Spring 2006 Courses
History | MEALAC | Religion | Germanic Languages and Literatures
History
History W3602—The Jews in Muslim Spain
Yosef H. Yerushalmi, MW 11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m., 310 Fayerweather Hall
An intensive study of Spanish Jewry from its origins to the twelfth century, focusing on the interplay between Jewish and Moorish civilization, the intellectual history of the "Golden Age," and the Jewish position in the struggle between Iberian Christendom and Islam.
History W3628—History of the State of Israel, 1948 to Present
Michael F. Stanislawski, TR 1:10 p.m.–2:25 p.m., 417 International Affairs Building
The political, cultural, and social history of the State of Israel from its founding in 1948 to the present.
History W4614—French Republic and Minorities: Jews, Muslims, Protestants
Pierre Birnbaum, W 4:10 p.m.–6:00 p.m., 513 Fayerweather Hall
Notes: Application required. See undergraduate seminars section of the department's Web site.
History BC4651—Jewish Immigration: NYC, Paris, London
Jose Moya, T 2:10 p.m. –4:00 p.m., 809 Altschul Hall (Barnard)
Notes: Application required.
Examines the Jewish immigrant experience in New York, Buenos Aires, London, and Paris, c. 1880–1930. Focus on the Old World origins of the arrivals, the formation of neighborhoods, ethnic institutions, family, work, cultural expressions, and relations with the rest of society. Based on readings and primary research (newspapers, letters, songs, photographs, etc.).
History G9600—Hebrew Chronicles of Martyrdom and Massacre: The Crusades
Yosef H. Yerushalmi, M 2:10 p.m.–4:00 p.m., 513 Fayerweather Hall
A close textual and contextual study of the four Hebrew chronicles of devastation of Jewish communities during the first and second crusades, as well as other primary sources of the period. Focus is not only on the chronicles as historical sources, but on questions of genre, mentality, and relation to liturgical-poetic laments and Memorbucher. Required of all graduate students in Jewish history. Highly qualified undergraduates may be admitted with the permission of the instructor.
Middle East and Asian Languages and Cultures
Middle East W1511—Elementary Modern Hebrew II
Section 001: Tamar Ben Vered, MTWRF 9:00 a.m.–9:50 a.m., 511 Kent Hall
Section 002: Nehama R. Bersohn, MTWRF 10:00 a.m.–10:50 a.m., 307 Mathematics Hall
An introduction to modern Hebrew, with equal emphasis on listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Middle East W1513—Intermediate Modern Hebrew II
Nehama R. Bersohn, MTWRF 9:00 a.m.–9:50 a.m., 307 Mathematics Hall
Prerequisite: Middle East W1510–W1511 or the equivalent. Vocabulary building, grammar, practice in conversation, reading comprehension, and composition.
Middle East W1515—Upper Intermediate Hebrew II
Ruth Raphaeli-Slivko, MTWR 10:00 a.m.–10:50 a.m., 511 Kent Hall
Prerequisite: Middle East W1510–W1511 or the equivalent. For students who have acquired basic knowledge of Hebrew at Hebrew school. Review of grammar, reading, writing, and conversation in Hebrew.
Middle East W1516—Intermediate Hebrew: Intensive Grammar Review
Nehama R. Bersohn, MTWR 12:00 p.m.–12:50 p.m., 224 Pupin Hall
Prerequisite: Middle East W1510–W1511 or the equivalent. For students who have acquired basic knowledge of Hebrew at Hebrew school. Review of grammar, reading, writing, and conversation in Hebrew.
Middle East W4511—Advanced Modern Hebrew II
Ruth Raphaeli-Slivko, MWR 12:00 p.m.–12:50 p.m., 522B Kent Hall
Prerequisite: Hebrew W1512–W1513 or W1515 or the equivalent. Readings in fiction and nonfiction modern Hebrew texts. Discussions and compositions in Hebrew. Updated texts are gradually introduced in the second semester of this course.
Middle East W4513—Readings in Hebrew Texts II
Ruth Raphaeli-Slivko, MWR 1:00 p.m.–1:50 p.m., 522B Kent Hall
Prerequisite: Hebrew W4510–W4511 or the equivalent with the instructor's permission. Readings of unadapted fiction and nonfiction Hebrew texts as a preparation for courses in Hebrew literature or for graduate work in Jewish studies. Discussions and compositions in Hebrew.
Middle East W4519—Advanced Hebrew Conversation II
Section 001: Ruth Raphaeli-Slivko, T 12:00 p.m.–12:50 p.m., 522B Kent Hall
Section 002: Ruth Raphaeli-Slivko, T 1:00 p.m.–1:50 p.m., 522B Kent Hall
Notes: Instructor's permission required before registration.
Middle East W3541—Zionism: A Cultural Perspective
Dan Miron, MW 2:40 p.m.–3:55 p.m., 603 Hamilton Hall
Based on Zionist texts of various kinds, offers a view of Zionism as a cultural revolution aimed at redefining Judaism and the Jewish identity.
Comparative Literature: Middle East G4529—Bearing Witness: The Holocaust
Uri S. Cohen, R 2:10 p.m.–4:00 p.m., 628 Kent Hall
Bearing witness wishes to examine the representation of the Jewish Holocaust by those that have survived it and by those observing them. Using diverse theoretical discussions of the witness (Agamben and Jean Amery), we will read works by authors such as Primo Levi, Aharon Appelfeld, Ida Fink, and Art Spieglman, and poetry by authors such as Paul Celan and Dan Pagis. Visual arts and documentary films will provide another layer to the problematic of reporting a return from a place where one was not and should not have been. Together the course material should provide a basis to begin confronting the interpretations of the Holocaust and the formation of its current meanings.
Middle East G6530—Dynamics of Israeli Culture: Poetry
Dan Miron, T 9:00 a.m.–10:50 a.m., 522B Kent Hall
Religion
V3507—Hasidism
Jonathan Schorsch, MW 1:00 p.m.–2:25 p.m., 516 Hamilton Hall
An introduction to Hasidism, the pietist and in many respects mystical movement that arose in eastern Europe at the beginning of the eighteenth century. Hasidism stands as perhaps the most influential and significant movement within modern Judaism, marking an often radical reenvisioning of Judaism, and to varying degrees populist, emotional, existential, anti-scholastic, even antinomian. We will trace some of this history through a look at the lives and work of a few leading Hasidic rebbes and a close reading of Hasidic teachings and parables.
W4800—Science-Religion Encounter in Contemporary Context
David Shatz, T 6:10 p.m.–8:00 p.m., 80 Claremont Avenue #101
Prerequisite: Instructor's permission.
Focuses on differing models for understanding the relationship between religion and science, with emphasis on how the models fare in the light of contemporary thinking in science, philosophy, and religion.
G8850—Comparative Scriptural Exegesis
Alan F. Segal, T 4:10 p.m.–6:00 p.m., 237 Milbank Hall (Barnard)
Germanic Languages and Literatures
Yiddish W1101—Elementary Yiddish I
Benjamin Sadock, MTR 6:10 p.m.–7:25 p.m., 408 Hamilton Hall
Language Lab: one fifty-minute period every other week. Credit is not given for Yiddish W1101 until Yiddish W1102 has been completed. With the instructor's permission the second term may be taken without the first.
Thorough study of elementary Yiddish grammar, with reading, composition, and oral practice. The cultural and linguistic background of the language.
Yiddish W1102—Elementary Yiddish II
Section 001: Miriam Hoffman, MTR 11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m., 317 Hamilton Hall
Section 002: Yuri Vedenyapin, MTR 1:10 p.m.–2:25 p.m., 316 Hamilton Hall
Section 003: Alyssa Masor, MTR 6:10 p.m.–7:25 p.m., 317 Hamilton Hall
Language Lab: one fifty-minute period every other week. Credit is not given for Yiddish W1101 until Yiddish W1102 has been completed. With the instructor's permission the second term may be taken without the first.
Thorough study of elementary Yiddish grammar, with reading, composition, and oral practice. The cultural and linguistic background of the language.
Yiddish W1202—Intermediate Yiddish II
Miriam Hoffman, MTR 1:10 p.m.–2:25 p.m., 317 Hamilton Hall
Prerequisite: Yiddish W1101–W1102 or the equivalent. Continuing study of grammar on a higher level, continuing oral practice, and readings from texts of significant literary value dealing with important aspects of Jewish life and culture.
Comparative Literature: Yiddish G4460—The Horror Story: Between Jews and Others
Jeremy Dauber, R 4:10–6:00 p.m., 616 Hamilton Hall
Through an analysis of far-flung examples of horror literature written by both Jews and non-Jews, this course will attempt to answer the following questions: Is there such a thing as specifically Jewish horror, and, if so, what is it? How do Jewish conceptions of the supernatural develop, and how do they influence—or are they influenced by—other developments in non-Jewish history and literature? How do Jews function as horrific others in non-Jewish literature—and vice versa? And finally, how does history (particularly Jewish history) function in shaping the contours of horrific literature? Works and authors read include selections from Genesis and Samuel, Jewish Apocrypha, midrashic collections, medieval Yiddish demon stories, Hasidic tales, Robert Louis Stevenson, Sholem Aleichem, Edgar Allan Poe, I.B. Singer, Franz Kafka, H. P. Lovecraft, Jorge Luis Borges, Nathan Englander, and Stephen King.
Yiddish G9502—The Hasidic Tale
Jeremy Dauber, R 2:10–4:00 p.m., 707 Hamilton Hall
Requirements: Knowledge of either Hebrew or Yiddish required.
An investigation of literary and historical considerations surrounding the creation, writing, dissemination, and production of the Hasidic tale. Most of the class will be dedicated to discussion and analysis of the tales of Nachman of Bratslav, tales of the Ba'al Shem Tov, and Hebrew/Yiddish neo-Hasidic tales, particularly of I. L. Peretz.