Undergraduate Programs

Fall Term Schedule

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Fall 2023

Number	Title	Instructor	Time
JWST 100-1 Introduction to Jewish Studies Andrea Gondos MW 3:25PM - 4:40PM
The Jewish civilization developed across a variety of geographical and cultural areas of the world and over thousands of years, resulting in complex, many-faceted, and heterogeneous manifestations. Consistently, scholarly approaches to Jewish Studies are rich and variegated, and rather than constituting a discipline or a method, they consist of a multidisciplinary lens through which to look at a variety of general topics and questions, such as tradition, authority, and community. This course is meant as a gateway to the study of Judaism and Jewish topics. It will combine an overview of the various methods that scholars adopt when they look at Jews and Jewish civilization with an illustration of Jewish beliefs and practices grounded in the diversity of narratives and lived experiences. The course will provide students with a foundational intellectual experience while equipping them with the basic competencies and research tools necessary in progressing into more advanced courses in JWST as in any other field in the humanities and social sciences. No prerequisites. Students from all backgrounds are welcome to enroll in this class. Location Rush Rhees Library Room 442 (MW 3:25PM - 4:40PM)
JWST 101-1 Elementary Modern Hebrew I Michela Andreatta MWF 11:50AM - 12:40PM
Come and learn the language of the Hebrew Bible and of sleepless Tel Aviv nights! One of the oldest languages in the world, for several centuries Hebrew was used only as a literary tool until it was revived as a national Jewish language in the late nineteenth century. Today, Hebrew is the official language of Israel and is studied and spoken by Jews and non-Jews all around the world. Used in everyday life, songs, films, and on the Internet, Hebrew has never been so young! This course is meant as an introduction to Modern Hebrew and its unique features. Emphasis will be placed on developing the skills necessary for reading, writing, and speaking. You will initially learn the alphabet, how to write and read in both the print and the cursive styles, the phonetics and correct pronunciation, and then basic vocabulary and grammar constructions. By the completion of your first semester of Hebrew, you will be able to perform a variety of communication tasks (such as, introducing yourself and others and providing personal information about provenance, place of residence, work, studies; ordering food, asking for directions, inquiring about the price, and more). The course will cover the textbook Hebrew from Scratch vol. 1 through Lesson 3, and will be supplemented by additional written, audio, and video materials in Hebrew. Students from all backgrounds are welcome! Location Morey Room 205 (MWF 11:50AM - 12:40PM)
JWST 103-1 Intermediate Modern Hebrew I Michela Andreatta MW 2:00PM - 3:15PM
Welcome to your second year of modern Hebrew! By completion of this first semester of Hebrew at the intermediate level, you will expand speech interaction in free and authentic informal Hebrew in a variety of everyday situations. Your understanding and use of grammar constructions (particularly of the verb system) will be enhanced and your vocabulary dramatically increased. You will also develop reading skills enabling you to approach texts written in a higher and more formal style than the one used in speaking and be able to effectively use a Hebrew-English-Hebrew dictionary. The course will finish covering the first volume of the textbook Hebrew from Scratch and start covering the second one. A continuation of HBRW 103 (HBRW 104 - Intermediate Hebrew II) will be offered in the spring. Location Frederick Douglass Room 304 (MW 2:00PM - 3:15PM)
JWST 106-1 Introduction to the Hebrew Bible Anne Merideth MWF 10:25AM - 11:15AM
Examination of the texts of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament for Christians) in their religious, historical, and literary contexts. In this course, students will learn the history of the Ancient Israelite people from their origins down through the post-Exilic period. Study of the texts of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) enable us to explore what we can know about Ancient Israelite society and culture, the rise and fall of Israel as a nation-state, religious and theological debates about the role of God in shaping history and the problem of suffering, as well as the writing of the biblical texts and the development of the canon. Location Dewey Room 2110E (MWF 10:25AM - 11:15AM)
JWST 136-1 Angels, Sacred Letters, and Hollywood: Introduction to Jewish Mysticism Andrea Gondos TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM
In this course we will survey the historical development of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) from its medieval origins to its impact on Christianity and contemporary New Age. We will explore the unique symbolism of kabbalistic texts; the mystical understanding of Jewish rituals; and the extraordinary charisma of Jewish mystics. Throughout the course, we will pay special attention to the historical and cultural shifts that facilitated the transformation of Kabbalah from an elite inquiry in the Middle Ages to broader and more popular engagement with this lore in the contemporary, post‐modern age. Location Meliora Room 218 (TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM)
JWST 161-1 Women in Judaism: Ritual, Experience, and Leadership Andrea Gondos T 3:25PM - 6:05PM
Why can women read from the Torah in some synagogues but are excluded in others, and why do some Jewish women cover their head? In this course, we will examine religious, literary, and historical sources to understand the role of Jewish women in ritual, communal, and family life. We will begin by looking at the female figures of the Hebrew Bible and the development of Jewish law that regulated the ritual dimensions of female body. We will then move to the study of early modern Jewish women, based on possession accounts from the Ottoman city of Safed, the diary of Glückel of Hameln from Germany, and stories concerning the holy Maiden of Ludmir from Eastern Europe. Finally, we will explore contemporary issues that relate to the role of women in Judaism in Israel, Europe, and North America. Location Rush Rhees Library Room 428D (T 3:25PM - 6:05PM)
JWST 177-1 Kitchen Judaism: Jewish Food Beyond the Bagel and the Bible Nora Rubel TR 2:00PM - 3:15PM
This course explores religion, food, and eating in Modern Judaism. Beginning with biblical prohibitions and rabbinic laws, the course traces the early relationship between Jewish religious practices and cultural foodways up to the present day. Examining the cultural, social, historical, political, and economic practices relating to the production and consumption of food that has both sustained and distinguished Jewish communities among their neighbors will allow us to situate contemporary Jewish food practices in space and time. Location Lattimore Room 210 (TR 2:00PM - 3:15PM)
JWST 219-1 Holocaust: Affect and Absence June Hwang M 3:25PM - 6:05PM
How does one represent the unrepresentable? This is the key question we will explore as we look at films and literature about the Holocaust. We will examine how fictional films, novels, documentaries and memoirs challenge our conceptualizations of representation and documentation, often leading to experiments in both form and content. Of particular interest will be the relationship between affect, aesthetics and ethics in these negotiations of loss, horror and redemption. Location Bausch & Lomb Room 315 (M 3:25PM - 6:05PM)
JWST 265-1 Israel/Palestine Aaron Hughes TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM
This course will provide a non-partisan introduction to the conflict between these two national movements. Discussion will focus on an examination of historical documents, in addition to understanding of how it plays out in literature and film. Location Morey Room 504 (TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM)
JWST 394-1 Internship – –
Registration for Independent Study courses needs to be completed thru the instructions for online independent study registration.

Number	Title	Instructor	Time
Monday
JWST 219-1 Holocaust: Affect and Absence June Hwang
How does one represent the unrepresentable? This is the key question we will explore as we look at films and literature about the Holocaust. We will examine how fictional films, novels, documentaries and memoirs challenge our conceptualizations of representation and documentation, often leading to experiments in both form and content. Of particular interest will be the relationship between affect, aesthetics and ethics in these negotiations of loss, horror and redemption.
Monday and Wednesday
JWST 103-1 Intermediate Modern Hebrew I Michela Andreatta
Welcome to your second year of modern Hebrew! By completion of this first semester of Hebrew at the intermediate level, you will expand speech interaction in free and authentic informal Hebrew in a variety of everyday situations. Your understanding and use of grammar constructions (particularly of the verb system) will be enhanced and your vocabulary dramatically increased. You will also develop reading skills enabling you to approach texts written in a higher and more formal style than the one used in speaking and be able to effectively use a Hebrew-English-Hebrew dictionary. The course will finish covering the first volume of the textbook Hebrew from Scratch and start covering the second one. A continuation of HBRW 103 (HBRW 104 - Intermediate Hebrew II) will be offered in the spring.
JWST 100-1 Introduction to Jewish Studies Andrea Gondos
The Jewish civilization developed across a variety of geographical and cultural areas of the world and over thousands of years, resulting in complex, many-faceted, and heterogeneous manifestations. Consistently, scholarly approaches to Jewish Studies are rich and variegated, and rather than constituting a discipline or a method, they consist of a multidisciplinary lens through which to look at a variety of general topics and questions, such as tradition, authority, and community. This course is meant as a gateway to the study of Judaism and Jewish topics. It will combine an overview of the various methods that scholars adopt when they look at Jews and Jewish civilization with an illustration of Jewish beliefs and practices grounded in the diversity of narratives and lived experiences. The course will provide students with a foundational intellectual experience while equipping them with the basic competencies and research tools necessary in progressing into more advanced courses in JWST as in any other field in the humanities and social sciences. No prerequisites. Students from all backgrounds are welcome to enroll in this class.
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
JWST 106-1 Introduction to the Hebrew Bible Anne Merideth
Examination of the texts of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament for Christians) in their religious, historical, and literary contexts. In this course, students will learn the history of the Ancient Israelite people from their origins down through the post-Exilic period. Study of the texts of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) enable us to explore what we can know about Ancient Israelite society and culture, the rise and fall of Israel as a nation-state, religious and theological debates about the role of God in shaping history and the problem of suffering, as well as the writing of the biblical texts and the development of the canon.
JWST 101-1 Elementary Modern Hebrew I Michela Andreatta
Come and learn the language of the Hebrew Bible and of sleepless Tel Aviv nights! One of the oldest languages in the world, for several centuries Hebrew was used only as a literary tool until it was revived as a national Jewish language in the late nineteenth century. Today, Hebrew is the official language of Israel and is studied and spoken by Jews and non-Jews all around the world. Used in everyday life, songs, films, and on the Internet, Hebrew has never been so young! This course is meant as an introduction to Modern Hebrew and its unique features. Emphasis will be placed on developing the skills necessary for reading, writing, and speaking. You will initially learn the alphabet, how to write and read in both the print and the cursive styles, the phonetics and correct pronunciation, and then basic vocabulary and grammar constructions. By the completion of your first semester of Hebrew, you will be able to perform a variety of communication tasks (such as, introducing yourself and others and providing personal information about provenance, place of residence, work, studies; ordering food, asking for directions, inquiring about the price, and more). The course will cover the textbook Hebrew from Scratch vol. 1 through Lesson 3, and will be supplemented by additional written, audio, and video materials in Hebrew. Students from all backgrounds are welcome!
Tuesday
JWST 161-1 Women in Judaism: Ritual, Experience, and Leadership Andrea Gondos
Why can women read from the Torah in some synagogues but are excluded in others, and why do some Jewish women cover their head? In this course, we will examine religious, literary, and historical sources to understand the role of Jewish women in ritual, communal, and family life. We will begin by looking at the female figures of the Hebrew Bible and the development of Jewish law that regulated the ritual dimensions of female body. We will then move to the study of early modern Jewish women, based on possession accounts from the Ottoman city of Safed, the diary of Glückel of Hameln from Germany, and stories concerning the holy Maiden of Ludmir from Eastern Europe. Finally, we will explore contemporary issues that relate to the role of women in Judaism in Israel, Europe, and North America.
Tuesday and Thursday
JWST 136-1 Angels, Sacred Letters, and Hollywood: Introduction to Jewish Mysticism Andrea Gondos
In this course we will survey the historical development of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) from its medieval origins to its impact on Christianity and contemporary New Age. We will explore the unique symbolism of kabbalistic texts; the mystical understanding of Jewish rituals; and the extraordinary charisma of Jewish mystics. Throughout the course, we will pay special attention to the historical and cultural shifts that facilitated the transformation of Kabbalah from an elite inquiry in the Middle Ages to broader and more popular engagement with this lore in the contemporary, post‐modern age.
JWST 265-1 Israel/Palestine Aaron Hughes
This course will provide a non-partisan introduction to the conflict between these two national movements. Discussion will focus on an examination of historical documents, in addition to understanding of how it plays out in literature and film.
JWST 177-1 Kitchen Judaism: Jewish Food Beyond the Bagel and the Bible Nora Rubel
This course explores religion, food, and eating in Modern Judaism. Beginning with biblical prohibitions and rabbinic laws, the course traces the early relationship between Jewish religious practices and cultural foodways up to the present day. Examining the cultural, social, historical, political, and economic practices relating to the production and consumption of food that has both sustained and distinguished Jewish communities among their neighbors will allow us to situate contemporary Jewish food practices in space and time.