BAJS Bulletin 2010 Exciting times for the environment like that at Queen Leo Baeck Institute Mary has to offer. Although Contents there have always been scholars with an interest in Jewish Stu- Exciting times lie ahead for 1 News dies or related topics at Queen the Leo Baeck Institute. As many 4 BAJS Conference 2010 Mary, the college has in the past readers will know, both the 8 BAJS Committee hardly been associated with Wiener Library and the Leo 9 Survey of Jewish Studies Jewish Studies, a state of affairs Baeck Institute are due to leave (and related) courses that is now set to change. This their long-standing domicile on 46 Ongoing doctoral research change is perhaps epitomized by Devonshire Street in 2011. The 49 Members’ recent the introduction of the Leo Wiener Library will be moving publications Baeck MA in European Jewish to 29 Russell Square and co- 53 Reviews History. operating closely with Birkbeck College and its newly estab-

lished Pears Institute for the

Study of Antisemitism under the

directorship of David Feldman. The British Association for If the Wiener Library is reloca- Jewish Studies (BAJS) was foun- ting within central London, the ded in 1975 as a learned society Leo Baeck Institute is going and professional organization slightly (though indeed only on a non-profit-making basis. Its slightly) further afield. Hope- aims are to nurture, cultivate fully from the spring of 2011, and advance the teaching and the institute’s new home will be research in Jewish culture and in the new humanities building history in all its aspects within Well known to many but soon Higher Education in the British currently being erected as part to be a thing of the past: of the Queen Mary (University of the current site in Devonshire Street Isles. London) campus on Mile End (© C J Photography)

Road. Daniel Wildmann, the Contact: institute’s deputy-director, was Both Wildmann and Gross

kind enough to speak to me both now hold part-time appoint- BAJS Secretariat about the exciting prospects ments in the history department Lars Fischer at Queen Mary. While Gross will CJCR that lie ahead for the institute and about his own research. mainly be focusing on the su- Wesley House Along with Raphael Gross, pervision of research students, Jesus Lane the director, and their collea- Wildmann will play a key role in Cambridge CB5 8BJ gues on the Board of the Leo the consolidation of this MA

Baeck Institute, Wildmann looks programme. It will combine de- [email protected] forward to combining the best dicated new courses in the field of both worlds: the indepen- of modern Jewish history and If you have not already done so, dence of a dedicated and well culture with a broad range of please sign up to the BAJS established specialist institute other relevant modules that Miri website! with the wealth of stimulation Rubin, Christina von Hodenberg, and opportunities that a thriving Mark Glancy and others have http://britishjewishstudies.org and multidisciplinary university already been offering to stu-

BAJS Bulletin 2010· 1

News dents on other MA program- gymnastic associations to scruti- The institute and the depart- mes, and allow students to com- nize notions of Jewish identity ment were able to advertise two bine their historical studies in and strategies pursued by Jews studentships for the forthco- the narrower sense of the word in late Imperial Germany in ming academic year and Wild- with perspectives on literature their search for self-affirmation. mann and Gross are optimistic and film. He has also co-authored a volu- that the programme will come Wildmann himself is a me on the links between the to recruit a steady intake of historian and film scholar edu- Swiss chemical and pharmaceu- somewhere between five and cated in Switzerland and Germa- tical industry and Nazi Germany. ten students. Wildmann has also ny. Before joining the institute His current research project been teaching twentieth-century as its deputy director in 2006, carries the title, The history of German history to undergradua- he held appointments with the visual expressions of antisemi- tes in the history department at Independent Commission of tism, emotions and morality. This Queen Mary, an experience he Experts: Switzerland – Second is a project run jointly with has found both challenging and World War (Bergier Commis- Werner Konitzer of the Fritz rewarding. sion) and the Centre for the Bauer Institut in Frankfurt The move to Mile End will Study of Antisemitism at the TU (Main). It is based on the insight place the institute at the heart of

Berlin. that visual media play a central one of the most important for- role in the communication of mer centres of Jewish settle- moral standards and an indivi- ment in the UK (though not, of dual’s self image in general, and course, of German-Jewish settle- Historian the formulation of antisemitic ment) and allow it to benefit and film narratives in particular. Yet pic- from close cooperation with scholar: tures per se do not trigger Queen Mary, both of which will LBI deputy emotions or feelings. They inter- undoubtedly be reinvigorating. director act with the viewer’s mental Yet there is one potential flie in Daniel predispositions and quite how the ointment. Is there not a risk Wildmann this works, Wildmann argues that the institute’s traditional with evident passion, is a quest- and traditionally very loyal While his first book, Be- ion that deserves much more following will find the location gehrte Körper (Desired Bodies, careful attention than it has at Mile End rather less amenable 1998), focused on Leni Riefen- hitherto received. than the previous site on Devon- stahl’s Olympia and the 1936 Given Wildmann’s strong shire Street? Olympic Games, analyzing how interest in visual material in Wildmann and Gross are the ‘Aryan’ male body was general and film in particular, it optimistic. They assume that presented and juxtaposed to the is little wonder that he is so some of the institute’s showcase image of the ‘Jewish’ body, his eager to ensure that both litera- events will in any case continue most recent monograph, Der ture and film feature prominent- to take place in central London veränderbare Körper (The Alter- ly in the programme available to but rather more importantly, able Body, 2009), looked at the students on the Leo Baeck MA in Wildmann and his colleagues ideas and practices of Jewish European Jewish History. are confident that the raised profile and vibrancy resulting from the cooperation with Queen Mary will more than compensate for the convenience of the current location.

Design of the new humanities building on Mile End Road where the Leo Baeck Institute will be located from 2011 (courtesy of Wilkinson Eyre Architects)

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 2 News

Sixth-Form Conference students from four local schools nation’ by Hannah Ewence and at the Parkes Institute (Tauntons’ College, Barton ‘Poetry and Cultural Studies: Peveril College, St Anne’s Con- Over the Moon’ by Meike Following a proposal made vent School, and King Edward VI Reintjes. at the AGM during the Man- School), together with their tea- chester BAJS Conference (July chers. There was an overwhel- 2008), BAJS member Dr Helen ming response from students Spurling (Ian Karten Outreach and teachers in favour of run- Officer in the Parkes Institute ning the sixth-form conference for the Study of Jewish/non- again next year. We also hope to Jewish Relations at the Univer- run larger-scale events jointly sity of Southampton) led a very with BAJS members at other successful one-day sixth-form institutions in the future. conference, with the overall aim of getting students studying Helen Spurling reports: A lively event. BAJS President Sarah History, Religious Studies, and Pearce standing on the right Literature to think about apply- On 12 July 2010 we held a ing for Jewish Studies or related sixth-form conference on ‘The It is hoped that the subjects at University. Relationship between Cultures’. enthusiasm that the speakers This one-day event included showed for their subjects en- introductory talks on Jewish couraged the same interest in Studies and Jewish/non-Jewish scholarship amongst those Relations from the perspective students who took part. The of several different disciplines students enjoyed the event. One within the Humanities. The con- of them said, “I have more of an ference aimed to raise aware- interest now in Jewish History, I ness of Jewish Studies as a hadn’t thought about it before”. subject of study and to show the Another explained that the benefits of an interdisciplinary event “allowed me to see the approach to Humanities sub- different aspects from which a jects, as well as providing an topic can be studied and insight into the academic side of interpreted.” university life. Talks by Parkes Institute staff and doctoral students included ‘What is Juda- ism and Jewishness’ by Helen

Spurling, ‘The Holocaust: A Way Helen Spurling (on the right) of Looking’ by Jaime Ashworth, speaking to participants ‘A Clash of Cultures? Rome and the Jewish War’ by Chris Fuller, The event was funded by the ‘Studying Jewish/non-Jewish UK Student Recruitment and Relations: Some examples of Outreach Office and the Parkes Jewish Life in Britain as seen on Students in animated debate Institute, both of the University TV’ by James Jordan, ‘Sensatio- of Southampton. Overall, the nalising Difference: Dracula, event attracted 25 sixth-form Alien Jews and the British Imagi-

Further research modern critical editions, with significance of these works will grant for Sacha Stern’s text, translation, and commen- be assessed in relation to tary, of three early 12th-century medieval Hebrew literature, Calendar project Hebrew works on the Jewish medieval science and astrono- calendar: the Sifrei ha-‘Ibbur of my, and other medieval works Sacha Stern (UCL) is hea- R. Abraham b. Hiyya, R. Abra- on Jewish and non-Jewish calen- ding a 4 ½-year major research ham ibn Ezra, and R. Jacob b. dars. project, funded by the AHRC, Samson. Manuscripts will be This project brings together entitled ‘Medieval Monographs used both as text witnesses and a multi-disciplinary team of two on the Jewish Calendar’ (started as evidence of the transmission Postdoctoral Research Associa- in October 2008). The objectives of these works in the medieval tes with expertise in text edition of the project are to produce and later periods. The broader (Dr Israel Sandman) and medie-

BAJS Bulletin 2010· 3

News val mathematics (Dr Ilana War- attention to al-Biruni’s Chrono- Jewish Studies, UCL. My imme- tenberg), complementing Sacha logy of the Ancient Nations. The diate objective in Berlin will be Stern’s own expertise in the project is led by Sacha Stern (as to establish a research team Jewish calendar. The project Principal Investigator) and studying ancient Babylonian also includes a PhD student, François de Blois (as Project medicine, both in cuneiform tab- Kineret Sittig, who is preparing Researcher), a distinguished lets and in the Babylonian Tal- an edition of the Iggeret ha- scholar who has already made a mud. Shabbat of R. Abraham ibn Ezra. substantial contribution to the study of al-Biruni and of Islamic and Iranian calendars. Plans are being made to expand the project to the study of other medieval texts and manuscripts on the Jewish calendar, in particular from the

Christian perspective, through Mark Geller further fundraising and recruit- (UCL, now FU Berlin) ment of expert researchers.

We have already organised a

joint Babylonian Talmud semi-

Sacha Stern (UCL) nar with Tal Ilan (Judaistik) and Mark Geller in Berlin Maria Macuch (Iranistik), which A further, related research Mark Geller writes will be continuing in future. A project entitled ‘the Jewish Junior Professor will also be Calendar in Early Islamic I have been appointed as appointed in the field of Sources’, funded by the Lever- Gastprofessor für Wissensge- Hebrew-Arabic science, and hulme Trust, has started in May schichte at the Freie Universität, students are encouraged to 2010 for a two-year period. Its Berlin, as part of the Topoi apply to the Topoi Excellence purpose is to survey, edit, and Excellence Cluster, for a 5-year Cluster, to join us in Berlin and interpret Islamic writings on the period, during which time I am participate in these exciting new Jewish calendar from the 9th to officially on secondment from initiatives. 11th centuries, with particular the Department of Hebrew and

35th Annual Conference of the British DRAFT PROGRAMME (updated 16 August) Association for Jewish Studies at the Parkes Institute for the Study of Venue for all panels: the Hartley Library, Jewish/non-Jewish Relations University of Southampton, University Road, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ. University of Southampton (5–7 September 2010) SUNDAY, 5 September 10.00 onwards Check in to accommodation at Glen Eyre Halls.

11.00 onwards Registration in the Hartley Library, Entrance Hall. Once registered, delegates will need to show their registration badges to gain access to the Library.

12.00 BAJS Committee Meeting [Parkes Library, Hartley Library Level 4]

12.00–2.00 Lunch available (sandwiches) [Library Staff Room, Hartley Library Level 4]

‘The Image and the Prohibition of the 1.00 Annual General Meeting for members of Image in Judaism’ the British Association for Jewish Studies

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 4 BAJS Conference 2010

SUNDAY, 5 September Sunday 2.1 Chair: Charlotte Hempel (Birmingham) [Archives Reading Room, Hartley Library, Level 4] 2.00–2.45 [Nuffield Lecture Theatre A] Melissa Raphael-Levine (Gloucestershire), 5.00 Philip Alexander (Manchester), ‘Word ‘Revelation, incarnation and the imaging versus image as ways of mediating the of Jewish sacred history as divine glory danced’ divine presence in early Judaism’ Chair: Sarah Pearce (Southampton) 5.30 Helen Spurling (Southampton), ‘The image of God in late antique apocalyptic literature’ 3.00–4.30 Parallel Sessions (1) 6.00 Israel M. Sandman (UCL), ‘Christian models, particulars of Jewish Sunday 1.1 Chair: Tessa Rajak (Oxford) reinterpretations, and specific Jewish [Hartley Library, Archives Reading Room, Level 4] texts: beyond the generic’

3.00 James Aitken (Cambridge), ‘The vanity of Sunday 2.2 Chair: Lars Fischer (CJCR) idols according to the Septuagint’ [Hartley Library, CETL Room 508, Level 5] 3.30 Jane Heath (Aberdeen), ‘Greek and Jewish visual piety in the Letter of Aristeas’ 5.00 Leena Petersen (Sussex), ‘On aniconism 4.00 Sarah Pearce (Southampton), ‘Philo and and negative aesthetics in German-Jewish the Second Commandment’ thought in the nineteenth/twentieth centuries’ Sunday 1.2 Chair: François Guesnet (UCL) 5.30 Alana Vincent (Swedish Theological [Hartley Library, CETL Room 508, Level 5] Institute, Jerusalem), ‘A theology of the graven image: the work of art in Benjamin 3.00 Maria Diemling (Canterbury Christ and Arendt’ Church), ‘Navigating Christian space: 6.00 Tzahi Weiss (Divinity School, early modern Jews and Christian images’ Chicago/Shalem Center, Jerusalem), ‘The 3.30 Kathy Aron-Beller (Gratz College of Jewish literary depiction of the figurative image Studies, Philadelphia), ‘Between of God in S.Y. Agnon’s oeuvre’ allegation and reality: image desecration charges against Jews in seventeenth- Sunday 2.3 Chair: Hannah Ewence (Southampton) century Modena’ [Hartley Library Conference Room, Level 4] 4.00 Ariel Hessayon (Goldsmiths), ‘Representations of Jewishness in early 5.00 Claudia Sternberg (Leeds), ‘Jewish modern western Europe’ representation in British cinema/Jewish cinema in Britain/British Jewish cinema’ Sunday 1.3 Chair: Tbc 5.30 Diana Popescu (Southampton), ‘The [Hartley Library Conference Room, Level 4] Holocaust and the Educational Function of Your Coloring Book, a Wandering 3.00 Aaron Rosen (Oxford), ‘Abraham and the Installation at the Israel Museum, 1997’ hospitality of images’ 6.00 Tony Kushner (Southampton), ‘Exodus 3.30 Naftali Loewenthal (UCL), ‘Art and ethos: 1947: “Illegal” movement of the people’ on the emergence of “Hasidic Art” and “Hasidic Artists”’ 6.30–7.20 Drinks reception hosted by the Special 4.00 Joseph Isaac Lifshitz (Shalem Center, Collections, University of Southampton, to Jerusalem), ‘The corporealists and the celebrate the opening of a special Exhibition dialectic of the perception of God’ celebrating twenty years of the ‘Anglo-Jewish Archives’ at the University of Southampton. 4.30–5.00 Refreshments [Special Collections Gallery Exhibition Corridor, [Special Collections Gallery Exhibition Corridor, Hartley Library, Level 4] Hartley Library, Level 4] 7.30–8.30 Dinner [Hartley Suite] 5.00–6.30 Parallel Sessions (2) 8.30–9.30 Todd Endelman (Michigan), ‘The pursuit of aestheticism and the flight from Jewishness’ Chair: Tony Kushner (Southampton)

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BAJS Conference 2010

MONDAY, 6 September Monday 4.1 Chair: Martin Goodman (Oxford) [Archives Reading Room, Hartley Library, Level 4] 8.00–8.30 Breakfast for residential delegates (Glen Eyre Halls) ‘Toleration of variety within Judaism’ (Leverhulme Project on ‘Toleration of variant 8.30 onwards Hartley Library open to practice and theology within Judaism since 200 delegates BCE’)

11.00 Joseph David (Oxford), ‘Pluralizing and 9.00–10.30 Parallel Sessions (3) unifying the Halakhah from the Talmud to Maimonides’ Monday 3.1 Chair: Alison Salvesen (Oxford) 11.20 Simon Levis Sullam (Oxford), ‘The Paris [Archives Reading Room, Hartley Library, Level 4] Sanhedrin (1807): Ruling Toleration?’ 11.40 Corinna Kaiser (Oxford), ‘Islets of 9.00 Tessa Rajak (Oxford), ‘The Jews of Dura Toleration among the Jews of Curacao’ and their paintings’ 12.00 Martin Goodman (Oxford): Chair, 9.30 Sacha Stern (UCL), ‘Pagan images in late Roundtable Discussion antique Palestinian synagogues’ 10.00 Margaret Williams (Open), ‘Symbol and Monday 4.2 Chair: Tim Bergfelder (Southampton) text in the Jewish inscriptions of late [Hartley Library, CETL Room 508, Level 5] ancient Rome’ 11.00 Nathan Abrams and Isamar Carrillo Monday 3.2 Chair: Irene Zwiep (Amsterdam) Masso (Bangor), ‘The pixelated Jew: [Hartley Library, CETL Room 508, Level 5] exploring images of Jewishness in video games’ 9.00 Patrick Koch (Hebrew University, 12.00 Clare Reed (Reading), ‘American Jews on Jerusalem), ‘Approaching the divine by film: the representation and Imitatio Dei: Rabbi Moshe Cordovero’s reproduction of Jewish culture’ concept of Zelem in his Tomer Devorah’ 9.30 Olga Karaskova (St Petersburg), ‘A Monday 4.3 Chair: Jan Lanicek (Southampton) hidden deer and a crowned lion: [Hartley Library Conference Room, Level 4] rabbinical reaction on the usage of heraldry among Jews in the sixteenth 11.00 Tim Grady (Chester), ‘Memorialising the century’ German-Jewish soldier in stone and 10.00 Bracha Yaniv (Bar-Ilan), ‘The print’ legitimization of prohibited images on 11.30 Anne Lloyd (Southampton), ‘Confronting the Torah Ark in Eighteenth-century the military stereotype: the Jewish Eastern Europe’ soldier and the British Army’ 12.00 Edward Marshall (Royal Holloway), ‘“Are Monday 3.3 Chair: Andrea Reiter (Southampton) you English or do you live in Brighton?” Jewish representation on the British 9.00 Isabel Wollaston (Birmingham), ‘On stage during the Great War’ representing and re-representing the pain of others: the absent, the partial and 12.30–1.30 Lunch [Hartley Suite] the iconic in the visual representation of the Holocaust’ 9.30 Eric Jacobson (Roehampton), ‘The role of 1.30–2.30 Zeev Weiss (Hebrew University, the past in the visual culture of Judaism’ Jerusalem), ‘Figurative images in urban Jewish 10.00 Rosa Reicher (Heidelberg), ‘Visualisation Galilee’ of Holocaust commemoration in the Chair: Dan Levene (Southampton) context of cultural industries in Britain’ [Nuffield Lecture Theatre A]

10.30–11.00 Refreshments 2.30–3.00 Refreshments

11.00–12.30 Parallel Sessions (4) 3.00–4.30 Parallel Sessions (5)

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 6 BAJS Conference 2010

Monday 5.1 Chair: Helen Spurling (Southampton) TUESDAY, 7 September [Archives Reading Room, Hartley Library, Level 4] 8.00–8.30 Breakfast for residential delegates 3.00 Sandra Jacobs (UCL), ‘The image of the (Glen Eyre Halls) rainbow and the prohibition of gazing’ 3.30 Hedva Rosen (Manchester), ‘The 8.30 onwards Hartley Library open to prevalence of the image prohibition in the delegates Mekhilta de-Rabbi Ishmael’ 4.00 Emeze Kozma (Budapest), "Image and 9.00–10.30 Parallel Sessions (6) prohibition of image: the Unique Cherub in the 'Psak ha-Yirah we-ha-Emunah.'" Tuesday 6.1 Chair: Sarah Pearce (Southampton) Monday 5.2 Chair: Alana Vincent (Swedish [Archives Reading Room, Hartley Library, Level 4] Theological Institute, Jerusalem) [Hartley Library, CETL Room 508, Level 5] 9.00 Hugh Williamson (Oxford), ‘Was there an image of the deity in the First Temple?’ 3.00 Miri Freud-Kandel (Oxford), ‘The image of 9.30 Laliv Clenman (Leo Baeck College), ‘The “Torah min hashamayim in the thought of faceless idol and images of terror: the Louis Jacobs’ erasure and creation of images in two 3.30 Devorah Baum (Southampton), ‘Touching competing rabbinic traditions on Molekh the void’ worship’ 4.00 Daniel Weiss (Cambridge), ‘Equality or 10.00 Garth Gilmour (Oxford), ‘Iconism and infinity? “The image of God” in classical aniconism in the period of the monarchy: Rabbinic literature and in the thought of a new pictorial inscription from Hermann Cohen’ Jerusalem’

Monday 5.3 Chair: Kathrin Pieren (IHR) Tuesday 6.2 Chair: Joachim Schlör (Southampton) [Hartley Library Conference Room, Level 4] [Hartley Library, CETL Room 508, Level 5]

3.00 Jan Lanicek (Southampton), ‘Oh yes, but 9.00 Hannah Ewence (Southampton), ‘The Jew he is still Jewish!’ Perception of the Jews within the eruv: contesting the public by the Czechoslovak government-in-exile face and private space of British Jewry’ during World War 2’ 9.30 Chris Penfold (Southampton), 3.30 James Jordan (Southampton), ‘Images of ‘Conspicuous by its absence: the handling the other: men seeking God and the of Jewishness in Auschwitz (Svilova, representation of Judaism in 1950s 1945)’ British television’ 10.00 Frances Mary Williams (Edinburgh), 4.00 François Guesnet (UCL), ‘Images of ‘Seeking perfection. The renovation of community, imaging community: the the Kindertransportees’ iconography of the Montefiore testimonials’ Tuesday 6.3 Chair: Zuleika Rodgers (Trinity College, Dublin) [Hartley Library Conference Room, Level 4] 4.30–5.00 Refreshments 9.00 Lars Fischer (CJCR), ‘Adorno and the 5.00–6.00 Sander Gilman (Emory), prohibition of the image: the case of ‘When did the Jews become funny? music’ A new debate about the limits of representation 9.30 Eva-Maria Ziege (CJCR), ‘Antisemitism after 9/11 or an older problem?’ and the prohibition of the image in Chair: Tim Bergfelder (Southampton) Judaism in the writings of Freud and [Nuffield Lecture Theatre A] Adorno’ 10.00 Bruce Kaplan (Cambridge, MA), ‘Antisemitism: it all comes back to the 6.00 onwards (until midnight) Bar Second Commandment’ [Hartley Suite]

7.30 Conference Dinner [Hartley Suite] 10.30–11.00 Refreshments

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BAJS Conference 2010

11.00-11.45 Irene Zwiep (Amsterdam), Tuesday 7.3 Chair: Isabel Wollaston ‘Wissenschaft des Judentums and the visual’ (Birmingham) Chair: Joachim Schlör (Southampton) [Hartley Library Conference Room, Level 4] [Nuffield Lecture Theatre A] 12.00 Giulia Miller (Cambridge), ‘Ari Folman’s other war: animating and erasing the 12.00–1.30 Parallel Sessions (7) Holocaust in Waltz with Bashir’ 12.30 Shirli Gilbert (Southampton), Tuesday 7.1 Chair: James Aitken (Cambridge) ‘Representations of Anne Frank in [Archives Reading Room, Hartley Library, Level 4] apartheid South Africa’ 12.00 Timothy Lim (Edinburgh), ‘The 1.00 Sara Zalcberg (Hebrew University, defilement of the hands as a canonical Jerusalem), ‘“Youths grow up with the principle’ cognition of being terrible sinners and 12.30 Markus Bockmuehl (Oxford), ‘Qumran transgressors”: Negative images of and the Rabbis on creatio ex nihilo’ “body” and “sexuality” in Haredi society’ 1.00 Aron Sterk (Manchester), ‘The Epistola ad Senecam: an early fifth-century Latin 1.30–2.30 Lunch [Hartley Suite] Jewish critique of idolatry in dialogue with late pagan philosophy?’ 2.30–4.30 ‘Jewish Southampton’: tour to be led by Tony Kushner, Parkes Institute, University Tuesday 7.2 Chair: James Jordan (Southampton) of Southampton [Hartley Library, CETL Room 508, Level 5] Jews have been present in Southampton since 12.00 Claire Le Foll (Southampton), ‘The image medieval times. This tour – part mini bus, part of the Jews in Belorussian Soviet cinema, walking – will take in the early Victorian Jewish 1924–1936’ cemetery and the city centre. Through these sites 12.30 Brian Klug (Oxford), 'The Shadows in the importance of Southampton for both Jewish Plato's Cave and the Molten Calf at Sinai: settlement and transmigrancy will be explored. A juxtaposition' Using the built heritage and testimony, it will show 1.00 Laurent Mignon (Oxford), ‘Picturing the the fascinating but neglected history of the city’s unwritten: the poetry and paintings of Jews taking in religion and secular life and stories Josef Habib Gerez’ from Benny Hill through to the Titanic.

BAJS Committee PRESIDENT and CONFERENCE 2010 ORGANISER: Dr Sarah Pearce (till 2013): History, School of Humanities,

University of Southampton, Southampton, S017 1BJ. Email: [email protected]

TREASURER: Dr Jim Aitken: Faculty of Divinity, West Road, Cambridge CB3 9BS. Email: [email protected]

SECRETARY and BULLETIN EDITOR: Dr Lars Fischer: CJCR, Wesley House, Jesus Lane, Cambridge CB5 8BJ.

Email: [email protected]

WEB OFFICER: Dr Hannah Holtschneider: School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh, New College, Mound Place,

Edinburgh, EH1 2LX. Email: [email protected]

Dr Daniel Langton (until 2015): Centre for Jewish Studies, Department of Religions & Theology,

University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL. Email: [email protected]

Prof. Seth Kunin (ex-president: until 2011): Dean’s Office, South Lodge, Science Laboratories, University of Durham,

South Road, Durham DH1 3LE. Email: [email protected]

Dr Alison Salvesen (until 2014, president-elect 2011): The Oriental Institute, University of Oxford, Pusey Lane, Oxford,

OX1 2LE. Email: [email protected]

Prof. Larry Ray (until 2015, president-elect), School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research,

The University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NZ. Email: [email protected]

Dr Dan Levene (until 2012): Department of History, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ.

Email: [email protected]

Dr Maria Diemling (until 2010): Department of Theology and Religious Studies, Canterbury Christ Church University,

North Holmes Road, Canterbury CT1 1QU. Email: [email protected]

Prof. Joachim Schlör (until 2011): University of Southampton, Parkes Institute, Dept of History, Southampton,

SO17 1BJ. Email: [email protected]

François Guesnet (until 2015), Department of Hebrew & Jewish Studies, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT. Email: [email protected]

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 8 Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010

University of Aberdeen The Study of the Hebrew Bible (Joachim School of Divinity, History and Philosophy Schaper, [email protected]) Website: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/sdhp/ The course will sketch recent developments in the School of Divinity, History and Philosophy, King’s study of the Hebrew Bible (history of ancient College, University of Aberdeen, Israel, Pentateuch Studies and exegetical Aberdeen AB24 3UB, UK. T 0044 1224 272380, F methodology, anthropology and its use in Hebrew 0044 1224 273750. Bible research, and Septuagint studies – inasmuch as the latter are relevant to the study of the UNDERGRADUATE Hebrew Bible). Students will be enabled to acquire a substantial knowledge of one of the key areas of Hebrew Language I (Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer, Jewish Studies, thus laying the foundations for a [email protected]) deepened understanding of the biblical basis of Jewish religion and culture. This course is designed to equip students with knowledge of basic Hebrew grammar and Rabbinics and Jewish Philosophy (Robert vocabulary. Plant, [email protected]; Joachim Schaper, Hebrew Language II (Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer, [email protected]; Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer, [email protected]) [email protected]) This course is the second part of a two-course This course aims to lay a foundation of knowledge sequence. With the completion of these two in the areas of Rabbinics and Jewish philosophy courses, a student can expect to read most prose and to explore the interaction between the two. sections of the Hebrew Bible with the use of a standard lexicon. Introducing to the History of Ancient Israel Bangor University (Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2DG, UK. T 0044 1248 [email protected]) 351151. Exegesis of Texts from the Hebrew Bible (Kenneth Aitken, [email protected]) Jews on Screen (Nathan Abrams, Film Comparative Semitic Languages Studies, [email protected]) (Kenneth Aitken, [email protected]) This module will seek to introduce students to the history of the representation of Jews and Judaism Contemporary Issues in the Study of the on screen. It will show how these have changed Hebrew Bible over time and vary according to not only national (Joachim Schaper, [email protected]) context but also to the specific medium involved whether film or television. These representations will also be examined from a variety of theoretical GRADUATE angles such as gender, race/ethnicity, queer theory, and cultural theory. MLitt Jewish Studies Theology and Religious Studies Introductory Modern Hebrew (Lena-Sofia (http://www.bangor.ac.uk/trs/)1 Tiemeyer, [email protected]) The course will cover the basic structure of Judaism: Thought and Practice (Gareth Modern Hebrew, expressed through speaking, Lloyd Jones, [email protected]) reading and writing. The module will cover selected topics relating to Intermediate Modern Hebrew (Lena-Sofia the religion and history of the Jews during the past Tiemeyer, [email protected]) 2000 years. Beginning with the destruction of the The course will cover the basic structure of Temple in AD 70, the course will touch upon Modern Hebrew, expressed through speaking, literature, liturgy, biblical exegesis, mysticism, reading and writing. It will build on the knowledge philosophy, Zionism, and Reform Judaism. The acquired in Introductory Modern Hebrew. final section will be devoted to Jewish reactions to Jewish History and Culture (Joachim the Holocaust. Schaper, [email protected] et al.) This course is designed to provide a firm basic knowledge of Jewish history and culture, starting 1 As some colleagues will probably already have from the Second Temple period and leading up to heard, Theology and Religious Studies are being the present day. concentrated at the newly merged University of Wales: Trinity St David and will be phased out in Bangor over the next three years.

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 9

Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010

The Church and the Jews University of Sussex (Gareth Lloyd Jones, [email protected]) University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QN Students will be introduced to Christian-Jewish relations from both the historical and the theology- UNDERGRADUATE cal standpoints. Significant periods, such as the Early Church, the High Middle Ages, the Reforma- European Modernity and the Jews: tion and the twentieth century will be examined. Literature, Culture, Thought (1770–2005) The attitudes of significant individuals such as (Dr Alistair Davies, English, Augustine, Chrysostom and Luther will be dis- cussed. Relevant biblical texts will be studied. [email protected]; Dr Margarete Teaching Judaism and Islam (William Kay, Kohlenbach, English, [email protected]) [email protected]) This module aims to explore the nature and You will explore a variety of literary and intellec- significance of Islam or Judaism in their historical tual responses to the problem of Jewish identity and contemporary settings; develop an understan- and otherness in different west European societies, ding of the place of teaching about Islam or and at different historical moments between the Judaism within the curriculum of a church Enlightenment and the present day. We will exa- school; provide an opportunity for students to mine the Jews’ position at the cultural centres and examine critically a range of methodologies and social margins of European modernity, and analyse resources. the functions that configurations of ‘the Jew’ as- sume for non-Jewish writers and, more generally, for the majority cultures in Great Britain, France and Germany. The work during the Summer Term Queen’s University Belfast will be devoted to literary and theoretical reflec- Website: http://www.qub.ac.uk/ tions upon the Holocaust and to present-day Jew- University Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland BT7 ish writing. By the end of the course, you should be 1NN, UK. T 0044 28 90245133. familiar with some of the central problems of European modernisation and able to use key con- The Jewish Background to Christianity cepts – like Judaism, modernity, Jewish emancipa- (John Curran, Ancient History, tion, tolerance, acculturation, anti-Semitism, Zio- [email protected]) nism – in a knowledgeable and thoughtful manner. This course entails a survey and analysis of the 1938: ‘Kristallnacht’ (Lucy Robinson, emergence of Christian ideas from within the History, [email protected]) social, political and cultural institutions of ancient The so-called ‘Kristallnacht’ can be understood as a Judaism. Students examine the state and credibility violent rehearsal for the Holocaust which Nazi of the available evidence, assess the significant Germany started three years later. It also marks historical themes in Jewish society of the period the end of over a century of a prolific and (mostly) c.164 BC to AD 70, and probe the appearance and peaceful coexistence between Jews and Christian character of early Christianity. non-Jews. The history of their mutual relation since the early nineteenth century is the subject of this course. It focuses on the complex processes of University of Birmingham political emancipation, of social integration, and of The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, cultural adaptation through which Jews became an Birmingham B15 2TT integral part of the German political, social and cultural life. The course should enable students to UNDERGRADUATE appreciate this history of Jewish/non-Jewish relations in its richness, alongside its problematic Hebrew II (Charlotte Hempel, aspects leading up to 1938. [email protected]) 1942: Holocaust (Eugene Michail, History, This module enables students to develop a more [email protected]; Lucy Robinson, advanced grammatical knowledge of biblical History, [email protected]) Hebrew and gives them the opportunity to read This course offers an opportunity to study the and discuss the meaning of selected Old Testament attempt by the Nazis to create a ‘Master Race’ by texts. exterminating the Jews of Europe and targeting Introduction to the Hebrew Bible (Charlotte other groups – including gay people, Gypsies and Hempel, [email protected]) people with disabilities – for discrimination and death. Studying how it happened will inevitably

raise many questions about why it happened. The course will pay close attention to how it was

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 10 Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010 possible for such a plan of mass murder to be cuss textual sources that have an affinity with the carried out so effectively in such a short time; a appropriate mandatory unit in order to deepen plan which relied on the active involvement of their understanding and to develop their skills in many people and the acquiescence of even more. seminar work. The primary aim of these units is to help students to acquire skills in presenting semi- nar papers and contributing to seminar discus- University of Bristol sions; for this reason the text that is studied is less Department of Theology and Religious studies important than the acquisition of skills. Website http://www.bristol.ac.uk/thrs/ Department of Theology and Religious Studies, The Resurgence of Antisemitism in the University of Bristol, 3 Woodland Road, Clifton, 21st Century (Jonathan Campbell, Bristol BS8 1TB, UK. T 0044 117 331 7932. [email protected]) In recent years, some have warned of the emer- Hebrew Texts (Jonathan Campbell, gence of a ‘New Antisemitism’, fuelled in part by [email protected]) speculation about a ‘Jewish lobby’ and portrayals This Unit will focus on a selection of passages from of the State of Israel in the media and academia, one of the most important and interesting books of which has resulted in verbal and physical attacks the Jewish Bible, namely, Deuteronomy. The pas- against Jewish persons and property in Europe. sages will be read in detail in Hebrew in class and Others have countered that the existence of such a students will be expected to have prepared the text ‘New Antisemitism’ is doubtful and, more particu- beforehand to facilitate this. There will also be larly, that simple opposition to ‘Zionism’ cannot consideration of the fascinating background of rightly be classed as antisemitic. After briefly Deuteronomy and its crucial place within the considering antisemitism through the ages, the history and religion of ancient Israel. Students ideology of the Zionist movement, and the history must do some preparatory reading before the Unit of the Arab-Israeli conflict by way of background, begins, as well as independent background reading this unit critically assesses arguments for and as the Unit progresses; further advice will be given against the existence of such a ‘New Antisemitism’. in due course. To that end, it concentrates on recent British and Judaism and Christianity (Jonathan European discourse about the Jews, Judaism, and Campbell, [email protected], Jon Israel in academia and the media, focusing on several specific examples that are subjected to a Balserak, [email protected]) critical close reading. This unit introduces students to Judaism and

Christianity and outlines major developments that have taken place over the centuries. Regarding Judaism, key historical periods (eg Second Temple), religious ideas (e.g. notion of Torah), and literary developments (eg publication of Talmud) Woolf Institute, Cambridge will be covered. Particular periods, ideas, and texts Wesley House, Jesus Lane, Cambridge CB5 8BJ, UK. will also be considered in more detail as a way of T 0044 1223 741 048. introducing students to critical issues and scholar- ly debates as a foundation for level-2 work. In re- Introduction to the Study of Jews, gard to Christianity, theology and history from the Christians and Muslims in Contemporary first century to the present will be discussed. To- Europe (Lars Fischer, [email protected], Lucia pics include the developments of theology from the Faltin, [email protected]) early Church; the Age of Constantine; medieval Focusing on the historical and cultural background religion; the Reformation; the Enlightenment on and issues of citizenship, this course will give you a Christian thought; theological liberalism; and deeper understanding of relations between Jews, trends in modern theology. In the case of major Christians and Muslims and their social and poli- topics that can be studied in more depth at levels 2 tical impact in contemporary Europe. You will take and 3, students are introduced to ongoing scholar- three modules (history, culture, citizenship) taught ly debates and reinterpretations. online at an academic level equivalent to that of Judaism Seminar (Bede Rowe) final-year undergraduate study. This is one of a series of optional seminar units loosely linked to the first-year mandatory lecture units (THRS11048 Judaism and Christianity, THRS11047 The Bible and Theology, THRS11049 Hinduism and Buddhism). Students are allocated to a small seminar group to read through and dis-

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 11

Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010

Centre for the Study of Jewish-Christian major characteristics of Muslim-Jewish encoun- Relations (Woolf Institute, Cambridge) ters, both in the past and the contemporary world, Website: http://www.woolf.cam.ac.uk/cjcr enabling them to become critical and informed interpreters of accounts of Muslim-Jewish rela- GRADUATE tions. As the course is taught online, access to a computer and the internet is a necessity. University of Cambridge MSt in the Study of Jewish-Christian Relations (Lars Fischer, Ed Kessler, Helen Spurling, University of Cambridge James Carleton-Paget et al.) The MSt is a two-year, part-time University of Faculty of Divinity Cambridge degree, offered by the CJCR in conjunc- Website: http://www.divinity.cam.ac.uk/ tion with the Divinity Faculty and the Institute of West Road, Cambridge, CB3 9BS, UK. Continuing Education. Committed to the highest Tel 0044 1223 763002, Fax 0044 1223 763003. academic standards, this rigorous scholarly pro- gramme offers a unique opportunity for students UNDERGRADUATE to familiarize themselves in depth with Jewish- Christian relations from a variety of disciplinary Elementary Hebrew (Hilary Marlow, perspectives (including history, sociology, political, [email protected]) cultural, and biblical studies) and acquire a Prescribed Texts: Genesis 37; 40-43; 45. The tea- Master’s degree from one of the world's foremost ching grammar used in this course is J. Weingreen, universities. The course is available residentially in A Practical Grammar for Classical Hebrew (OUP, Cambridge or via e-learning. Students may choose latest edition). Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew to spend part (or all) of their second year working Lexicon should be used by students from the end of on their dissertation at one of the Czech, German, the Lent term. Advice on the Hebrew text of the set or Polish universities with whom we already have, texts will be given in the Lent Term. The course is or are currently in the process of establishing, intended to familiarise students with the basic Erasmus agreements. grammatical forms (especially nouns and verbs) and vocabulary of Hebrew and to enable them to For administrative queries please contact Tina read and understand a straightforward prose Steiner, MSt Administrator: [email protected]; narrative text from the Bible, with and without For academic queries please contact Lars Fischer, vocalisation. To improve their grasp of the lan- Course Director: [email protected] guage students are given exercises in translation from English into Hebrew, but the main emphasis Centre for the Study of Muslim-Jewish falls on reading Hebrew text and translating it into Relations (Woolf Institute, Cambridge) English. Website: http://www.woolf.cam.ac.uk/cmcr Intermediate Hebrew (Graham Davies,

[email protected]) Studies in Islam, Judaism and Muslim- Prescribed Texts: Deuteronomy 5-15; Judges Jewish Relations. A University of Cambridge 13-16; Jonah; Job 1-2, 42.7-17. The study of the Institute of Continuing Education Certificate texts from Deuteronomy, Judges, Jonah and Job is of Continuing Education designed (apart from their intrinsic interest) to This Certificate provides an innovative programme lead students on to a fuller appreciation of the of study giving participants a grounding in Islam, syntax of prose texts (including the significance of Judaism and the critical study of Muslim-Jewish word order and the less common uses of the Relations. Students will be introduced to the major tenses of the verb). Throughout the course lectures characteristics of the Muslim-Jewish encounter, and private study are expected to be supplemen- both in the past and in the contemporary world. ted by fortnightly supervision work on translation The approach is multi-disciplinary with an empha- from English into Hebrew, which will be tested in sis on texts, theology, history and anthropology. the examination. The course is a unique opportunity for students to Advanced Hebrew (James Aitken, study for a qualification awarded by Cambridge [email protected]) University Institute of Continuing Education. Prescribed Texts: 2 Kings 18 and 19; Psalm 48; Isaiah 1:1–2:5; b) Psalms 8, 19, 22, 23, 24, 46, 51, An Introduction to Muslim-Jewish Rela- 74, 82, 91, 104, 145. The paper is concerned with a tions via e-learning selection of texts, and is designed (apart from their CMJR’s pioneering e-learning course in Muslim- intrinsic interest) to introduce students to the Jewish Relations introduces participants to the special features of poetic Hebrew (parallelism,

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 12 Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010 grammatical features, imagery) and also to text- them to respond with sensitivity and compassion critical and lexicographical problems of Hebrew to the horrendous crimes perpetrated in the heart generally. Throughout the course lectures and of Europe. In the Lent term, lecturers from outside private study are expected to be supplemented by the University contribute fully to the course, in- fortnightly supervision work on translation from cluding a witness account from an Auschwitz English into Hebrew, which will be tested in the survivor. Students will have the opportunity to see examination. The lectures will focus mainly on lin- documentaries and feature films related to the guistic aspects of the texts, but their theological Holocaust. and literary aspects will explored in two or three Life, Thought and Worship in Modern essays which students will write in the course of Judaism (Nicholas de Lange, the year. [email protected]) World Religions in Comparative Pers- This course introduces students to contemporary pective (Tim Winter, [email protected]) Judaism and gives them an insight into the de- The Jewish part of this course looks at the themes velopment of Modem Judaism by looking at the life of law and creation. and outlook of the Jewish communities both in One God? Hearing the Old Testament Britain and worldwide. It will demonstrate how (Hilary Marlow, [email protected]) Judaism relates to surrounding cultures and Belief in God as it is presented (‘heard’) in the Old especially how it has responded to the challenges Testament is fundamental to Judaism, Christianity of modernity. and Islam. The aim of the course is to consider Judaism II (Nicholas de Lange, aspects of the nature, origins and development of [email protected]) this belief, including its similarities and dissimilari- This course will consider the life, thought, and ties to other beliefs held in the historical environ- worship of medieval and modern Judaism. Pres- ment of the Old Testament, both in the surroun- cribed Topics: A. The Holy Land. B. The Theory and ding nations and in ancient Israel itself. It will Practice of Jewish Law. involve both the study and comparison of selected Poets, Prophets, Storytellers and Sages texts bearing on this theme from the Old Testa- (Graham Davies, [email protected]) ment and consideration of archaeological and tex- This paper will be concerned with the history of tual evidence from the ancient Near East. The in- the Old Testament period and with developments tention is to be both theological and rooted in the in its literature, theology, and religion, including, history of religion and literature. for those who wish, some study of Jewish The Literature, History and Theology Literature up to circa AD 100. Particular attention of the Exilic Age (Graham Davies, will be given to such topics as literary studies of [email protected]) Genesis and the books of Samuel; the Exodus The exilic age has long been regarded in scholar- narrative; the development of law in Exodus ship as a watershed for the faith of Israel, with im- 20-23, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy; Psalms, Pro- portant theological understandings formulated in verbs, and Ecclesiastes; prophecy to the end of the this period. This course seeks to give a thorough eighth century (especially Amos, Hosea, and Isaiah understanding of the literature, history and theo- 1-39); Haggai, Zechariah, and Isaiah 56-66; the logy of the period leading up to the Exile, of the books of Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah; the Song Exile itself and of the repercussions that followed of Songs; other ancient Near Eastern law, prophe- it. cy, and wisdom; and Ecclesiasticus, Tobit, and 2 Judaism in the Greek and Roman Periods Esdras. (James Aitken, [email protected]) Judaism and Hellenism (James Aitken, This paper will be concerned with an essential [email protected]) period for our understanding of the formation of This paper will be concerned with the interaction Judaism (and of nascent Christianity). It will exa- between Jewish and Hellenistic traditions from the mine the social, historical and political contexts in time of Alexander the Great until the early rabbis. which ancient Jews shaped their identity from the It will examine the conceptual problems of ‘Hebra- rise, after Persian rule, of Alexander the Great (332 ism and Hellenism’ through an examination of the BCE) up to and including the series of Roman literature, history and religious life of Jews in the revolts that culminated in the one named after period. Bar-Kokhba (132–5 CE). Special Subject (Old Testament): People Jewish and Christian Responses and Places. Human Society and the Natural to the Holocaust (Margie Tolstoy, Environment (Hilary Marlow, [email protected]) [email protected]) The objective is to engage the students in a man- Prescribed Texts: Genesis 1-4, Leviticus 26, Deute- ner that is academically rigorous while enabling ronomy 28, Isaiah 34-35, Ezekiel 36, Hosea 4, Joel,

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 13

Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010

Amos, Creation psalms (Pss 8, 19, 72, 96, 104, Hebrew Language B (Rachel Williams, 148), Job 38-40. The relationship between human [email protected]; populations and their environments is increasingly Marta Marzanska-Mishani, coming under scrutiny in the modern world, as [email protected]) questions concerning climate change, loss of habi- In this course students acquire competence in tats and depletion of natural resources provoke spoken and written modern Hebrew. Classes will serious discussion. But what about the Old Testa- cover modern Hebrew grammar and representa- ment? How do its authors and editors portray their tive texts from modern Hebrew literature. world and how do they conceive of the interaction Intermediate Hebrew (Robert Gordon, between human society and the natural environ- ment. Are there any ways in which their under- [email protected]; Geoffrey Khan, standing might inform our contemporary situa- [email protected]; Marta Marzanska-Mishani, tion? This Paper will explore aspects of the [email protected]; Rachel Williams, complex and diverse perspectives on the nature [email protected]) world and its relationship to human habitation and This paper enables students to improve their grasp society that are found in the Old Testament. It will of Hebrew and develop competence in the critical also examine ways in which Old Testament scho- reading of Hebrew texts. There will be two sec- lars from the nineteenth century to the present tions on classical Hebrew and modern Hebrew res- day have interpreted the significance and function pectively. Candidates taking the modern Hebrew of nature in biblical texts, including contemporary option will have an oral as part of their paper. ecological approaches to reading the text. Finally it Intermediate Biblical Hebrew grammar will ask whether the biblical texts have anything to (Geoffrey Khan, [email protected]) contribute to contemporary debates in environ- This course is mainly concerned with the study of mental ethics. syntax within context. The book of Ruth (Geoffrey Khan, GRADUATE [email protected]) Grammar and exegesis. MPhil in Theological and Religious Studies: Hebrew Literature (Robert Gordon, Old Testament [email protected]; Marta Marzanska- MPhil in Theological and Religious Studies: Mishani, [email protected]) World Religious Traditions (including In this course students have the opportunity to Judaism) study a special topic based on texts chosen from within Hebrew literature from both the classical Readings in Jewish texts (Nicholas de Lange, and modern periods. [email protected]) Neo-Aramaic texts (Geoffrey Khan, Readings in late antique and medieval texts on a [email protected]) wide range of subjects. Texts are read in a variety of Neo-Aramaic dialects. Ugaritic texts (Geoffrey Khan, [email protected]) Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies History of the Hebrew language (Geoffrey Website: Khan, [email protected]) http://www.ames.cam.ac.uk/dmes/hebrew/staff. This course presents a description of the various htm vocalization systems of Hebrew that are found in Sidgwick Avenue, Cambridge CB3 9DA, UK. medieval manuscripts. T 0044 1223 335106, F 0044 1223 335110. Topics in Hebrew studies (Robert Gordon, [email protected]; Geoffrey Khan, UNDERGRADUATE [email protected]; Marta Marzanska-Mishani, [email protected]) Hebrew Language A This course will enable students to study special (Robert Gordon, [email protected]; topics in such areas as Hebrew language, litera- Geoffrey Khan, [email protected]) ture, history, and culture. In this course students are introduced to the Introduction to the history and culture of language of the Hebrew Bible. After they have the Middle East (Amira Bennison, completed the basic grammar they have classes on [email protected] et al.) a Biblical text, in which they deal with translational This paper provides an introduction to the history and interpretive issues. of the Middle East and the political, religious, cul- tural and linguistic developments of the different

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 14 Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010 regions and periods. It aims to familiarize the stu- of the Holocaust in various political and artistic dent with the sources of information available and contexts and examine its impact on contemporary with the main themes that will arise in studying Jewish identity. Middle East societies in subsequent years of the Tripos. The course consists primarily of lectures. Introduction to the contemporary Middle Cardiff University East (Marta Marzanska- School of Religious and Theological Studies Mishani, [email protected] et al.) Website: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/relig This paper provides an introduction to the politics, The Cardiff School of Religious & Theological religion and culture of contemporary Middle Studies, Cardiff University Humanities Building, Eastern societies. It starts with a historical intro- Colum Drive, Cardiff CF10 3EU, UK. T 0044 29 duction focusing on their entry into modernity. It 20874240, F 0044 29 20874500 goes on to explore the languages and dialects in social and cultural contexts of Middle Eastern Introduction to Biblical Hebrew/Classical societies. The final section of the course examines Hebrew I (Daniel King, [email protected]) the region from the anthropological perspective, This module teaches the square script, reading, which will focus on piety movements, nationalism, writing and transliteration, some elements of clas- as well as gender and social hierarchies. sical Hebrew grammar and syntax and it prepares students for further language study and trans- GRADUATE lation of a text which they will do in the double module Classical Hebrew II. The language will be MPhil Classical Hebrew Studies of interest to students of Religious and Theological MPhil Rabbinical and Medieval Hebrew Studies and to others who wish to expand their Studies knowledge of canonical (Jewish and Christian) MPhil Modern Hebrew Studies texts, to students of the ancient world, especially the Near East, and to those who want to sample a Semitic language. Further Biblical Hebrew/Classical Hebrew Canterbury Christ Church University II (Daniel King, [email protected]) Department of Theology and Religious Studies Classical Hebrew II builds on Classical Hebrew I, Website: http://www.canterbury.ac.uk/arts- introducing additional grammar and vocabulary. It humanities/theology-and-religious-studies/ is primarily devoted, however, to reading a simple Department of Theology and Religious Studies, Canterbury Christ Church University, Hebrew text, and thus giving students a feel for, North Holmes Road, Canterbury CT1 1QU, UK. T and understanding of, the language of the Hebrew 0044 1227 782339 Bible. Hebrew Texts (John Watt, [email protected]) Defining Judaism (Maria Diemling, The double module involves reading selected [email protected]) chapters of the Hebrew Bible in the original. Students are expected to be able to translate the The module offers an introduction to different Hebrew into English and are required to study the understandings of what it has meant to be Jewish selected texts in a scholarly fashion. throughout the ages. Studying primary sources from different periods of Jewish history, students Aramaic or Syriac Texts (John Watt, will learn to appreciate the essence and variety of [email protected]) Jewish identity, explore the historical development This module involves reading selected Aramaic/ of Jewish culture and contemporary Jewish Syriac texts in the original. Students are expected strands, key texts, notions of gender and identity to be able to translate the texts into English and formation through circumcision and food. In Term are required to study them in a scholarly fashion. 2, theological, ethical and philosophical issues will The texts to be studied are decided in conjunction be discussed. with students and may be either entirely from the Judaism after the Holocaust (Maria Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible, or entirely Diemling, [email protected]) from Classical Syriac literature, or some of both. This course aims to enable students to consider History and Religion of Ancient Israel the impact of the Holocaust on the development of (John Watt, [email protected]) modern and post-modern Judaism by evaluating This module examines what can be known about the basis, value, and limitations of influential the history and religion of ancient Israel and Judah, Jewish theological responses. Students will also principally from the time of the origins of an entity examine the commemoration and representation or entities which can be recognised as such, to

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 15

Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010 about the time of the conquest of the Near East by problematic meeting, but something happened in Alexander the Great (late fourth century BC) It also the second century and the encounter became, in examines the ways in which the account of that certain quarters at least, a confrontation. When history and religion in the ‘Old Testament’, other- Pompey arrived in Palestine with his legions in 65 wise known as the ‘Hebrew Bible’, may be read BC, they stormed the Temple in Jerusalem, mas- and interpreted. In studying the history of this sacred the defenders and entered the Holy of ancient community or communities, the emphasis Holies. Rome was a brutal imperialist power, the will be on those aspects of it which are of most Jews a stubborn and divided people: perhaps the interest for the understanding of ‘Old Testament relationship was never going to work, and in AD 66 religion’. the region exploded into one of the biggest revolts Ancient, Mediaeval and Modern Judaism that Rome ever faced. This course will examine (John Watt, [email protected]) what happened and why. The module examines the key ideas and principles in the development and structure of Judaism during the past 2,000 or so years. As the history of School of Religions and Theology the Jewish religion is hardly separable from the (http://www.tcd.ie/Religions_Theology) history of the Jewish people, it also provides an overview of Jewish history generally, and a more BA degree combinations with Jewish Studies detailed insight into the history of those periods and Near Eastern and Jewish Studies which are considered of special significance for the development of religious ideas. The emphasis, however, is on the intellectual and religious history of Judaism, the structure of Jewish religious Introduction to Hebrew (Andrew Mayes, thought, the ideas and events which have moulded [email protected]) and influenced it, and the challenges it has faced in This course introduces the student to the language ancient, medieval and modern times. of the Hebrew Bible. Intermediate Hebrew (Lesley Grant, [email protected]) University of Chester In this course, students complete the study of basic grammar and begin in-depth reading of selected Parkgate Road, Chester CH1 4BJ Biblical texts.

Advanced Hebrew (Andrew Mayes, Debates in History – The Holocaust: A [email protected]) Straight or Twisted Path to Genocide? This course will focus on Judean prophecy and (Tim Grady, History, [email protected]) inscriptions of the later monarchic era. The module begins by revisiting the intentionalist/ The Near East, Jewish Origins and the Bible functionalist controversy over the origins of the (Lesley Grant, [email protected]; Anne Holocaust. After considering the limits of this earlier debate, it moves on to consider more recent Fitzpatrick-McKinley, [email protected]; Zuleika scholarly controversies over the nature and origins Rodgers, [email protected]) of the Nazis’ genocide. More generally, the module The first part of this course examines the social, uses this discussion of the evolution of Holocaust political and environmental background against historiography to consider the ways in which which the Bible took shape and form, with special interpretations of the past are continually formed, attention paid to the history and culture of ancient contested and refined. Egypt. Archaeology and its place in Biblical scholarship is also introduced. An introduction to Israel's history is provided. The emergence of Judaism in the Persian and Hellenistic periods Trinity College Dublin (also described as the ‘post-exilic period’) in the College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland. wake of the Babylonian exile and return is ex- T 00353 1 896 1000. plored in the second part of the course. The final section of the course focuses on the growing domi- The Jews of Palestine, 200BC–AD66 nance of Roman power in the Mediterranean and (Brian McGing, Classics, [email protected]) Near Eastern world, and the cultural and political European civilisation has its deepest roots in three opportunities and challenges that this presented to great cultures of the ancient Mediterranean world the Jewish communities in Israel-Palestine and in – Greek, Roman and Jewish. Judaism and Hellenism the Diaspora. encounter each other for the first time after the death of Alexander the Great (323 BC). In the third century BC this seems to have been a largely un-

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 16 Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010

Introduction to Jewish Civilization from exile in the Hebrew Bible. Overall, the course Antiquity to Modernity raises the question as to how deportation impacts (Zuleika Rodgers, [email protected]) on populations and how art and literature repre- This year-long course provides an introduction to sent the experience of exile as well as the might of Jewish Civilization from antiquity to the present imperial powers. day. We survey cultural, religious, and political Jewish Diaspora from Late Antiquity to developments within their historical contexts Modernity through the reading of selected primary material. (Zuleika Rodgers, [email protected]) Textual, literary, communal, and liturgical aspects The significance and diversity of the Diaspora ex- of Jewish culture are examined and a number of perience for Jewish civilization is examined across guest lecturers will contribute to the course in an a number of historical periods and geographical area of their expertise. settings. In lectures and seminars we study a varie- Ethnicity and Identity in Ancient Israel ty of primary sources available to us, including (Dermot Nestor, [email protected]) poetry, biblical exegesis, philosophical treatises, The general aim of this course is to offer an auto/biography, fiction and film footage. Questions account of the origins and growth of urban centres of identity formation are central to the course and and cultural elites in the ancient Near East. Draw- we will also address the implications of the Zionist ing on recent research in human geography, ar- movement and the foundation of the State of Israel chaeological theory and post-colonial studies, this on Diaspora selfunderstanding. course seeks to address the central question of Jews and European Society from 1750 cultural continuity and change as well as related (Zuleika Rodgers, [email protected]) issues such as power and domination, leadership The origins and development of Jewish modernity and allegiance, and centre and periphery. In revea- in Europe is the focus of this course and we will ling Ancient Israelite society as a matrix of poten- explore theme such as Jewish emancipation, accul- tially diverse and unlimited identities and associa- turation, Reform and Modern Orthodox move- tions attention is focused on the issue of social ments, political and cultural antisemitism, migra- evolution and the dynamic clash between options tion and Zionism. and possibilities in both leadership and polity which prompted and facilitated the emergence of centralised power structures such as the Israelite Edge Hill University Monarchy, and which allowed the development of St Helens Road, Ormskirk L39 4QP new identities in the Persian and Hellenistic eras. Women and the Dead Sea Scrolls (Benjamin UNDERGRADUATE Wold, [email protected]) This course will explore the various roles of The Birth of a Conflict: Britain and women as reflected in the library from Qumran. On Palestine, 1840–1948 (James Renton, the one hand, we will consider the so-called ‘sec- History, [email protected]) tarian’ community and claims that it was monastic. This course explores the origins, development and On the other hand, there are a great many docu- impact of British rule in Palestine, with particular ments which may relate to other Jewish move- reference to the evolution of the Zionist-Palesti- ments of the time and a great deal may be said nian conflict. The Mandate for Palestine became about women and Jewish practice. We will be rea- one of the thorniest problems that faced the ding, in translation, a wide variety of documents British Empire. The writing of the history of the and thinking creatively about their expression of Mandate has been equally controversial and politi- gender roles. cized. Longstanding myths propagated at the time Diasporas in Antiquity (Anne Fitzpatrick- by the British, the Zionists, and Palestinians have McKinley, [email protected]) influenced how the Mandate has been understood. Lectures and seminars explore the archaeological The re-evaluation of the Palestine Mandate as a and literary evidence for voluntary movement as chapter in British imperial history has only just well as forced deportation of populations in the begun. Historians of Zionism and the Middle East ancient near eastern world. The use of forced de- have tended to downplay the role played by portation as a policy of control can be traced first Britain in the development of the Zionist-Pale- to the Egyptians and the Hittites and was later stinian conflict. An underlying argument of this used by the neo-Assyrian and neo-Babylonian em- course is that we can gain a much more profound pires. The fate of those exiled is explored through grasp of how and why the Zionist-Palestinian con- the use of Assyrian and Babylonian inscriptions, flict came into being if we acknowledge and ana- art, archaeological evidence for settlement of de- lyse the role played by British rule in the Holy ported populations and the Judean presentation of Land.

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 17

Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010

University of Edinburgh knowledge base and skills required to become School of Divinity, New College ‘competent readers’ (John Barton, Reading the Old Website: http://www.div.ed.ac.uk Testament) of biblical texts. School of Divinity, New College, Mound Place, Biblical Hebrew Texts B (David Reimer, Edinburgh, EH1 2LX, UK. [email protected]) [email protected], T 0044 131 650 8959 The Hebrew poetry of the book of Job is challen- ging, but well worth the effort. The focus of this text-based course will be on reading the speeches UNDERGRADUATE of Job, but beginning with the narrative prologue of chapters 1–2. Although the primary focus is on Hebrew 1 (Caroline Blyth, [email protected]) language, we will give significant attention to exegesis as well. The course introduces students to the main ele- ments of biblical Hebrew grammar and is struc- Old Testament Texts (David Reimer, tured around the teaching grammar by C. L. Seow, [email protected]) A Grammar for Biblical Hebrew (Revised Edition). One of the most profound reflections on ‘unmeri- One of the benefits of this teaching grammar is that ted suffering’, the book of Job has great power, as from a very early stage students read texts drawn well as many puzzles. This course will examine the directly from the Hebrew Bible, carefully chosen to historical, literary, and theological aspects of the correspond with the relevant lessons. book, both in its ancient context, and as under- Hebrew 2 (David Reimer, stood by later interpreters. Some attention will [email protected]; Timothy Lim, also be given to the ancient Near Eastern parallels to Job, although the focus will very much be on the [email protected]) biblical book itself. This course will consolidate the students’ under- Method in Reading the Hebrew Bible standing of the Hebrew language gained in Hebrew 1. At the start of the course, structured grammar (Hans M. Barstad, [email protected]) acquisition will continue from C. L. Seow, A Gram- The aim of this course is to deepen the understan- mar for Biblical Hebrew while also reading a prose ding of methods used in the academic study of the text from the Hebrew Bible. As the course pro- Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. The weight is on gressses, texts of differing character and progress- contemporary methods. sive difficulty (prose and poetry) will be read, and students will acquire techniques for translating Religion in the Contemporary World: and interpreting such texts. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam Aramaic (Timothy Lim, [email protected]) (Hannah Holtschneider, To read the ‘Hebrew’ Bible one must know Ara- [email protected]; Elizabeth maic. To understand Jesus the Jew one must have Koepping, [email protected]; Christian knowledge of the language in which he spoke. This Lange, [email protected]) course will teach students the rudiments of the An overview of three historically inter-related reli- Aramaic language by a study of its vocabulary and gions. It begins with a foundational introduction to grammar. The textbook by Frederick E. Green- the study of religions and then moves to a study of spahn, An Introduction to Aramaic, will be used for Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The relationships the course, corrected and supplemented by hand- between the historical and contemporary studies outs of readings. By the end of the course, students of these religions are noted in the lectures. would have read all of the Aramaic portions of the Visual Representations of the Holocaust Hebrew Bible in simplified or real form. Depending and Religion upon the class, there may be opportunities to read (Hannah Holtschneider, non-biblical texts, Elephantine Papyri, Genesis Apocryphon, Targum, Midrash, though these will [email protected]) not be examined. In the last ten years research on the visual repre- sentation of the Holocaust in art, film and museum Biblical Studies: An Introduction has flourished, now being posited at the cutting (Helen Bond, [email protected]; edge of Holocaust Studies. The category of ‘reli- Timothy Lim, [email protected]; Alison Jack, gion’ does not occupy an explicit or prominent [email protected]) place, yet is detectable in many of the representa- This course is intended as an introduction to the tions offered. As such, this is an exciting and novel Scriptures of the Jewish and Christian traditions field for Religious Studies to engage in. The aim is and to the modern scholarly study of these Scrip- to chart a history of visual engagements with the tures. No prior knowledge of the Bible is pre- Holocaust in a variety of media and to give stu- sumed, nor is any particular religious affiliation. dents the opportunity to apply methods of Cultural Students taking this course will acquire the and Religious Studies in their analysis. An analytic

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 18 Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010 thread through this diverse material will be the texts. The geographical focus of this course will be identification of religious motifs and inscriptions Germany in the 19th and 20th centuries, broade- of Jewishness. ning to the United States after World War II. Stu- ‘The “Jew” in the Text’: Representations dents will read a variety of sources and the course of the Holocaust and Jewish Identity will examine the expanding scholarship in Jewish- (Hannah Holtschneider, Christian relations in different academic disci- [email protected]) plines such as Cultural Studies and Sociology. The aim of the course is to study the development of modern antisemitism from the nineteenth GRADUATE century onwards as well as the multiple factors that led to the Holocaust, the genocide of Jews in Advanced Hebrew Texts (Timothy Lim, Europe. Further, the aim is to study responses to [email protected]) the Holocaust. Thus the course splits into two This course aims to consolidate reading of classical parts. The first part will consider historiographical Hebrew and to enrich experience of textual history approaches to the Holocaust, while the second part and exegesis of the Hebrew Bible. of the course introduces responses to the Holo- Hebrew Prophecy (Hans M. Barstad, caust in a variety of media (e.g. religious texts, lite- [email protected]) rature, film, museums) and considers the signify- The aim of the course is to develop critical reading cance of the Holocaust for the (religious) identities of large parts of the biblical prophetic corpus. It of contemporary Jews. considers the depiction of prophets and seers and “A People Apart”? Explorations in Modern ‘men of God’ in the books of the Bible and looks in Jewish Thought (Hannah Holtschneider, turn at the Hebrew books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and [email protected]) the ‘Book of the Twelve’. This course introduces different aspects of Jewish thought and culture by offering a twofold approach of historical overview and in-depth study of parti- University of Exeter cular issues. The rich diversity of Jewish culture The University of Exeter, Mail Room, The Old and thought is a central concern in the study of Library, Prince of Wales Road, Exeter EX4 4SB Judaism. This course offers the conceptual tools to access this diversity, while providing a focused dis- cussion of the significance of contemporary Jewish Theology and Religion thinkers and movements. It offers insights into a range of historical and intellectual developments The Creation of A Nation in the Hebrew of Judaism since the beginning of the Emancipation of the Jews at the end of the eighteenth century. Bible (Siam Bhayro, [email protected]) The course introduces some of the most significant This core module will introduce students to tradi- Jewish thinkers from the Enlightenment onwards. tional and critical approaches to the history of an- These figures are then discussed alongside the cient Israel, from its emergence until the destruc- development of modern and contemporary Jewish tion of the Second Temple. The Hebrew Bible will movements. Further, the course focuses on issues be set in the context of other near eastern primary which are currently debated in the Jewish commu- sources, evaluation of archaeological evidence and nities of different countries. Examples of issues modern controversy in secondary sources. covered include Zionism and Israel, gender and Scribes, Apostles and Sages: Early Jewish religion, secular and religious identities. Biblical Exegesis (Siam Bhayro, Jewish-Christian Relations in Modern [email protected]) Times (UG)/ Themes and Explorations in This option module will introduce the various Jew- Jewish-Christian Relations (MSc) ish corpora from the Bible to the Talmud, and dis- (Hannah Holtschneider, cuss examples of Jewish biblical exegesis. Linked themes, such as scribal activity, fallen angels and [email protected]) apostasy, will be considered at each stage, thus This course charts the developments of Jewish- providing a combination of a chronological and Christian relations since the French Revolution in thematic treatment of the various corpora. order to enable a better understanding of the Elementary Akkadian (Siam Bhayro, different levels of mutual interpretation. Attention will be paid to the social, political, literary and [email protected]) theological interpretations of Jews by Christians This option module will introduce the basic gram- and of Christians by Jews. Concepts such as ‘dia- mar of Akkadian (specifically Old-Babylonian), logue’ and ‘pluralism’ will be problematised and including the use of a limited number of cuneiform examined in their historical and theological con- signs, exercises in transliteration and translation.

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 19

Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010

The aim will be to acquire sufficient grammar to Old Testament/Tanakh Texts (English) enable the study of Hammurabi's Legal Code in the (Sarah Nicholson, [email protected], next course. Yvonne Sherwood, [email protected]) This course offers an opportunity to engage in The Jewish Diaspora and World History, close reading of selected texts from different divi- 1290–1791 (Maria Fusaro, History, sions of Tanakh; to relate biblical texts to a variety [email protected]) of religious and secular contexts; to become Through lectures and seminars the module will familiar with a range of theoretical interpretative analyse the long-term history of European Jews approaches to texts. from their expulsion from England (1290) to their Biblical Studies 1A: Old Testament/Tanakh emancipation by the French National Assembly (Yvonne Sherwood, [email protected]; (1791). Students will acquire a detailed knowledge Alastair Hunter, [email protected]) of the history of the Jewish diaspora during the This course is designed to provide an introduction early modern period, both in Europe and in the to the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) which areas of European expansion around the globe and addresses questions of translation, historical the ability to trace the changing nature of the sta- character and its nature as a body of literature. tus of Jews in European society, to evaluate their Biblical Studies 2A: Old Testament/Tanakh role in the ‘Western’ economy, and their cultural (Alastair Hunter, [email protected]) contribution to European history. This course aims to engage in close reading of se- Britain’s Jews During the Second World lected texts from different divisions of Tanakh and War (Nicholas Burkitt) relate biblical texts to a variety of religious and Using a wide variety of sources, the module exa- secular contexts. mines the relationship between Britain's Jewish World Religions 1A: Judaism, Christianity community and the rest of society during the era of & Islam (Mona Siddiqui, [email protected]; the Second World War in the 1930s and 1940s. Through a range of sources such as historical de- Julie Clague, [email protected], Yvonne bates, Mass Observation reports, oral accounts and Sherwood, [email protected]) photographic records, students will learn to ana- This course examines the approach taken by three lyse, interpret and evaluate, to form an understan- major monotheistic religions – Judaism, Christiani- ding of wartime Jewish society. The latter will ty and Islam – in relation to three key areas: Belief; include areas and concepts such as orthodox, Practice/Religion in Society; and Texts and Scrip- secular, anti-Semitism, philo-Semitism, along with tures. an analysis of historical stereotypes and the issue Modern Judaism of assimilation by groups into British society. (Yvonne Sherwood, [email protected]; Alastair Hunter, [email protected]) This course offers a wide perspective on the University of Glasgow history and thought of Judaism from the Mishnah Department of Theology and Religious Studies to modern times and opportunities for practical Website: engagement with some aspect of contemporary http://www.gla.ac.uk/departments/theology Jewish experience. No. 4 The Square, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK. T 0044 141 330 6524, F GRADUATE 0044 (0)141 330 4943 Jewish Backgrounds to Early Christianity UNDERGRADUATE (Paul Holloway, [email protected]) An introduction to Hellenistic and Roman Judaism Classical Hebrew 1 (Sarah as one of the major religious sources for early Nicholson, [email protected]) Christianity. Texts and topics vary from year to This course is designed to cover the basics of year. This year the course will focus on Jewish and classical (Biblical) Hebrew sufficiently to enable early Christian apocalypticism. independent reading of narrative materials in the Hebrew Bible Hebrew Text (Sarah Nicholson, [email protected], Yvonne Sherwood, [email protected]) This course offers an opportunity to apply lin- guistic skills to the translation of selected Hebrew texts from Psalms and Prophets.

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 20 Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010

University of Leeds GRADUATE School of Fine Art, History of Art & Cultural Studies, Centre for Jewish Studies Unfinished Business: Trauma, Cultural http://www.leeds.ac.uk/fine_art/org/cejs.html Memory and the Holcoaust (Griselda Old Mining Building, University of Leeds, Pollock, [email protected]) Leeds LS2 9JT, UK. Jewish Studies Dissertation (Eva Frojmovic,

[email protected]) UNDERGRADUATE

Beginners Hebrew (Nina Collins, Language Centre, [email protected]) University of Leicester Classical Hebrew (Nina Collins, Language Website: www.le.ac.uk/hi/ and http://www.le.ac.uk/hi/centres/burton/ Centre, [email protected]) School of Historical Studies, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK. Unfinished Business: Trauma, Cultural [email protected], T 0044 116 252 2587, F 0044 Memory and the Holocaust (Griselda 116 252 3986. Pollock, [email protected]) This module addresses debates in literary, histo- UNDERGRADUATE riographical and psychological theory about the ways in which witnesses provide testimony, and Facing Modernity: Jews in Central and the ways in which the legacy of a historical trauma of the magnitude of the Holocaust is represented Western Europe by historians, sociologists, writers, artists and (Claudia Prestel, [email protected]) museums. This course will examine the complexities of Jew- Cultural Diversity in Museum Culture: ish life in Central Europe from the late eighteenth Jewish Museums (Eva Frojmovic, century to the outbreak of World War II. During that period the emancipation of Jews was on the [email protected]) agenda of policy makers, an issue that the course Museums are increasingly conscious of the need to will explore in detail. Acculturation and assimila- be socially inclusive. Traditional models of privi- tion were the consequence of emancipation and leging high art and 'white western' art have come the course will deal with the way the Jewish com- under sharp criticism. On this module, we will munities of Central Europe dealt with it. Towards examine how museums have integrated (or failed the end of the nineteenth century Jewish nationa- to do so) the artefacts of the Jewish minorities in lism emerged as a driving force in Europe and the Europe and the USA. We will look at the historical course will deal with the impact of Jewish nationa- reasons for the omission of Jewish culture from lism on the individual and the community. The many museums, and the particularities of the emancipation of women and women’s role within models adopted for Jewish museums and Jewish Judaism will also be explored. Students will gain an exhibits in ethnographic and local history contexts. understanding of the complexities of Jewish life in Renaissance and Baroque Urban Spaces Central Europe when facing modernity. and their Margins: Art and Visual culture Israel/Palestine: The Story of a Land, 1882 in the Italian Ghetto (Eva Frojmovic, to the Present [email protected]) (Claudia Prestel, [email protected]) Taking anxieties around minority visibility, border This course will explore the reasons for the conflict crossing and seepage as a starting point, we will in the Middle East and the role of nationalism, trace the visual strategies of the Jewish minority in colonialism and post-colonialism in this ‘story of a the Christian Renaissance, and Christian visual land’. The course will deal with Zionism and the strategies for rendering this minority a safe and Jewish settlements before the foundation of the segregated presence. We look at how the figure of state of Israel in 1948 and will discuss the events ‘the Jew’ was constructed in the art of the late leading up to the establishment of Israel. The sub- medieval and early modern period and what sequent Nakba (disaster, the common Arabic term resources Jewish communities mobilised to con- for the expulsion and displacement of Palestinians struct a positive sense of self against such repre- in 1948) as well as the role of Arab nationalism sentations. and the construction of a Palestinian identity will be explored. Students will gain an understanding of the role the Holocaust played in the formation of Israeli identity and the role Al-Nakba played in the shaping of Palestinian identity. Ethnicity and

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 21

Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010 gender, state and religion, human rights, the long Liverpool Hope University road to peace and the role of the first and second Hope Park, Liverpool L16 9JD Intifada will be further topics of investigation. Reflecting on Genocide: The Holocaust in Introduction to the Jewish Tradition Contemporary European Thought (Bernard Jackson, [email protected]) (Martin L. Davies, [email protected]) Law and Narrative in the Hebrew Bible The more the factual history of the Holocaust is (Bernard Jackson, [email protected]) revealed, the more insistently people ask why it happened. It also makes them ask what it actually means: i.e. what does it mean to live in a world in which Auschwitz is possible? This question is University of London insistent because it goes beyond antisemitism and Nazi racial policies to question the nature of con- temporary social organization, the psychology of King’s College London, Department of Theology persecution, the failure of personal and public and Religious Studies morality. It suggests the dreadful insight that http://www.kcl.ac.uk/schools/humanities/depts/trs Auschwitz was and remains latent in the very Department of Theology and Religious Studies, fabric of contemporary reality. The trauma of the King’s College London, Strand, Holocaust continues to affect the European mind. London WC2R 2LS, UK, T 0044 (20 7848 This module will show how it does. It will review 2339/2073, F 0044 20 7848 2255 extracts from contemporary thinkers, writers, and critics such as Theodor Adorno, Hannah Arendt, UNDERGRADUATE: Bruno Bettelheim, Emil Fackenheim, Geoffrey Hartman, Emmanuel Lévinas, Herbert Marcuse, Introduction to Jewish Thought & Practice George Steiner, Élie Wiesel. (Diana Lipton, [email protected]) The Nazis and Cinema: Holocaust and This module will introduce students to the central Representation (Olaf Jensen [email protected]) texts, concepts and practices of Judaism from the This module will examine cinematic representa- Biblical through to the medieval period. It will aim tions of the Second World War, National Socialism to give students an initial orientation to key topics and the Holocaust in historical context. It will also in Judaism that will act as a foundation for more explore the relationship between history and film specialised modules in subsequent years. and compare it to the use of other sources. The Environment & the Old Testament (tbc) first part of the module focuses on how the Nazi This module is designed for students who have regime supported and used film for their ideology little or no prior experience of the Old Testament, and propaganda. The second part deals with the and is intended to enable them to explore the question of how this past is represented in post- variety of Old Testament material from a range of war cinema. Selected films will serve as sources; perspectives (historical, theological, anthropologi- seminars are based on readings, film screenings cal, literary, gender-critical, cultural), using the en- and oral presentations. vironment as a key theme. The Holocaust: Genocide in Europe (Olaf Constancy & Creativity: Jewish Jensen [email protected]) This course will examine the events leading to the Interpretation of Tradition Holocaust, and the range of Jewish responses. It (Andrea Schatz, [email protected]) also aims to provide an understanding of the Modern Jews continue to address contemporary methodological and conceptual issues involved in issues by communicating across time and space, in interpreting and representing the Holocaust. words and deeds, with other generations and Topics include the discrimination of the Jewish other communities. Is this a ‘traditional’ approach? population in Germany and Austria, the ghettos How did Jews in early modern Europe think about and the Jewish Councils, the Einsatzgruppen, the ‘tradition’? How did they create traditions in the extermination of the gypsies, the camp system, the age of Enlightenment, how did they challenge them perpetrators, Jewish resistance, the reaction of the in the nineteenth century, and how do they argue non-Jewish population in occupied Europe and of about them today? the allied governments. The course will also Paul in Context (Edward Adams, address issues of gender and the uniqueness of the [email protected]) Holocaust. Problems of oral history and the nature This module will introduce students to the study of of memory, as well as the representation of the Paul and his letters and enhance students’ skills in Holocaust will form part of the course. handling Pauline texts and problems of interpreta- tion relating to them. The module will examine

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 22 Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010 specific aspects of the life, work and thought of ted from within specific theological parameters as Paul, such as his conversion, his letter-writing acti- expressed in Christian, Jewish and Islamic texts vity, his view of the Jewish law and his views on and writings. sex and marriage, and will introduce students to Law & Ethics in the Hebrew Bible (Diana trends (especially recent trends) and methods in Lipton, [email protected]) Pauline scholarship. The course is designed to help students to under- Introduction to Biblical Hebrew (Rachel stand the expressions and functions of law in the Montagu) Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, and to explore the This module is for students who want to learn Bib- points of contact between ancient and modern lical Hebrew from scratch. Students will be given legal and ethical reasoning. Previous modules on an intensive grounding in Biblical Hebrew gram- the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament are an advan- mar. This will lead to the reading of accessible tage, but not required. biblical texts such as the Joseph narrative or the Women & the Old Testament (tbc) book of Ruth. This module is intended to introduce students to Ritual in the Old Testament (tbc) feminist approaches to Old Testament study, as This module is intended to enable students to ex- well as examining the role of women in Israelite plore a range of Old Testament material relating to society and the use of female and feminine figures ritual, from a variety of perspectives (historical, in narrative and metaphor. Its aims are to make theological, literary, gender-critical, anthropologi- students aware of the presuppositions that dictate cal, cultural), and to consider how insights from the way women are presented in the Old Testa- the Old Testament material might offer illumina- ment, and how modern-day women have respon- tion on aspects of contemporary society ded to that presentation; to enable students to Religious Difference: Jewish, Christian & evaluate the feminist critique of the Old Testa- Other Perspectives ment; and to enable students to develop their own (Andrea Schatz, [email protected]) skills of textual exegesis from a feminist perspec- Jews and Christians in the modern world were tive. fascinated, scandalized and inspired by religious European Jews & the ‘Orient’ (Andrea difference and the challenges it posed to their Schatz, [email protected]) intellectual, moral, and cultural projects. In this In political and scholarly debates, in literature and course we will focus on explorations of Jewish life the arts, the ‘Orient’ was depicted, for centuries, as and Jewish-Christian relations in various literary a place where Jews were said to be at home. forms: in autobiographies, theatrical plays, travel European Jews responded to this powerful idea in narratives, ethnographical and polemical works. many different ways, and their responses had a Students will be able to develop a nuanced under- profound impact on how they understood their standing of Jewish, Christian and other approaches presence in Europe, their history as a nation in the to religious difference as expressed in theoretical diaspora, and their religious commitments. In this terms, narrative creativity and everyday practice. course, we will examine how the notions of ‘East’ Hebrew Texts (Prose) (Katherine and ‘West’ emerged, how European Jews challen- Southwood) ged, adopted and subverted them, and how they This course is designed to consolidate and extend created their own versions of a ‘Jewish Orient’; students’ facility in Biblical Hebrew; develop stu- how European Jews used the concept of the ‘Jewish dents’ exegetical skills via class discussion of the Orient’ in order to define the religious, cultural and text being studied; extend students’ familiarity political meanings of ‘diaspora’; how Jews and the with and ability to use the critical apparatus in ‘Orient’ figure in new approaches to Religious Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. Studies in a post-secular world.

Challenges of Modernity in Christianity, GRADUATE: Judaism & Islam (Paul Janz, [email protected]) MA Jewish Studies (in cooperation with the The purpose of this course is to engage with spe- London School of Jewish Studies and with Leo cific ethical and social challenges and conflicts as Baeck College) faced in different ways by the three ‘Abrahamic’ faith traditions – Christianity, Judaism and Islam – Methods & Foundations in Jewish Studies in light of modernity and contemporary society and to gain a ‘comparative’ understanding of each (Team-taught) of the three traditions in light of these challenges, This module introduces the methodological but with the difference that each topic will be trea- approaches and key concepts required to conduct

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 23

Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010 research in selected areas of Jewish Stu- halakhah on the lives of real people as well as of dies. Students learn how to determine appropriate the law in practice rather than in theory. methods and approaches for the understanding, Kiddushin and the Agunah: Talmudic Texts analysis and interpretation of primary and on Problems in Jewish Marital Law secondary material; and how to evaluate com- (Laliv Clenman, [email protected]) peting arguments and positions both orally and in The contemporary plight of the Agunah, the wo- independently executed written material. man who is trapped in her marriage and unable to Introductory Biblical Hebrew with Texts obtain a divorce or remarry, has its roots in the (Rachel Montagu) legal nature of Jewish marriage, or kiddushin. Jew- This course is for students with no existing or ish communities today are grappling with these limited knowledge of Biblical Hebrew. It aims to problems in Jewish marriage and divorce in a provide a firm basis for the understanding of variety of ways, including creating prenuptial Biblical Hebrew. agreements, enacting changes in civil law, pressur- Advanced Hebrew Texts. Hebrew Prose ing recalcitrant husbands, and changing or com- (Katherine Southwood) pletely transforming the marriage ceremony. Intended for those who have a basic working Through readings in Tractate Kiddushin of the knowledge of Biblical Hebrew, this module pro- Babylonian Talmud, this course will explore the vides the chance to improve familiarity with the legal structure of kiddushin, as well as its social Hebrew language via reading and translating the and cultural contexts in the various Jewish com- Hebrew text, alongside discussion of a range of munities of the time. interpretative issues: what sort of material is Intermarriage Interpreted: Readings Exodus 1–15? How does it function in its literary in Rabbinic Midrash context? What sort of questions does it raise about (Laliv Clenman, [email protected]) religion, ethnicity and world order? And is God Intermarriage is a contentious issue in contem- really as good – and Pharaoh really as bad – as we porary Judaism, but do we know how the early tend to assume? Prepare to have your linguistic rabbis felt about intermarriage? What were their skills honed, and your interpretations challenged! attitudes and how did they perceive it? Through detailed study of narrative (aggadic) and legal ‘She’s all states and all princes I.’ Identity (halakhic) midrashim from a variety of sources, we Politics in Biblical Bedrooms (Diana Lipton, will explore the complicated and often conflicted [email protected]) rabbinic relationship with the issue of inter- marriage. Issues under consideration will include Hebrew Bible accounts of marital/sexual relation- dating of sources, intertextuality, the use of proof- ships – typically between Israelite and non-Israe- texts, and the relationship between exegetical lite, or that are otherwise problematic for their methodology and the attitude of the exegete. authors – are analysed as explorations of ancient Messianic Movements and Ideas in Jewish (yet strikingly modern) identity politics: Who is a History (Marc Saperstein, Jew? Is long-term Diaspora viable? Is ethnicity meaningfully transmissable? Does mix mean di- [email protected]) lute? Must a people be a nation? Can a nation be a A survey of Messianism as a central force in Jewish historical experience, stressing both theoretical people? Is state separable from religion? Can the implications and concrete manifestations. Topics political exclude the personal? Can you be yourself include Biblical Messianism, origins of Christianity without the other? Biblical texts are explored in as a Jewish messianic movement, rabbinic doc- light of secondary sources from midrash through trines, medieval movements and theories, Sabbatai medieval poetry to modern novels and political Zevi and the movement he inspired, Hasidism and theory. Messianism in its origins and today. Subversive Stories: Aggadah and Halakhah Jewish Perspectives on Religion, Culture in Talmudic Texts and Public Space (Dr Laliv Clenman, [email protected]) (Andrea Schatz, [email protected]) The Babylonian Talmud is well known for its in- What is modernity? How is it tied to the European clusion of a large amount of aggadic or narrative Enlightenment and its concepts of religion, culture material in the midst of the sea of law. These sto- and secularism? And how do Jews respond to these ries are often funny or shocking, but they are more questions? How did they define, interpret and than mere entertainment. Much of the aggadic shape modernity? In this course we will explore material is subversive in nature, rejecting, mocking key issues in the modern Jewish world (nation, and overturning the established halakhah. Most in- religion and citizenship – education and cultural teresting of these are the stories told of individuals integration – variations of secularism – affiliation seeking a legal judgement from the greatest of and disaffiliation); we will analyse them within Sages, symbolic expressions of the impact of the

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 24 Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010 their historical contexts and in view of current European Jewry & the Transition to theoretical inquiries; and we will deepen our Modernity, 1650–1850 (Adam Sutcliffe, understanding of them by studying specific History, [email protected]) situations in which the visibility or invisibility of The upheavals that marked the emergence of the religious difference was negotiated (e.g. in debates modern era were experienced with particular on language, dress, architecture and the role of intensity by the Jews of Europe. In 1650 almost all museums in the city). European Jews lived within insular and religiously Interpreting Space & Time in Jewish traditional communities. By the late nineteenth London (Andrea Schatz, century Jews were a highly variegated but dispro- [email protected]) portionably urban, bourgeois, and culturally pro- This unique module will be offered for the first minent minority, and the primary polemical scape- time in 2010-11 (Lent term). It combines guided goat of discontents of modernity. This module will tours, meetings with experts and classroom semi- explore the changes in Jewish identity and nars to introduce students to Jewish London, past experience, and in policies and attitudes toward and present, and to aspects of Jewish-Christian and Jews, over this period of transformation, investiga- Jewish-Muslim encounters in the city. Among ting the different dynamics of change in western, questions we will raise are: How do Jews articulate southern and eastern Europe. their presence in London’s multi-religious, multi- cultural, and multi-ethnic contexts? How do they Middle East & Mediterranean Studies respond to Christian and secular aspects of the Unmoved by Herzl’s Vision: British anti- city’s political and cultural framework? How do Zionism, 1900–1948 they negotiate religious and cultural visibility? (Rory Miller, [email protected] How are religious institutions (synagogues, mik- This module examines anti-Zionism – defined as vaot, schools), cultural institutions (museums, active opposition to the Jewish National Movement galleries, festivals) and communal institutions – from the time of Zionism’s birth in the 1890s (shops, newspapers, communal centres, cemetries) until the establishment of Israel in 1948. Specifi- presented to the public? Who is addressed and cally it provides an in-depth historical analysis of what is communicated – via architecture, lan- the major themes and trends in the evolution of guages, design – to Jews and non-Jew anti-Zionism in Britain until 1948 and on the Ethics in Contemporary Jewish Thought various forms of anti-Zionism (Jewish, Christian, (Tamra Wright, [email protected]) Muslim, Left-Wing, Far-right) that existed prior to This module introduces key themes in the thought the establishment of Israel in 1948. of some of the most influential Jewish philosophers War & Peace in the Middle East (Efraim of the twentieth century, including Buber, Rosen- Karsh, [email protected]) zweig, Levinas, and Soloveitchik. We will focus The module begins with an analysis of the origins particularly on the theme of ‘inter-subjectivity’, and development of Jewish, Arab, and Palestinian examining each thinker’s understanding of self- nationalism. It looks at the impact that great- hood and the ethical relation, and contrasting the power colonial rivalry and the subsequent Cold dialogical approach to intersubjectivity with War had on the emergence and persistence of the Sartre’s view that ‘hell is other people’. No prior Arab-Israeli conflict. Specifically it examines the knowledge of philosophy, except for material in- main stages of this conflict and its culmination in troduced on the Methods and Foundations course, the present peace process between Israel and the is required. Arab world. Post-Holocaust Jewish Philosophy A History of the Arab-Israeli Conflict (Tamra Wright, [email protected]) (Efraim Karsh, [email protected]) Philosophy and theology have always needed to The aim of this module is to provide an in-depth wrestle with the problem of evil, yet many thinkers historical analysis of the origin and development have argued that the Holocaust presents an un- of the Arab-Israeli conflict from its onset in the precedented challenge to Jewish belief. We will early twentieth century to the present day. More look at a wide range of responses to the issues. specifically, it provides an introduction to the pri- Authors studied will include Rubenstein, May- mary literature and the historiographical debate baum, Fackenheim, Buber and Levinas. No prior surrounding the creation of the State of Israel, the knowledge of philosophy, except for material in- collapse and dispersal of Palestinian Arab society, troduced on the Methods and Foundations course, and the ongoing conflict between Arabs and Jews is required. over the Holy Land.

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Queen Mary, University of London of a lively and multi-faceted scholarly debate. Re- Mile End Road, London E1 4NS cent research has not only shown that the after- math of Nazism and Nazi crimes overshadowed GRADUATE West Germany’s new beginning, but has increa- singly focused on how the contradictory processes of stabilisation, integration and liberalisation of Leo Baeck MA in European Jewish History the new state and society were linked with the Nazi past. Moreover, inquiries into post-1945 Ger- Core options man culture have begun to differentiate carefully between remnants from the Nazi era and pre-1933 Modern Jewish History and Culture traditions that shaped postwar realities. This Christians and Jews in Europe: Perceptions course provides an introduction to the relevant and Encounters, 1100-1600 historiography. It highlights current controversies, methodological debates, and opportunities for new Jews, Power and Intellectual History research projects. Antisemitism and the Holocaust Modern European Jewish Literature

School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) Additional options Centre for Jewish Studies, Department of the Languages and Cultures of the Near and Middle Understanding Religion Historically East, Department of the Study of religions (Miri Rubin, [email protected]) Websites: http://www.soas.ac.uk/jewishstudies; This Core Course for the MA in Religious Cultures http://www.soas.ac.uk/nme; will introduce students to ideas and debates about http://www.soas.ac.uk/religions/ religion, which have affected historical practice. In SOAS, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London, Semester 1 focuses on thinkers and their theories, WC1H 0XG, UK. Fax 0044 20 7637 2388. while Semester 2 introduces students to key terms and debates which animate the historical study of UNDERGRADUATE pre-modern religion. Students will acquire critical understanding of the approaches, which have BA Hebrew and Israeli Studies affected the study of religious cultures, the histo- BA Study of Religions riographical traditions that have influences the research they will be reading. The course will help BA Hebrew and (other subject areas e.g. develop critical skills and an awareness of the Arabic, Music) intellectual environments that affect the study of religions in the past. The course combines the Elementary Hebrew study of formative theories as well as more recent (Tamar Drukker, [email protected]) debates, thus offering a broad critical training. This course allows students to achieve a basic pro- Hollywood and the Second World War, ficiency with equal attention to the colloquial and 1939–45 (Mark Glancy, the formal, catering for absolute beginners. [email protected]) Intensive Modern Hebrew This course focuses on a key period in film history (Tamar Drukker, [email protected]) and it considers the methods with which film This course allows students to achieve a level of critics and historians have analysed it. It is as much proficiency equivalent to higher GCSE, with equal about the writing of film history as it is about indi- attention to the colloquial and the formal. vidual films and filmmakers, and the syllabus is Modern Hebrew Language: Intermediate designed to offer students the opportunity to en- (Tamar Drukker, [email protected]) gage with several different methods and schools of This course allows students to develop oral, aural, criticism, while at the same time maintaining a writing and reading proficiency in Modern continuity by centring on the films of one distinct Hebrew, with equal attention to the colloquial and time period and country. Topics considered in- the formal. clude feature films and the historian, films as pro- Judaism: Foundation (Catherine Hezser, paganda, the cultural and social context of the USA [email protected]) during the war years and audience tastes in war- This course provides a basic introduction to time. Judaism for those with no or little previous know- Overcoming Nazism (Christina von ledge of the subject. It will present a historical Hodenberg, [email protected]) overview of the most important periods of Jewish The question when, how, and to what extent post- history and explore key aspects of Jewish religious war Germany overcame the Nazi past is at the core

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 26 Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010 practice and belief. It will introduce students to the between good and evil but rather a confrontation pluralistic ways of Jewish identity formation in an- between two peoples who deserve recognition and tiquity as well as in modern times. The significance respect, neither of whom has a monopoly in of the family and the community in religious prac- behaviour that is a praiseworthy or condemnable.’ tice, the development of the synagogue, prayer and the festival cycle, the significance of the Torah and GRADUATE Halakhah, as well as Antisemitism, Zionism, and Israel-Diaspora relations will be discussed. MA Israeli Studies Daily Life of Jews in Antiquity (Catherine

Hezser, [email protected]) Modern Israel Through its Culture (Tamar This course will examine various issues of the everyday life of Jews in Roman Palestine. For the Drukker, [email protected]) rabbis of the first five centuries C.E. all aspects of The course examines modern Israel via its culture, life were religiously significant. In this course the both high-brow and popular. There is discussion of relationship between rabbinic teachings and the ‘what is Israeli’ with consideration of the ideas of social historical background of Jewish everyday the ‘melting pot’ and the ‘ingathering’ as the life shall be investigated. The sources available for nation’s attempt at creating a new identity. The this investigation are literary traditions, archaeo- course will expose the student to a variety of logical material, inscriptions and papyri. Jews who cultural expressions which will include literature, lived in Roman Palestine in late antiquity lived in theatre, cinema, art, architecture, as well as sub- an environment which was greatly determined by culture such as comics, popular music, food and Graeco-Roman and emerging Christian culture. folklore. Therefore comparisons between Jewish, Graeco- Israel, the Arab World and the Palestinians Roman, and early Christian attitudes and values (Colin Shindler, [email protected]) are of particular interest for the various issues This course provides an overview of the Israeli- under consideration here. Palestine conflict since its inception and examines Judaism and Gender (Catherine Hezser, its political, historical and ideological reflection in [email protected]) Israel. The course will examine the role and representa- Zionist Ideology (Colin Shindler, tion of women in Judaism from antiquity to mo- [email protected]) dern times. In the first part of the course images of This course provides an input of Israeli studies in- women in the Bible, in Jewish Hellenistic literature, to the regional studies courses offered in the con- and in rabbinic sources shall be studied. text of Near and Middle East Studies. It identifies Introduction to Israeli Culture (Tamar with the disciplines of history and politics, parti- Drukker, [email protected]) cularly through specific Zionist thinkers and ideo- The course examines the evolution and origins of logues, but also reflects religious and cultural the new Israeli culture, its ideological background, spheres of study. Sociologically, it also examines its symbols and values as reflected in literature, the fragmentation of Jewish identity during the drama, film, popular music and the visual arts. The nineteenth century. course covers the period from pre-state period of A Historical Approach To Israeli Literature the early twentieth century until the 1990s. (Tamar Drukker, [email protected]) History of Zionism (Colin Shindler, This course provides the students with the oppor- [email protected]) tunity to read a wide selection of Hebrew litera- This course covers the history of Zionism from ture from the past 100 years. Important writers Genesis up until the present day, exploring the are set within their cultural and historical context. historical and political dimensions of Zionism The different literary movements in Israel are within a religious and cultural context and studied using different critical approaches: from focusing on the ideological sources of Zionism. formalism and New Criticism to psychoanalytic Israeli History and the Israel-Palestine readings, feminist approach, gender studies, New Historicism and post-modernism. The course is Conflict (Colin Shindler, [email protected]) complementary to the History of Zionism course, This course provides an overview of the Israeli- giving a different angle to the historical develop- Palestine conflict since its inception and examines ment. its political, historical and ideological reflection in Israel. It seeks to achieve academic clarity in an area of controversy and great interest. As Pro- fessor Tessler commented in his introduction to A History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, ‘the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not a struggle

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University College London acculturation, and assimilation; the movement for Department of Hebrew & Jewish Studies religious reform; the phenomenon of Antisemi- http://www.ucl.ac.uk/hebrew- tism; Jewish nationalism and Zionism. jewish/home/index.php Introduction to Classical Hebrew (Lily Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT. Kahn, [email protected]) Tel 020 7679 7171. In-depth introduction to the grammar and syntax of biblical Hebrew, using narrative texts. The aim UNDERGRADUATE of this course is to prepare students for reading the Hebrew Bible independently. It is relatively BA Hebrew and Jewish Studies intensive and intended for absolute beginners. The BA Jewish History course is based on the text book: Page Kelley, BA History (Central and East European) and Biblical Hebrew. An Introductory Grammar (Grand Jewish Studies Rapids, Michigan, 1992); additional material will be handed out in class.

Modern Hebrew for Beginners (tbc) The following combined honours degrees Basic grammatical outline; intensive acquisition of allow for various combinations including vocabulary; reading of easy Hebrew texts (e.g. sim- Hebrew, Yiddish, and Jewish Studies: plified newspapers); introduction to essay writing and conversation over a fairly limited range of BA Modern Languages topics. BA Modern Languages Plus BA Language and Culture Hebrew language courses

First-year core courses Intermediate Classical Hebrew (Willem Smelik, [email protected]) A Survey of Jewish History & Culture in the Further in-depth study of the grammar and syntax First Millennium BCE of Classical Hebrew, providing a solid foundation (Alinda Damsma, [email protected]) for text-based courses and a complementary base The emergence of Judaism from Old Testament for study of the modern language. religious institutions; the impact of Hellenism; sec- Advanced Classical Hebrew (Lily Kahn, tarianism. [email protected]) A Survey of Jewish History & Culture in the This is an advanced-level grammar and text-based First Millennium CE course intended for students who have completed (Willem Smelik, [email protected]) an introductory and intermediate course in Classi- The First and Second Revolt against the Romans; cal (Biblical) Hebrew. It will focus on advanced the development of rabbinic literature in Palestine topics in Classical Hebrew morphology and syntax. and Babylon; the use of archaeological evidence; These issues will be examined in-depth with the the Jews under Roman rule and in the Byzantine aid of a variety of reference grammars (chiefly period; the Babylonian academies; the Karaites; Waltke/O’Connor, Jouon, Van der Merwe/Naude/ Judeo-Arabic literature; the Cairo Genizah. Kroeze, and Gesenius), as well as scholarly articles on specific grammatical points. The grammatical A Survey of Jewish History & Culture from analysis will be complemented by in-depth study 1000–1800 of a range of biblical prose and poetic texts, which (Michael Berkowitz, [email protected]) will be analysed from grammatical and translation The decline of the Gaonate in the East and the rise perspectives. of new centres of Hebrew scholarship in Western Modern Hebrew (Lower Intermediate) Europe; the emergence of Jewish self-governing (tbc) institutions; the formation of Ashkenazi Jewry; The course will expand vocabulary relevant to a Sephardi Jewry to the expulsion from Spain; the range of everyday topics and situations. It will Jewish philosophical and mystical traditions; the develop fluency and more accurate use of basic Marrano Diaspora; the mystical messianism of grammatical structures and vocabulary. Students Sabbatai Zvi; Hasidism. will develop the ability to engage in more involved A Survey of Jewish History & Culture from written and spoken communication, such as ex- 1800–Present pressing and understanding feelings and opinions. (François Guesnet, [email protected]) Modern Hebrew (Higher Intermediate) The course explores the Jewish encounter with (Nadav Matalon, [email protected]) Modernity; the Haskalah of Berlin and Eastern The course aims at developing Modern Hebrew Europe; the concepts of Jewish emancipation, language skills that will enable students to express

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 28 Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010 themselves fluently and is open to students with studied up until the mid-twentieth century. Some sufficient knowledge of the language (level 3). It literary texts will be read in translation. No prior will concentrate on developing reading, writing knowledge of Yiddish is required. and oral skills and will be taught by two tutors to Yiddish Literature: Special Topics (Helen provide maximum exposure. Beer, [email protected]) Advanced Modern Hebrew (Nadav Matalon, This course looks at 4 different strands in Yiddish [email protected]) literature, giving an exposure to an extremely rich The course aims at developing Modern Hebrew Yiddish cultural landscape in the late 19th and language skills that will enable students to express 20th centuries. 1. Ettinger’s drama ‘Serkele’ (19th themselves fluently, to read Israeli newspapers century) as a precursor of 20th century Yiddish and literature. The course is open to students with theatre. Ettinger’s approach to Yiddish language sufficient knowledge of the language (level 4) to be and the themes explored in his drama will be determined by a placement test. It will concentrate considered in the light of later developments. 2. on developing reading, writing and oral skills. ‘Shund’ (‘trash’, ‘populist’) literature. Is this litera- Advanced Modern Hebrew – Non-Fiction ture as ‘cheap’ or ‘low’ as has been assumed? 3. (Ada Rapoport-Albert, [email protected]) The Yiddish Press. Looking specifically at ‘Haynt’ This course is designed to train students in the and ‘Moment’; daily Yiddish newspapers published readings of scholarly literature currently public- in Warsaw. Specific focus on subjects of reportage shed in Hebrew in Israel. This should enable them and literary contributions. 4. Sholem Aleichem’s to use Hebrew items on the bibliographies which ‘Railway Stories’. accompany most of the courses by the Department, items which, in many cases, are essential and not Text courses available in English. Old Testament Historical Texts (Willem Yiddish courses Smelik, [email protected]) About 15 chapters selected from the historical Elementary Yiddish (Helen Beer, books (Joshua-Kings, Esther and Ezra-Chronicles), [email protected]) studies with reference to philology, textual criti- This course is designed to enable complete cism, source criticism, archaeology and historical beginners to speak, read, write and understand background. Yiddish. Each lesson will include study of new Introduction to Syriac (Gillian Greenberg) vocabulary, grammar and various aspects of The course will include a comprehensive introduc- Yiddish culture. Upon completion of the course tion to Syriac grammar and syntax and study of a students will have the ability to converse confi- wide range of texts including passages from the dently on a variety of everyday topics and begin Peshitta, the Syriac translation of the Hebrew Bible reading authentic Yiddish literature. and of the New Testament; commentary from the Intermediate Yiddish (Helen Beer, period of the Church Fathers and from secular [email protected]) texts. This course focuses on developing Yiddish spea- Introduction to Babylonian Talmud king, listening, reading and writing skills at the (Sacha Stern, [email protected]) second-year level. Each lesson will incorporate An introduction to the Babylonian Talmud, its conversation, grammar, textual study and Yiddish structure and contents. Students will acquire skills cultural topics. Students will be introduced to clas- in translating and interpreting the Talmudic text, sic Yiddish authors such as Y. L. Peretz and Sholem and will become familiarized with its language, Aleichem, engage with topical issues through literary forms, and mode of argumentation. current Yiddish newspaper articles and learn to Comparison will be made with other early rabbinic express themselves fluently in a wide range of works, in particular the Mishnah, Tosefta, and situations. halakhic and aggadic Midrashim. Introduction to Yiddish Studies Introduction to the Kabbalah: Selected (Helen Beer, [email protected]) Readings from the Zohar (Ada Rapoport- This course introduces the history and develop- Albert, [email protected]) ment of the Yiddish langauge from its beginnings Four introductory lectures on the history of the until the present. The changes and adaptations of kabbalistic tradition, its basic tenets and the posi- the language will be explored in tandem with the tion of the Zohar within it, followed by 16 seminar geographical movements of its speakers. The sessions in which selected sections of the Zohar as nature of the language will be studied – its read in the original Aramaic or Hebrew, translated components and dialects. The beginnings and into English and interpreted, with special referen- development of Yiddish literature will also be

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Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010 ces to kabbalistic symbolism, literary structure, and became a distinct, competing religion. The narrative framework and Aramaic/Hebrew usage. course includes a study of Jewish-Christian Hasidism and Modernity (Tali Loewenthal, relations in the first few centuries CE. [email protected]) Greeks and Jews: Antiquity and the Hasidism began in the eighteenth century with a Modern World (Sacha Stern, spiritual, inclusivist ethos, which could be charac- [email protected]; Miriam Leonard, Greek terized as controversially ‘post-modern’, breaking and Latin, [email protected]) hierarchical borders in Jewish society. In the This course is structured in two complementary increasingly secular and religiously politicized parts. In the first term, it examines the encounter modern world of the nineteenth and twentieth of Greeks and Jews (or Hellenism and Judaism) in centuries, would the spiritual teachings survive? Antiquity, in the context of the Maccabaean revolt, Would the inclusivism survive? This text-based the Jewish Diaspora, key figures such as Philo, course investigates the variety of Hasidic views on Josephus, and Paul, early Christianity, and rabbinic topics such as rationalism, individualism, defectors Judaism. In the second term, it examines how from Judaism, the relationship between Jew and perspectives on this encounter contributed to the Gentile and the role of women in hasidic life. development of modern European culture in areas including philosophy, theology, literature, psycho- Literature and film courses analysis, and politics; how it shaped concepts such as Enlightenment, secularism, and reason; and the Family Politics in Israeli Literature (Tsila effect it had on the modern scholarship of Classics, Ratner, [email protected]) Jewish Studies, and the ancient world. This course will look at the representations of the The Culture of Sephardic Jewry (Hilary family in Israeli literature. It will discuss the Pomeroy, [email protected]) following issues: The way ideologies shape family The course will explore the origins and concept of structures; The way nation building narratives use ‘Sephardi’, as well as the cultural features with the family; Generations gap; The prevalence of which it is associated. Topics include the Iberian children’s narratives in Israeli literature; The way expulsions and their significance for diversifying women writers subvert familial narratives; Repre- Jewish culture; the Jewish languages of the sentations of parenthood and their perceptions by Sephardim; religious and secular culture; contem- their children. porary research on the history of Sephardic Jewry. Migration and Homelands in Israeli The Medieval Quest for Understanding: Literature (Tsila Ratner, [email protected]) High Culture in Judaism, Christianity, and The course will follow the changing attitudes to- Islam (Israel Sandman, [email protected]) wards migration and national homeland in con- After reading foundational passages of Greek temporary Israeli discourse through their literary philosophical texts and scriptural texts, we shall representations. It will discuss the construction of examine creative ways in which medieval Jewish, Homeland in Zionish ideology and the role of Christian, and Islamic thinkers synthesized these literature in shaping the nation building narrative into a cosmological system; and we shall analyze which had presented Jewish migration to Israel as implications of that system for the understanding a process of return. The course will discuss the of the soul, leadership, and political community. implications of this ideology on individual identity Then we shall consider critiques of the philoso- formation and social hierarchies. Current changes phical-religious synthesis; and appreciate the in Israeli discourse will be examined against the impact of that synthesis upon mysticism and scrip- background of this construction, focusing on the tural interpretation. Finally, we shall glimpse the emergence of immigrant narratives that contest ways in which these teachings were transmitted the ideology of one and exclusive homeland. Spe- within and between the religious communities. cial attention will be drawn to minorities’ and Throughout, we shall see how close, analytical women’s discourses. reading enables discernment of philosophical stances. History and culture courses Transformation of Jewish Culture in Early Modern Europe (François Guesnet, Judaism and the Origins of Christianity [email protected]) (Sacha Stern, [email protected]) The course considers the criteria for defining the This course assesses the complexity of Judaism early modern period as a unique epoch in the and Jewish life in the period when Christianity cultural and intellectual history of European Jewry. arose, the attitudes of Jesus and his successors Through an investigation of several major themes towards Jewish law and Judaism, and the process – all relatively new factors in the shaping of Jewish whereby Christianity ‘parted ways’ from Judaism culture and society from roughly 1492 to 1750 – it

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 30 Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010 argues that this period can be meaningfully demar- states who had broken off relations with Germany cated as distinct from both earlier and later Jewish in 1965, German-French arms cooperation as well cultural experiences. as Palestinian terrorism in the 1970s set para- Metropolitan Life: Jews and the City meters which impacted on a relationship still over- (François Guesnet, [email protected]) shadowed by the legacy of Germany’s National The course is intended to engage the students in a Socialist past. comparative analysis of the changes that urbanism Israel and the Occupied Territories entailed for Jewish immigrants coming to a city (Ronald Ranta, [email protected]) such as New York; the nature of Jewish interaction The course will cover Israel’s complex relationship with the city and with other groups in the city; and with the Occupied Territories. This will include the the implications for Jewish group life and Jewish- impact of the Occupied Territories on Israeli non-Jewish social relations of Jewish migration to society and the political system. The course will suburbs outside the city. detail the changes that occurred to Israel’s civil- History of the Jews in Poland (François military relations, Israel’s religious-secular poli- Guesnet, [email protected]) tical problem, Israel-US relations and Israel’s poli- A social, political and cultural history of the Jews in tical party system as a result of Israel’s relations the Polish state from the Middle Ages to the pre- with the Occupied Territories. sent. The course examines the rise of Jewish poli- tical autonomy in the Polish-Lithuanian Common- GRADUATE wealth; the consequences of the partitions of Po- land for the Jews; the rise of modern Polish Antise- MA Language, Culture and History: Hebrew mitism; Jews in inter-war Poland; the Holocaust in and Jewish Studies Poland; the Jews in post-war Poland. MA Language, Culture and History: Modern European Jewry and the Holocaust Israeli Studies (Michael Berkowitz, [email protected]) MA Language, Culture and History: Holocaust The course places the events of the Holocaust in Studies the context of 20th Century European history, the history of Antisemitism and the history of post- MA Language, Culture and History: Jewish emancipation European Jewry. It surveys the History course of the Holocaust, analyses its causes and examines its impact on contemporary Jewry. Most of the undergraduate courses are available to MA students, subject to additional Politics courses MA-level assignments.

The Peace Process in Modern Graduate Seminar: Introduction to Israeli Politics 1967-1998 (Neill Lochery, Holocaust Studies [email protected]) (Michael Berkowitz, [email protected]) The class will survey issues of peace and war from The course will examine the Holocaust in historical the conclusion of the six-day war to the present. context. Issues to be explored will include the con- Special attention will be given to Palestinian- cept of a holocaust, debates over the uniqueness of Israeli relations. the Jewish Holocaust and major issues in Holo- German-Israeli Relations from 1948/9 to caust historiography. the Present (Helene Bartos, Graduate Seminar in Modern Israeli [email protected]) Studies (Neill Lochery, [email protected] The course introduces the history and develop- and Tsila Ratner, [email protected]) ment of German-Israeli relations from 1948/9 On the one hand, the course will examine the until the present. It will focus on key aspects of history, politics and culture of the modern State of German-Israeli relations prior to the establishment Israel. Major historiographical questions and con- of formal diplomatic relations in 1965 (such as the temporary research will be explored. On the other reparations agreement of 1952 and arms sales). hand, it will focus on a selection of topics in Israeli The prelude to the exchange of ambassadors will fiction since the mid 1970s and explore the tension be explained (Germany’s refusal to enter into dip- between collective images and individual identities lomatic relations for nearly ten years, the Ulbricht in the context of social and cultural changes in visit to Egypt) and set the context for a debate on Israeli society. the relations post-1965. As will be shown, the Yiddish Seminar (Helen Beer, institutionalization of relations did not necessarily [email protected]) mean an intensification of relations. Germany’s attempts to restore relations with those Arab

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Leo Baeck College, London Rabbinic Theology (Sheila Shulman) Website: www.lbc.ac.uk Email: The purpose of this module is to help students to [email protected] being to understand the speculative, unsystematic, Leo Baeck College, The Sternberg Centre, 80 East yet coherent nature of Rabbinic theologizing and End Road, Finchley, London N3 2SY, UK. its basis in a textual tradition, through an examina- T 0044 20 83495600, F 0044 20 83432558. tion both of selected Rabbinic texts and various Email: [email protected] contemporary critical essays on Rabbinic thinking. Talmud Skills (Mark Solomon) Higher Jewish Studies Programme The aim of this module is to introduce students to the study of Talmud and help them to develop vital MA in Jewish Education (accredited by skills for Talmud study, including familiarity with London Metropolitan University) basic terminology, the layout of the Talmudic page, the generations of the Sages, the elements of the (for information, please contact Gaby sugya, and a basic awareness of critical issues Ruppin, [email protected]) surrounding the redaction of the Talmud.

Midrash (Laliv Clenman) MPhil/PhD (accredited by the Open Students will develop the ability to read, translate University) and analyse both halakhic and aggadic midrashim, a familiarity with the various styles, schools and Aramaic (Charles Middleburgh) collections of midrashim, and their intertextual The purpose of this course is to make students study, and they will learn to engage with contem- familiar with the idiom of Aramaic, Palestinian and porary theories of midrash. Babylonian, and allow them to comprehend the Liturgy (Jeremy Schonfield) methodology and motivation of the Targumim. The purpose of this course if to introduce students Modern Hebrew Conversation to the origins, development and underlying mea- (Irit Burkeman, [email protected]) nings of the liturgy, and the criteria for its adapta- This course aims to increase students’ ability and tion in Progressive movements. confidence to converse in Modern Hebrew in a History of the Progressive Movement variety of ways and settins, to use correct gram- (James Baaden) mar in their spoken Hebrew and to strengthen This course will give students a sound grasp of the students’ knowledge about and involvement with history and key ideas of progressive Judaism and a Israeli culture and literature. Students will also de- well informed awareness of the principal move- velop a sense of the interconnectedness of Modern ment which constitute the progressive Jewish and Biblical Hebrew. world today. Rabbinic Literature (Charles Middleburgh) History of the Holocaust (Marc Saperstein, This course explores the central features of a va- [email protected]) riety of Midrashic texts through engagement with The aim of this course it to foster knowledge of the them in their original language and in translation. origins, causes, implementation and significance of Bible, Megillot (Deborah Kahn-Harris) the Nazi attempt to destroy European Jewry, This module focuses on the Megillot with the aim within the context of European and Jewish history. of developing the students’ ability to read, analyse It will introduce students to related themes such as and translate the Hebrew text and evaluate tradi- psychology of persecutors, victims, and bystanders tional and contemporary exegetical methodo- and contemporary implications of the Holocaust logies. for religion and politics. Parshanut: Medieval Biblical Comments (Annette Boeckler, Advanced Diploma in Professional [email protected]) Development: Jewish Education This course is intended to facilitate an introduction (for information, please contact Jo-Ann Myers, to the world of medieval rabbinic commentaries email: [email protected]) and lay the ground for higher levels of engagement in subsequent years. The first semester will focus on basic readings and comprehension of the commentaries and their relationship to the Biblical text. The second semester will explore the histo- rical background and hermeneutics of the com- mentators.

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 32 Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010

Centre for Jewish Studies, University of Israelites lived and from which the Old Testament/ Manchester Hebrew Bible emerged. Website: www.mucjs.org Introduction to Judaism (Philip Alexander, Religions and Theology, Samuel Alexander [email protected]) Building, School of Arts, Histories and Cultures This course provides an historical introduction to The University of Manchester Oxford Road, contemporary Judaism, defining Judaism as a Manchester M13 9PL, UK. system of beliefs and practices based on Torah. T 044 161 275 3614, F 0044 161 275 3613. The basic creed of Judaism is explored, as expres- sed in law, mysticism, ethics and philosophy. Major UNDERGRADUATE practices and rituals are described. The course concludes with a demographic and statistical overview of Judaism today, and a consideration of BA Jewish Studies and Hebrew some of the major issues which currently exercise BA Combined Studies (including Jewish the Jewish community. Studies or Holocaust Studies) The Question of Palestine/Israel (1882- First-year courses 1967) (Moshe Behar, [email protected]) Hebrew Language 1 (Sophie Garside, The course provides an introduction to causes, [email protected]) consequences and controversies associated with This is a beginner’s level language course which the emergence, development and consolidation of teaches the skills of reception (reading and liste- the conflict in Palestine/Israel from 1882 until the ning), production (speaking and writing) in the 1967 war. Emphasis is placed on both the socio- target language and mediation between the target political and diplomatic aspects of the conflict. On language and English (translation and interpreta- successful completion of this course unit, partici- tion). The aim is to familiarize the students with pants should have developed (1) skills for critical the spoken and written forms and grammar of the analysis of one of the world’s most covered natio- language and to enable them to begin to express nal conflicts; (2) general understanding of main themselves in writing, simple role-play and simple processes in the formation of the 20th Century ME; dialogues, and to begin to read simple authentic (3) some ability to apply acquired knowledge to texts and translate to and from the target language. broader Middle Eastern histories as well as to Biblical Hebrew (Adrian Curtis regional and meta-regional themes (such as the [email protected]) phenomenon of modern nationalism). This course introduces students to the basic voca- The Contemporary Middle East (Moshe bulary, grammar and syntax of Biblical Hebrew Behar, [email protected]) (designed for those who have no prior knowledge An introductory survey course on the contempo- of the Hebrew language). rary Middle East, with sections devoted to geogra- The Middle East Before Islam. An phy, society, religion, history, politics, economics, Introduction (John Healey, international relations, and security and conflict. [email protected]) Two principal questions generally run throughout The lectures survey the history and religion of the the course: “What, if anything, is distinctive and/or Middle East in the period from c. 2000 BCE to c. exceptional about the Middle East?” and “How has 600 CE. Special attention is given to the history of the Middle East changed during the modern age?” writing, the kingdoms of Syria-Palestine and Students will be introduced to the use of a range of Anatolia in the Bronze and Iron Ages, pre-Islamic sources relating to the contemporary Middle East, Arabia (Petra, Saba and Himyar) and the impact of including reference and survey works, studies of Christianity on the whole region before Islam. specific subjects, and internet resources. The The World of the Ancient Israelites (Adrian course provides foundation for further study of the Middle East and facilitates the acquisition of Curtis, [email protected]) intellectual and transferable skills. Part A aims to introduce students to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, to open up for students Introduction to Holocaust Studies something of the rich variety of literary genres that (Jean-Marc Dreyfus, Jean- the Bible contains in the Law, the Prophets and the [email protected]) writings, and to show that Biblical Criticism over The course will explore ‘the twisted path to the last century and a half has developed a refined Auschwitz’. It will examine the significance of set of tools for analysing these ancient texts. Part B Hitler and other key figures, anti-Semitic policies, aims to make students familiar with the geographi- the life of Jews in Germany, ghettos, the methods of cal and cultural context in which the ancient killing, Jewish resistance, bystander indifference,

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 33

Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010 post-war reparations and the fate of survivors. The Mystical Tradition in Judaism (Philip Special attention will be given to policy documents, Alexander, memoirs, and diaries, film and photographs. [email protected]) Religion and Evolution (Daniel Langton, A survey of the main forms and key ideas of the [email protected]) Jewish mystical tradition – the Qabbalah – from Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection is antiquity to modern times. The module discusses one of the most controversial and influential ideas the definition of mysticism and considers the role of the modern era. For students of religious studies mysticism has played in the historical develop- it is important for several reasons. Evolution has ment of Judaism. Again the study of major texts been at the centre of an historic conflict between provided in a Sourcebook will form a central ele- scientific and religious worldviews that continues ment of the course. to this day, it has impacted on both Jewish and Ancient Israel’s Prophetic Literature Christian modern theologies, and it has given birth (Adrian Curtis, to a range of scientific approaches for understan- [email protected]) ding the nature of religion itself. In this module The definition of the term ‘prophet’ and the you will be introduced to such contentious and background to the phenomenon of prophecy in ideologically sensitive ideas as Creationism and Israel will be considered. Some consideration will Intelligent Design, selfish genes, memes, and evo- be given of so-called ‘primitive’ prophecy, but the lutionary psychology. course will concentrate on an attempt to give an account of the messages of certain key figures in Second-year courses the biblical prophetic tradition. Dead Sea Scrolls (George Brooke, Modern Hebrew Language 2 (Sophie [email protected]) Garside, [email protected]) The course covers the archaeology of the Qumran This is a lower intermediate level language course site and introduces you to the Dead Sea Scrolls. which teaches the skills of reception (reading and The texts are all studied in English and the course listening), production (speaking and writing) in pays particular attention to the Rules which may the target language and mediation between the describe the movement's community law and life, target language and English (translation and inter- the sectarian biblical commentaries which show pretation). how one group in Judaism of the period inter- Biblical Hebrew Texts I (Adrian Curtis, preted authoritative texts, and the liturgical and [email protected]) poetic texts which display a rich and profound Genesis 1-3; 2 Samuel 6-7; selected Psalms. spirituality. The significance of the scrolls for early Talmudic Judaism: Sources and Concerns Judaism and nascent Christianity is also consi- (Rocco Bernasconi, dered. Several films are used to illustrate the [email protected]) history and the range of scholarly opinion about The course is concerned with the classical sources these texts. of Judaism, including the Mishnah, the Midrashim Theories in the Academic Study of the and the Babylonian Talmud of which it gives an Middle East: History, Literature, Society overview of the main literary and thematic and Religion beyond Orientalism (Alex characteristics. The course, which presupposes no Samely, [email protected]; Hebrew knowledge, also explores some basic Morgan Clarke, concepts such as halakhah, aggadah, Torah, and [email protected]) Oral Torah. It discusses the role of Scripture for the This course unit introduces students to the theore- Talmudic discourse and addresses the question of tical positions that underpin current methods and the historical use of Rabbinic sources. approaches in the study of history, literature, Readings in Talmudic Judaism (Rocco society and religion. We deal with the effect that Bernasconi, theoretical assumptions have on what counts as [email protected]) evidence, how objectivity is achieved or question- Selected samples from Talmudic literature (such ned, what role the scholar’s own context plays, as portions of Mishnah Megillah and Midrash what topics are selected for study, how power and Bereshit Rabbah) are studied both in the original economics affect scholarly work, and what is the and in translation. The aim of the course is to importance of critical distance in the interpreta- introduce students to the modern analysis of the tion of texts. Some of the methods of historical, sources of formative Judaism in its classical period. philological, literary and social study will be discussed in detail, including their grounding in philosophy and linguistics. The assumptions of po- sitivist science, phenomenology, structuralism and

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 34 Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010 hermeneutics will be addressed; and approaches the history of Jewish and Christian attitudes to such as Marxism, post-colonialism, feminist criti- dialogue and to ‘the other’, and such controversial cism and deconstruction will be placed into a issues as the Holocaust, the State of Israel, Zionism, wider theoretical context. anti-Judaism in the New Testament, and Themes in the Formation of Arab and conversion practices. Jewish Nationalisms (Moshe Behar, Sources of Holocaust Studies [email protected]) (Jean-Marc Dreyfus, Jean- How do collective identities come into existence? [email protected]) How do nations emerge (or disintegrate)? What All the sessions will see the study of texts. Each best accounts for the development of nations: text will be submitted to an external analysis (con- ideology, the economy, societal transformation, text and condition of its writing, distribution, politics, cultural formation or technological reception, post-war publication and impact,…) and change? This course examines these and other key to an internal analysis (level of language, voca- questions and themes related to the consolidation bulary, quotations, references to other docu- of collective identities in the 20th Century ME ments). The course will especially deals with the while utilising theoretical studies that focus on question of the recently opened archives, such as additional regions. As such, the course explores the the archives of the International Tracing Service of emergence and consolidation of collective identi- the Red Cross (ITS Arolsen), the archives of the ties on competing bases (such as ethnicity, lan- former Soviet Union or the archives of the despoil- guage, region, class, religion, etc.) ment of the Jews in the Holocaust. Recently found The Modern Literatures of the Middle East diaries and letters of victims will get a special (Hoda Elsadda, [email protected]; attention. The Memorial books of different Jewish Sophie Garside, [email protected] communities have been posted on the Internet in et al.) the last five years. Students will be aware of the This course is intended to develop students' cri- question of languages. The Holocaust was perpe- tical appreciation of literature, through readings in trated in German to victims who spoke Yiddish and contemporary Middle Eastern texts translated all the European languages. The perpetrators were from the Arabic, Hebrew, Persian and Turkish, as helped by auxiliaries speaking all the European well as through reading and translating texts in the languages, from Dutch and French to Russian. The original languages. We shall treat literature as a memory of the Holocaust was mostly expressed in resource for our own thinking about some of the Hebrew, German and English, as the academic pressing concerns of modern life in the tension research is mostly in English between the West and the Middle East. In what Women in Middle East Societies (Youssef sense do literary works reflect the ‘realities of life’ Choueiri, [email protected]) in the Middle East? What are the themes which This course covers the history of women in Middle Middle Eastern writers feel compelled to address? East societies in the context of Islam, Eastern The aim of the course unit is two-fold: to introduce Christianity and Judaism. It examines gender students to some of the main concepts and inequalities, polygamy, veiling, adultery, the approaches used in the contemporary academic patriarchal family, property rights and work. It discourse on literature, as applied to examples of also studies the emergence of Middle Eastern and twentieth-century literature from the Middle East North African feminism and the interplay between (in English translation); to develop the students’ socio-economic forces, nationalist processes of comprehension and reading skills through trans- modernity and women’s political ambitions. lating and analysing a variety of modern texts in their chosen Target Language. Third-year courses Introduction to the History of Jewish- Christian Relations (Daniel Langton, Modern Hebrew Language 4 (Sophie [email protected]) Garside, [email protected]; The course is taught in two hourly lectures and Malka Hodgson, one seminar for which the reading must be pre- [email protected]) pared. It is divided into two parts. The first part This is an advanced level language course which provides an initial overview of the history of teaches the skills of reception (reading and liste- Jewish-Christian relations. The second part adopts ning), production (speaking and writing) in the a thematic approach and highlights the develop- target language and mediation between the target ment of the thought and theology of various language and English (translation and interpreta- individuals, concentrating particularly on the last tion). The aim is to enable students to master hundred years or so. The course examines Jewish complex structures with high fluency in a range of approaches to Jesus and the apostle Paul, Christian situations and for a variety of purposes. approaches to Judaism and the study of Judaism,

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Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010

Biblical Hebrew Texts II (Adrian Curtis, Consequences of the Holocaust on Western [email protected]) Societies and Jewish History Judges 4-5, Jeremiah 1-5, Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes) (Jean-Marc Dreyfus, Jean- 1-3, selected passages from the Dead Sea Scrolls. [email protected]) Israelites and Canaanites (Adrian Curtis, Some consequences of the Holocaust only appear [email protected]) after decades of silence and repression. More than The aim is to enable you to consider in detail a just considering the memory of the event, this number of issues of current or recent debate in the course will try to deal with different aspects of the field of Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, relating to aftermath. The changes in Jewish history after the the relationship and possible interaction between Holocaust will be particularly considered: demo- Israelites and Canaanites. Its particular focus will graphy, new Jewish consciousness, the importance be on religious texts from ancient Ugarit (modern of the State of Israel and the interpretation in Ras Shamra) and their relevance for the study of Jewish theology. The course will study different the Bible. aspect of Holocaust consequences, in the fields of Early Jewish Novels (George Brooke, memorialisation, diplomacy and Jewish history. [email protected]) The sessions will handle, among others, the follow- The course pays particular attention to identifying ing themes: Discovering the camps and the the characteristics of early Jewish novels, both in catastrophe: 1944–1946 – Restitution and repara- the form of court tales and also in the form of love tion policies – Holocaust denial: facts and fights – stories. Literary works both from early Palestinian the German Federal Republic facing its past – Holo- Judaism and also from the Jewish diaspora are stu- caust memory and politics in the new Europe: an died. Some elementary knowledge of the history of East-West divide. the period 200 BCE-200 CE is covered briefly at Controversies in Collective Memory and the beginning of the course. All the compositions Politics (Moshe Behar, are studied in English. [email protected]) The Middle East in the Roman Period and During the last four decades liberal democracies Late Antiquity (John Healey, have grappled with questions relating to citizen- [email protected]) ship, immigration, multi-culturalism, gender gaps, Lectures will be given on the minor kingdoms/ collective rights, and the civil status of ethnic or states of the Middle East in the Roman period indigenous minorities. In Israel these issues came (Nabataea, Palmyra, Edessa, etc.), and the early de- to the fore in the 1990s, manifesting themselves in velopment of Christianity in the Aramaic-speaking debates between the ‘old’ and ‘new’ historians; Middle East (i.e. the Syriac-using churches). At all disputes between the ‘critical’ and ‘establishment’ stages the critical use of sources (Greek, Latin, sociologists; questions of memory and collective Syriac and Arabic sources in translation) is empha- identity; new forms of political organization by sized. Israel’s Palestinian-Arab citizens, Sephardic-Miz- The Jewish-Christian- Muslim Controversy rahi Jews, and women. Discussions often revolved from the Earliest Times until the End of the around the question whether Israeli society em- Middle Ages (Philip Alexander, email: bodies persistent inequalities between European Jews, Middle Eastern Jews, women, Arabs, and [email protected] Russian and Ethiopian immigrants, or whether it is and Renate Smithuis, email: a place of (comparatively) well-functioning co- [email protected]) existence. This class shall critically survey the The so-called ‘Abrahamic Faiths’ – Judaism, following themes that shed light on these debates: Christianity and Islam – have a uniquely close rela- ‘Israeli Inter-generational Conflict?’; ‘Historical tionship to each other: they are all monotheisms, Inquiry and Israel’s Collective Memory’; ‘Israel: arose in the same region of the world, draw on Democracy, Ethnic Democracy or “Ethnocracy”?’; common traditions, and have intensely interacted ‘Jewish and Democratic State: Built-in Structural with each other. That interaction has been of Tension?’; ‘Arab Citizenship in a Jewish State’; immense historical significance and continues to ‘Sephardim/Mizrahim in Israel’ and ‘The Politics of drive global politics today. The course aims: (1) To Land Ownership.’ identify, explain and analyse the key points of theological difference between Judaism, Christia- GRADUATE nity and Islam as expressed in classic texts of the MA in Jewish Studies three religions; (2) To assess the arguments that MA in Hebrew Studies these texts have deployed to defend their positions against each other; (3) To trace the history of the MA in Holocaust Studies Jewish-Christian-Muslim controversy down to the end of the Middle Ages.

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 36 Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010

Introduction to Comparative Semitic Transformations in Modern Jewish Philology (John Healey, Identities (Moshe Behar, [email protected]) [email protected]) On completion of this course unit successful parti- This course unit introduces some exemplary texts cipants will be able to give informed responses to and documentary films that aim to demonstrate questions about the history of the Semitic language core aspects in the process of identity formation in family; demonstrate a knowledge of the phonologi- Israel. Emphasis is placed simultaneously on cal characteristics and basic morphology of the understanding processes of socio-political and cul- language family; and show an awareness of the tural change in Israel and on improving students’ methodological problems arising from the use of understanding of spoken and written Hebrew. comparative philology. Secondary items will be provided in class to Dead Sea Scrolls (George Brooke, deepen further the interpretation and understan- [email protected]) ding of the set visual and textual material assigned. The aim of the course is to enable in-depth study Controversies in Modern Middle Eastern through guided reading of one or more aspects of History (Philip Sadgrove, the Dead Sea scrolls. This course enables you to [email protected]) come to terms with one or more aspects of the stu- The course unit examines six controversies in the dy of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Some prior knowledge historiography of the modern Middle East: the is assumed and it is hoped that you will come to regime of the Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid II; the the course wanting to seize the opportunity for Arab Revolt of 1916-1918; the Arab-Israeli war of pursuing your own interests in this fascinating 1948-1949; The Suez Crisis of 1956; the Iranian material. revolution of 1978-1979; the regime of Saddam Rabbinic Constructions of Jewish Identity Hussein in Iraq. in Antiquity (Rocco Bernasconi, Literary Representations of the Holocaust [email protected]) (Francesca Billiani, This course introduces students to the current [email protected]) scholarly discussion on ‘Jewishness; in antiquity; it The course will explore modes of representing the enables students to evaluate critically the nature of Holocaust in post-war Italian literary writing. the rabbinic sources in which Jewish identity is ar- Starting from an analysis of how the fascist regime ticulated or presupposed, and to identify selected progressively marginalized Italian Jewish citizens, topics which provide the context of this theme in thereby creating a ‘Jewish problem’, the course antiquity, and provides students with an appre- addresses the problem of literary writing on the ciation of the methodological problems arising for Holocaust as a means of bearing witness about the a critical reconstruction of the cultural and histori- genocide and of building a personal, social, collec- cal realities in the rabbinic period. tive, and national identity. In this context, particu- Bible and Early Judaism in Context (George lar attention will be paid to Primo Levi’s Se questo Brooke, [email protected]) è un uomo seen both as a detailed example of the The course has two elements. In the weekly one- Italian aesthetic and social treatment of the Holo- hour course seminar, various members of the Bib- caust and as a general reflection on modes of wri- lical studies staff will discuss approaches that they ting about the Genocide. use, in their research, for analysing Biblical texts in Holocaust Representation in Visual Culture context. The seminars will provide opportunities (Cathy Gelbin, for students to explore and evaluate these approa- [email protected]) ches and how they can be put to use. The second Following the ongoing debate around appropriate element is the weekly Ehrhardt Seminar at which modes of representing the Holocaust, this course scholars from Manchester and elsewhere present unit will examine the construction of the Nazi current research projects. Students will develop genocide in visual culture. Examples from feature skills in analysing these presentations. The course film, documentary and performance art, among can be successfully taken without knowledge of other genres, will be situated in their historical and Hebrew or Greek. However, some of the research aesthetic contexts to outline the major parameters projects discussed will inevitably turn on issues marking the political and artistic treatment of the related to Hebrew or Greek so, the greater a stu- Nazi genocide from the immediate post-war period dent's knowledge of these languages is, the more to the present. they are likely to gain from the course. Jews among Christians and Muslims (Philip Alexander, email: [email protected]

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Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010

Holocaust Theology and the Problem of into the racial doctrine of National Socialist Ger- Evil (Daniel Langton, many and will describe the main chapters of the [email protected]) persecution of the Jews, first of all in Germany This course unit will survey a number of theolo- from 1933 then to the rest of occupied Europe. gical responses to the Holocaust, with Jewish and The Holocaust in Cultural Discourse (Cathy Christian writers. It will explore the differing ways Gelbin, [email protected]) that their religious concepts, beliefs, principles and This course unit aims to provide students with an practice have been effected by the theological introduction to key debates concerning the challenge of the Holocaust, which has undoubtedly cultural representation of the Holocaust and to brought about a wide-spread crisis of identity and examine critically a range of cultural, philosophical meaning for many religious thinkers. Among other and commemorative responses to the Holocaust areas of interest, it will consider the wider context and the meanings and controversies thereby gene- of Jewish-Christian relations (in particular rated. A range of artistic media (literature, film, Christian anti-Judaism), the debate surrounding memorials) will be analysed with the purpose of the phenomenon of Jewish self-definition in terms exploring questions concerning the ethics and of the Holocaust, and the future of Holocaust aesthetics of cultural Holocaust representation. theology itself. In particular, it will consider the Engaging initially with Theodor Adorno’s land- implications for the theodicy and the problem of mark pronouncement that ‘to write poetry after evil. Auschwitz is barbaric’ and its subsequent amend- Cultural Memory and the Holocaust (Ursula ments, key issues to be addressed on this course Tidd, [email protected]) unit will be: the role of aesthetics, ethics and genre This course unit provides a theoretical grounding in representing atrocity; the considerable diversity in contemporary debates concerning the cultural in cultural responses to the challenge of the Holo- memory of the Holocaust. It adopts a bipartite caust; generational differences in representing structure with an initial focus on the perspectives Holocaust experience; the role of trauma and and locations of collective memory and trauma, translation in memorial inscription and symbo- followed by an examination of issues relating to lisation. the identity politics of memory, with reference to gender, race and diaspora. Questions to be addressed will include the relationship between University of Nottingham collective and individual memories of the Holo- University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK. T 0044 caust and the role therein of testimony, the dialec- (115 951 5151, 0044 115 951 3666. tics of remembering and forgetting and the role of memory in constructions of identity. The Jewish Context of Jesus and Early The Holocaust in History (Jean-Marc Christianity (Roland Deines, Department of Dreyfus, Jean- Theology and Religious Studies, [email protected]) [email protected]) This course unit enables participants to study the This module deals with the Jewish context of Jesus specific conditions under which the Nazi atrocities and the Early Christians. It includes an introduc- unfolded in the European domain, including case tion to Jewish history and deals with the main studies of Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands sources for this. Within the literary sources, the and Eastern European Countries. Among other emphasis will be on the Greek translation of the issues, the course unit treats the historical precur- Jewish Bible (Septuagint), the Jewish philosopher sors of European racism and German colonialism and exegete Philo of Alexandria, and the historian in the making of Nazi ideology and the treatment of the first revolt against the Romans, Flavius of the racially persecuted Jews. Though the course Josephus. Besides the written sources, the political unit will mostly concentrated on the fate of Euro- geography and some important archaeological pean Jews, the ‘other victims’ (Sinti and Roma, ho- finds and excavations will be treated which will mosexuals, Jehovah witnesses) will be dealt with help an understanding of the social history. too. The course unit will begin with one session on Jewish Intellectuals in Germany 1830– the theoretical framework of Holocaust research 1940 (Bram Mertens, Department of German and one on pre-Nazi anti-Semitism. It will then Studies, [email protected]) proceed chronologically and thematically, covering This module concentrates on the most turbulent such topics as ‘Jewish life in Nazi Germany, 1933- time in the history of the Jewish people in Europe, 1939’ and ‘Ghettoisation’. The final session will be between the first wave of emancipation laws in the on the aftermath of the Holocaust in general. The 1830s – also the year of Heinrich Heine’s voluntary course unit will trace the development of anti- exile from Germany – and the start of the Second Semitism in the history of Europe and its evolution World War, which would physically eradicate

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 38 Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010 more than half of Europe’s Jews. In between these Second Temple History (Martin Goodman, dates, Jews both received greater freedom and [email protected]) were subjected to more persecution than ever Second Temple Judaism (Martin Goodman, before in their long history. Yet it was also in [email protected]) between these dates that Jewish writers and thin- History of the Talmudic Period (Martin kers made the greatest contribution to the Euro- pean Geistesleben, helping to shape the intellectual Goodman, [email protected]) climate that still determines our world today. This Varieties in Judadism, 100 BCE to 100 CE module will focus on seminal texts by Heinrich (Martin Goodman, Heine, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Joseph Roth, [email protected]) Franz Kafka, Walter Benjamin and Gershom Scho- The Formation of Rabbinic Judaism (Martin lem and discuss the work of other major Jewish Goodman, [email protected]) authors and thinkers such as Moses Hess, Samson Maimonides (Joanna Weinberg, Raphael Hirsch, Theodor Herzl, Franz Rosenzweig, [email protected]) Max Brod, Stephan Zweig and Martin Buber. Rabbinic texts (Midrash, Mishnah, Tosefta)

(Joanna Weinberg,

[email protected]) University of Oxford Medieval Jewish history/thought (Joanna

Faculty of Oriental Studies Weinberg, [email protected]) http://www.orinst.ox.ac.uk/html/hjs/hjs_home.html History of Jewish-Muslim Relations (Adam Pusey Lane, Oxford, OX1 2LE, UK. Silverstein, [email protected]) T 0044 1865 278200, F 0044 1865 278190. Modern Jewish Thought (Miri Freud-Kandel, [email protected]) UNDERGRADUATE Modern Jewish Society (Miri Freud-Kandel, [email protected]) BA in Hebrew Judaism in History and Society (Miri Freud- BA in Jewish Studies Kandel, [email protected]) The Jews of Europe, 1789–1945 (David GRADUATE Rechter, [email protected]) Modern Jewish History (David Rechter, M.St. In Classical Hebrew Studies (Faculty of [email protected]) Oriental Studies) Jewish Politics and the Jewish Question, M.St. in Jewish Studies (Oxford Centre for 1840–1945 (David Rechter, Hebrew and Jewish Studies [email protected]) M.St. In Jewish Studies in the Graeco-Roman Modern Jewish Politics and Ideologies Period (Faculty of Oriental Studies) (David Rechter, M.St. In Modern Jewish Studies (Faculty of [email protected]) Oriental Studies) Preliminary Biblical Hebrew (Jennifer M.St. in Yiddish Studies (Faculty of Medieval Barbour, [email protected]) and Modern Languages) Hebrew texts (Qohelet, Proverbs, Hebrew M.Phil. in Jewish Studies in the Graeco-Roman inscriptions) (Jennifer Barbour, Period (Faculty of Oriental Studies) [email protected]) M.Phil. in Modern Jewish Studies (Faculty of Modern Hebrew Texts: Gordon to Oriental Studies) Shammas (Jordan Finkin, [email protected]) Elementary and advanced classical Hebrew (Hugh Williamson, [email protected]) Modern Hebrew (Gil Zahavi, [email protected]) Reading classes on a wide variety of Biblical texts (Hugh Williamson, [email protected]) Ancient Israelite history (Hugh Williamson, [email protected])

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Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010

Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies writing skills, as well as mastering some more Website: http://www.ochjs.ac.uk/ advanced Yiddish grammar. It will also provide a Yarnton Manor, Yarnton, Oxford OX5 1PY, UK. T 44 basis for reading Yiddish literature and articles 01865 377946, F 0044 1865 375079. from the Yiddish press. Advanced: This course is aimed at students who GRADUATE have had at least two years of Yiddish at university level. We will be reading Yiddish literature (both One-year M.St. in Jewish Studies poetry and prose) and articles from the Yiddish press. The course will be entirely conducted in Yid-

dish. Biblical Hebrew (Stephen Herring, Introduction to the Archaeology of Ancient [email protected]) Israel: the Iron Age (1200–332 BCE) Elementary: The course is designed to enable stu- dents with little or no experience in Biblical (Garth Gilmour, [email protected]) Hebrew to become conversant in reading basic This course aims to provide an introduction to and narrative texts and to translate short passages overview of the discipline of Near Eastern Ar- from English into Hebrew. chaeology with particular reference to the Iron Age Intermediate: The course is designed for those stu- and the Persian Period. The course will provide the dents who are already conversant in reading student with the archaeological background to the narrative Biblical Hebrew. The students’ know- historical events of the Iron Age (1200–586 BCE) ledge of Biblical Hebrew grammar and syntax will and the Persian period (537–332 BCE); equip the constantly be reviewed and deepened as the set student with the basic elements of the subject, texts are studied and as they prepare Hebrew including the role of excavation, the limits of time prose compositions. and space, basic terminology, important sites and Advanced: This course is designed for those who personalities, significant finds, and the relevance already have considerable experience in Biblical to the biblical account; and to enable the student to Hebrew prose as well as some background in assess the right and wrong uses of archaeology. Classical Hebrew poetry. This course will, there- The Study of Ancient Israelite Religion fore, focus on developing these skills through rea- (Madhavi Nevader, ding more difficult Biblical texts, as well as some [email protected]) inscriptions. This course will be concerned with the study of Modern Hebrew ancient Israelite religion and culture in and against Elementary: The aim of this class is to help stu- its ancient Near Eastern context. Topics of study dents to acquire proficiency in reading, writing, will include conceptions of divinity and cult, as comprehending and translating comparatively well as the derivative social institutions, prophecy, simple texts, as well as acquiring conversational priesthood, kingship, and temple. Through the stu- skills. dy of such topics, the aim is to familiarize students Intermediate: The aim of this class is to give stu- with the means by which ancient Israelites wor- dents proficiency in reading, writing, comprehen- shipped and functioned within a religious society, ding and translating more complex texts, as well as and thus, how they conceived of themselves as the acquiring conversational skills. distinct people of God. There will be the oppor- Advanced: The aim of this course is writing, tunity to discuss various biblical texts which reading and comprehension at an advanced level pertain to each subject and further opportunity for with a particular focus on academic and related independent research. While some knowledge of texts. the Hebrew Bible and Biblical Hebrew will be Yiddish (Haike Beruriah Wiegand, helpful, it is not required. [email protected]) Jewish History 200 BCE to 70 CE (Martin Elementary: This course is aimed at students with Goodman, [email protected]) no prior knowledge of Yiddish (although know- This course covers the political, social, economic, ledge of the Hebrew/Yiddish alphabet is highly and religious history of the Jews from 200 BCE to desirable). The course is designed for students to 70 CE. The set text will be Josephus, The Jewish develop basic reading, writing and conversational War, but students will also be expected to learn skills, as well as mastering some basic grammar. It how other literary sources, archaeological material will provide a historical and cultural context of the and religious texts can be used to understand the Yiddish language. history of this period. Intermediate: This course is aimed at intermediate students of Yiddish (after one year of Yiddish at university level). The course is designed for stu- dents to develop more advanced reading and

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 40 Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010

Jewish and Christian Bible Translation and The Diaspora in the Roman Empire: Jews, Interpretation in Antiquity Pagans and Christians to 450 CE (Alison Salvesen, (Fergus Millar, [email protected]) [email protected]) This course explores the Jewish diaspora which This is an introduction to the way the Hebrew was spread over large parts of the Greek-speaking Bible/Old Testament was regarded and interpre- eastern half of the Roman Empire, and is also ted in early Christian and Jewish communities, and found in the city of Rome, and later in the Latin- to the primary sources for reception history. The speaking west. It is well known from pagan, Jewish course provides a guide to the main sources and and Christian literature, especially the Acts of the exegetes, as well as practice in analysing their Apostles, and from inscriptions, papyri and the preoccupations and methodology, whether in the archaeological remains of synagogues. For the first original languages or in translation. Each session three centuries CE both Judaism and Christianity, will take the form of a lecture followed by a close which grew out of it, were minority beliefs, tolera- reading of selected primary texts and a discussion ted and on occasion persecuted. With the conver- of their approach. Students will be assigned sion of Constantine in 312, the relations of the secondary literature to read in advance of the clas- three religions changed dramatically. ses. Topics of importance to Jews and Christians, A Survey of Rabbinic Literature (Joanna e.g. the ‘Fall’, the Binding of Isaac, the Messiah, the Weinberg, [email protected]) Decalogue, will be a particular focus of the course The aim of this course is to acquaint students with readings. some of the main features of early Rabbinic litera- Septuagint (Alison Salvesen, ture by means of selected texts which will be read [email protected]) in English translation. (The original Hebrew texts The texts are chosen for their exegetical and/or will be reproduced for those who are able to read text-critical interest, and for their relevance to Hebrew.) The first class will be devoted to a dis- formative Judaism and Christianity. The course cussion of the historical background of the sour- covers general issues of the historical origins of the ces. In subsequent classes selected texts drawn Septuagint version in the Alexandrian Jewish from the entire range of rabbinic literature will be Diaspora and its subsequent revisions in Palestine, analysed with consideration of their content, lite- the translation technique of the individual books rary structure and historical Sitz im Le- studied, textual criticism and exegesis of the ori- ben. Students should prepare the set texts together ginal Hebrew. Relevant texts in Hebrew and Greek with the relevant secondary literature in advance from Qumran will also be taken into consideration. of each class. The aim of the course is to demonstrate the value Introduction to Talmud (Dr Norman of the Septuagint and the three later Jewish revi- Solomon, [email protected]) sions (Aquila, Symmachus and Theodotion) for Students will be expected to be familiar with the textual criticism of the Hebrew Bible, and the im- basic elements of Judaism and to have some know- portance of Greek renderings of the Hebrew Bible ledge of Bible and of later Jewish history. They for Hellenistic Judaism and the Greek-speaking should also have sufficient Hebrew to enable them Church. to follow the original Talmud text studied. The first Talmud Aramaic (Alison Salvesen, session will be devoted to an explanation of: the [email protected]) structure of the Mishna; the relationship of Mish- The Aramaic translations of the Hebrew Bible, na, Tosefta and Midrash Halakha; the formation of known as the Targumim, were used in the syna- the Talmud of the Land of Israel and the Babylo- gogue services and for study. They often reflect the nian Talmud. All subsequent sessions will focus on Jewish theological interpretations of their day, and textual study. The emphasis will be on content are therefore important primary sources for study- rather than language, so that it will be possible for ing Rabbinic Judaism and for the early reception those whose Hebrew is weak to follow. Attention history of the Hebrew Bible. There are different will be paid to the structure and historical context types of Targum, varying in their approach to the of the passage(s) studied. translation, their date of composition and the type Jewish Liturgy (Jeremy Schonfield, of Aramaic used. In this course we will concentrate [email protected]) on the grammar and vocalization of the official This course will focus primarily on the way the rabbinic Targums, Onkelos and Jonathan. The aim traditional liturgy for home and synagogue of the course is to give students the ability to read encapsulates biblical themes and rabbinic thinking the Aramaic of Targums Onkelos and Jonathan. about the world. We will consider key scriptural The initial classes will involve grammatical study, scenes and their midrashic interpretations, in but each week will focus increasingly on the order to define some of the core ideas of the sacred Targum texts. narrative from creation to the messiah, and will

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 41

Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010 then trace their language and motifs in liturgical narrative and poetic, from the mid-nineteenth passages. It will become clear that central rabbinic century through the 1990s. ideas are explored in the liturgy in occasionally Israel: State, Society, Identity (Raffaella Del subversive ways, as the prayer book interprets Sarto, [email protected]) human experience from birth to death. There are probably few states in the world that Jewish-Muslim Relations through the Ages trigger such strong opinions and emotions as the (Adam Silverstein, State of Israel. While these responses are generally [email protected]) linked to Israel’s foreign relations and the Arab- This course surveys and analyses the interaction Israeli conflict, this course aims at primarily ‘loo- between Jews and Muslims, from the rise of Islam king inside’ Israel. It will introduce students to the until the Modern period. The course aims to politics, society, and institutions of modern Israel introduce students to the legal and political forces by paying special attention to the prevailing so- that shaped the Jewish-Muslim encounter, while cietal diversity and fragmentation as well as their also considering the cultural output that resulted political implications. In particular, the dynamics from this interaction. The diversity of Jewish of Israeli politics, society, and foreign relations will experiences of ‘Islam’ will be stressed throughout, be linked to the construction of Israel’s identity and various periods and regions of the Islamic (and the different interpretations of the latter) World will be compared and contrasted in this from the early days of the state until the advent of context. the peace process in the 1990s and its collapse. Modern European Jewish History (David Rechter, [email protected]) A survey course covering the period from the mid- University of Reading eighteenth century to the Second World War. The Whiteknights, PO Box 217, Reading RG6 6AH course aims to provide an overview of the Jewish experience as a minority group in Europe and UNDERGRADUATE Russia, introducing students to the main themes, ideologies and movements of modern Jewish Deviance and Discipline: Church and history. Among the topics examined are emancipa- Outcasts in the Central Middle Ages tion and the Enlightenment, Jewish politics, migra- (Rebecca Rist, History, tion, antisemitism and the Holocaust. [email protected]) The Emergence of Modern Religious This module will explore the pronouncements of Movements in Judaism (Miri Freud-Kandel, canon lawyers on topics central to an understan- [email protected]) ding of Medieval European Society such as theories The aim of this course is to consider the historical, of Just War, Christian-Jewish relations, the treat- theological, and social motivations behind the de- ment of pagans and Muslims in Christian society velopment of the three major religious movements and the status afforded homosexuals, prostitutes, of Modern Judaism: Reform, Conservative, and lepers and other social outcasts. The course will Orthodox. The focus will fall on their emergence in also explore the growth in the study of Canon Law the nineteenth century in western Europe. The in Medieval universities and the influence of the subsequent development of Reform and Conserva- work of decretists and decretalists on papal, eccle- tive Judaism in America will also be studied. In siastical and conciliar legislation. addition, the division of Orthodoxy into a moder- nist and traditionalist camp will be analysed parti- cularly with reference to Anglo-Jewry. Is Modern Hebrew Literature Jewish? Roehampton University Erasmus House, Roehampton Lane, London SW15 (Jordan Finkin, [email protected]) 5PU Is all Hebrew literature, by virtue of its language, Jewish literature? Or are there ideas and images that have no unique Jewish content or Judaism, Christianity, Islam (Mike Castelli, resonance and that are simply better portrayed Education, [email protected]) or expressed in Hebrew than in other lan- Students will consider how these traditions shape guages? By exploring certain themes and motifs – the experiences of children who are faith commu- such as the land of Israel, exile and wandering, nity members and how these traditions influence language as homeland – and their use in modern contemporary English society. Students will de- Hebrew literature, this course seeks to consider velop their understanding of and their competence these questions and their implications through to teach such traditions in the Primary classroom close readings of a cross-section of texts, both through academic study and through dialogue with members of each faith community. Dialogue

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 42 Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010 encourages the student to hear the contemporary and responses to them are examined including Jews, experience of each faith community and academic Irish, Afro-Caribbeans, Germans, Asians and many study complements this. This two-fold approach others. will facilitate a student’s ability to understand the Refugees in the Twentieth Century (Tony nature of religion in contemporary society and the Kushner, [email protected]) place of RE in the primary curriculum. There will This third year special subject explores legal and be an opportunity to undertake an education other definitions of refugeedom. It is then followed residency during the course as part of the by three case studies. The first is on east European engagement and dialogue with the three faith Jews at the turn of the twentieth century and the communities. second examines Refugees from Nazism. The third and final case study examines contemporary asy- lum seekers and refugees. A comparative approach University of Southampton is utilised, using primary sources to enable the Parkes Institute for the Study of Jewish/Non- study of official responses, that of the press and Jewish Relations public opinion and finally the refugees themselves Website: http://www.soton.ac.uk/parkes/ through testimony and literature. The Parkes Institute, History – School of Modern Jewish Culture and the Big City Humanities, The James Parkes Building, University (Joachim Schlör, [email protected]) of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ , UK. T Jewish forms of settlement are an important area 0044 23 80592261, F 0044 23 80593458. of study and research in the inter-disciplinary field of Jewish Studies. There is a broad variety of such UNDERGRADUATE forms of settlement, from the medieval Jewish streets and quarters via the shtetl in Poland to the BA History: Pathway Jewish History and urban quarters of Berlin, London, or New York. Culture Throughout several centuries, though, an image has been created of a special "relationship"

between Jewish and urban cultures. This unit will The Old Testament (Dan Levene, try to explore this relationship and to give some [email protected]) insight into the spatial dimension of Jewish culture The aims of this unit are to introduce you to and history. It will also show the range of inter- primary and secondary sources relating to the Old disciplinary methods necessary to cover the field. Testament; develop your skills of acquiring, using Street Life in the Modern Metropolis and critically evaluating these sources; familiarize (Joachim Schlör, [email protected]) you with the process of identifying problems and Street Life is the topic of this third level History ways of solving them by constructing logical and Special Subject course, running over two seme- substantiated arguments in both written and oral sters. The image of the urban street is symbolic for forms; give you a sound introduction to Biblical the changes that urbanization and modernization Hebrew. brought about since the early decades of the 19th The Making of Englishness: Race, Ethnicity century. The ambivalences of modernization and Immigration in British Society, 1841 to between progress (traffic, sanitation) on the one the Present (Tony Kushner, hand and newly discovered dangers (crime, prosti- [email protected]) tution, the lure of the nether world) on the other How do we define Britishness (or more often, ‘Eng- hand are closely connected to street life. The urban lishness’)? How have identities changed over the street has also been the “place” for different kinds past 150 years? This course covers these broad of social research, from Henry Mayhew and Char- questions with specific regard to questions of ‘race’, les Booth to Louis Wirth and the Chicago School. In ethnicity and immigration. Although the importance recent years, the areas of street photography and of these issues in contemporary debates is very street art have been used to study visual aspects of clear, this course adopts a historical approach and urban life. The research of street life opens up charts how they have developed from the mid-Vic- interdisciplinary fields of cultural history, from torian period onwards. It asks whether Britain is a gender studies to performance studies and – a field peculiarly tolerant country in an international con- that this course will concentrate on – Jewish text. How welcoming have state and society been to studies. newcomers? Have issues of race played a major part The Holocaust (Shirli Gilbert, in British politics? Turning to the minorities [email protected]) themselves, the course examines their identities and This Special Subject course explores one of the internal dynamics in British society. The approach most challenging and disturbing events of the adopted is comparative, and a wide range of groups twentieth century. Increasingly, and only relatively

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 43

Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010 recently, the Holocaust has become the subject of popular song in the South African anti-apartheid widespread academic and popular interest. The struggle. Through these and a range of other study of the Holocaust is not restricted to history, examples, we will consider the roles that music has but crosses disciplinary, academic and popular played as an actor in history, its potential signi- boundaries to include film, literature, art, museum ficance as a historical source, and its value as a studies and many other fields of interest. As such, medium through which we can approach and our approach in this course will be multi-discipli- begin to understand the past. nary, and will draw on a wide range of historical, Modern Israel, 1948–2009 (Joachim Schlör, literary, and cultural sources. In the latter part of [email protected]) the course, we will assess the aftermath of the Contemporary images of Israel are often informed Holocaust, from the post-war trials and the fate of by general political attitudes, and the many – millions of Displaced Persons, to the ways in which different – realities of life in Israel tend to the Holocaust has been represented, studied, and disappear behind these images. The history of the remembered between the post-war decades and pre-state Jewish community in Palestine and of the the present day. We will consider the nature of State of Israel has to be seen in a variety of wider individual and collective memory, and explore the contexts: European colonial interests in the Middle place of the Holocaust in the broader study of East; Jewish life in Europe and the rise of Zionism; genocide. the emergence of a Palestinian Arab political Responses to the Holocaust (Shirli Gilbert, consciousness; the British Mandate and the League [email protected]) of Nations; World War I and its impact on the More than 60 years after the liberation of region; World War II and the Holocaust. These Auschwitz and the end of the Holocaust – the contexts will be treated, but the focus of the course systematic mass murder of six million European is Modern Israel itself – its history, its political Jews, as well as homosexuals, communists, Roma, situation, inner-Israeli divisions and the role of and other victims during the Second World War – historical consciousness. Part 2 of the course will the subject still generates extensive discussion and take a closer look at Israel’s cultural history. controversy, in intellectual circles as well as in the wider political world. In this course we will GRADUATE explore contemporary responses to and post-war representations of the genocide, through media MA Jewish History and Culture such as testimonies, literature, film, and music. MRes Jewish History and Culture Through these sources, we will tackle some of the questions that still challenge our understanding of the Holocaust today, such as: Was the Holocaust Jewish History and Culture. Dialectics of unique? Are there limits to how such catastrophic Time and Space events can be represented? Why have some recent (Joachim Schlör, [email protected]) writers drawn attention to the ‘Holocaust Industry’ The aims of this unit are to introduce you to and the ‘exploitation of suffering’? What are the central aspects of Jewish history and cul- politics of memory and commemoration? ture; provide you with the most important theore- Music and Resistance (Shirli Gilbert, tical and methodological approaches to this inter- [email protected]) disciplinary field; encourage you to develop your Music might, at first glance, seem peripheral to the own research in this inter-disciplinary framework. study of history. On deeper examination, however Having successfully completed the unit, you will be – and as historians in recent years have increasing- able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding ly begun to recognize – it is a valuable source that of the importance of religion and religious practice can help us to understand how people in the past for Jewish history and culture; the inter-relation- have experienced, shaped, and understood the ship between the notions of time and space in world around them. Music can offer insight into Jewish history and culture; the dialectics of ‘home’ how people have interpreted and responded to and ‘exile’ in Jewish history and culture; the their circumstances, and how power is used and variety of Jewish experiences in different geogra- abused. This course will explore how music has phical areas. been used by formal resistance and liberation Jews and non-Jews in the Hellenistic organizations, as well as by millions of ordinary world (Sarah Pearce, [email protected]) people during periods of political turmoil, perse- This unit focuses on the Jews of Hellenistic Egypt, cution, and war. We will also consider how it has the setting for the first Jewish Golden Age. Egypt been used as a vehicle for propaganda, torture, and was home to many Jews in this period, whose lives control. Focusing in particular on the twentieth and relations are richly attested not only in the century, we will look at examples ranging from the historical records of Josephus and others, but also Nazi regime and the Holocaust, to the role of in their own literary productions, in a large quan-

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 44 Survey of Jewish Studies (and related) courses 2010 tity of papyri detailing everyday life, and in com- Britain, the USA and the Holocaust, 1933– memorative inscriptions. Based on this wealth of 1995 evidence, students will be asked to assess (I) (Tony Kushner, [email protected]) Jewish responses to the cultures and societies of The unit will examine the record of two liberal de- Hellenistic Egypt; and (ii) how non-Jews respon- mocracies faced by the Nazi seizure of power and ded to the Jews. Particular topics include: the the persecution of German Jews in the 1930s, and Greek discovery of the Jews; community and ethni- the reaction to news of the Final Solution in the city in Hellenistic Egypt; intellectual Jewish culture 1940s. It will look at the place of the Holocaust in in Egypt; Egyptian hostility to Jews; ‘Love at first post-1945 culture, patterns of memorialisation, sight’ but ‘How far can you go?’ – Jewish responses the lives of survivors, historical debates and con- to Hellenistic culture and society; the impact of the troversies about the meaning and significance of Roman political settlement of Egypt; and, finally, the Holocaust in these two countries. the tragic Jewish rebellion in Egypt, resulting in Writing Exile (Andrea Reiter, the decimation of the Egyptian Jewish community [email protected]) under Trajan. This module will introduce you to a major body of Relations between Jews and non-Jews texts written by exiled people or about issues of throughout the ages exile. It will make you consider to what extent (Tony Kushner, [email protected]; Sarah Exile and Diaspora are relational concepts i.e. pre- Pearce, [email protected]) supposing the existence of a ‘homeland’ and the This unit introduces the evidence and its problems option of, or longing for, a return to it. It will show relating to specific and crucial periods for the you how, in the course of time, discourse-specific study of Jewish/non-Jewish relations, including figures such as the pariah and the parvenu (e.g. Graeco-Roman antiquity; the middle ages; the Hannah Arendt), the Golem or Ahasver (literary early modern and later modern eras. It studies the discourse) have come to exemplify the exiled everyday interaction of Jews and non-Jews in person. Finally, this module will give you and an various environments such as the Hellenistic understanding of how the concepts of time and world, the Roman Empire, medieval Europe, early space have come to be reconfigured in an increa- modern England, nineteenth and twentieth- singly globalized world and the impact of modern century Britain, continental Europe and the USA. It communication technologies and transport. also considers the influence of theology on the Memory and Nostalgia in Modern Jewish representation and treatment of Jews in the History (Jane Gerson, [email protected]) Christian era. Theories of Jewish/non-Jewish rela- The aims of this module are to critically examine tions, including the seminal work of James Parkes, memory and nostalgia in modern Jewish history will be used throughout. and culture; analyse the intersection of religion, East side/East End: Jewish immigration history and memory as represented in modern Jew- and settlement in Britain and North ish cultural practice; and interrogate and develop a America, 1880–1920 (Tony Kushner, broader understanding of the relationship between [email protected]) history and memory. About 120,000 Jews settled in Britain from 1880 to Jewish Society and Culture in Eastern 1914, the majority in the East End of London, and Europe (Jane Gerson, [email protected]) 1.5 million in the USA from 1880 to 1920, two- This course is designed to develop students’ under- thirds on the Lower East Side of Manhattan Island, standing of the distinctive Jewish civilisation that New York. This unit looks at the communities they developed in Eastern Europe from the 16th to the established in two widely differing social, econo- 20th centuries; introduce them to the wide range of mic and cultural milieux. It will compare the eco- primary sources associated with the study of Jewish nomic activities of the immigrants, the develop- history; and develop their familiarity with the ment of the Jewish labour movement, self-help historiographical literature and debates of the field. organisations and crime. It will contrast the efflorescence of Jewish culture and politics in New York to the more reserved expression of immi- grant identity in London. The transformation of the family, and the specific experience of women will be studied using, where possible, original sources. The unit will look critically at notions of assimilation and acculturation, the role of religion (and religious institutions) in immigrant commu- nities, and relations with ‘native’ or ‘uptown’ Jews as mediated through philanthropy.

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 45

Ongoing doctoral research

Bangor University 3. Illan Gonen, The Jewish Neo-Aramaic dialect of Zakho Supervisor: Nathan Abrams (Film Studies) 4. Lidia Napiorkowska, The Jewish and Christian 1. Sharon Churchman-Morris, Jews in British Film Neo-Aramaic dialects of Urmi and Television 5. Ronny Vollandt, Medieval Christian Arabic Bible 2. Jennifer Krase, The Jews of North Wales Translations 3. Gerwyn Owen, Jews in Italian Cinema Supervisor: Daniel Weiss Supervisor: Catrin Williams (now University of 1. (with Lars Fischer) Jonathan Gilmour, Wales: Trinity St David) Jewish-Christian Interreligious Dialogue and Jody Barnard, Jewish Apocalyptic Mysticism and the Language in the Thought of Joseph B. Soloveitchik Epistle to the Hebrews and Abraham Joshua Heschel.

University of Birmingham Durham University

Supervisor: Charlotte Hempel Supervisor: Lucille Cairns Hanne Kirchheiner, The Remnant of Israel. 1. Caroline Tucker, French women’s wartime diaries Qumran Social Identity in the Light of Exegesis and memoirs from Occupation to Liberation and Anthropology 1939–1945 Robert Foster, The Use of Exemplars in the Book 2. (co-supervisor) Richard Harness, Narratives of James of collaboration in Post-War France

Supervisor: Jonathan Webber 1. Margaret Jacobi, The Sources of Perek Helek University of Edinburgh (Co-supervisor: Joanna Weinberg) Supervisor: Hannah Holtschneider Katie Legget, Ecclesiology after the Holocaust University of Cambridge

Supervisor: Graham Davies Kingston University 1. A. Gray, Metaphor in Psalm 18 2. J.G. Davidson, Theological Significance of Nouns Supervisor: Philip Spencer referring to God in Deutero-Isaiah Ian Rich, Perpetrator motivation and the question 3. C. Thomson, The Removal of Sin in Zechariah of Imperialism (Shoah/comp. genocide research) 4. N. A. Wormley, Law and Stories in Numbers: The Curriculum for Foundation Learning in Israel Liverpool Hope University Supervisor: Lars Fischer

1. (with Daniel Weiss) Jonathan Gilmour, Supervisor: Bernard Jackson Jewish-Christian Interreligious Dialogue and 1. Antonia Richards, Law and Narrative in the Book Language in the Thought of Joseph B. Soloveitchik of Esther: Jewish Identity in the Diaspora and Abraham Joshua Heschel.

Supervisor: William Horbury 1. N. Hilton, Biblical Interpretation in III Baruch Queen Mary, University of London 2. Y. M. Chan, Jerusalem Tradition in Zechariah 1–8 3. K. Conway, Epangelia in Paul in its Jewish Setting Supervisor: Miri Rubin (History) 4. D. Pevarello, The Sentences of Sextus and Jewish 1. Kati Ihnat, Engagement with Jews in Twelfth- and Christian Asceticism Century Monastic Culture 5. D. Hakala, The Decalogue in Ancient Catechesis Supervisor: Nadia Valman (English) Supervisor: Geoffrey Kahn 2. Mindy Rubin, Stage Adaptations of Ivanhoe and 1. Elizabeth Robar, Short and long prefix Debates about Jewish Toleration, 1780–1900 conjugation forms in Biblical Hebrew 2. Melonie Schmierer, The historical development of Eastern Aramaic

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 46 Ongoing doctoral research

SOAS Supervisor: Ada Rapoport-Albert 1. Yaffa Aranoff, The Portrayal of Biblical Women Supervisor: Catherine Hezser in Hasidic Literature 1. Jessica Bloom, Names, naming and cognition in 2. Nathaniel Berman, ‘Improper Twins’: Genesis The Ambivalent ‘Other Side’ in the Zohar 2. Lidia Matassa, A Reinvestigation of the Evidence and Kabbalistic Tradition on Early Synagogues (external supervision, 3. Sara Hall, Towards a New Cultural History Trinity College, Dublin) of Czernowitz: The Jewish Press 4. Ariel Klein, The Sifra di-Tseni’uta of the Zohar 5. Agata Paluch, R. Nathan Neta Shapira of Krakow (1585–1633) and the Ashkenazi Kabbalah UCL, Department of Hebrew and Jewish 6. Gillian Rosen, The Institution of 'hadlakat ha-Ner' Studies (Sabbath Candle Lighting) by Women 7. Julian Sinclair, Rav Kook’s mysticism Supervisor: Helen Beer 8. Lindsey Taylor-Guthartz, The religious lives 1. Sima Beeri, “Literarishe bleter" and Nachman of Orthodox Jewish women in London, with a focus Mayzel on folk practices 2. Zosia Sochanska, The Cultural and Literary 9. Wojciech Tworek, The issue of time in the Contexts of the Work of Dvora Vogel doctrine of R. Shneur Zalman of Lyadi 3. Ester Whine, Leo Koenig’s Contribution to Yiddish Culture Supervisor: Sacha Stern Kineret Sittig, A critical edition with translation Supervisor: Michael Berkowitz and commentary of Iggeret haShabbat 1. Julia Cartarius, The German Jews of Upper Silesia by Abraham ibn Ezra under National Socialism, 1933–1945 2. Angela Debnath, International Interventions in Genocide and Systematic Violence 3. Raphael Langham, The History of the Board of Centre for Jewish Studies, Deputies of British Jews University of Manchester 4. Frank Dabba Smith, Ernst Leitz and the Leica Company during the Second World War Supervisor: George Brooke 5. Ian Harker, Ernst Biberstein: Lutheran Pastor 1. Helen Jacobus, Calendars at Qumran and SS-man 2. Dohnson Chang, Covenant Renewal in Second 6. Felicity Griffiths, Ethnicity and Minority Groups Temple Judaism in the Colleges of London University 3. Marvin Miller, Jewish Epistolography in Second Temple Times Supervisor: François Guesnet Agnieszka Oleszak, Sarah Schenirer and Beys Supervisor: Adrian Curtis Ya’akov, 1917-1939. Gender and Religious Identity 1. Jennifer Williams, Approaches to Childlessness Construction in Orthodox Judaism in the Hebrew Bible

Supervisor: Neill Lochery Supervisor: Cathy Gelbin 1. Helene Bartos, German-Israeli Relations 1. Leanne Dawson, Lesbian Desire in Post-1945 1965–1990 German Texts (co-supervisor) 2. Azriel Bermant, Britain’s Policy towards the Arab-Israeli Conflict under the Thatcher Supervisor: Daniel Langton Government 1. Simon Mayers, English-Catholic/Anglo-Jewish 3. Toby Greene, The impact of Islamist terrorism on Relations in the Early Twentieth Century UK policy towards the State of Israel 2. Francesca Frazer, Samuel Sandmel: Post-Holocaust 4. Mohammed Hussein, Hamas and the US Communal Leader, New Testament Scholar, and Islamification of the Palestinian Authority Areas Pioneer in Jewish-Christian Relations 5. John Lipman, The Suez Crisis 1956 and the British 3. Alice Thompson, Nonconformity in Minority Press Communities: Representations of the Anglo-Jewish 6. Thomas Wilson, Israeli Settlers and Israel’s Experience in the Oral Testimony Archive of the Religious Right since the Peace Process Manchester Jewish Museum

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 47

Ongoing doctoral research

Supervisor: Alex Samely Roehampton University 1. Hedva Rosen, Aspects of the literary structure of the Mekhilta Supervisor: Eric Jacobson 2. Andrew Wilshire, Rights and Responsibility: 1. Katie Meltzer, National Identity in Sacher- Emmanuel Levinas’s Critique of Liberalism Masoch’s Historical Fiction 2. Chris Horner, Hannah Arendt and the Fate of Judgment University of Nottingham 3. Ariel Kahn, Kabbalah as Narrative Technique in I. B. Singer, Kafka and Agnon Supervisor: Karen Adler (History) Alexandre de Aranjo, Jewish Refugees from Egypt and Hungary in Britain and France in the 1950s University of Southampton

Supervisor: Tony Kushner University of Oxford 1. Hannah Ewence, Gender, identity and memory of East European Jewish migrants to the UK Supervisor: Martin Goodman 2. Jan Lanicek, The Czech Government in exile and 1. Jonathan Kirkpatrick (Balliol), Pagan cult in the Holocaust Roman Palestine 3. Agnese Pavule, Elite Female Jewish Philanthropy and Jewish identity in Victorian England Supervisor: David Rechter 4. Lawrence Cohen, The Norwood Jewish 1. Larissa Douglas (St Antony’s), Representative Orphanage Government, Majority Rule and Jewish Minority 5. Micheline Stevens, Childhood and Jewish Representation During the Constitutional Era in Philanthropy in late Victorian Philanthropy Habsburg Austria, 1895–1914 6. Tom Plant, Anglo-Jewish Identity and Youth Clubs in the Twentieth Century Supervisor: John Day 7. Malgorzata Wloszycka, Debates about the 1. Adam Carlill (St. Peter’s): Cherubim and Holocaust in Postwar Poland at the local level Seraphim 2. Beth Steiner (Lady Margaret Hall), Isaiah 24–27 Supervisor: Andrea Reiter 3. Daniel Christian (Wycliffe Hall), Parody in the Old 1. Jaime Ashworth, From Nazi Archive to Holocaust Testament Memorial: The Auschwitz Album as Evidence and symbol in Britain and Poland Supervisor: Joanna Weinberg 2. Bettina Koehler, Contemporary German-Jewish 1. Benjamin Williams: Midrash commentary in the Literature (esp. Maxim Biller) as a Counter Discourse sixteenth century 3. Jonathan Leader, Being Political and the 2. Ben Merkle: Christian scholars and Hebraism Reconstitution of Public Discourse: Hannah Arendt in Heidelberg (joint supervision with Howard on Experience, History and the Spectator Hotson) 4. Diana Popescu, The contribution of post-Holocaust 3. Margaret Jacobi, The sources of Perek Helek (joint visual art to the shaping of Jewish and Israeli supervision with Jonathan Webber) identities 5. Meike Reintjes, German Jewish Women Poets Supervisor: Hugh Williamson in British Exile 1. Daniel Maerz (Wolfson), The book of Micah in its social and literary setting Supervisor: Joachim Schlör 3. Jennifer Barbour (New College): Historical 1. Hannah Farmer, An Act of Charity: Philanthrophy references in Qohelet and Jewish Women’s Identity in 1890s Chicago 4. Katherine Southwood (Wolfson): Ethnicity and the mixed marriages of Ezra 9–10 6. Benjamin Lazarus: Comedy in ancient Greece and the Hebrew Bible: a comparative study

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 48 Members’ recent publications

Abrams, Nathan. Norman Podhoretz and Commen- Bhayro, Siam. ‘Ancient Near Eastern and Early tary Magazine: The Rise and fall of the Neo-Cons. Jewish Lyre Traditions,’ in I. Finkel and R. London and New York: Continuum, 2010. Dumbrill, eds. ICONEA 2008: Proceedings of the Idem. Caledonian Jews: A Study of Small Commu- International Conference of Near Eastern nities in Scotland. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2009. Archaeomusicology held at the British Museum Idem. ‘The Jew on the Loo: the Toilet in Jewish December 4, 5 and 6, 2008. London: ICONEA Popular Culture, Memory, and Imagination,’ in Publications, 2010, 71–77. Olga Gershenson and Barbara Penner, eds. Boxel, Piet van. ‘The Virgin and the Unicorn. A Ladies and Gents: Public Toilets and Gender. Christian Symbol in a Hebrew Prayer Book,’ in Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2009, idem and Sabine Arndt, eds. Crossing Borders. 218–226. Hebrew Manuscripts as a Meetingplace of Cul- Idem. ‘From Jeremy to Jesus: the Jewish Male Body tures. Oxford: Bodleian Library, 2009, 57–68. on Film, 1990 to the Present,’ in Santiago Fouz- Brock, Sebastian. ‘Creating women’s voices: Sarah Hernández, ed. Mysterious Skin: The Male Body in and Tamar in some Syriac narrative poems,’ in E. Contemporary Cinema. London and New York: Grypeou and H. Spurling, eds. The Exegetical IB Tauris, 2009, 15–29. Encounter between Jews and Christians in Late Idem. ‘“A Profoundly Hegemonic Moment”: De- Antiquity. Leiden: Brill, 2009, 125–141. Mythologizing the Cold War New York Jewish Brooke, George J. ‘Pesher and Midrash in Qumran Intellectuals,’ in Ethan Goffman and Daniel Literature: Issues for Lexicography,’ in Revue de Morris, ed. The New York Intellectuals and Qumrân 24 (2009/10): 79–95. Beyond: Exploring Liberal Humanism, Jewish Idem. ‘Torah, Rewritten Torah and the Letter of Identity, and the American Protestant Tradition. Jude,’ in M. Tait and P.S. Oakes, eds. Torah in the West Lafayette, IN: Purdue University Press, New Testament: Papers Delivered at the Man- 2009, 17–34. chester–Lausanne Seminar of June 2008. London: T & T Clark International, 2009, 180–193. Beer, Helen. ‘Yiddish without Yiddish?’ in European Idem. ‘Was the Teacher of Righteousness Con- Judaism 42, 2 (2009): 10–18. sidered to be a Prophet?’ in K. De Troyer, A. Berkowitz, Michael. ‘Photography as a Jewish Lange and L.A. Schulte, eds. Prophecy after the Business: From High Theory, to Studio, to Prophets? The Contribution of the Dead Sea Snapshot,’ in East European Jewish Affairs 39, 3 Scrolls to the Understanding of Biblical and Extra- (2009): 389–400. Biblical Prophecy. Leuven: Peeters, 2009, 77–97. Idem. ‘Kristallnacht in Context: Jewish War Vete- Idem. ‘The Pre-Sectarian Jesus,’ in F. García Martí- rans in America and Britain and the Crisis of nez, ed., Echoes from the Caves: Qumran and the German Jewry,’ in Maria Mazzenga, ed. American New Testament. Leiden: Brill, 2009, 33–48. Religious Responses to Kristallnacht. New Idem. ‘Prophets and Prophecy in the Qumran York: Palgrave-Macmillan, 2009, 57–84. Scrolls and the New Testament,’ in R.A. Clements Idem. ‘Beaumont Newhall & Helmut Gernsheim: and D.R. Schwartz, eds. Text, Thought and Prac- Collaboration, Friendship, and Tension amidst tice in Qumran and Early Christianity. Leiden: the “Jewishness” of Photography,’ in Perspectives Brill, 2009, 31–48. (Spring 2010): 17–21. Idem and Suzanne Brown-Fleming. ‘Perceptions of Cantor, Geoffrey. ‘“From nature to nature’s God”: Jewish Displaced Persons as Criminals in Early Ellis A. Davidson – mid-Victorian educator, Postwar Germany: Lingering Stereotypes and moralist, and consummate designer,’ in Jewish Self-fulfilling Prophecies,’ in Michael Berkowitz History 23, 4 (2009), 363–388. and Avinoam J. Patt, eds. “We Are Here”: New Approaches to Jewish Displaced Persons in Post- De Lange, Nicholas. ‘The celebration of the Pass- war Germany. Detroit: Wayne State University over in Graeco-Roman Alexandria,’ in Christophe Press, 2010, 167–193. Batsch and Madalina Vârtejanu-Joubert, eds. Idem and Avinoam J. Patt, eds. “We Are Here”: New Manières de penser dans l’Antiquité méditerra- Approaches to Jewish Displaced Persons in Post- néenne et orientale. Leiden: Brill, 2009, 157–166. war Germany. Detroit: Wayne State University Idem. ‘The Greek Bible translations of the Byzantine Press, 2010. Jews,’ in Paul Magdalino and Robert Nelson, eds. Bernasconi, Rocco. ‘Tannaitic Israel and the Kutim,’ The Old Testament in Byzantium. Cambridge, MA: in N. Belayche and S. C. Mimouni, eds. Entre Harvard University Press, 2010), 39–54. lignes de partage et territoires de passage: les Idem, Julia G. Krivorucho and Cameron Boyd- identités religieuses dans les mondes grec et Taylor, eds. Jewish Reception of Greek Bible Ver- romain. «Paganismes», «judaïsmes», «christianis- sions. Studies in their use in Late Antiquity and the mes». Leuven: Peeters, 365–392. Middle Ages. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2009.

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Members’ recent publications

Diemling, Maria. ‘“Den ikh bin treyfe gevezn”: Body Idem, ed. Louis Meyer: Hinterlassene deutsche Perceptions in Seventeenth-Century Jewish Schriften eines polnischen Juden. Hildesheim: Autobiographical Texts,’ in eadem and Giuseppe Olms, 2010. Veltri, eds. The Jewish Body: Corporeality, Society, Idem, Darius Staliunas, Jurgita Verbickiene, eds. and Identity in the Renaissance and Early Modern Special Issue East European Jewish Affairs: Period. Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2009, 93–125. Jewish Politics in Eastern Europe: Mobilisation Eadem and Giuseppe Veltri, eds. The Jewish Body: and Agenda-Setting in the Nineteenth and Early Corporeality, Society, and Identity in the Twentieth Centuries 39, 2 (2009). Renaissance and Early Modern Period. Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2009. Hempel, Charlotte. ‘CD Manuscript B and the Rule of the Community – Reflections on a Literary Fischer, Lars. ‘Public Knowledge of the Shoah in Relationship,’ in Dead Sea Discoveries 16 (2009): Nazi Germany,’ in Holocaust Studies 14, 3 (2008): 370–387. 142–162. Eadem. ‘Do the Scrolls Suggest Rivalry Between the Idem. ‘The Social Democratic response to antisemi- Sons of Aaron and the Sons of Zadok and If So tism in Imperial Germany. The case of the Hand- was it Mutual?’ in Revue de Qumran 24 (2009): lungsgehilfen,’ in Leo Baeck Institute Yearbook 54 135–153. (2009): 151–170. Eadem. ‘Texts, Scribes and Scholars: Reflections on Idem. ‘After the “Strauss wars”,’ in East European a Busy Decade in Dead Sea Scrolls Research,’ in Jewish Affairs 40, 1 (2010): 61–79 Expository Times 120, 6 (2009): 272–276. Idem. The Socialist Response to Antisemitism in Im- Holtschneider, Hannah. ‘Jews,’ in Graham Harvey, perial Germany. New York: Cambridge University ed. Religions in Focus: New Approaches to Tradi- Press, paperback edition 2010. tion and Contemporary Practices. London: Equi- nox, 2009. Geller, Mark. ‘Introduction, “Oeil malade et mau- Eadem. ‘Wie “jüdisch” sind die Opfer des Holo- vais oeil”,’ in A. Attia and G. Buisson, eds. Advan- caust? Beobachtungen in der Holocaust Ausstel- ces in Mesopotamian Medicine from Hammurabi lung im Imperial War Museum London,’ in to Hippocrates. Leiden: Brill, 2009, 1–12. Thomas Polednitschek, Michael J. Rainer, José Idem. ‘Graeco-Babylonian Utukku Lemnutu,’ in Antonio Zamora, eds. Theologisch-politische Ver- N.A.B.U. 2008/2 (2009): 43–44. gewisserungen: Ein Arbeitsbuch aus dem Schüler- Idem. ‘Two bilingual incantation fragments,’ in M. und Freundeskreis von Johann Baptist Metz. Luukko, S. Svärd and R. Mattila, eds. Of God(s), Münster: Lit.Verlag, Münster, 2009, 274–287. Trees, Kings, and Scholars, Neo-Assyrian and Rela- ted Studies in Honour of Simo Parpola. Helsinki: Jackson, Bernard. ‘“Transformative Accommoda- Finnish Oriental Society, 2009, 361–366. tion” and Religious Law,’ in Ecclesiastical Law Idem. Ancient Babylonian Medicine: Theory and Journal 11 (2009): 131–153. Prac-tice (Wiley-Blackwell, 2010). Idem. ‘Diritto Romano e Diritti Orientali nei periodi Gilbert, Shirli. ‘“We Long for a Home”: Songs and arcaico e classico,’ in Bullettino dell’Istituto di Survival among Jewish Displaced Person,’ in Diritto Romano 3 Ser., XLII-XLIII (2000-01): 806– Michael Berkowitz and Avinoam J. Patt, eds. “We 819 [appeared 2009]. Are Here”: New Approaches to Jewish Displaced Idem. ‘Jewish Law: Overview,’ in S. N. Ketz, ed. The Persons in Postwar Germany. Detroit: Wayne Oxford International Encyclopedia of Legal State University Press, 2010, 289–307. History. New York: Oxford University Press, Grady, Tim. ‘Fighting a Lost Battle: The Reichsbund 2009, 3: 387–394. jüdischer Frontsoldaten and the Rise of National Idem. ‘Agunah: The Manchester Analysis,’ Draft Socialism’, in German History 28, 1 (2010): 1–20. Final Report of the Agunah Research Unit Guesnet, François, ed. Zwischen Graetz und Dub- http://www.mucjs.org/ARUDraftFinalv2.pdf now: Jüdische Historiographie in Ostmitteleuropa Jacobson, Eric. ‘Locating the Messianic: In Search im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert. Leipzig: Akademische of Causation and Benjamin’s Last Message,’ in Verlagsanstalt 2009. Journal of Cultural Research 13, 3 (2009): 207– Idem, ed. Der Fremde als Nachbar. Polnische Posi- 223. tionen zur jüdischen Präsenz. Texte von 1800 bis Idem. ‘The Future of the Kabbalah: On the Disloca- heute. Frankfurt/Main: Suhrkamp, 2009. tion of Past Primacy, the Problem of Evil and the Idem. ‘Agreements Between Neighbours. The “Ugo- Future of Illusions,’ in Boaz Huss, Marco Pasi and dy” as a Source on Jewish-Christian Relations in Kocku von Stuckrad, eds. Kabbalah and Moder- Early Modern Poland,’ in Jewish History 24, 3 nity. Leiden: Brill 2010, 57–96. (2010). Jordan, James, Tony Kushner and Sarah Pearce, eds. Jewish Journeys. From Philo to Hip Hop. London: Vallentine Mitchell, 2010.

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 50 Members’ recent publications

Kadish, Sharman. ‘Historic synagogues: apprecia- Idem. ‘Not Israel’s Land then: the Church of the tion and challenges,’ in English Heritage Conser- Three Palestines in 518,’ in H. Cotton, G. Stiebel vation Bulletin No. 61 (2009): 13–16. and J. Geiger, eds. Israel’s Land. Ra’anana: Open Katz, Dovid. ‘On Three Definitions. Genocide; Holo- University of Israel, 2009), 147–178. caust Denial; Holocaust Obfuscation,’ in Leonidas Donskis, ed. A Litmus Test Case of Modernity. Exa- Outhwaite, Ben. ‘Byzantium and Byzantines in the mining Modern Sensibilities and the Public Cairo Genizah: new and old sources,’ in Nicholas Domain in the Baltic States at the Turn of the Cen- de Lange, Julia Krivoruchko and Cameron Boyd- tury. Bern et al.: Peter Lang, 2009, 259–277. Taylor, eds. Proceedings of the International Idem. Seven Kingdoms of the Litvaks. Vilnius: Inter- Colloquium on the Greek Bible in Byzantine national Cultural Program Center in cooperation Judaism. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2009, 182– with the Vilnius Yiddish Institute, 2009. 220. Idem. ‘The Sounds of Silence of Jewish Lithuania,’ [preface] in Isaac Zibuts et al., eds. Sounds of Rapoport-Albert, Ada . ‘The Emergence of a Female Silence. Traces of Jewish Life in Lithuania. Vilnius: Constituency in Twentieth-Century HaBaD,’ in R. Paknio leidykla, 2009, 14–17. eadem and David Assaf, eds. Let the Old Make Idem. ‘Elijah ben Solomon Zalman,’ in Supplement Way for the New: Studies in the Social and to the Modern Encyclopedia of Russian, Soviet and Cultural History of Eastern European Jewry Eurasian History. Gulf Breeze, Florida: Academic Presented to Immanuel Etkes 2 vols. (Hebrew and International Press, 2009, 9:109–112. English). Jerusalem: The Zalman Shazar Center Idem, ed. Menke Katz, Land of Manna. Capelulo: for Jewish History, 2009, 1:7–68. Fairy Glen Press, 2009. Eadem. ‘Something for the Female Sex’: A Judeo- Idem. Lithuanian Jewish Culture. Vilnius: Baltos German Manuscript from the Circle of Jacob Lankos, 2010. Frank’s ‘Believers’ in Prague at the Turn of the Kessler, Ed. ‘St Paul The Jew,’ in The Pastoral Nineteenth Century. Bar Ilan University: Braun Review (May 2009). Lectures in the History of the Jews in Prussia 15 Idem. An Introduction to Jewish-Christian Relations. (2009). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Eadem and David Assaf, eds. Let the Old Make Way Khan, Geoffrey. The Jewish Neo-Aramaic Dialect of for the New: Studies in the Social and Cultural Sanandaj. Piscataway: Gorgias, 2009. History of Eastern European Jewry Presented to Idem. ‘The Genitive and Relative Clauses in the Immanuel Etkes 2 vols. (Hebrew and English). North-Eastern Neo-Aramaic Dialects,’ in Janet Jerusalem: The Zalman Shazar Center for Jewish C.E. Watson and Jan Retsö, eds. Relative Clauses History, 2009. and Genitive Constructions in Semitic. Journal of Rechter, David. ‘Nationalism at the edge: The Semitic Studies Supplement 25, 2009, 69–87. Jüdische Volksrat of Habsburg Bukovina,’ in Kushner, Tony. ‘Anglo-Jewish Museology and Heri- Aschkenas 18/19 (2008/09): 1–31. tage, 1887 to the Present,’ in Journal for the Idem. ‘A Jewish El Dorado? Myth and Politics in Study of British Cultures 16, 1 (2009): 11–25. Habsburg Czernowitz,’ in Richard I. Cohen, Jona- Idem. ‘Foreword,’ in Susan Cohen, Rescue the than Frankel and Stefani Hoffman, eds. Insiders Perishing: Eleanor Rathbone and the Refugees. and Outsiders: Dilemmas of East European Jewry. London: Vallentine Mitchell, 2010. London: Littman Library, 2010, 207–220. Reif, Stefan. Charles Taylor and the Genizah Langton, Daniel R. The Apostle Paul in the Jewish Collection: A Centenary Seminar and Exhibition. Imagination: A Study in Modern Jewish-Christian Cambridge: St John’s College, 2009. Relations. New York, Cambridge: Cambridge Uni- Idem. ‘Qet,a‘ Genizah shel Birkat Ha-Mazon,’ in versity Press, 2010. Mas’at Aharon: Linguistic Studies presented to Lieu, Judith. ‘Jews, Christians and “Pagans” in Con- Aron Dotan (Hebrew). Jerusalem: Bialik, 2009, flict,’ Anders-Christian Jacobsen, Jörg Ulrich and 201–217. David Brakke, eds. Critique and Apologetics: Jews, Idem. ‘Early Rabbinic Exegesis of Genesis 38,’ in E. Christians and Pagans in Antiquity. Frank- Grypeou and H. Spurling, eds. The Exegetical furt/Main: Lang, 2009, 43–58. Encounter between Christians and Jews in Late Antiquity. Leiden: Brill, 2009, 221–244. Millar, Fergus. ‘Introduction: Documentary Evi- Idem. ‘The Figure of David in Early Jewish Prayer,’ dence, Social Realities and the History of Lan- in H. Lichtenberger and U. Mittmann-Richert, guage,’ in H.M. Cotton et al., eds. From Hellenism eds. Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literature, to Islam: Cultural and Linguistic Change in the Yearbook 2008: Biblical Figures in Deuterocano- Roman Near East. Cambridge, New York: nical and Cognate Literature. Berlin, New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009, 1–12. de Gruyter, 2009, 509–546.

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Idem. ‘Maimonides on the Prayers,’ in Carlos Eaedem. ‘Abraham’s Angels: Jewish and Christian Fraenkel, ed. Traditions of Maimonideanism. exegesis of Genesis 18-19,’ in eaedem, eds. The Leiden, Boston: Brill, 2009, 73–100. Exegetical Encounter between Jews and Christians Renton, James. ‘Forgotten Lessons: Palestine and in Late Antiquity. Leiden: Brill, 2009, 181–203. the British Empire,’ in openDemocracy (March Stern, Sacha. ‘A “Jewish” birth record, sambat-, and 2010) the calendar of Salamis,’ in Zeitschrift für Papyro- http://www.opendemocracy.net/opensecurity/j logie und Epigraphik 172 (2010): 105–114. ames-renton/forgotten-lessons-palestine-and- british-empire. Wilkes, George. ‘Legitimation and Limits of War in Rist, Rebecca. The Papacy and Crusading in Europe. Jewish Tradition,’ in Linda Hogan, ed. Religions London: Continuum, 2009. and the Politics of Peace and Conflict. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2009, 3–24. Samely, Alexander. ‘Notes on the Sequencing of Idem. ‘Jewish Ethics and Pacifism,’ in Nigel Young, Information in Mishna Tractates,’ in Frankfurter ed. International Encyclopedia of Peace. Oxford: Judaistische Beiträge 35 (2009): 19–64. Oxford University Press, 2010. Idem. ‘Formen/Jüdische Bibelhermeneutik.,’ ‘Inter- Williamson, Hugh. ‘How did the Deuteronomists textualität/Jüdische Bibelhermeneutik,’ Kom- Envisage the Past?’ in H.M. Barstad and P. Briant, mentar/Jüdische Bibelhermeneutik,’ and ‘Gat- eds. The Past in the Past: Concepts of Past Reality tungen/Jüdische Bibelhermeneutik,’ in O. Wisch- in Ancient Near Eastern and Early Greek Thought. meyer et al., eds. Lexikon der Bibelhermeneutik. Oslo: Novus Press, 2009, 133–152 Berlin and New York: de Gruyter, 2009, 182– Idem. ‘Do We Need a New Bible? Reflections on the 183, 303, 331–332, 190–191. Proposed Oxford Hebrew Bible,’ in Biblica 90 Schlör, Joachim. ‘Berlin 1900,’ in Christian Her- (2009): 153–175 mansen Cordua, ed. Manifestoes and Transfor- Idem. ‘Poetic Vision in Isaiah 7:18-25,’ in A.J. Ever- mations in the Early Modernist City. Aldershot: son and H.C.P. Kim, eds. The Desert Will Bloom: Ashgate 2010, 155–170. Poetic Visions in Isaiah. Atlanta: SBL, 2009, 77–89 Smithuis, Renate and Shlomo Sela, ‘Two Hebrew Idem and D. G. Firth, Interpreting Isaiah: Issues and Fragments from Hitherto Unknown Redactions Approaches. Nottingham: Apollos, 2009) of Sefer ha-Mivharim and Sefer ha-Še’elot,’ in Wright, Melanie. ‘“Every eye shall see him”: Revela- Aleph 9, 2 (2009): 225–240. tion and film,’ in William John Lyons and Jorunn Solomon, Norman. The Talmud: A Selection. Okland, eds. The Way the World Ends? The Apoca- London: Penguin Books, 2009. lypse of John in Culture and Ideology. Sheffield: Idem. ‘Judaism and Public Health,’ in The Maghreb Phoenix Press, 2009, 76–94. Review 34, 1 (2009): 67–74. Eadem. ‘Religion, film, and cultural studies,’ in Spurling, Helen. ‘Biblical Symbols through Jewish William Blizek, ed. The Continuum Companion to Apocalyptic Imagery,’ in Juan Pedro Monferrer- Religion and Film. London: Continuum 2009, Sala and Angel Urban, eds. Sacred Text: Explo- 101–112. rations in Lexicography. Frankfurt: Peter Lang, Eadem. ‘The celluloid brothel: Imag(in)ing woman 2009, 271–299. in The Last Temptation of Christ,’ in Christine E. Eadem and E. Grypeou, eds. The Exegetical Encoun- Joynes and Christopher C. Rowland, eds. From ter between Jews and Christians in Late Antiquity. the Margins 2: Women of the New Testament and Leiden: Brill, 2009. Their Afterlives. Sheffield Phoenix Press 2009, 67–79.

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 52 Reviews

Adiel Schremer, Brothers ting this viewpoint have become minut are, bar a single one in Estranged: Heresy, Christianity, involved in often complex argu- Tosefta Hullin, not references to and Jewish Identity in Late ments about rhetoric, identity Christians at all. Antiquity. New York and Oxford: and selectivity. In the context of For Schremer, following Oxford University Press, 2010. this debate some have em- others, the ‘rabbinic discourse of xxii + 272 pp. £45.00 phasized how considerable the minut is a discourse of social continuities between texts con- boundaries’ of the kind that Reviewed by James Carleton ventionally considered either reflects ‘a society’s reaction to [a] Paget (Cambridge) Jewish or Christian are, and how social situation of identity crisis’ difficult it is to make universal (17). In accordance with this distinctions between Judaism assumption chapter 1 is taken up and Christianity, concluding that with showing that following the these in fact are discursive destruction of the temple, and creations of Christian heresiolo- the later Bar Kokhba revolt, such gical writers and the rabbis. a crisis did in fact occur. Rather Adiel Schremer’s book than concentrating on rabbinic reflects aspects of this recent texts which refer directly to debate. Ostensibly, he wishes to theses events, Schremer draws re-examine the question of what ‘attention to voices of doubt he terms ‘the birth of Christia- concerning God’s power and nity’, viewed from a rabbinic providence, which I then con- perspective. He seeks to do this sider as implicit and indirect by studying Tannaitic references existential reactions to the to ‘minut’ and ‘minim’ in order to military and political defeat of show what motivates the intro- the Jews and to their continuous duction of such labels and to repression by the oppressive what and to whom these con- Roman empire’ (27). We are then The discussion of Jewish- cepts refer. His aim, as noted in taken through a series of rabbinic Christian relations in antiquity the preface, is that most post- texts which seem to prove the has always been highly contested modern of things, namely to look existence of such a crisis. In but it has become particularly so at the process by which the Chapter 2 the suggestion is made in recent times. Much of the followers of Jesus ‘were intro- that ‘the early rabbinic discourse debate has centred on the issue duced under the rabbinic cate- of minut … reflects a conceptuali- of separation, both how it took gory of minim, and were thus zation of heresy as an outcome of place, and when. Did it transpire produced by rabbinic discourse such an identity crisis’ (21). in a uniform way, and relatively as “others”, as “non-Jews”’ (viii). Schremer then seeks to demon- early, let us say by the middle of One might assume from such strate that such a discourse the second century; or did it in an introductory paragraph that manifests itself in a reconstruc- fact occur more haphazardly, Schremer has a strong sense that tion of minut understood in rarely involving clean acts of the literature of the Tannaim, terms of separation from the separation, at least on the whether found in the Mishnah, community, a separation often ground,2 and only acquiring its Tosefta, Midrash, or elsewhere, equated with becoming Roman final institutional expression contains a good number of or like ‘the nations of the world’. from the time of Constantine on- references to Christians, both as Interestingly, he shows how wards? The latter position, some- minim or by implication. But that rabbinic attempts to tar ‘separa- times rather misleadingly known is not his view, and part of his tists’ with the brush of minut as that of ‘The ways that never introduction is taken up with a reflect Roman attempts at this parted’ after a well-known collec- critique of those, such as Israel time (from Domitian onwards) to tion of essays published in 2003 Yuval and, to a lesser extent and label Judaisers and Jews atheists with that title, has been strongly with different assumptions, (68). influenced by aspects of post- Daniel Boyarin, who would see Chapter 3 examines the so- modern thinking brought to bear Christianity as having a strong called ‘laws of the minim’ as these upon a fragmentary and difficult influence upon the formation of are relayed in the passage found body of textual and archaeologi- the rabbinic ideology. Far from it, in Tos. Hullin 2.19-20. Dating cal evidence. Scholars represen- Schremer argues, the notion of these laws to the end of the first such a ‘Christianization’ of third of the second century, 2 In this argument, most texts which rabbinic literature is unjustified, Schremer shows, by a com- suggest absolute separation are and he intends to show that all parison with similar laws from assumed to give voice to a Tannaitic references to minim or Qumran, that they imply the desideratum rather than a reality.

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Reviews actions of ‘the center, which is thus failing to take seriously the had begun in the first third of the labeling, marginalizing and exclu- evidence that the rabbis excluded second century, and no longer ding the minim’ (77). Schremer the Christians, and vice-versa. allowed for the possibility that goes on to note that attached to ‘The ways of Judaism and Christians could be seen as these laws are two stories which Christianity did not “part”; the Jewish sectarians. explicitly concern themselves followers of Jesus were labelled This is an interesting and with the Christians, namely the as minim, viewed as separatists, thoughtful book which makes a story of R. Eliezer who heard who joined the nations of the distinctive contribution to the with pleasure the words of world’ (99). discussion of Jewish-Christian heresy spoken in the name of In chapter 5 Schremer, con- relations in antiquity. Christians Jesus (2.24); and that of Jacob of sistent with his socio-political, emerge from it as one of a Kefar Sama attempting to heal in rather than theological/ideology- number of victims of an exclusio- the name of Jesus (2.22). This cal, understanding of rabbinic nary policy carried out by rabbis addition has led to the wide- motives for classing people intent, in the face of an existential spread assumption that the minim, argues that the places in crisis born of historical disaster, minim of the laws and elsewhere Tannaitic texts where scholars on creating a sense of communal are Christians. Schremer seeks to spy out objections to Christian cohesion. In such an interpre- challenge this assumption by ideas of Jesus as God’s son, or to tation, minut has no ideological examining all the places in Pauline ideas of faith, are better content but should be read exclu- Tannaitic literature where minim explained if considered against sively in social terms. are mentioned and seeing the background of Roman im- Inevitably, there are quest- whether there are grounds for perial power. Rather than beliefs ions and criticisms. Has Schre- taking these to be references to contributing to rabbinic acts of mer proved the existence of the Christians. He goes on to argue exclusion, ‘the followers of Jesus crisis which is so central to his that such evidence, aside from were introduced into the cate- thesis? Has the model adopted the passages in Tos. Hullin, is not gory of minim because they were with regard to the relationship available, rejecting, amongst known to have established their between crisis and exclusionary other things, the view that ‘books own congregations, separate policy served to illuminate or of the minim’, referred to in Tos. from the rest of Jewish society’ distort his reading of the texts he Schabbat 13.5, are Christian (117). seeks to interpret, texts which, books, or that gilyonim, mentio- after all, are very difficult to ned in the same passage, are understand? Though in some Christian Gospels. ways not central to his thesis, has In chapter 4 Schremer ana- his almost complete scepticism lyses the two stories about R. about the view that Tannaitic Eliezer and Jacob of Kefar Sama sources mentioning minim refer already referred to above (Tos. to Christians (in this he reflects Hullin 2.20-24), and argues that the work of Johann Maier) been far from signalling common prac- proven? Even if Tos. Hullin 2.20-4 tice, as many would have it, this is an addition to the rules of the is the one exceptional instance in minim which precede it, Schre- which Christians are labelled mer seems to date the addition minim. Schremer contends that pretty early. This would imply the actions of the rabbis in exclu- that Christians, quite early on, ding Christians go hand-in-hand were the group to whom the with Roman statements from rules were thought most appro- Pliny and Tacitus which imply a priately to apply, a point which separation of Christians and obviously is of significance to the Jews. Rabbinic discourse and developing sense of the term; Roman discourse, therefore, indeed, should there not have broadly coincide, and Schremer been a more detailed discussion appears to endorse an under- The final chapter looks at the of the so-called Birkath ha-minim standing of separation, at least in question of the Christianization than in fact there is? Moreover, broad terms, as a mid-second- of the empire. Schremer argues Schremer’s efforts notwithstan- century phenomenon. that while Constantine’s conver- ding, it seems difficult to prove Interestingly, his main objec- sion had little effect upon the that the stories relating to Jacob tion to the ‘parting of the ways’ rabbis, it did bring to an end the of Kefar Sama and R. Eliezer paradigm is that it implies the process of separation between mark the beginning point of an existence of two equal parties, Judaism and Christianity which understanding of Christians as

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 54 Reviews minim; would the crisis he appreciate that Professor Schre- Abigail Green, Moses Montefiore: outlines have led to such a late mer wants to get away from a Jewish Liberator, Imperial Hero. consideration of Christians with ‘heresy and orthodoxy’ approach Cambridge, MA and London: their gentile mission etc.? to the subject of separation, has Belknap Press of Harvard I also wonder whether one he not succeeded in throwing the University Press, 2010. xv +540 can make the kind of neat distinc- baby out with the bath water? pp. £24.95 tion which Schremer makes And is his essentially rabbino- between ideological and commu- centric approach to a reading of Reviewed by Michael Berkowitz nal motivations for exclusion. the evidence, in which virtually (UCL) First of all there does seem to me no evidence from the Christian to be evidence for ideological side is considered, historically concern, if not quite exclusion; justifiable, even if he is seeking to how else can we interpret rabbi- look at the question of parting nic objection to Sadducaic denial from a rabbinic perspective? For of the resurrection? Secondly, in instance, his point about the a situation in which God’s rabbis being responsible for providence is being called into separation would have been question, a central plank in supported by reference to Schremer’s reconstruction of the Christian evidence, not least the post-70 crisis, questions about Gospel of John. God and his nature were bound At one point in his to be raised. It is certainly true, monograph, Schremer seems to as many have pointed out, not support a relatively early separa- Begging indulgence of the least Shaye Cohen, that the rabbis tion of Christianity and Judaism, erudite BAJS audience, I wish to are notoriously reticent about albeit with provisos. In this con- relate some detritus of American the teachings of the minim, and in text he talks about the conver- popular culture – which will not fact in general seem to show gence of Roman and rabbinic be traced precisely. I believe, much less concern with questi- attitudes. Here nothing is said however, that a few generic ons of what for lack of a better about cause and effect, though observations concerning super- term, one might call dogma,3 but Schremer implies that the Roman wealth, status, and self-aware- that is not the same as saying decision to separate Jews from ness of one’s social position may that the rabbis had no sense of Christians must have caused help illuminate the work under false opinion, even without a rabbis to reflect on questions of consideration, Abigail Green’s creed, and even if they sought, as identity. But if they were already Moses Montefiore: Jewish Libera- Cohen argued, to create a broad thinking about questions of iden- tor, Imperial Hero. Rather than tent under which most Jewish tity, and were strongly taken up providing a regular review, I will groups could live. with the issue of Rome as the raise some issues prompted by Schremer seems to hold that enemy with whom some Jews this undoubtedly masterly and Christian separatism, understood had aligned themselves, or were important biography of Monte- as living in distinct communities, going to, then does such spe- fiore by Green – who is one of his precedes official rabbinic exclu- culation have any real power? numerous descendants, a Sebag- sion (such exclusion comes in Surely, as I have suggested above, Montefiore – and a historian of precisely because Christians are Christians would have appeared the first-rank at Oxford Univer- viewed as separatists of a kind). on the rabbis’ identity radar sity. (Montefiore and his wife, This seems in part to be a reason- earlier than this and in different Judith, were famed for having a able view (the fact of wor- circumstances. Finally, Schremer supremely happy but childless shipping the Messiah Jesus no is never quite clear about how far marriage, so there are no direct doubt did act as a catalyst in the he sees rabbinic exclusionary heirs.) My remarks mainly con- formation of separate communi- policies extending – just to Pale- cern the question: how can a ties), but is it really feasible that stine, or to the world of the scholar balance his or her perso- the rabbis, in their decision to traditional Jewish Diaspora? Yet nal connection with a subject – exclude Christians, paid no atten- all these are no more than quest- especially in the case of a tion to their opinions? While I ions, stimulated by an interesting biography – and the demands of book full of insights whose rigorous scholarship? And how might one’s personal situation 3 Boyarin’s view that Rabbinic publication we should certainly Judaism’s concern with minut welcome. complement a scholarly enter- directly reflects Christian concerns is prise? This book is no exercise in surely awry at this point. Christian hagiography – although the and rabbinic views of heresy do not blaring title does not quite fit the converge precisely.

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Reviews measured tone of its content. rently. He remembers that it took The next point of reference is Certainly this is a formidable some effort to spend money. He more familiar in Jewish intellec- work of scholarship. I wish to was proud to have a wallet full of tual discourse: Albert Einstein. suggest, nevertheless, that there cash, and looked forward to trea- The most pertinent notion from are a number of aspects of ting friends to meals and nights Einstein, in light of Moses Monte- Green's presentation, and silen- out. But what he found was that – fiore, is that ‘everything is rela- ces, that might bear further almost all the time – others tive.’ It is not only important to scrutiny. insisted on paying for him. And look at things (and people) in This magisterial biography is people kept giving him things. relation to each other, but to take certain to be the most authori- Certainly he purchased big-ticket cognizance of the fact that the tative treatment of Montefiore items: a home in Glencoe (Illi- mere juxtaposition of persons for decades to come. One of the nois), and a Corvette. But the and things has an influence on sizeable hurdles Green confron- gifts just kept coming and such persons and things in and of ted is the fact that a great deal of coming. He sensed that the cliché themselves – across space and Montefiore’s papers have been – ‘the rich get richer’ – held more time. Of course Montefiore was lost – a large portion of them in- than a kernel of truth. Jordan much beloved by the masses, tentionally destroyed at his own found, as well, that people are who perceived and wished him request. For an individual who inclined to let the wealthy not to be their benefactor. Green had such an immense sense of his only have, but ‘do’ everything reflects, to some extent, on what own importance, this attempt at they wish. In the autobiography this obsequiousness meant to self-effacement, or at least at of his controversial former team- him. Obviously she is aware of hiding what was behind his mate, Dennis Rodman, Rodman writing about a member of a public face, is frustrating, and also discusses how he was effect- super-elite. But she too is a mem- helps fuel speculation that he had ted by sudden, dramatic riches. It ber of that dynasty, one of the something, or a few things, to is well known that Rodman closest things Jews have, outside hide. Although rumors persist enjoyed dressing up in women’s of the Rothschilds, to a royal concerning his extramarital clothing. His wealth and celebrity family. The outpouring of good- relations and possible offspring, status afforded him this – and will and extra efforts extended to Green largely follows the lead of almost anything else. One of the her, throughout the world, helps Niall Ferguson in his book on the funniest lines in his surprisingly account for the richness of the Rothschilds – who warns his witty autobiography states that book itself. audience that if it is ‘whores and ‘you wouldn’t believe how easy it To be sure, researchers are, jockeys’ they seek, they are in the is to find women’s clothes in my as a rule, grateful to all of those wrong place. size.’ This quip cuts at least two who facilitate their work and Allow me to turn from horse- ways – that there are a lot of make their tasks enjoyable. But racing to basketball, and intro- extra-large, stylish ladies out the types of assistance that Green duce Michael Jordan – yes, ‘the’ there, and that there are other received are far beyond what Michael Jordan, the African- hulking men who dress in typical scholars would ever American basketball superstar, women’s clothes. imagine in the course of their who became extremely wealthy careers. In short, she had a small by virtue of his athletic talent. He army at her disposal. In the best has also emerged in the last of circumstances, a historian may several years as a philanthropist, have a few research assistants and was one of the prominent and a helpful spouse or parent; supporters of Barack Obama’s maybe a few scholars or fellow candidacy. There is no doubt that students in situ in foreign lands. I Jordan’s fortunes blossomed fur- count 19 such assistants who ther due to his good looks and contributed substantially to the amiable personality. Although he book. Perhaps all of these people is not an intellectual, Jordan is have been paid by grants Green thoughtful and often reflects, received from various funding with candor, on his career and agencies. But whether these the making of his own legend. assistants were remunerated or One of the things that struck him not – this is, in total, extremely when he made a lot of money rare for academic history. Even if upon leaving the University of she was not carried in a sedan North Carolina and signing with chair, she is luxuriating in being a the Chicago Bulls was that every- Montefiore, which is a separate one started treating him diffe- universe from the rest of

BAJS Bulletin 2010 · 56 Reviews academe. And to top it off: Green ask: to what extent was Monte- donations from his own funds. had a literary agent. (Perhaps fiore a ‘liberator’ of the Jews? Did The second time Maimonides is this is the reason for the over- he make them ‘free’ in a modern mentioned is in the debate about blown title.) Not just any agent, sense? He certainly was no whether or not it was proper for but Andrew Wylie, the fensy- ‘liberator’ in any institutional or Montefiore to enter Jerusalem’s shmensiest of them all. Even intellectual capacity in the con- ‘Temple Mount’ (Maimonides, allowing the timely intercession text of his rigid defense of the along with the Rabad [Rabbi of Green’s mentor, Niall Ferguson Orthodox status quo in Britain. Abraham ben David] was dead – how many scholars are affor- It is indeed a challenge to opposed, but Montefiore went ded such first-class treatment write a scholarly book about a anyway.) What seems much from someone like Wylie? In the man who led such a long, rich, more enigmatic, though, is that words of the philosopher, Mel and interesting life, and who there is no consideration of Brooks, ‘it’s good to be the King.’ worked to influence the plight of Maimonides’s thought about the One of the instances in the Jews at such disparate points on different levels of giving book where Green ruminates on the planet. The result is splendid. charitably, or ‘doing justice’ – the what it meant to be on the other But the task remains for current performance of tzedakah. Mai- side of Montefiore’s largesse is and succeeding generations of monides specified that the the discussion of Louis Loewe, scholars to flesh out the context, highest stage of pursuing charity, his leading interlocutor. Readers, and give substance to the objects to be sought by Jews, is to do so let me ask: what is it like dealing of his beneficence – to try to anonymously, and to help assure with a patron upon whom you recover something of their the permanent livelihood of are dependent? Certainly we are humanity, not just their dire those in need by establishing the appreciative. But are tension and poverty and persecution. Yes, conditions through which they mixed feelings not likely to play a they voted with their feet to see would be able to maintain them- greater role, at least occasionally, him and pay tribute to him. But selves independently. than Green allows for? (The very this thirst for blessings, money, Maybe if Montefiore had English phrase, ‘mussn’t leadership, representation, and been more behind the scenes we grumble’ comes to mind.) Loo- sharing in greatness, may have would not know, and would not king beyond those in Monte- had more to do with their care so much about him. Al- fiore’s immediate service: how perceptions and projections than though Green does well to much do we know, if anything, the actual benefits he bestowed. compare Montefiore to Adolphe about the poor and indigent who There is far more at stake than Crémieux, she might have taken were on the receiving end – or answering or unraveling the the liberty to see how other hoped to be – of Montefiore’s question of whether or not he forms of charity were and can be beneficence? We have a plethora had extramarital relations or exercised, and to what effect. To of messages from their ‘represen- illegitimate children. What does give but one example, from a tatives’ – but what about the it mean to be a patron, to ‘lord generation later than Montefiore: Jewish masses, the objects of his over’ people? What does it mean Louis Brandeis, who also was ‘liberating’ efforts? Surely this to be patronized? What is it like deeply committed to fighting for has been one of the major to be the object of charity? Jewish rights and Jewish settle- challenges of history since Marc It is intriguing that in a bio- ment in Palestine, also engaged Bloch, to reconstruct the experi- graphy of a Jew who was known in substantial charitable efforts. ences and voices ‘from below’. to be one of the greatest phil- He raised money from others and Until we get to twentieth-century anthropists of all time there are contributed from his own pocket. social realist and communist only two references to Maimo- He gave his own money, though, writing that is often dismissed as nides. The first deals with Judah mostly anonymously, and after agit-prop – what can we say Guedalla who is said to have his clash with Chaim Weizmann about the Jewish poor? Shaul studied the works of Maimonides channeled his efforts into the Stampfer in particular has called and mystical texts after his Palestine Development Council attention to the myth of demo- retirement. On Guedalla’s promp- and the Palestine Cooperative cracy in Judaism. He argues that ting, Montefiore ‘launched the Company – many of whose enter- rabbis and other elites, for most Mogador [Morocco] relief fund prises enjoyed long-term success. of Jewish history, arose from the through the pages of the Voice of Moses Montefiore is a great book, existing elite. Jews maintained Jacob’ (170). To her credit, Green and it is a worthy testimony to a much more of a class-based reflects, especially toward the giant whose legacy resonates to society than they cared to admit. end of the book, about the extent this day. But those – if any – who Along with helping to tempora- to which Montefiore’s ‘charity’ deserve the title ‘Jewish Libera- rily relieve the distress of perse- took the form of such ‘subscrip- tor’, are few and far between. cuted communities, we might tions’ – as opposed to direct

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Sharon Gillerman, Germans into Gillerman’s study on the ‘Weimar Jewry and, secondly, the articu- Jews. Remaking the Jewish Social Jewish paradox’ (2) goes a long lation, in discourse on Jewish Body in the Weimar Republic. way towards accounting for the social policy and welfare, of Stanford: Stanford University remarkable degree of cohesion competing visions of Jewry’s Press, 2009. x + 238 pp. $50.00 among German Jews that has in- revitalisation. creasingly come to interest scho- In the first of her five Reviewed by Helene Bartos lars and at the same time puzzles chapters, Gillerman begins by (UCL) them, given the onslaught of exploring how disruptions to modernisation, urbanisation and traditional family life emerged individualism with which it had both as a key symptom of the to contend. The desire to create a crisis of modern Jewry and the ‘Jewish social body’ (4) was a res- central focus for efforts to resist ponse to the perilous effect these the perceived trajectory of developments had on traditional decline and degeneration. Given Jewish social life, measurable in that the family was idealised as the declining birth rate, increa- the ‘cell unit’ around which all sing juvenile delinquency, and Jewish social life revolved and mounting generational conflict. increasingly took on the role of a In placing these factors at the ‘surrogate for religion itself’,5 it is forefront of her analysis as the little wonder that Jewish social catalysts for the ambitious reformers considered the revita- attempts by Jewish social refor- lisation of family life a sine qua mers to re-cast the ‘Jewish social non for Jewry’s physical survival. body’, Gillerman shows herself As Gillerman demonstrates com- keenly aware of the dangers of pellingly, this discourse did not interpreting the development of transpire in a vacuum. It clearly Jewish social welfare principally reflected the broader German Gillerman has produced a as a response to (undoubtedly) discourse on the family as the marvellous piece of research on a virulent Weimar antisemitism. ‘cell of the nation’ and German- topic that has thus far been Just how important this point is Jewish Zionists in particular studied only peripherally and, as to her is reflected in the fact that assumed that Jewry’s communal Gillerman’s study shows, certain- she literally concludes the book future depended on ‘the rebirth ly deserves greater attention: be reiterating the need to ‘remain of the communal cell, of the Jewish social policy and welfare … attentive to the potentials of a family’ (41). Yet this concern was during the Weimar period as a historical moment when it no preserve of the Zionists. It was vehicle and catalyst in shaping ‘a seemed that a different future widely felt and addressed. As a new kind of community that might still unfold’ (171). Giller- case in point, Gillerman intro- bound the individual body in man argues that a reading of duces the (non-Zionist) founder dynamic relation with a larger Jewish social policy through the of the Society for Jewish Genea- social one’ (4). The role of Jewish prism of antisemitism would not logy, Arthur Czellitzer. Worried social welfare as an important only draw attention away from about the declining Jewish birth ‘mechanism to preserve Jewish the extent to which the discourse rate, he encouraged Jews to seek identity’ has been noted in aca- on Jewish revitalisation was con- renewed pride in their Jewish- demic research for quite some nected to the wider post-war ness through research into ‘the time.4 But despite some seminal discourse on the revitalisation of history of [one’s] ancestors’ (51). studies on Jewish cultural and re- the German ‘national body’ The second chapter describes ligious practices which have done (‘Volkskörper’). It would also dis- how anxieties over the decline in much to refute the notion of regard the fact that this discourse the Jewish birth rate triggered wholesale assimilation and iden- was as much a vibrant call for the demands amongst social refor- tity loss amongst the Jews in Im- survival of German Jewry in the mers, comprising a heteroge- perial Germany and the Weimar face of assimilationist pressures neous group of feminists, rabbis Republic, Jewish social policy and as it was concerned with the and eugenicists, for a ‘Jewish welfare have not featured promi- needs of the larger German Volks- population policy’. Saving, in the nently in this reassessment. körper. Gillerman focuses closely words of social reformer Siddy on two inter-related processes: firstly, the identification of a 4 Rainer Liedtke, Jewish Welfare in complex and many-layered socio- 5 Marion Kaplan, ‘Redefining Judaism Hamburg and Manchester c. 1850- economic crisis that threatened in Imperial Germany: Practices, Men- 1914 (Oxford: Oxford University the very existence of Germany talities, and Community,’ in Jewish Press, 1998), 2. Social Studies 9, 1 (2002), 20.

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Wronsky, ‘the sick and ailing rejuvenating German Jewry In chapter 5 Gillerman turns Jewish Volkskörper from the stif- transcended both political divi- to a far more revolutionary form ling effects of decades of inferti- des and gender-specific approa- of youth welfare. Here she pre- lity’ (53) was considered a ches as Gillerman illustrates by sents a competing vision of youth matter of life and death in light of comparing the contrasting social welfare as a pioneering force in statistics showing a dwindling visions of two leading figures in the transformation of Jewish so- Jewish birth rate and contempo- the realm of Jewish social work, ciety into a national collective by rary warnings of German Jewry’s one an opponent, the other a discussing in detail two orphan physical and moral deterioration. proponent of Zionism: Bertha care projects, Siegfried Bernfeld’s Advocates of a Jewish population Pappenheim and Siddy Wronsky. Kinderheim Baumgarten and policy sought to tackle the The two final chapters focus Siegfried Lehmann’s Jüdisches ‘birthstrike’ of the childless ‘New on youth welfare as a domain Volksheim. Drawing on the edu- Woman’ by evoking a kind of bio- that, in the eyes of contemporary cational ideas embedded in the morality that re-configured the observers, deserved heightened youth culture movement (Jugend- observance of traditional religi- attention in order to ‘ensure that kulturbewegung) and the emer- ous concepts and meanings into a the next generation will be pre- ging disciplines of social pedago- moral as well as biological pre- served for the sake of Judaism gy and psychology, Bernfeld and requisite for Jewry’s survival. and Jewry’ (103). Gillerman pre- Lehmann envisioned orphan care Official bodies such as the sents two radically different con- as having to gear itself towards Prussian Federation of Jewish cepts of youth welfare that had strengthening the social bonds Communities and the feminist little in common ideologically through an emphasis on ‘compa- League of Jewish Women actively beyond the recognition of youth nionship’ (Gemeinschaft) in a participated in efforts to for- welfare as the most important settlement or youth centre-like mulate and implement a pro- branch of Jewish welfare work. environment. By fostering strong active Jewish population policy Chapter 4 explores the main- relations based on mutual trust by setting up a dedicated com- stream concept of ‘correctional and care, traumatised orphaned mittee and providing funds to education’ employed in two Jew- youths were to regain a healthy promote early marriage. ish reformatories, the boys’ home relationship to their Jewishness. Following this close exami- in Repzin (Pomerania) and the Only thus, as Bernfeld put it, ‘can nation of Jewish responses to the girls’ home at Köpenick (near the Jewish essence be saved’ specific dilemmas resulting from Berlin). (145). Starting out as ‘victims of the disruption of traditional fa- Illustrating German middle- meaningless brutality’, the mily structures and the decline in class attitudes towards Verwahr- youngsters would come to ‘reali- the birth rate, chapter 3 high- losung – a state of neglect, depri- ze that they themselves were lights the expansion of Jewish vation, and waywardness or, as spared for the sake of helping social welfare as a means of Gillerman translates it, ‘social Jewry’ to escape its current ‘tra- facilitating the revitalisation of unusefulness’ – ‘correctional edu- gic entanglement … with the fai- German Jewry more generally. cation’ (before undergoing sub- lures and fate of foreign peoples’ Gillerman illustrates how Jewish stantial reform by the mid- (141). social reformers insisted on the 1920s) embodied a repressive Aided by her unobtrusive need for a distinctly Jewish and disciplinarian type of and elegant style of writing, rather than state-orchestrated pedagogy designed to turn ‘way- Gillerman’s smart demonstration social policy and created increa- ward’ and ‘endangered’ youth of the various ways in which sed opportunities for Jewish into economically and socially socio-economic crisis transfor- social welfare, especially through productive members of society. med Jewry and acted as a catalyst the foundation of the Central As Gillerman shows in her com- for the re-invention of the ‘Jewish Welfare Agency for German Jews parative study of the two correc- social body’ makes her study a (1917). The aspirations of Zio- tional homes, the reintegration of compelling read for scholars nist-oriented social workers who ‘wayward youth’ into society was interested in the Jews’ historical saw Jewish social welfare as a envisioned differently for boys experience in Weimar Germany. first step in Jewish state-building and girls. In line with a bourgeois Superbly integrating Jewish hi- efforts were well matched to this vision of their (gender-specific) story into wider German history, agenda as it confronted compe- ‘usefulness’ to society, boys were Gillerman has neither synthesi- ting state demands for centralisa- to be returned to society by zed historical experiences nor tion and an expansion of social preparing them for the job mar- lost sight of the various levels of welfare. Yet the importance of ket while the purpose of correc- entanglement between Jewish social work was universally tional education for girls lay in and non-Jewish German history recognised and the interest in its ‘enhancing their mores’ in prepa- and presented a masterly piece re-configuration as a means of ration for marriage. of academic research.

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