Jewish Studies Courses at Harvard University
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Jewish Studies Courses at Harvard University 2019-2020 Center for Jewish Studies This publication is for informational purposes only. The listing of a course in this booklet does not necessarily imply endorsement by the Center for Jewish Studies, nor does the absence of a course necessarily imply the lack of endorsement. The goal of this publication is to aid the process of course selection by students interested in Jewish studies, and we apologize for inadvertent inclusions and exclusions. Course listings as of August 27, 2019. Course offerings and times may change. Please check the Website of the Registrar’s Office of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences for updated information. https://courses.my.harvard.edu *We expect substantial changes to course listings for Spring 2020. aculty of Arts Fand Sciences Fall Semester Freshman Seminars FRSEMR 62U Zombies and Spirits, Ghosts and Ghouls: Interactions between the Living and the Dead Class Number: 16873 Course ID: 212697 Fall 2019 Shaye Cohen Th 9:45am-11:45am Virtually all the cultures and religions of the world, from ancient to contempo- rary times, have teachings and rituals about death. In this seminar we will deal with a subset of this very large topic, namely, the relationship of the living and the dead. The dead are often depicted as still‐living in some way and still in communication with us and our world. Are they friendly or hostile? Beneficent or malevolent? Think “undead” and “zombie” versus “saint” and “angel.” In this course we will look at some of the myriad ways that religions and cultures con- ceive of the relationship of the living with the dead. We the living care for the dying and the dead, and hope that the dead will care for us, but how this works exactly is the subject of much speculation. American secular culture, at least in its cinematic expression, has a vigorous belief in the afterlife, especially in having denizens of the afterlife, in the form of zombies, ghosts, and poltergeists, intrude on the world of the living. In our seminar we will survey this rich set of themes as expressed in literature, art, music, cinema, and philosophy. Course Notes: There will be a required field trip to Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, date to be decided. Course Requirements: Course open to Freshman Students Only *We expect substantial changes to course listings for Spring 2020 General EDUCAtion GENED 1118 The Holocaust Class Number: 18442 Course ID: 212918 Fall 2019 Kevin Madigan TTh 10:30am-11:45am Who is responsible for genocide? Through the lens of the Holocaust – perhaps the most-studied genocide of the modern era – we will grapple with the issues of good and evil, blame and responsibility, duty and dissent as they pertain to violence enacted at the personal and state levels. What is the responsibility of “citizens and citizen leaders” in the face of local and global crises brought on by genocide, refugee catastrophes, terror, neo-fascism, etc.? And how do we make meaning out of what seems senseless? The course will address the historical background and context of the Holocaust, competing theories about who was responsible and why, and representations of the Holocaust in film and literature. Course Notes: This course is open to undergraduate students only. Related Sections: Discussion TBA Biblical/Ancient Near East ANE 120A Introduction to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament 1: Pentateuch and Former Prophets Class Number: 22377 Course ID: 118849 Fall 2019 Andrew Teeter TTh 10:30am-11:45am A critical introduction to the literature and theology of the Hebrew Bible, con- sidered in light of the historical contexts of its formation and the interpretive contexts of its reception within Judaism and Christianity. The course, the first part of a divisible, year-long sequence, will focus on the major biblical narrative traditions, the Pentateuch and Former Prophets. Course Notes: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1102. *We expect substantial changes to course listings for Spring 2020 HDS 1306 Deuteronomy Class Number: 19241 Course ID: 103691 Fall 2019 Andrew Teeter T 3:00pm-5:00pm A critical and exegetical study of Book of Deuteronomy, based on a close read- ing of the text in Hebrew. Special attention given to large-scale compositional strategies and principles of literary organization, to analogical patterns, to inner- scriptural relationships, and to the nature and function of allusion within this book. Prerequisite: Ability to read Classical Hebrew. lassical and Medieval Jewish cLiterature, History, and culture COMPLIT 157 From Type to Self in the Middle Ages Class Number: 16463 Course ID: 112654 Fall 2019 Luis Giron Negron MWF 9:00am-10:15am It has been argued that the poetic “I” in premodern literatures is not a vehicle for self-representation, but an archetype of the human. The course will examine this thesis against the rise of autobiographical writing in medieval and early modern Europe. Readings include spiritual autobiographies (Augustine, Kempe, Teresa of Ávila), letter collections, maqama literature, troubadour lyric, Hispano-Jewish poetry, pilgrimage narratives, medieval allegories, Dante and the picaresque novel. Theoretical perspectives by Spitzer, Lejeune, Zumthor and DeCerteau. Course Notes: This course counts for the Romance Studies track in the Depart- ment of Romance Languages and Literatures. Jointly Offered with: Harvard Divinity School as HDS 3723 JEWISHST 155 Covenant, Conversion, and Intermarriage Class Number: 19101 Course ID: 213337 Fall 2019 Shaye Cohen W 9:00am-11:45am The theme of this course is the boundary between Jews and gentiles in antiquity. We examine some Jewish conceptions of the self (who or what is Israel?), in- stances of conversion to Judaism (proselytes), conversion from Judaism (apos- tasy), marriage between Jews and non-Jews, and the offspring of intermarriage. Readings from: the Tanakh, the apocrypha, Qumran scrolls, New Testament, Josephus, and rabbinic literature. All readings done in translation. Final research paper. The course is open for credit for undergraduates and graduates. Jointly Offered with: Harvard Divinity School as HDS 3090 ODERN Jewish Literature, MHistory, and Culture HIST 14O A Global History of Modern Jewish Migration Class Number: 16177 Course ID: 212657 Fall 2019 Rebecca Kobrin W 3:45pm-5:45pm The objective of this course is to explore the history of Jewish migration in various regions since 1800. It also aims to ask the underlying question about the comparative study of Jewish life. Does comparative analysis help one think more critically about social groups, such as Jews? Does a comparative view of Jewish migration and adaptation help us understand the social processes of migration and acculturation more fully? What can the history of Jewish migra- tion tell us about the larger phenomenon of global movements and nation states in the last two centuries? HIST 1954 Jews and the City: An Introduction to Modern Jewish Urban History Class Number: 16197 Course ID: 212675 Fall 2019 Rebecca Kobrin W 12:45pm-2:45pm Over the course of the nineteenth century, millions of Jews moved to cities scattered throughout the world. This mass urbanization not only created new demographic centers of world Jewry, but also fundamentally transformed Jewish political and cultural life. In this course, we shall analyze primary and second- ary sources to explore the Jewish encounter with the city. The underlying goal is to consider how comparative analysis helps one think more critically about social groups, such as Jews, or social formations, such as cities. Does a compar- ative view of Jewish urbanization help one understand this phenomenon better? JEWISHST 160 Berlin: German Capital, Jewish Center Class Number: 22100 Course ID: 213605 Fall 2019 Rachel Seelig T 9:00am-11:00am When the Nazis took power in Germany in 1933, they vilified Berlin as a haven for “rootless cosmopolitans,” a catchall for immigrants, communists, and Jews. What made the German capital seem so Jewish? Who were Berlin’s Jews, where did they come from, and how did they contribute to the city’s cosmopolitan identity? In this course, we will look at the rise of Berlin as a major hub of German-Jewish, Hebrew and Yiddish culture during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the decline of Jewish culture under the Nazi Regime, and its revival since German reunification in 1990. Now that Berlin is home to many Jews from the former Soviet Union and Israel, has the dynamic Jewish culture of the early twentieth century reemerged? To what extent do the threats that once faced Berlin’s Jewish population persist today? We will examine a wide range literary texts translated from German, Hebrew and Yiddish alongside visual art and film. Course Notes: Course instructor - Prof. Rachel Seelig Class Notes: Instructor - Prof. Rachel Seelig SOCIOL 1120 Human Rights in Israel and the United States Class Number: 14985 Course ID: 207866 Fall 2019 Tally Amir M 12:00pm-2:45pm “Human rights” has become a ubiquitous concept around the world. It is used to justify, legitimize, and critique policies, practices, and laws. Despite the evolution of “human rights” over the last half-century in both international and domestic law, the content and impact of the concept remains unclear. This semi- nar will address key issues in contemporary human rights theory and practice through a comparison of Israel and the United States. Seminar participants will first study the philosophical and political processes that led to codification of human rights in both countries. We will then take a closer look at some of the main human rights controversies, including desegregation of education, freedom of religion, housing equality, extra-territorial application of human rights, and employment rights. Readings for the course include Court decisions, Interna- tional Law instruments, Domestic legislation and socio-legal articles, as well as sociological analyses. “Human rights” has become a ubiquitous concept around the world.