DOCUMENT RESUME ED 307 180 SO 019 860 AUTHOR Shermis, Michael, EC. TITLE Teaching Jewish-Christian Relations in the University Classroom. PUB DATE 88 NOTE 127p. 7UB TYPE Collected Works - Serials (022) JOURNAL CIT Shofar; v6 n4 Sum 1988 EDRS PRICE MF01/PC06 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Annotated Bibliographies; Anti Semitism; Biblical Literature; Biographies; *Christianity; *Cultural Exchange; *Cultural Interrelationships; Educational Resources; Higher Education; *Judaism IDENTIFIERS Israel; Jewish Culture; *Jewish Studies; WiesP1 (Eli) ABSTRACT This special issue on "Teaching Jewish-Christian Relations in the University Classroom" is meaAt to be a resource for those involved in Jewish studies and who teach about Jewish-Christian relations. It offers an introduction to the topics of the Jewish-Christian encounter, Israel, anti-Semitism, Christian Scriptures, the works of Elie Wiesel, and available educational resources, all in light of the Jewish-Christian dialogue in institutions of higher learning. Carl Evans presents a syllabus for a course in which students are required to converse with local clergy in order to explain the Jewish-Christian dialogue at the grass-roots level. This technique helps students develop mature ways of thinking on a personal, social, and religious level. Robert Everett and Bruce Bramlett discuss Israel's problematic existence, raising numerous points that can lead to effective classroom discussions. Alan Davies describes his, course on anti-Semitism and presents several practical suggestions and instrumental techniques. John Roth offers a short biography of Elie Wiesel's J.ife, his writings, and his paradoxes. Norman Beck provides a model of how a Christian teaches the Christian Scriptures, offering guidelines that are highly supportive of and sympathetic to the Jewish-Christian dialogue. Michael Shermis the "Guest Editor" presents an an.iotated list of 71 educational resources, including books, media, and educational prosrams, to be utilized by those involved in both the academic and the lay Jewish-Christian dialogue. Twenty-two book reviews are included in this issue, as are 21 book notes on a variety of topics.(GEA) * * , * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * PERMISSION TO REP13ODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY , ! i \ln,u_ph i-fck,brir" TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)" U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCAVON Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESO'JRCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as recetved from the person or organizatton or grating tt t' Minor changes have been made to imprOve reproductton qualtty Points of view or oetntons staled in thiSdOCu rent do not necessarily represent &boat OERI position or policy VOLUME 6, NO. 4 SUMER 1988 ADI r BEST COPYPAH as EDITOR: Joseph Flaberer MANAGING EDITOR: Marilyn J. Fleeter EDITORIAL COMMITTEE: Walter Hirsch (Department of Sociology) Robert Melson (Department of Political Science) Samuel Shermis (Department of Education) Leon Titche (Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures) Gordon Young (Department of History) SHOFAR is published quarterly by the Jewish Studies Program at Purdue University to promotethe exchange of ideas and information among teachers and scholars in the area of Jewish Studies atcolleges and universities in the United States and overseas. Articles, longer essays, papers, book reviews (600 words), letters to theeditor, poetry, news and information are welcomed Papers should be no than 5,000 words and should be written for the general and multidisciplinarymembers that make up the Jewish Studies community, rather than a subgroup of specialists and scholars within it Of special interest arearticles and materials that relate to the teaching of Jewish Studies at the college and university level. All submissions forpublication will be reviewed by the Editorial Committee and invited reviewers. Send papers and other materials to: Editor, SHOFAR,Recitation 222, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907. Subscriptions to SHOFAR are $1500 per volume of four issues ($2000 outside of theUnited States ) To subscribe or renew your subscription, send a check made out to "Shofar" to: Jewish Studies Program, Recitation 222,Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907. Design Reed Benhamou Logo Don Carter J A__ I.At Vol. 6, No. 4 litift: "rin =rpri Summer 1988 TABLE OF CONTENTS Articles "Guest lr.tor's Introduction' by Michael Shermis , ... ..... 1 "The Jewish-Christian Encounter: Exploring the Past and Understanding the Present" by Carl D. Evans 3 "Israel: The Themes of Land and State in Teaching Christian-Jewish Relations" by Robert A. Everett and Bruce R. Bramlett 13 "On The Study of Antisemitism in the University Classroom" by Alan Davies 23 "On Teaching the Holocaust with Elie Wieser by John K. Roth 27 "Teaching the "New Testament" In the Light of Jewish-Christian Dialogue" by Norman A. Beck 44 "Educational Resources for the Jewish-Christian Dialogue" by Michael Shermis 55 Book Reviews Stanley Elkin, The Rabbi of Lud reviewed by Gordon W. Thompson 69 Jeffrey Helterman, Understanding Bernard Malamud reviewed by Sheldon Hershinow 70 Edward A. Abramson, Chaim Potok reviewed by Melvyn New 71 Judith E. Doneson, The Holocaust in American Film reviewed by Hasia R. Diner 73 Menachein Kellner, Dogma in Medieval Jewish Thought from Mairionides to Abravanel reviewed by Ruth Birnbaum 74 Michael Brown, Jew or Juif? Jew, French Canadians, and Anglo-Canadians reviewed by John E. Zucchi 76 Richard A. Horsley, Jesus and the Spiralof Violence: Popular Jewish Resistance in Roman Palestine rev'ewed by Howard Clark Kee 77 Ilan Pe leg, Begin's Foreign Policy,1977-1983: Israel's Move to the Right reviewed by Ian Lustick 79 Allen Howard Podet, The Success and Failureof the Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry, 1945-1946 reviewed by Joel S. Gordon 81 Michael Palumbo, The Palestinian Catastrophe:The 1948 Expulsion of a People from Their Homeland reviewed by Joel Gordon 82 David Vital, Zionism: The Crucial Phase Mitchel Cohen, Zion and State: Nation,Class and the Shaping of Modern Israel reviewed by Asher Arian 84 Susan Hattis Rolef, Political Dictionary of theState of Israel reviewed by Asher Arian 85 Rabbi Gershom Harpanes, Haggadah GereshYerahim, A Commentary and Guide to the Appreciation and Observanceof the Seder Night Shlomo Katz and Mira Sheffer, The DiasporaHaggadah The Shalom Seders, Three HaggadahsCompiled by the New Jewish Agenda reviewed by Edward Simort 86 I Must Have That Recipe Betty S. Goldberg, International Cooking for theKosher Home Mildred Covet and Sylvia Gerson, Kosher CajunCookbook Gilda Angel, Sephardic Holiday Cooking Zion L- .1 and Hani Agabria, The Yemenite Cookbook reviewed by Naomi Kleinberg 89 John J. Vail. Ben-Gurion reviewed by Sue Barancik 91 Ilana Shamir, Young Reader's Encyclopedia of JewishHistory reviewed by Sue Barancik 91 Barbara Cohen, The Denkey's Story reviewed by Sue Barancik 91 Book Notes 92 News and Information 117 Contributors 120 ISNN 0882-8539 SHOFAR 1 SUMMER 1088 SPECIAL ISSUE: TEACHING JEWISH-CHRISTIAN RELATIONS IN THE UNIVERSITY CLASSROOM GUEST EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION by Michael Shermis This special issue on "Teaching Jewish-Christian Relations in the University Classroom" is meant to be a resource for those involved in Jewish Studies and all those who insome way teach about Jewish-Christian relations.It offers an introduction to the topics of the Jewish- Christian encounter, Israel, anti-Semitism, Christian Scriptures, the works of Elie Wiesel, and available educational resources, all in light of the Jewish-Christian dialogue in institu- tions of higher learning. Let us look at the organization and treatment of the six topics that constitute this special issue. All teachers need creative ideas that get students involved in theirown learning. Carl D. Evans has presented us with a syllabus that utilizes a most resourceful approach. His method, in which students converse with local clergy tosee how the Jewish-Christian dialo- gue functions at the grass-roots level, can illuminate the abstractions of documents and theories.This is a technique that should, and obviously does, help students mature their ways of thinking on a personal, social, and religious level. The existence of the state of Israel has become increasingly problematic in recentyears. Literature on this subject acknowledges many of the problems in increasinglyopen, vocal, and thoughtful terms. Robert A. Everett and Bruce R. Bram lett raise a number of useful points that make dealing with the controversy worthwhile. Trying to do justice to the whole history of anti-Judaism ina short time is indeed a difficult task. Alan Davies has met this teaching challenge with several practical suggestions and helpful techniques that enables the class to proceed inan orderly manner through this chapter in the history of intolerance. Elie Wiesel has become a key figure in the Jewish-Christian dialogue.As inall academic disciplines, it is necessary to know what contemporary thinkers, who presentsome of the most thoughtful paradoxes,are writing.John K. Roth offers a short biography of Wiesel's life, his writings, and his paradoxes.Although his article has not been directly related to the teaching of Jewish-Christian relations,we hope that it will enable the teacher to take advantage of the broad range of questions Wieselposes, questions relevant to all who are involved in the Jewish-Christian dialogue. Many Jews and Christians wonder