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

JWST GU4148 Jewish Histories of the Modern Middle East. 4.00 points.

This seminar explores the many ways in which Jews participated in the social, cultural, political, and economic life of the modern Middle East. Together we will seek to nuance narratives of Jewish histories as we move both chronologically and thematically to trace transformations in daily life, popular culture, political belonging, education, religious practice, and more. We will examine Jewish history in conjunction with global and interregional processes in the Middle East and beyond, such as colonialism, imperialism, nationalism, the formation of modern nation states in the Middle East, and the Israeli-Arab conflict. Through reading scholarly literature and analyzing primary documents—including letters and petitions, newspapers and state records, literature, music, and photography—this course guides students in thinking like historians, reading texts, and formulating interpretations. By centering a wide range of historical voices, we will examine how Jews’ historical experiences were shaped by gender, class, race, religious practice, and regionality. In taking our guiding frameworks and approaches from various disciplines and fields, including history, anthropology, visual culture, and postcolonial studies, we will work to better understand the many historical trajectories of Jewish life in the modern Middle East

JWST GU4151 Readings in Hasidic Literature. 4.00 points.

One of the most enduring contributions of the Hasidic movement to the Judaism and Jewish culture is its rich literary tradition. Revered by the Hasidim as divinely inspired and reviled as obscurantist or heretical by the movement’s opponents, Hasidic writings have fascinated generations of readers and remain the subject of intensive investigation by modern scholars. This class will introduce students to the Hasidic literary tradition by engaging in a close readings of a representative selection of eighteenth and nineteenth century Hasidic texts composed in a variety of genres. We will explore the literary and ideological contents of these works as well as the historical and philological complexities created by the transition from oral to written discourse, from manuscript to the print medium and from the Yiddish to the Hebrew language. We will also reflect on the challenges of cultural translation and the consequences of reading traditional texts in the light of modern critical scholarship. This course is open to graduate students and advanced undergraduates may register with permission from the instructor. A working knowledge of Rabbinic Hebrew is required

JWST GU4152 Antisemitism in U.S. History. 4.00 points.

What is antisemitism? How and in what contexts has it appeared in the United States? How, if at all, does it resemble other forms of white nationalism? This course addresses these questions through analysis of anti-Jewish discrimination in the United States between the colonial period and the present, exploring different thematic dimensions of anti-Jewish bigotry, discrimination, and violence. Probing anti-Jewish practices and discourses, you will learn to identify representations of Jews as “others;” determine the origins and sources of anti-Jewish sentiments and policies; analyze similarities and differences between anti-Jewish bigotry and racism and xenophobia; and consider how, if at all, expressions of antisemitism have changed over time in the United States

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

CLYD UN3500 READINGS IN JEWISH LITERATURE: American Jewish Literature: A survey. 3.00 points.

This year has been designated the three hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Jewish life in America. In examining the work of some of the greatest Jewish writers to live in America – writers in English, Hebrew, and Yiddish, some well known, some less so – this course hopes to answer several related questions. How are the changing fortunes of American Jews reflected in their literary creativity? How does Jewish multilingualism – not only seen in different works, but within the same work – affect modes and styles of Jewish writing? And, perhaps most importantly, how does one define American Jewish writing in an age of increasingly complex affiliations and identifications among American Jews?

CLYD GU4250 Memory and Trauma in Yiddish Literature (in English). 3 points.

Trauma has become a defining aspect of the modern Jewish experience, while the recently emerged memory studies shed a new light on how we remember the past, and understand memory. As Cathy Caruth observes in Trauma: Explorations of Memory (1995), “The traumatized, we might say, carry an impossible history within them, or they become themselves the symptom of a history that they cannot entirely possess.” This course examines how memory, especially memory of trauma, is explored in Yiddish literature, film, and beyond. It focuses predominantly on the works relating to the Holocaust and its impact on the first, second, and third generations, but it also engages with other kinds of memory and other kinds of trauma (pogroms, Chmielnitsky massacres, loss, death, etc.). It approaches the questions of memory and trauma from the perspective of gender, body, and identity, as well as postmemory. The course aims for students to discuss and critically engage with the works listed on the syllabus, in order to develop the skills of analytical, and abstract thinking, as well as the ability to express that critical thinking in writing. Texts will be
offered in English translation, no knowledge of Yiddish required.

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

MDES UN2501 2ND YR MOD HEBREW:INTER I. 5.00 points.

Prerequisites: 1st Year Modern Hebrew II or the equivalent and instructor's permission.
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

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

MDES UN2517 HEBREW FOR HERITAGE SPEAKERS I. 4.00 points.

Fee: Language Resource Center Fee - 15.00

Prerequisites: Permission of instructor.
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

MDES GU4501 READINGS IN HEBREW TEXTS I. 4.00 points.

Prerequisites: (MDES GU4510) and (MDES GU4511) 3RD Year Modern Hebrew 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

MDES GU4510 3RD YR MODERN HEBREW I. 4.00 points.

Prerequisites: 2nd Year Modern Hebrew II, Hebrew for Heritage Speakers II, or the instructor's permission.
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

RELI UN2306 INTRO TO JUDAISM. 3.00 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

RELI GU4807 DIVINE HUMAN ANIMAL. 4.00 points.

This course focuses on thinking with animals (Levi-Strauss) through the lens of the religious imagination. The concentration will be primarily on Western religious cultures, especially Judaism and the question of Jewishness

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!

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!

YIDD UN2101 INTERMEDIATE YIDDISH I. 4.00 points.

Prerequisites: YIDD UN1101-UN1102 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!

YIDD UN2102 INTERMEDIATE YIDDISH II. 4.00 points.

Prerequisites: YIDD UN1101-UN1102 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!

YIDD UN3333 ADVANCED YIDDISH. 3.00 points.

May be repeated for credit.

Prerequisites: YIDD UN2101-YIDD UN2102 or the instructor's permission.
Prerequisites: YIDD UN2101-YIDD UN2102 or the instructor's permission. Reading of contemporary authors. Stress on word usage and idiomatic expression, discussion