Jewish Studies
The Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies:
Department website: http://www.iijs.columbia.edu/
Office location: 617 Kent Hall
Office contact: 212-854-2581, iijs@columbia.edu
Program Director: Dr. Isabelle Levy, icl2001@columbia.edu
Jewish Studies
The academic discipline of Jewish Studies is an interdisciplinary field centered on the analysis and investigation of Jewish history, religion, cultures, languages, and literatures. The discipline ranges from the study of Jews and Judaism in antiquity to the present day. It explores Judaism not only as a religion, but also as a civilization and culture.
A minor in Jewish Studies is available for undergraduates and allows students to draw upon classes in a wide range of departments across the University, including, but not limited to, History; Sociology; Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies; Germanic Languages; Music; Film; and Religion. The requirements for the minor are designed to provide students with the interdisciplinary knowledge necessary to pursue Jewish Studies both broadly and deeply.
The roots of Judaism lie deeper than one region, gender, language, or culture, and by studying the interconnectedness of these areas, the depth of understanding across a range of spheres and disciplines greatly increases. The minor in Jewish Studies provides students with an opportunity to expand their knowledge according to their particular interests and can likewise complement an array of majors across academic disciplines.
Students wishing to complete a minor in Jewish Studies work with Program Director Dr. Isabelle Levy to decide upon course selection and sequencing. The program office provides and keeps on record a planning form to track the fulfillment of requirements for the minor.
Student Advising
Consulting Advisers
Please reach out to our Program Director, Dr. Isabelle Levy, at icl2001@columbia.edu for any advising needs
Enrolling in Classes
IIJS courses are available for registration through Vergil. Professors will often give enrollment priority to Jewish Studies minors if you contact them directly. If you have any questions about which classes apply towards the Minor in Jewish Studies, please contact our Program Director, Dr. Isabelle Levy, at icl2001@columbia.edu.
Preparing for Graduate Study
Jewish Studies students continue on to graduate study in a variety of fields. Please reach out to our Program Director, Dr. Isabelle Levy, at icl2001@columbia.edu for any advising needs.
Coursework Taken Outside of Columbia
Advanced Placement
Students will not be able to apply advanced placement credit towards the minor.
Barnard College Courses
Certain Barnard College courses may be applied towards the minor. Several Barnard courses are cross-listed with Jewish Studies. If you have any questions about which classes apply towards the Minor in Jewish Studies, please contact our Program Director, Dr. Isabelle Levy, at icl2001@columbia.edu.
Transfer Courses
Students may request permission on a case-by-case basis to apply one course each of transfer coursework and study abroad coursework to the minor. If you have any questions about which classes apply towards the Minor in Jewish Studies, please contact our Program Director, Dr. Isabelle Levy, at icl2001@columbia.edu.
Study Abroad Courses
Students may request permission on a case-by-case basis to apply one course each of transfer coursework and study abroad coursework. If you have any questions about which classes apply towards the Minor in Jewish Studies, please contact our Program Director, Dr. Isabelle Levy, at icl2001@columbia.edu.
Summer Courses
Some summer courses may be applied toward the minor. If you have any questions about which classes apply towards the Minor in Jewish Studies, please contact our Program Director, Dr. Isabelle Levy, at icl2001@columbia.edu.
Core Curriculum Connections
In addition to finding intellectual links among their coursework, Core Curriculum courses, and major study coursework, Jewish Studies students may choose to take Global Core courses that contain Jewish Studies content. As is College policy, two courses that fulfill either the Global Core or the science requirement can be double-counted toward the Core requirements and toward one of your programs of study.
Undergraduate Research and Senior Thesis
Jewish Studies students will have the opportunity to meet with Jewish Studies Librarian Michelle Margolis and to consult Columbia’s Jewish Studies research collections, which exceeds 150,000 monographs; 1,000 periodical titles; 60,000 Hebrew and Yiddish titles; Jewish scholarly works in Western and Slavic languages; and 1,700 Hebrew and Jewish-language (e.g., Judeo-Arabic) manuscripts–the largest collection of Judaica manuscripts in any secular research university.
Undergraduate Research in Courses
Most Jewish Studies courses, as well as cross-listed courses that count towards the Minor, include a research component. Instructors will support students in completing research projects.
The Jewish Studies curriculum includes for-credit faculty-advised independent research. Students may reach out to our Program Director, Dr. Isabelle Levy, at icl2001@columbia.edu with questions about undergraduate research.
Department Honors and Prizes
Students on track to complete the Jewish Studies minor may apply for limited summer research funding at the discretion of the IIJS faculty. Please reach out to our Program Director, Dr. Isabelle Levy, at icl2001@columbia.edu with questions.
Affiliated Faculty
- Beth Berkowitz (Religion, Barnard)
- Clemence Boulouque (Religion)
- Elisheva Carlebach (History)
- Yinon Cohen (Sociology)
- Jeremy Dauber (Germanic Languages)
- Ofer Dynes (Slavic Languages and Literatures)
- Rebecca Kobrin (History)
- Agnieszka Legutko (Germanic Languages)
- Seth Schwartz (History)
- Michael Stanislawski (History)
Guidance for Undergraduate Students in the Department
Program Planning for all Students
Please reach out to our Program Director, Dr. Isabelle Levy, at icl2001@columbia.edu for any advising needs.
Course Numbering Structure
Undergraduate coursework is offered at the 2000, 3000, and 4000 levels. Undergraduate courses are worth 3 or 4 points. Many Jewish Studies courses are cross-listed in other departments, including History; Germanic Languages; Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies; Religion; Slavic Languages; Music; and Sociology. Some 5000 or 6000 level courses may be available for undergraduate enrollment, at the discretion of the instructor.
Guidance for First-Year Students
Please reach out to our Program Director, Dr. Isabelle Levy, at icl2001@columbia.edu for any advising needs.
Guidance for Transfer Students
Please reach out to our Program Director, Dr. Isabelle Levy, at icl2001@columbia.edu for any advising needs.
Undergraduate Programs of Study
Minor in Jewish Studies
In addition to the requirements of the minor, students must complete a major.
Students are required to complete five Jewish Studies courses comprising between 15 to 20 points, depending on the number of points of each course. Introductory language study that complements the student’s Jewish Studies coursework may constitute one of these courses. Languages may include (but are not limited to) Arabic, Aramaic, French, Greek, Hebrew, Russian, and Yiddish and should be relevant to the student’s other coursework in Jewish Studies. Language courses at the advanced level that are conducted in the language and that require reading and writing in the language may count as an additional course.
Jewish Studies students may choose to take Global Core courses that contain Jewish Studies content. As is College policy, two courses that fulfill either the Global Core or the science requirement can be double-counted toward the Core requirements and toward one of your programs of study.
Jewish Studies Courses*
(*not all available in a given semester/year)
Music JWST UN2155 Music, Sound, and Antisemitism
Religion UN2306 INTRO TO JUDAISM
History UN2611 JEWS & JUDAISM IN ANTIQUITY
Sociology UN3285 ISRAELI SOC & ISR-PLS CONFLICT
Religion UN3301 INTRODUCTION TO HEBREW BIBLE
SPJS UN3303 Jewish Literature in Translation in the Medieval Mediterranean
Yiddish UN3500 SURVEY OF YIDDISH LIT (ENG)
CLYD UN3500 Human in Modern Jewish Literature
History UN3604 JEWS AND THE CITY
Music GU4113 Medieval Mediterranean Love Songs
Jewish Studies GU4145 Topics in Israeli Cinema
Jewish Studies GU4147 Between Tradition & Innovation: Readings
Jewish Studies GU4156 An Introduction to World Zionist Thought
Jewish Studies GU4157 Israeli Politics in Times of Turmoil
Jewish Studies GU4149 A History of Jewish-Muslim Encounters
Jewish Studies GU4153 U.S. Civil and Human Rights Lawyers
Jewish Studies GU4154 Magic in Jewish History and Culture
CLYD GU4250 Memory & Trauma in Yiddish Literature
Women’s Studies GU4336 GENDER AND Sexuality in Yiddish Literature
GU4509 CRIME/PUNISHMENT-JEWISH CULTURE
History GU4525 Immigrant New York
Sociology GU4801 Israel and the Palestinians
English GU4938 HISTORY OF HORROR
Jewish Studies GU4990 Topics in Jewish Studies
Sociology GR6160 ISRAELI SOCIETY - SPEC TOPICS
Sociology GR6161 Dynamics of the Israeli-Palest
Religion GR6420 RELIGION & PUBLIC LIFE
History GR8132 THE JEWISH BOOK IN EARLY MOD WORLD
For students who entered Columbia in or before the 2023-24 academic year
Special Concentration in Jewish Studies
In addition to the requirements of the special concentration, students must complete a major or a full concentration.
In addition to the requirements of the special concentration, students must complete a major.
For a special concentration in Jewish studies, students are required to complete a minimum of 21 points. Please note:
- At least one course must be taken from each of three of the focus areas listed below.
- Credits for language courses may constitute at most 10 points, and one year of Hebrew or Yiddish language is strongly recommended.
- A minimum of 18 points must be taken at Columbia or as part of an approved study abroad program (unless equivalent courses are not offered at Columbia, as determined by the faculty adviser).
The focus areas listed below are examples. Additionally, as new courses are introduced, new focus areas may develop. Some courses may fall under multiple headings. Determination of a course's focus area is at the discretion of the faculty adviser.
Focus Areas
Code | Title | Points |
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Bible and Rabbinics/Ancient Judaism | ||
Medieval Judaism | ||
Modern Judaism | ||
Israeli Society | ||
Gender and Judaism | ||
Jewish History and Culture | ||
Jewish Literature |
Jewish Studies courses are housed in a number of departments throughout the University. For a full list of courses for the 2025-2026 academic year please visit the Institute website.
Fall 2025 Courses
Jewish Studies
JWST GU4145 Topics in Israeli Cinema. 3.00 points.
Israel has a unique and constantly-evolving national cinema, the product of its diverse immigrant population, influences from neighboring nations, and dramatic national history. Beginning with artistic influences from abroad and culminating with native self-examinations, this course will provide a survey of Israeli film history, recurring foci of Israeli cinema, and introductions to influential filmmakers from early director and impresario Menahem Golan to Orthodox writer/director Rama Burshtein. Each class meeting will include a complete screening of an Israeli feature film, as well as clips of related works. Readings will include critical essays and histories which elaborate on in-class screenings and cover additional topics and films. Written assignments will be three analytical essays which will encourage critical thinking, close analysis of films, and independent research beyond the materials presented in class. All readings are in English. All feature films and film clips are in Hebrew (some include Arabic), and will be presented with English subtitles. Students fluent in Hebrew and Arabic are encouraged to interpret the dialogue for additional meaning that may not be translated in the subtitles
Fall 2025: JWST GU4145
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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JWST 4145 | 001/10941 | M 10:00am - 1:45pm Room TBA |
Stuart Weinstock | 3.00 | 25/25 |
JWST GU4990 Topics in Jewish Studies. 4.00 points.
This course approaches Jewish Studies from theoretical and pedagogical standpoints. In addition to looking back at ancient, medieval and Early Modern approaches to the study of Jewish topics and examining the theoretical, historical and religious underpinnings of Jewish Studies as a modern discipline, we will also read theoretical writings from related disciplines. The course will balance these materials with pedagogical materials and exercises. Faculty from disciplines related to Jewish Studies will visit the seminar to offer perspectives on current approaches to the field, and the class will visit the Rare Book and Manuscript Library with Jewish Studies Librarian Michelle Chesner. This course is required for students in the Jewish Studies MA program. It is open to graduate students, and advanced undergraduates may register with permission from the instructor. Please note that faculty visits will be added to the syllabus as they are scheduled
Fall 2025: JWST GU4990
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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JWST 4990 | 001/10942 | Th 12:10pm - 2:00pm Room TBA |
Isabelle Levy | 4.00 | 9/12 |
JWST GU4158 Zionist Thought: Center and Periphery. 4.00 points.
In this course, students will learn about some of the many manifestations of Zionist thought and organizing from the nineteenth century to the present day. The term “Zionism” is much-debated, but usually with little direct reference to its myriad meanings over time and space. The priorities, concerns, and ideas of Zionists in 1940s Algeria might differ greatly from contemporaneous Egyptian Zionist circles. On the other hand, twenty-first century American Zionists might have more in common with 1910s Ottomanists than one would expect. Each week, we will explore a different region of the world, examining Zionism in the Ottoman Empire, ‘Iraq, Iran, India, Yemen, ‘Aden, Europe, North Africa (Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, and Egypt), Sub-Saharan Africa (Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Nigeria), South America, the United States, and Israel. Doing so will allow us to develop an expansive understanding of Zionist thought, shedding light on critical debates and current events in Israel and around the world
Spring 2025: JWST GU4158
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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JWST 4158 | 001/10850 | W 12:10pm - 2:00pm 302 Fayerweather |
Benjamin Berman-Gladstone | 4.00 | 25/25 |
Fall 2025: JWST GU4158
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
JWST 4158 | 001/11876 | Th 12:10pm - 2:00pm Room TBA |
Benjamin Berman-Gladstone | 4.00 | 16/20 |
Hebrew
MDES UN1501 1ST YR MOD HEBREW:ELEM I. 5.00 points.
This is an introductory course for which no prior knowledge is required. Equal emphasis is given to listening, speaking, reading, writing and grammar. Daily homework includes grammar exercises, short answers, reading, or paragraph writing. Frequent vocabulary and grammar quizzes. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class
Fall 2025: MDES UN1501
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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MDES 1501 | 001/10106 | M T W Th 8:50am - 9:55am Room TBA |
Illan Gonen | 5.00 | 6/12 |
MDES 1501 | 002/10107 | M T W Th 10:10am - 11:15am Room TBA |
Illan Gonen | 5.00 | 2/12 |
MDES UN2516 INT HEBREW:INTENSVE GRAMMAR REV. 4.00 points.
This course focuses on Modern Hebrew grammar, and verb conjugation in particular. It is designed for students with substantial knowledge of Modern Hebrew. Over the semester, students will systematically review the grammatical patterns of regular verbs (shlemim), and learn the grammatical patterns of the irregular verbs (gzarot), as well as several other grammatical topics. After successful completion of this course, the foreign language requirement will be fulfilled (for students of Columbia College and other academic units that require a 4th-semester proficiency). Successful completion of this course also allows students to register in third-year Modern Hebrew
Fall 2025: MDES UN2516
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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MDES 2516 | 001/10109 | M W Th 11:40am - 12:55pm Room TBA |
Illan Gonen | 4.00 | 3/12 |
MDES UN2517 HEBREW FOR HERITAGE SPEAKERS I. 4.00 points.
Fee: Language Resource Center Fee - 15.00
Prerequisites: Permission of instructor. Hebrew for Heritage Speakers I forms part of a year-long sequence with Hebrew for Heritage Speakers II. The course is intended for those who have developed basic speaking and listening skills through exposure to Hebrew at home or in day-school programs but do not use Hebrew as their dominant language and have not reached the level required for exemption from the Columbia language requirement. Heritage speakers differ in the degree of their fluency, but their vocabulary is often limited to topics in daily life and many lack skills in reading and writing to match their ability to converse. The course focuses on grammar and vocabulary enrichment, exposing students to a variety of cultural and social topics in daily life and beyond. By the end of the semester students are able to read and discuss simple texts and write about a variety of topics. Successful completion of the year-long sequence prepares students to enroll in third-year modern Hebrew. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class
Fall 2025: MDES UN2517
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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MDES 2517 | 001/10110 | M W Th 10:10am - 11:25am Room TBA |
Danielle Katz-Shenhar | 4.00 | 8/12 |
MDES GU4510 3RD YR MODERN HEBREW I. 4.00 points.
Prerequisites: Hebrew W1513 or W1515 or the instructor's permission. Students are expected to have basic familiarity with regular and irregular verbs in five categories of the Hebrew verb system: Pa'al, Pi'el, Hif'il, Hitpa'el and Nif'al.
Prerequisites: 2nd Year Modern Hebrew II, Hebrew for Heritage Speakers II, or the instructor's permission. This course is designed to take students from the intermediate to advanced level. Students will further develop their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills in Hebrew through an examination of a wide range of sources, including short stories, poems, visual arts, popular music, television shows and films. All readings, written assignments, and class discussions are in Hebrew. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class
Fall 2025: MDES GU4510
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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MDES 4510 | 001/10112 | M W 10:10am - 12:00pm Room TBA |
Naama Harel | 4.00 | 7/12 |
MDES GU4502 READINGS IN HEBREW TEXTS II. 4.00 points.
Prerequisites: MDES W4501 or the instructor's permission. Students must have a good familiarity with the Hebrew verb system, and the ability to read a text without vowels.
Prerequisites: MDES W4501 or the instructors permission. Students must have a good familiarity with the Hebrew verb system, and the ability to read a text without vowels. This course focuses on central identities shaping Israeli society and is designed to give students extensive experience in reading Hebrew. Through selected readings of contemporary literary works and media texts, students will increase their proficiency in Hebrew and enhance their understanding of Israeli culture and society. All readings, written assignments, and class discussions are in Hebrew. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class
Fall 2025: MDES GU4502
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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MDES 4502 | 001/10111 | M W 12:10pm - 2:00pm Room TBA |
Naama Harel | 4.00 | 6/12 |
MDES UN2501 2ND YR MOD HEBREW:INTER I. 5.00 points.
Prerequisites: MDES W1511 or the equivalent.
Prerequisites: 1st Year Modern Hebrew II or the equivalent and instructor's permission. Equal emphasis is given to listening, speaking, reading and writing. Regular categories of the Hebrew verb, prepositions, and basic syntax are taught systematically. Vocabulary building. Daily homework includes grammar exercises, short answers, reading, or short compositions. Frequent vocabulary and grammar quizzes. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class
Fall 2025: MDES UN2501
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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MDES 2501 | 001/10108 | M T W Th 11:40am - 12:45pm Room TBA |
Danielle Katz-Shenhar | 5.00 | 9/12 |
Music
MUSI UN2030 JEWISH MUSIC IN NEW YORK. 3.00 points.
Prerequisites: Music Humanities (Columbia University) or An Introduction to Music (Barnard). With the arrival of the first Jewish immigrants in New York in the mid-1600s until today, Jewish music in the City has oscillated between preserving traditions and introducing innovative ideas. This course explores the variety of ways people have used music to describe, inscribe, symbolize, and editorialize their Jewish experience. Along these lines, it draws upon genres of art music, popular music, and non-Western traditions, as well as practices that synthesize various styles and genres, from hazzanut to hiphop. Diverse musical experiences will serve as a window to address wider questions of identity, memory, and dislocation. We will also experience the Jewish soundscape of New York’s dynamic and eclectic music culture by visiting various venues and meeting key players in today’s music scene, and thus engage in the ongoing dialogues that define Jewishness in New York. A basic familiarity with Judaism and Jewish culture is helpful for this course, but it is by no means required. You do not need to know Jewish history to take this class, nor do you need to be able to read music. Translations from Hebrew and Yiddish will be provided, and musical analysis will be well explained
Fall 2025: MUSI UN2030
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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MUSI 2030 | 001/10772 | M W 11:40am - 12:55pm 716 Hamilton Hall |
Tina Fruehauf | 3.00 | 11/25 |
History
HIST GU4607 RABBIS FOR HISTORIANS. 4.00 points.
This course introduces the central historical issues raised by ancient Palestinian and Babylonian rabbinic literature through exploration of some of the crucial primary texts and analysis of the main scholarly approaches to these texts
Fall 2025: HIST GU4607
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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HIST 4607 | 001/10163 | Th 10:10am - 12:00pm Room TBA |
Seth Schwartz | 4.00 | 4/13 |
HIST UN3180 RELIGIOUS CONVERSION IN HIST. 4.00 points.
Priority given to majors and concentrators, seniors, and juniors.
Prerequisites: the instructor's permission.
Boundary crossers have always challenged the way societies imagined themselves. This course explores the intersection between personal identity, narrative, and the historical-political, religious, economic, and social aspects of religious conversion. While the course will focus on Western (Christian and Jewish) models in the medieval and early modern periods, we will also look at antiquity, the role of conversion in the spread of Islam, and the complexities of religious conversion through the prism of colonial relations
Fall 2025: HIST UN3180
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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HIST 3180 | 001/10167 | Th 2:10pm - 4:00pm Room TBA |
Elisheva Carlebach | 4.00 | 0/13 |
HIST GU4388 The Holocaust in the USSR. 4.00 points.
Following the trials of the immediate postwar, and the Historikerstreit of the 1980s, the study of the Holocaust has another significant turn with the opening of the Soviet archives beginning in the 1990s. The Holocaust in the USSR expands our knowledge of the catastrophe, situating the latter phases of emblematic extermination camps like Auschwitz-Birkenau against a longer continuum of personalized, individual violence. The “Holocaust by Bullets” as coined by Father Desbois has parallels to other colonial violence and further explains the genocidal process from dehumanization to militarily crafted murder to institutions of extermination. This course specifically addresses the Holocaust in the USSR with a focus on historical research methods, expanded victim groups, testimony, archival research, denial, and rigorous historiographical grounding. Materials include testimonies from the USC Shoah Foundation and Fortunoff Archives, historiographical surveys like Wachsmann’s KL and Friedländer’s Years of Extermination, and important books with new turns in Holocaust scholarship specifically on the USSR like Lower’s Hitler’s Furies and Snyder’s Black Earth. Our class will be supplemented by field trips to YIVO, the Bukharian Jewish Center, and the Museum of Jewish Heritage, giving students hands-on experience with archival materials and research methods. Together, diverse research methods and materials present students with a more complete understanding of the Holocaust and an excellent foundation to continue research in atrocity studies
Fall 2025: HIST GU4388
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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HIST 4388 | 001/12950 | W 12:10pm - 2:00pm Room TBA |
Alexandra Birch | 4.00 | 0/15 |
Religion
RELI UN2306 INTRO TO JUDAISM. 4.00 points.
A historical overview of Jewish belief and practice as these have crystallized and changed over the centuries. Special attention to ritual and worship, the forms of religious literature, central concepts, religious leadership and institutions, Israel among the nations
Fall 2025: RELI UN2306
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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RELI 2306 | 001/00013 | T Th 10:10am - 11:25am 418 Barnard Hall |
Beth Berkowitz | 4.00 | 55/55 |
RELI GU4637 TALMUDIC NARRATIVE. 4.00 points.
This course examines the rich world of Talmudic narrative and the way it mediates between conflicting perspectives on a range of topics: life and death; love and sexuality; beauty and superficiality; politics and legal theory; religion and society; community and non-conformity; decision-making and the nature of certainty. While we examine each text closely, we will consider different scholars’ answers – and our own answers – to the questions, how are we to view Talmudic narrative generally, both as literature and as cultural artifact?
Fall 2025: RELI GU4637
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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RELI 4637 | 001/00463 | T 2:10pm - 4:00pm 308 Diana Center |
Beth Berkowitz | 4.00 | 9/20 |
Sociology
SOCI UN3286 Immigration and Ethnicity in Israel / Palestine. 4.00 points.
This seminar will focus on migration patterns, both voluntary and forced, of Jews and Palestinians to and from Israel/Palestine from the late 19th century until the present. These migration patterns of different national and ethnic groups have been informing the social, political and economic dynamics in the State of Israel, as well as the protracted Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We first discuss Jewish immigration in the pre-state period (before 1948), Palestinian forced migration in the 1948 and 1967 wars, Jewish immigration to Israel until the 1967 war, and migration of Jews and non-Jews (including labor migrants and refugees) during the post-1967 period. In this context, we will analyze the ethnic/racial and national cleavages – between Mizrahi and Ashkenazi Jews and between Palestinian and Jewish citizens of Israel –that have been developing in Israel since 1948 and before. In addition, we will discuss Israel’s ‘migration’ into the West Bank, occupied by Israel since 1967 and the ramifications of such population movement on the Palestinian and Israeli societies. Finally, we will discuss Jewish emigration from Israel,focusing on the number of emigrants and the question of the brain drain from contemporary Israel
Fall 2025: SOCI UN3286
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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SOCI 3286 | 001/13159 | Th 10:10am - 12:00pm Room TBA |
Yinon Cohen | 4.00 | 8/15 |
Yiddish
YIDD UN1101 ELEMENTARY YIDDISH I. 4.00 points.
This course offers an introduction to the language that has been spoken by the Ashkenazi Jews for more than a millennium, and an opportunity to discover a fabulous world of Yiddish literature, language and culture in a fun way. Using games, new media, and music, we will learn how to speak, read, listen and write in a language that is considered one of the richest languages in the world (in some aspects of vocabulary). We will also venture outside the classroom to explore the Yiddish world today: through field trips to Yiddish theater, Yiddish-speaking neighborhoods, Yiddish organizations, such as YIVO or Yiddish farm, and so on. We will also have Yiddish-speaking guests and do a few digital projects. At the end of the two-semester course, you will be able to converse in Yiddish on a variety of everyday topics and read most Yiddish literary and non-literary texts. Welcome to Yiddishland!
Fall 2025: YIDD UN1101
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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YIDD 1101 | 001/10996 | T Th 12:10pm - 2:00pm Room TBA |
Agnieszka Legutko | 4.00 | 6/15 |
YIDD UN2101 INTERMEDIATE YIDDISH I. 4.00 points.
Prerequisites: YIDD W1101-W1102 or the instructor's permission.
Prerequisites: YIDD UN1101-UN1102 or the instructor's permission. This year-long course is a continuation of Elementary Yiddish II. As part of the New Media in Jewish Studies Collaborative, this class will be using new media in order to explore and research the fabulous world of Yiddish literature, language, and culture, and to engage in project-oriented activities that will result in creating lasting multi-media online presentations. In addition to expanding the command of the language that has been spoken by the Ashkenazi Jews for more than a millennium, i.e. focusing on developing speaking, reading, writing and listening skills, and on the acquisition of more advanced grammatical concepts, students will also get some video and film editing training, and tutorials on archival research. The class will continue to read works of Yiddish literature in the original and will venture outside of the classroom to explore the Yiddish world today: through exciting field trips to Yiddish theater, Yiddish-speaking neighborhoods, YIVO, Yiddish Farm, and so on. And we will also have the Yiddish native-speaker guest series. Welcome back to Yiddishland!
Fall 2025: YIDD UN2101
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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YIDD 2101 | 001/10997 | M W 4:10pm - 6:00pm Room TBA |
Joshua Beirich | 4.00 | 5/15 |
YIDD UN3333 ADVANCED YIDDISH. 3.00 points.
May be repeated for credit.
Prerequisites: YIDD W1201-W1202 or the instructor's permission.
Course Description and Goals: This course focuses predominantly on developing reading comprehension skills, as well as on listening, writing, speaking, and some more advanced grammar. It explores literary and scholarly texts examining the modern Jewish experience in the context of the twentieth-century history and culture of the Ashkenazi Jews. Supplementary texts will be selected based on students’ interests and may include historical pedagogical materials, past and present newspaper articles, polemic, poetry, historical and scholarly articles. We will also venture outside the classroom to explore the Yiddish world today: through field trips to Yiddish theater, Yiddish-speaking neighborhoods, Yiddish organizations, such as YIVO, and so on. We will apply our reading and translating skills to contribute to the Mapping Yiddish New York online project, and will also have Yiddish-speaking guests. At the end of the semester, you will be able to converse in Yiddish on a variety of everyday topics and read authentic Yiddish literary and non-literary texts. Welcome back to Yiddishland!
Fall 2025: YIDD UN3333
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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YIDD 3333 | 001/10998 | T Th 2:10pm - 3:25pm Room TBA |
Agnieszka Legutko | 3.00 | 2/15 |
YIDD UN3520 MAGIC & MONSTERS IN YIDD LIT. 3.00 points.
A Serious Man, the 2009 movie by the Coen Brothers opens with a Yiddish folk tale featuring a dybbuk. Dybbuks, golems, magicians, and monsters haunt not only Yiddish literature but also the contemporary cinema, as illustrated by such recent films as The Unborn and The Possession. Why are we so attracted to dybbuks, spirit possession, magic, and monsters in the twenty-first century? This course will focus on magic, monsters, dybbuks, demons, and golems in Yiddish literature and beyond, including film and popular culture. We will approach the supernatural motif from the perspective of gender, body, and performance studies, and will explore the questions of memory, trauma, and identity. The aim of the course is to encourage students to discuss and critically engage with the various texts and film adaptations listed on the syllabus in an attempt to answer the following questions: In what ways do these works explore, interrogate with, and reflect on human experience? What do they tell us about the powers of good and evil? How relevant are they in the twenty-first century? The course puts emphasis on developing the skills of critical, analytical, and abstract thinking in relation to the discussed works, as well as the ability to express that critical thinking in writing. No knowledge of Yiddish required
Fall 2025: YIDD UN3520
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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YIDD 3520 | 001/10999 | T 4:10pm - 6:00pm Room TBA |
Agnieszka Legutko | 3.00 | 18/25 |
Spring 2025 Courses
Jewish Studies
JWST GU4158 Zionist Thought: Center and Periphery. 4.00 points.
In this course, students will learn about some of the many manifestations of Zionist thought and organizing from the nineteenth century to the present day. The term “Zionism” is much-debated, but usually with little direct reference to its myriad meanings over time and space. The priorities, concerns, and ideas of Zionists in 1940s Algeria might differ greatly from contemporaneous Egyptian Zionist circles. On the other hand, twenty-first century American Zionists might have more in common with 1910s Ottomanists than one would expect. Each week, we will explore a different region of the world, examining Zionism in the Ottoman Empire, ‘Iraq, Iran, India, Yemen, ‘Aden, Europe, North Africa (Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, and Egypt), Sub-Saharan Africa (Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Nigeria), South America, the United States, and Israel. Doing so will allow us to develop an expansive understanding of Zionist thought, shedding light on critical debates and current events in Israel and around the world
Spring 2025: JWST GU4158
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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JWST 4158 | 001/10850 | W 12:10pm - 2:00pm 302 Fayerweather |
Benjamin Berman-Gladstone | 4.00 | 25/25 |
Fall 2025: JWST GU4158
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
JWST 4158 | 001/11876 | Th 12:10pm - 2:00pm Room TBA |
Benjamin Berman-Gladstone | 4.00 | 16/20 |
JWST GU4600 History of Modern Israel. 4.00 points.
While Israel is perhaps one of the most discussed and debated state in the world – only few onlookers have a deep understanding of Israel’s complex and fragmented society and politics. This course invites the students into a journey to the historical and current Israeli politics and society by introducing the creation of the Israeli Democracy, the main political debates, different ideological visions, and the main cleavages and demographic divisions that have driven Israeli society from 1948 through the present days. By presenting continuation and changes in Israel history and society the students will learn about the main events in Israel history with respect to military and diplomatic issues, different groups and parties – among them, Ultra-Orthodox (Haredim), Palestinian citizens of Israel, Ethiopian Jews, Religious Zionist, Jewish settlers, Ashkenazi vs Mizrahi/Sephardic Jews – which create the fabric of Israel politics and society from its formative years to the current era. With an eye open to current developments, the course will also discuss new trends in Israeli politics. In addition to the reading and primary sources, the students will watch and review films about Israeli politics and culture. At the end of the course the students will gain a better understanding of Israel and its complexities. Course Objectives By the end of the course students will, (1) Understand Israel’s broad and diverse social and political spectrum, with an emphasis on historical events and core issues (the peace process, religion-state dynamics, etc.) 2. Be able to discuss and write intelligently about Israel’s history, politics and culture
Spring 2025: JWST GU4600
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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JWST 4600 | 001/15623 | T 12:10pm - 2:00pm 302 Fayerweather |
Avraham Shilon | 4.00 | 27/29 |
JWST GU4601 The History of Mizrahi Jews. 4.00 points.
The term “Mizrahi Jews” defines the Jews who lived under Islamic rule throughout the Middle East and North Africa since the Ottoman era. Most of the Jewish settlement in that area began before the Muslim conquest, and since then created a unique heritage that absorbed local Muslim customs and languages alongside the Jewish cultural and religious traditions of those areas. Jewish presence in these countries of Islam ended almost completely in the mid-20th century after most Jews emigrated to Israel and a minority migrated to other countries. In 1948, the year Israel was founded, about a million Jews lived in the countries of Islam, while in 2024, about 30,000 remained, mostly in Turkey and Iran. Each of the communities in the region had its unique world of history, culture, and heritage, alongside common similarities shared by most of these communities. However, the research literature on them - referred to as Arab-Jews, Mizrahim, or Sephardi - is still lacking compared to the research on European Jews. In this course, we will learn about the history, sociology, culture, and intellectual horizons of those Jews who lived in Arab countries and later immigrated to Israel. The reading will pay special attention to the ways they were absorbed in Israel, to their difficulties and processes of integration - all against the backdrop of the current Israeli-Arab conflict and memories of past coexistence. By that, we will also examine broader questions concerning decolonization processes, nationalism, identities, secularization, and religion. The main part of the second stage of this course will outline the contours of Mizrahi culture in their homelands and later in Israel as it has developed in recent decades in various fields: music, literature, television, cinema, food, theater, art, and more. In addition to the articles, the students will watch and review films, music shows, speeches, and other primary sources At the course's end, the students will better understand the unique history, politics, and culture of Mizrahi Jews
Spring 2025: JWST GU4601
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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JWST 4601 | 001/15624 | W 10:10am - 12:00pm 337 Seeley W. Mudd Building |
Avraham Shilon | 4.00 | 36/35 |
JWST GU4155 Auteur Study: Steven Spielberg. 3.00 points.
The world’s most influential living film director and the most impactful creator of popular culture in the last quarter of the Twentieth Century is a Jewish-American. Steven Spielberg’s uncanny grasp of visual storytelling and his auteurist signature can be found on every film he has directed, as well as many he has produced. This course will analyze the content and formal construction of Spielberg’s films by following their thematic through-lines – family ties (strained and healthy), the implacable threat, humanity at war, man vs. the natural world, the child’s perspective, Jewish identity and others – in films as disparate as Jaws and The Color Purple. Each class meeting will include a complete screening of a feature film directed by Steven Spielberg, as well as clips of related films by Spielberg. Readings will include critical essays, histories, and interviews which elaborate on in-class screenings and cover additional topics and films. Written assignments will be three analytical essays which will encourage critical thinking, close analysis of film texts, and independent research beyond the materials presented in class
Spring 2025: JWST GU4155
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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JWST 4155 | 001/15890 | T 10:00am - 1:45pm 414 Pupin Laboratories |
Stuart Weinstock | 3.00 | 10/25 |
SPJS UN3303 JEWISH CULTURE IN TRANSL IN MED IBERIA. 3.00 points.
The course explores both the practice of translation (the rendering of texts from one language into another) and the idea of translation (as a medium of cultural transmission) in medieval Iberia. Jews were not only the paradigmatic translators of texts from Arabic to Latin and Castilian but were also translators of literary phenomena into the Jewish literary cultures of Iberia. Further, Hebrew texts made their way into Romance languages, rendered by both Jewish and non-Jewish writers. Theoretical materials on translation and historical background on translation practices of the period will accompany readings. All readings are in English, but all texts will be made available in the original language, and students are encouraged to read in the original whenever possible. Sources in bold are primary sources. Students are expected to spend three hours preparing for each class session
Spring 2025: SPJS UN3303
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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SPJS 3303 | 001/15625 | T Th 10:10am - 11:25am 420 Pupin Laboratories |
Isabelle Levy | 3.00 | 18/22 |
Sociology
SOCI GU4801 Israel and the Palestinians. 4.00 points.
The seminar will examine the main political, economic, and social processes that have been shaping contemporary Israel. The underlying assumption in this seminar is that much of these processes have been shaped by the 100-year Israeli-Arab/Palestinian conflict. The first part of the course will accordingly focus on the historical background informing the conflict and leading to the Palestinian refugee problem and establishment of a Jewish, but not Palestinian, state in 1948. The second part of the seminar focuses on Israel’s occupation of the West Bank (and Gaza) and the settlement project, as well as on USA's role and its impact on the conflict, the occupation, and Israel. These topics did not get much academic attention until recently, but as researchers began to realize that the Occupation and the West Bank settlements are among the most permanent institutions in Israel, they have come under the scrutiny of academic research. The third part the seminar will concentrate on the development of the conflict after the establishment of Israel and its effects on sociological processes and institutions in contemporary Israel. Analyzing patterns of continuity and change in the past seven decades, we will discuss immigration and emigration patterns, as well as issue relating to ethnicity, gender, religion and politics, and the Israeli military
Spring 2025: SOCI GU4801
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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SOCI 4801 | 001/11483 | M 2:10pm - 4:00pm 317 Hamilton Hall |
Yinon Cohen | 4.00 | 20/20 |
Religion
RELI UN3199 THEORY. 4.00 points.
An exploration of alternative theoretical approaches to the study of religion as well as other areas of humanistic inquiry. The methods considered include: sociology, anthropology, philosophy, hermeneutics, psychoanalysis, structuralism, genealogy, and deconstruction. (Previous title: Juniors Colloquium)
Spring 2025: RELI UN3199
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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RELI 3199 | 001/00509 | T 2:10pm - 4:00pm 111 Milstein Center |
Beth Berkowitz | 4.00 | 18/25 |
Fall 2025: RELI UN3199
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
RELI 3199 | 001/10468 | M 12:10pm - 2:00pm Room TBA |
Courtney Bender | 4.00 | 20/20 |
ENRE BC3145 Jews in Christian Narrative. 4.00 points.
Since the beginning of the movement that would become Christianity, Jews have occupied a unique – and uniquely fraught – position in the Christian imagination. Why did so few of the very Jews to whom Jesus preached accept him as their messiah? Why, as the Church grew in wealth and influence, did Jews continue to live in Christian communities, and what was their proper place in Christian society? In our course, we will read early and medieval Christian narratives about Jews that are, in many ways, an attempt to answer these questions – dark imaginative visions of Jews as child-killers, cannibals, and devil worshippers. We will use narrative, psychological, and literary theory as tools to analyze these tales and to make sense of their complicated and continuing legacy
Spring 2025: ENRE BC3145
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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ENRE 3145 | 001/00629 | W 2:10pm - 4:00pm 502 Diana Center |
Wendy Schor-Haim | 4.00 | 16/16 |
RELI UN1452 Animals and Religion. 4.00 points.
Religion features animals everywhere, from the lion lying with the lamb in biblical prophecy, to the beasts that populate many myths, to beliefs in the transmigration between human and animal souls, to legislations and rituals for animal slaughter, to religious responses to animal suffering, to a range of positions on meat-eating and vegetarianism, and the list keeps going. “Animals and Religion” introduces you to the many different ways that the world’s religious traditions approach nunhuman beings — the creatures we call “animals.” We will address animals in the big “world religions” such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and the “Abrahamic” traditions, as well as in local and indigenous traditions and in secular spiritualities, from antiquity to today. We will conduct our inquiry under the shadow of species extinction, factory farming, and other forms of species-based oppression. The course will explore how religious traditions are obstacles as well as rich resources in contemporary thinking about the question of the animal and in the choices we make regarding fellow creatures
Spring 2025: RELI UN1452
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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RELI 1452 | 001/00505 | T Th 10:10am - 11:25am 325 Milbank Hall |
Beth Berkowitz | 4.00 | 24/30 |
RELI UN1620 RELIGION & THE MOVIES. 4.00 points.
This class is an introduction to both film and religious studies and aims to explore their interaction. Ranging from auteurs to blockbusters, the course will analyze movies that make use of the sacred and of religious themes, figures or metaphors. The course will probe the definitions and boundaries of religion -as theology, myth, ideology- and will show students how religion remains a critical presence in the arts, even in a secular guise. We will look at the ways in which popular culture can serve religious functions in contemporary society and examine how faith is represented in popular culture
Spring 2025: RELI UN1620
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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RELI 1620 | 001/17299 | T Th 2:40pm - 3:55pm 209 Havemeyer Hall |
Clemence Boulouque | 4.00 | 80/90 |
Yiddish
YIDD UN1102 ELEMENTARY YIDDISH II. 4.00 points.
This course offers an introduction to the language that has been spoken by the Ashkenazi Jews for more than a millennium, and an opportunity to discover a fabulous world of Yiddish literature, language and culture in a fun way. Using games, new media, and music, we will learn how to speak, read, listen and write in a language that is considered one of the richest languages in the world (in some aspects of vocabulary). We will also venture outside the classroom to explore the Yiddish world today: through field trips to Yiddish theater, Yiddish-speaking neighborhoods, Yiddish organizations, such as YIVO or Yiddish farm, and so on. We will also have Yiddish-speaking guests and do a few digital projects. At the end of the two-semester course, you will be able to converse in Yiddish on a variety of everyday topics and read most Yiddish literary and non-literary texts. Welcome to Yiddishland!
Spring 2025: YIDD UN1102
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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YIDD 1102 | 001/13390 | M W 4:10pm - 6:00pm 408 Hamilton Hall |
Joshua Beirich | 4.00 | 10/15 |
YIDD UN2102 INTERMEDIATE YIDDISH II. 4.00 points.
Prerequisites: YIDD W1101-W1102 or the instructor's permission.
Prerequisites: YIDD UN1101-UN1102 or the instructor's permission. This year-long course is a continuation of Elementary Yiddish II. As part of the New Media in Jewish Studies Collaborative, this class will be using new media in order to explore and research the fabulous world of Yiddish literature, language, and culture, and to engage in project-oriented activities that will result in creating lasting multi-media online presentations. In addition to expanding the command of the language that has been spoken by the Ashkenazi Jews for more than a millennium, i.e. focusing on developing speaking, reading, writing and listening skills, and on the acquisition of more advanced grammatical concepts, students will also get some video and film editing training, and tutorials on archival research. The class will continue to read works of Yiddish literature in the original and will venture outside of the classroom to explore the Yiddish world today: through exciting field trips to Yiddish theater, Yiddish-speaking neighborhoods, YIVO, Yiddish Farm, and so on. And we will also have the Yiddish native-speaker guest series. Welcome back to Yiddishland!
Spring 2025: YIDD UN2102
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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YIDD 2102 | 001/13391 | M W 10:10am - 12:00pm 613 Hamilton Hall |
Eve Jochnowitz | 4.00 | 3/15 |
Hebrew
MDES UN2518 HEBREW FOR HERITAGE SPEAKERS. 4.00 points.
Prerequisites: MDES W1517
Prerequisites: Hebrew for Heritage Speakers I Hebrew for Heritage Speakers II forms the second part of a year-long sequence with Hebrew for Heritage Speakers I. The course is intended for those who have developed basic speaking and listening skills through exposure to Hebrew at home or in day-school programs but do not use Hebrew as their dominant language and have not reached the level required for exemption from the Columbia language requirement. Heritage speakers differ in the degree of their fluency, but their vocabulary is often limited to topics in daily life and many lack skills in reading and writing to match their ability to converse. The course focuses on grammar and vocabulary enrichment, exposing students to a variety of cultural and social topics in daily life and beyond. By the end of the semester students are able to read and discuss simple texts and write about a variety of topics. Successful completion of the year-long sequence prepares students to enroll in third-year modern Hebrew. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class
Spring 2025: MDES UN2518
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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MDES 2518 | 001/11459 | M W Th 10:10am - 11:25am 116 Knox Hall |
Danielle Katz-Shenhar | 4.00 | 13/15 |
MDES GU4501 READINGS IN HEBREW TEXTS I. 4.00 points.
Prerequisites: (MDES GU4510) and (MDES GU4511) MDES W4510, MDES W4511, or the instructor's permission.
Prerequisites: (MDES GU4510) and (MDES GU4511) 3RD Year Modern Hebrew or the instructor's permission. This course focuses on central identities shaping Israeli society and is designed to give students extensive experience in reading Hebrew. Through selected readings of contemporary literary works and media texts, students will increase their proficiency in Hebrew and enhance their understanding of Israeli culture and society. All readings, written assignments, and class discussions are in Hebrew. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class
Spring 2025: MDES GU4501
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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MDES 4501 | 001/11460 | M W 12:10pm - 2:00pm 607 Martin Luther King Building |
Naama Harel | 4.00 | 13/12 |
MDES GU4532 Beyond Human in Modern Hebrew Literature. 4.00 points.
“The possibility of pogroms,” claims Theodor Adorno, “is decided in the moment when the gaze of a fatally-wounded animal falls on a human being. The defiance with which he repels this gaze—’after all it's only an animal’—reappears irresistibly in cruelties done to human beings.” This course traces the development of Modern Hebrew literature, from its fin-de-siècle revival to contemporary Israeli fiction, through the prism of animality and animalization. We will focus on human-animal relations and animalization/dehumanization of humans in literary works by prominent Hebrew authors, including M.Y. Berdichevsky, Devorah Baron, S.Y. Agnon, Amos Oz, David Grossman, Orly Castel-Bloom, Almog Behar, Etgar Keret, and Sayed Kashua. Employing posthumanist and ecofeminist theoretical lenses, we will analyze the bio-political intersections of species and gender, as well as animalization as a process of otherization of marginalized ethnic groups. Throughout the course, we will ask questions, such as: why animals abound in Modern Hebrew literature? Are they merely metaphors for intra-human issues, or rather count as subjects? What literary devices are used to portray animals? How has the depiction of human-animal relations changed in Hebrew over the last 150 years? How do cultural and political frameworks inform representations of human-animal relations? No prior knowledge of Hebrew is required; all readings and class discussions will be in English. Course participants with reading knowledge of Hebrew are encouraged to consult the original literary texts, provided by the instructor upon request
Spring 2025: MDES GU4532
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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MDES 4532 | 001/11461 | W 2:10pm - 4:00pm 607 Martin Luther King Building |
Naama Harel | 4.00 | 8/20 |
MDES GU4511 3RD YR MODERN HEBREW II. 4.00 points.
Prerequisites: MDES W4510 or MDES W1515 or the instructor's permission.
Prerequisites: Third Year Modern Hebrew I or Hebrew for Heritage Speakers II Focus on transition from basic language towards authentic Hebrew, through reading of un-adapted literary and journalistic texts without vowels. Vocabulary building. Grammar is reviewed in context. A weekly hour is devoted to practice in conversation. Daily homework includes reading, short answers, short compositions, listening to web-casts, or giving short oral presentations via voice e-mail. Frequent vocabulary quizzes. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class
Spring 2025: MDES GU4511
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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MDES 4511 | 001/11462 | M W 2:10pm - 4:00pm C01 Knox Hall |
Danielle Katz-Shenhar | 4.00 | 16/15 |
MDES UN2502 2ND YR MODERN HEBREW II. 5.00 points.
Prerequisites: MDES W1512.
Prerequisites: Second Year Hebrew: Intermediate I or instructor permission. Equal emphasis is given to all language skills. Irregular categories of the Hebrew verb, prepositions and syntax are taught systematically. Vocabulary building. Daily homework includes grammar exercises, short answers, reading, or writing short compositions. Frequent vocabulary and grammar quizzes. (Students completing this course fulfill Columbia College and Barnard language requirement.) No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class
Spring 2025: MDES UN2502
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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MDES 2502 | 001/11458 | M T W Th 11:40am - 12:45pm 116 Knox Hall |
Danielle Katz-Shenhar | 5.00 | 4/12 |
MDES UN1502 1ST YR MOD HEBREW:ELEM II. 5.00 points.
Prerequisites: MDES W1510, or the equivalent, based on performance on the placement test.
Prerequisites: MDES UN1501, or the equivalent, based on performance on the placement test. Continued introduction to Hebrew, with equal emphasis on all languages skills. (See MDES UN1501.) No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class
Spring 2025: MDES UN1502
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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MDES 1502 | 001/11452 | M T W Th 8:50am - 9:55am 104 Knox Hall |
Illan Gonen | 5.00 | 10/12 |
MDES 1502 | 002/11457 | M T W Th 10:10am - 11:15am 104 Knox Hall |
Illan Gonen | 5.00 | 5/12 |
MDES UN1502 1ST YR MOD HEBREW:ELEM II. 5.00 points.
Prerequisites: MDES W1510, or the equivalent, based on performance on the placement test.
Prerequisites: MDES UN1501, or the equivalent, based on performance on the placement test. Continued introduction to Hebrew, with equal emphasis on all languages skills. (See MDES UN1501.) No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class
Spring 2025: MDES UN1502
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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MDES 1502 | 001/11452 | M T W Th 8:50am - 9:55am 104 Knox Hall |
Illan Gonen | 5.00 | 10/12 |
MDES 1502 | 002/11457 | M T W Th 10:10am - 11:15am 104 Knox Hall |
Illan Gonen | 5.00 | 5/12 |
Comparative Literature
CLYD UN3500 READINGS IN JEWISH LITERATURE. 3.00 points.
As an onset of an ongoing investigation into the history and development of Jewish literature, we will focus on its very beginnings, as culturally understood – the Book of Genesis – and read it in light of millennia of Jewish literary commentary as lenses through which to examine currents, traditions, and trajectories of Jewish literary interpretation and history. By focusing on several distinct episodes and then tracking those episodes’ reception in the light of differing moments of interpretation, we will try to gain a sense of this seminal work’s changing role in Jewish history and culture. Familiarity with Biblical and rabbinic Hebrew not absolutely required, but strongly recommended
Spring 2025: CLYD UN3500
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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CLYD 3500 | 001/17221 | T 2:10pm - 4:00pm 516 Hamilton Hall |
Jeremy Dauber | 3.00 | 11/25 |
History
HIST UN2100 EARLY MOD EUR: PRINT & SOCIETY. 4.00 points.
This course will examine key cultural, political, and religious developments in early modern Western Europe (c. 1500-1800) using the lens of print technology and culture as entry point. From the Reformation of Luther, to the libelles of pre-revolutionary France, from unlocking the mysteries of the human body to those of the heavens, from humanist culture to the arrival of the novel, no important aspect of European culture in the early modern centuries can be understood without taking into account the role of print. Its material aspects, its marketing and distribution channels, and its creation of new readers and new “republics” form the contours of this course
Spring 2025: HIST UN2100
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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HIST 2100 | 001/11866 | M W 10:10am - 11:25am 333 Uris Hall |
Elisheva Carlebach | 4.00 | 18/35 |
HIST GU4601 JEWS-LATER ROMAN EMP,300-600CE. 4.00 points.
This course will explore the background and examine some of the manifestations of the first Jewish cultural explosion after 70 CE. Among the topics discussed: the Late Roman state and the Jews, the rise of the synagogue, the redaction of the Palestinian Talmud and midrashim, the piyyut and the Hekhalot
HIST GU4632 Jews in the Ancient City: Politics and Materiality. 4.00 points.
This course will examine the experience of Jews in the cities of the eastern Roman Empire, offering a challenge to modern hypotheses of Jewish corporate stability in that setting and contributing to modern discussions of the relations between the Roman state, Greek cities, and Jewish and Christian subjects
Spring 2025: HIST GU4632
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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HIST 4632 | 001/11593 | Th 10:10am - 12:00pm 302 Fayerweather |
Seth Schwartz | 4.00 | 4/15 |
Additional Courses, Including Those Not Currently Offered
Code | Title | Points |
---|---|---|
Germanic Languages | ||
YIDD UN2102 | INTERMEDIATE YIDDISH II | |
YIDD UN3333 | ADVANCED YIDDISH | |
YIDD UN3520 | MAGIC & MONSTERS IN YIDD LIT | |
YIDD W3550 | Twentieth-Century Yiddish Literature and Film [In English] | |
Music | ||
MUSI GU4113 | Medieval Mediterranean Love Songs | |
History | ||
HIST UN3120 | Censorship and Freedom of Expression in Early Modern Europe | |
HIST UN3604 | Jews and the City | |
HIST UN2611 | JEWS & JUDAISM IN ANTIQUITY | |
HIST UN2628 | HIST STATE OF ISRAEL,1948-PRES | |
HIST UN2630 | American Jewish History | |
HIST UN2657 | Medieval Jewish Cultures | |
HIST UN3604 | Jews and the City | |
HIST W4610 | The Ancient Jews and the Mediterranean | |
HIST W4611 | Jews and Muslims in the Middle Ages | |
HIST W4635 | Ancient Jewish Texts: Leviticus Rabbah | |
Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies | ||
MDES UN1502 | 1ST YR MOD HEBREW:ELEM II | |
MDES UN2502 | 2ND YR MODERN HEBREW II | |
MDES W1516 | Second Year Hebrew: Intensive Grammar Review | |
MDES UN3541 | Zionism: A Cultural Perspective | |
CLME W3546 | Intro to Hebrew Literature | |
MDES GU4510 | 3RD YR MODERN HEBREW I | |
Religion (Barnard) | ||
RELI W4501 | Psalms Through the Commentary of the Baal Shem Tov | |
RELI W4505 | The Beginnings of Jewish Mysticism | |
RELI W4508 | Jewish Philosophy and Kabbalah | |
Religion | ||
RELI GR6420 | RELIGION & PUBLIC LIFE | |
RELI UN3501 | Introduction To the Hebrew Bible | |
RELI V3512 | The Bible and Its Interpreters | |
RELI UN3315 | Readings in Kabbalah | |
RELI V3571 | Judaism, Jewishness, and Modernity | |
RELI V3585 | The Sephardic Experience | |
RELI W4507 | Readings in Hasidism | |
RELI W4508 | Jewish Philosophy and Kabbalah | |
RELI GU4637 | TALMUDIC NARRATIVE | |
RELI GU4515 | Reincarnation and Technology | |
Sociology | ||
SOCI UN3285 | ISRAELI SOC & ISR-PLS CONFLICT | |
SOCI W3930 | Immigration and Ethnicity in Israel | |
Jewish Studies | ||
JWST GU4154 | Magic in Jewish History and Culture | |
JWST GU4153 | U.S. Civil and Human Rights Lawyers | |
JWST GU4145 | Topics in Israeli Cinema | |
Comparative Literature | ||
CLYD W3500 | ||
English | ||
ENGL GU4938 | HISTORY OF HORROR CINEMA | |
Women's Studies | ||
WMST BC3122 | Contemporary American-Jewish Women Writers: 1990 to the Present | |
WMST GU4302 | The Second Wave and Jewish Women's Artistic Responses: 1939-1990 | |
WMST GU4310 | CONTEM AMER JEWISH WOMEN'S LIT |
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