HIST 217 The Making of European Jewry, 1085 to 1815
A study of the Jewish communities of Western and Eastern Europe from the reconquest of Toledo to the end of the Napoleonic era. Topics include medieval Jewish communities, their dispersion, the differentiation of Eastern and Western Jewry, persecution and toleration, secularism, religious revivalism and mysticism, and the emancipation of the Jews during the French Revolution.
HIST 218 Jews in the Modern World, 1815 to the Present
A study of the demographic, cultural and socio-economic transformation of the Jewish Communities of Western and Eastern Europe. Topics include the struggle for emancipation, East European Jewish enlightenment, immigration, acculturation and economic diversification; also the emergence of anti-Semitism in the West and East, Zionism, the Holocaust and the creation of the state of Israel.
HIST 219 The Jews of Spain and the Lands of Islam
The history of the Jews in Muslim lands from the 7th to the 20th century. Topics include Muhammed’s relations with the Jews of Medina, poets, princes and philosophers in Abbasid Iraq and Muslim Spain, scientists, scholars and translators in Christian Spain, the Inquisition and emergence of a Sephardic diaspora. Twentieth century focus on the Jewish communities of Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt.
HIST 290 Morocco: History and Culture (Winter Session in Morocco)
An introduction to Moroccan culture, history, and society through experiential and classroom learning. Students will participate in seminars and attend lectures given by Moroccan faculty at the Center for Crosscultural Learning in Rabat. Program themes include: women in private and public life, Berber culture, Islam, Arabic, Morocco’s Jewish heritage and history, and the legacy of European cultural rule. Students will travel as a group to the central and southern regions of the country to study historic sites and contemporary life and culture in a variety of rural and urban settings. Not offered every year. Subject to Dean’s Office approval.
HIST 327 Zionism and Irish Nationalism: A Comparative Perspective
Emergence and evolution of Zionism and Irish nationalism in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Poets, ideologues, charismatic leaders; immigration and diaspora. Political, social, religious and ideological trends in modern Israel and in Ireland. Comparisons and contrasts.
HIST 328 Seminar: Antisemitism in Historical Perspective
Historians often refer to antisemitism as the “Longest Hatred.” What accounts for this obsession? Is the antisemitism of medieval Europe that of Nazi Germany? These questions will inform our examination of pre-Christian antisemitism, the evolving attitudes of Christianity and Islam, the ambiguous legacy of the Enlightenment and the impact of revolution, modernization and nationalism. Sources include Church documents, medieval accounts, nineteenth- and twentieth-century memoirs and contemporary films.
HIST 367 Seminar: Jewish Identity in the Modern World
An exploration through contemporary memoirs and films of the construction and dynamics of Jewish identity in Europe, America, the Middle East and South Asia. Topics include the struggle for political equality and the challenges of nationalism, feminism, colonialism and political antisemitism. Comparisons to other ethnic and religious groups.