjamin, Martin Buber, Franz Kafka, Primo Levi, Arnaldo Momigliano, Franz Rosenzweig, and Gershom Scholem, among others. Contrasts are drawn among different historical, literary, philosophical, psychoanalytic and deconstructive approaches to the problems of memory and mourning, and temporality and deferment as posed by Judaeo-derived religion. Special attention is given to the friendship and letters of Benjamin and Scholem and to the letters between Scholem and his mother, Betty. A close study is also made of the illuminating writings of Leo Strauss and Arthur Hertzberg and of the tragic work of Sarah Kofman, and Gilliam Rose. 

491F History of Psychoanalytic Movement
Provides an overview of the history of the psychoanalytic movement from 1891 to the present. Explores different schools of thought from the perspective of aesthetics, philosophy, and epistemology as the ground of psychobiography. Major stages in the evolution of the psychoanalytic movement contextualized in relation to historical traumas of anti-semitism, Nazi persecution and permanent exile of the psychoanalytic bodily ego. Focus on Italy: Freud*s numerous tours and studies of Gradiva of Pompei, Leonardo, and Michelangelo. Texts: Collected letters from Freud to his numerous correspondents, including Siberstein, Fliess, Abraham, Jones, Zweif, and Ann Freud [primary source.] Writers and thinkers studied include Bloom, Derrida, Eissler, Gilmath, Lacan, and Leowald et al. Format: The course combines lectures with follow up seminar discussions. [The course is taught in English.] 

497A The Writings of Elie Wiesel
The essays and fiction of Elie Wiesel, survivor of the Holocaust and Nobel Prize winner. Topics and themes include the Holocaust, Hasidism, Torah study, and the meaning of Jewish existence today. Some knowledge of Jewish history and customs recommended. Open to freshmen and sophomores with consent of instructor.

Hebrew

     Twelve credits of Hebrew (HEBREW 110-120-230-240, or 126-246, or 111-121-231-312) fulfill the College of Arts and Sciences language requirement. Judaic Studies majors must take 18 credits of Hebrew to fulfill major requirements (see above). No more than six degree credits may be earned in courses at the Intermediate level (HEBREW 230/240 and 246).

     Note on Elementary and Intermediate Hebrew: No more than six credits may be earned for any combination of courses at the Elementary level (Hebrew 110/120 or 126). No more than six credits may be earned in courses at the Intermediate level (HEBREW 230/240 or 246).

110 Elementary Modern Hebrew I
Preparation for basic proficiency in speaking, writing, listening to, and reading Modern Hebrew. Emphasis on speaking. Language lab.

111 Elementary Biblical Hebrew I
Fundamentals of classical Hebrew grammar and vocabulary, introduced through the reading of select biblical texts. Language lab, written and oral assignments, quizzes, tests. No previous background in Hebrew necessary.

120 Elementary Modern Hebrew II
Continuation of HEBREW 110. Further preparation for basic proficiency in all four basic language skills, with emphasis on speaking. Language lab. Prerequisite: HEBREW 110 or consent of instructor.

121 Elementary Biblical Hebrew II
Continuation of Hebrew 111. Hebrew grammar; facility in reading biblical texts. Class participation, written and oral exercises, quizzes, final. Prerequisite: Hebrew 111 or consent of instructor.

126 Intensive Elementary Modern Hebrew I (6 credits)
Intensive approach to the acquisition of basic Modern Hebrew. Emphasis on oral communication, listening comprehension, reading, and writing, rather than on formal grammar. Language lab.  This class meets five days per week.

230 Intermediate Modern Hebrew I
Continues study of modern Hebrew; increases proficiency in conversation, listening, and writing skills. Adapted short stories, audiovisual aids. Language lab. Prerequisite: HEBREW 120 or 126, or consent of instructor.

231 Readings in Hebrew Bible
Readings in biblical prose and poetic passages; emphasis on Hebrew grammar, style, and vocabulary. Passages vary. Hebrew 111, 121, or equivalent.

240 Intermediate Modern Hebrew II
Continuation of HEBREW 230. Further work in Hebrew conversation, listening, reading, and writing. Introduction to Hebrew word-formation. Adapted short stories, videotapes. Language lab. Prerequisite: HEBREW 230 or consent of instructor.

246 Intensive Modern Hebrew II (6 credits)
Continuation of HEBREW 126. Further intensive work aimed at the acquisition of basic modern Hebrew; emphasis on listening and reading, comprehension, vocabulary study, and oral as well as written expression rather than on formal grammar. This class meets five days per week.  Prerequisite: HEBREW 126 or consent of instructor.

298 Practicum( 1-12 credits)
For advanced students in Hebrew. Application of knowledge of the language to a teaching or tutoring situation. Student submits proposal of project to instructor, and supplies weekly lesson plans and lesson evaluations. Summary report and evaluation of project required. Mandatory Pass/Fail. Consent of instructor required.

301 Advanced Modern Hebrew I
To improve third year students' grammar, vocabulary, and fluency through graded readings to advanced level of reading, listening, oral, and written proficiency. A structured approach to literature. Prerequisite: HEBREW 240 or 246 or equivalent, or consent of instructor.

302 Advanced Modern Hebrew II
For third year students. Grammar, vocabulary, and fluency through graded readings to advanced level of reading, listening, oral, and written proficiency. A structured approach to literature. Prerequisite: HEBREW 301 or equivalent, or consent of instructor.

312 Classical Hebrew Texts
Advanced biblical Hebrew; continuation of Hebrew 231. Some postbiblical Hebrew texts. Prerequisite: Hebrew 231 or consent of instructor.

351 Readings in Modern Hebrew I
Selected short stories, adapted and abridged but maintaining the literary cohesion and flavor of the original pieces, starting from the "Revival" period. Emphasis on the Israeli short story. Prerequisite: HEBREW 240 or 246 or consent of instructor.

352 Readings in Modern Hebrew II
Selected short stories, drama and novellas, adapted and abridged but maintaining the literary cohesion and flavor of the original pieces, starting from the "Revival" period. Emphasis on Israeli literature. Prerequisite: HEBREW 240 or 246 or consent of instructor.

361 Modern Hebrew Literature I
Introduction to the modern Hebrew short story and to modern Hebrew poetry starting from the "Revival" period, with a concentration on Israeli short stories. Some Israeli nonfiction (satire, journalistic writing, etc.). Videotapes introducing Hebrew literary works and Israeli culture. Prerequisite: HEBREW 240 or 246 or consent of instructor.

362 Modern Hebrew Literature II
Gradual introduction to literary forms other than short stories and poems, particularly novels and drama. Some readings from the "Revival" period; mostly more recent Israeli novelists and playwrights. Selected nonfiction pieces (satire, journalistic writing, etc.). Videotapes introducing Hebrew literary works and Israeli culture. Prerequisite: HEBREW 240 or 246 or consent of instructor.

398 Practicum ( 1-12 credits)
For advanced students in Hebrew. Application of knowledge of the language to a teaching or tutoring situation. Student submits proposal of project to instructor, and supplies weekly lesson plans and lesson evaluations. Summary report and evaluation of the project required at end of semester. Consent of instructor required.

411 Hebrew Linguistics
Introduction to major topics in Hebrew linguistics: concentration on Modern Hebrew phonology and morphology. Prerequisite: 3 years of Hebrew, Modern or Biblical or introductory linguistics, or consent of instructor.

Yiddish

101 Elementary Yiddish
Introduction to reading, writing, and speaking Yiddish as a step toward understanding the Eastern European Jewish cultural legacy. For beginning students with no prior knowledge of the language.

102 Elementary Yiddish II
Continuation of YIDDISH 101. Prerequisite: YIDDISH 101 or consent of instructor.

197A Introduction to Yiddish
An introduction to traditional East European Jewish folk culture through the medium of the Yiddish language. The course is designed to enable students to begin reading Yiddish literature (with a dictionary) and is not intended as an introduction to conversational Yiddish. Course materials include an outline of Yiddish grammar and annotated selections from Itsik Manger's witty retelling of Bible stories, Khumesh-lider. The Manger poems will provide both practice in reading Yiddish and material illustrating facets of East European Jewish culture.

397A Readings in Yiddish Literature and Culture
An introduction to Yiddish literature with readings in English of selections from Yiddish prose, poetry, and non-fiction. Focus primarily on cultural analysis and only secondarily on literary analysis. Students with a knowledge of Yiddish may do some of the reading in the original in an associated Independent Study.