Jewish Studies

JWS 102 - Jews in Biblical and Medieval Cultures

Description: This course examines Jewish life and culture, from the Biblical period in the Middle East through the Renaissance in Europe, including Mizrahic and Shephardic populations. We begin with Jewish origins and identities, noting how the earliest Jewish communities developed and changed. We consider specific challenges, such as the destruction of the temples and life in the diaspora, as Jews settled and struggled in foreign lands. With attention to an emerging global Jewish community, the course employs primary and secondary sources from multiple disciplines, including literature, music, and art. SUNY GEN ED-n/a; NCC GEN ED-GLNW, HUM, PLDI, WESH Offered: Fall, Winterim, Spring, Summer

Credit Hours: 3
Department: English

JWS 104 - Jews in the Modern World

Description: This course identifies Jewish responses to modernity from interdisciplinary and multicultural perspectives. We examine the impact of the Enlightenment on traditional communities, including the effects of the new conceptual frameworks such as Chassidism, Reform Judaism, Zionism, and Feminism. Using primary and secondary sources from a variety of disciplines, students learn how Jewish identity has been defined and redefined in evolving cultural contexts. SUNY GEN ED-n/a; NCC GEN ED-GLNW, HUM, PLDI, WESH Offered: Fall, Winterim, Spring, Summer

Credit Hours: 3
Department: English