01:563:100
Introduction to the Middle East (3)
Introduction to the languages and cultures of the Middle East and facilities of cross-cultural communication and understanding between the people of the West and Middle East.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:685:100.
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01:563:201
Jewish Society and Culture I: From Antiquity to the Middle Ages (3)
Examines the social, economic, religious, and political experiences of the Jewish people, from the Biblical world of the ancient Near East until
the Middle Ages.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:506:271 or 01:685:208.
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01:563:202
Jewish Society and Culture II: The Early Modern and Modern Experience (3)
Examines Jewish life from the breakdown of traditional society in Europe in the 1700s until the rise of the modern state of Israel in the 20th
century.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:506:272.
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01:563:205
History of the Modern Middle East (3)
Shaping of Middle Eastern politics and
society since 1800 out of the Islamic/Ottoman legacies and under the impact of
modernity and Western encroachment.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:508:205 or 01:685:203.
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01:563:206
Introduction to the Bible II: Prophets and Poetry (3)
Literature of the Bible, focusing on the Prophets, the historical backdrop of the prophetic message as revealed mainly through the books of Kings, and other relevant poetic material (Psalms, Job, etc.).
Credit not given for both this course and 01:840:206.
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01:563:220
Introduction to the Bible I: Torah and Prose (3)
Literature of the Bible, focusing on the Torah and the historical material in Joshua through Samuel. Emphasis placed on literary, historical, and theological matters. Special use made of archaeological discoveries. The Bible studied against the backdrop of ancient Near Eastern literature, history, religion, mythology, and law.
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01:563:222
Introduction to Ancient Judaism (3)
Historical development of Judaism in ancient times from its origins in ca. 1200 BCE through the Roman period ca. 300 CE. Emphasis on the beliefs and practices of ancient Judaism during biblical and postbiblical periods, as reflected in the literature of the times (such as the Bible, Dead Sea Scrolls, and Mishna) and in the archaeological record.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:840:242.
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01:563:223
New Testament (3)
Interpretation of basic Christian scriptures in translation; influence of Jesus and Paul on the early Christian community.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:840:202.
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01:563:225
Jewish Music (3)
Introduction to biblical cantillation, medieval Jewish music, liturgical and Hasidic melodies, Yiddish folk songs, and the music of modern Israel.
|
01:563:226
History of Jewish Art (3)
A survey of Jewish visual culture from ancient synagogue
architecture to works of contemporary art.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:082:255.
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01:563:228
Jews and Medicine (3)
Explores the engagement of Jews with medicine, public health, and bioethics. Examines ways that Jews have imagined health, illness, and the body, as well as the way that non-Jews have imagined the Jewish body and health.
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01:563:230
Modern Jewish Culture: Key Texts and Their Afterlives (3)
Examines four key texts, written between 1894 and 1944, that have become fixtures not only of modern Jewish culture, but also of world culture primarily through adaptations in stage, film, broadcasting, music, and visual art.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:195:230.
|
01:563:231
American Jewish History (3)
History of the Jews in the New World, beginning in the middle of the 17th century, and then focusing on the United States until the present.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:512:231.
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01:563:240
Jewish-Christian Relations through the Ages (3)
Jewish-Christian relations from the first century of the Common Era through to the start of the 21st century. The course focuses both on the history of interactions between Jews and Christians--persecutions, collaborations, conversions, etc.--and also on the history of theological stances and popular attitudes.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:510:265.
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01:563:241
Introduction to Rabbinic Literature (3)
Introduces students to the Rabbinic period and rabbinic texts, including the Mishnah, the Talmud, and midrashic literature.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:840:241. No prior knowledge required; all readings in English.
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01:563:243,244
Modern Jewish Literature (3,3)
Works of great Jewish writers from Russia, Germany, France, Italy, the United States, and Israel, from late 19th century to the present, in translation.
|
01:563:245
The Culture of Yiddish: An Introduction (3)
An overview of Yiddish, the traditional
vernacular language of Ashkenazic Jews, and its culture, from its medieval
origins to the present.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:470:280. All readings in English.
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01:563:246
Jewish Humor (3)
Analyzes the development of Jewish humor during the 19th and 20th centuries, with a focus on America, Eastern Europe, and Israel. Relation of humor to historical developments, including acculturation and the maintenance of cultural distinctiveness.
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01:563:250
Jewish Mysticism and Kabbalah (3)
Survey of Jewish mystical traditions from the early rabbinic traditions to the central text of kabbalistic literature, the Zohar, in 13th-century Spain.
Credit not given for this course and 01:840:250.
|
01:563:254
Hasidic Tales (3)
Legends and stories; a study of the ideals and values of the Ba'al Shem
Tov and other Hasidic masters from the 18th century to the present.
|
01:563:260
Remembering the Shtetl (3)
How Jewish life in eastern European small towns has been documented and recalled from the 19th century to the present in fiction, art, ethnography, film, and memoir.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:510:260.
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01:563:261
History of the Holocaust (3)
Development of anti-Semitism in modern European history, culminating in the "Final Solution"; special emphasis on Jewish response and resistance.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:510:261.
|
01:563:270
Exile under Nazism and Communism (3)
Explores the experiences of Poles and Polish Jews under Nazi and Communist rule through history, travel writing, memoir, poetry, and film.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:510:263.
|
01:563:280
Jerusalem Contested: A City's History from Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Perspectives (3)
Introduces students to the history of Jerusalem and explores the causes and evolution of the city's importance in Judaism, Christianity, and
Islam.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:508:209 or 01:685:280.
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01:563:281
Modern Israeli Culture (3)
Approaches modern Israel as a case study in creating a new national culture in relation to ancient history and traditions and a longstanding diaspora. Explores the evolution of Israeli culture between 1940s and 1990s from an interdisciplinary perspective.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:508:211, 310 or 01:563:310 or 01:658:281, 310.
|
01:563:293
Topics in Jewish Studies (3)
Selected themes in Jewish studies at the introductory level. Topics announced when course offered.
|
01:563:300
The Arab-Israeli Conflict (3)
Evolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict over the past century. Emphasis on the conflict's origins, dynamics, and complexities rather than on prescriptions for solution.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:508:300 or 01:685:300.
|
01:563:304
Jewish Cinema and Fiction (3)
Comparative study of Jewish themes in Yiddish, Israeli, American, and European films (with English subtitles) and their literary sources; discussions and readings in English.
|
01:563:306
American Jews and the Media (3)
Examines the roles that film, sound recordings, radio, television, video, and computers play in American Jewish life since the turn of the 20th century.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:050:336.
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01:563:307
Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Medieval Spain (3)
History of medieval Spain with a focus on cultural,
religious, and political diversity.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:510:313.
|
01:563:308
Jews in the Islamic World (3)
Explores the cultural, religious, and political history of Jews in the lands
of Islam.
|
01:563:310
Israeli Culture (3)
Formation of modern Israeli culture since the beginning of Zionist immigration to Palestine; its historical, social, literary, and artistic expressions.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:508:310 or 01:685:310.
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01:563:311
Classical Jewish Philosophy (3)
Major trends and figures in medieval Jewish thought; Jewish Platonism (Solomon ibn Gabirol); Jewish Aristotelianism (Maimonides); the critique of philosophy (Hallevi); and Jewish philosophy in the Renaissance.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:730:311.
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01:563:312
Modern Jewish Philosophy (3)
Thinkers and systems in modern Jewish philosophy, including interpretations of Jewish tradition; Jewish Kantianism (Cohen, Buber); Jewish existentialism and postmodernism (Rosenzweig, Levinas); the Holocaust; and Jewish feminism.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:730:312.
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01:563:314
Jews, Heretics, and the Inquisition (3)
A survey of the medieval, Spanish, and Roman inquisitions, focusing on these institutions' attitudes toward, and treatment of, heretics, Jews, and conversos. Students will study how these inquisitions operated and examine their legal precedents as well as their relations to the social, political, and religious tensions of their day.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:510:314.
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01:563:315
Topics in Rabbinic Literature (3)
Examines a wide array of topics in classical rabbinic literature.
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01:563:316
Israeli Women: Historical and Literary Perspectives (3)
Impact of socialism, nationalism, ethnicity, religion, and feminism on Israeli women's roles within the family, labor force, army, kibbutz, and politics.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:508:316 or 01:988:316 or 01:685:316.
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01:563:319
Women in Jewish Law (3)
Women's voices in Jewish legal sources from Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages.
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01:563:321
Studies in Literature and Spirituality (3)
This course examines a variety of issues pertaining to gender and women in Judaism. It investigates some of the theological and social aspects of the tension between traditional Judaism and feminism.
|
01:563:322
Women in the Bible (3)
Literary readings of biblical stories about women, with special emphasis on their roles, representation, and literary types. All texts in English translation.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:840:361 or 01:988:314.
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01:563:323
Women in the Bible--Hebrew Seminar (1)
Optional 1-credit add-on for students enrolled in Women in the Bible who wish to further their understanding of the texts by reading them in the original Hebrew.
Prerequisite: Intermediate Hebrew or higher. Corequisite: 01:563:322.
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01:563:324
Ancient Near Eastern Religions (3)
Religious patterns in Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Canaan, Israel, and Egypt from texts in translation; their impact on cultural developments of the Near East.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:840:301.
|
01:563:325
Hebrew Prophets (3)
Development and diffusion of Israelite prophetic thought from early associations with divination in Near Eastern culture through the Exile and later decline.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:840:303.
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01:563:330
Space and Identity: Jewish Perspectives (3)
Drawing on modern Jewish culture as a case study, course
focuses on the "spatial turn" in the study of human societies as it
sets out to explore the interrelation between space and identity. Examines such
concepts as homeland and exile, diasporas and hybrid identities, symbolic
landscapes, private and public spaces, gendered spaces, the sanctification of
space, communal enclaves and cultural spaces, transplanted and reenacted
spaces, and tourism as pilgrimage.
|
01:563:332
The American Jewish Experience in Literature (3)
Patterns of alienation and assimilation of an American ethnic group as portrayed in its literature. Attention to early narratives as well as the works of contemporary writers such as Roth, Potok, Bellow, Malamud, and Singer.
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01:563:335
Jewish-American Women: Contested Lives (3)
Explores the Jewish-American female identity in autobiography and memoir, social history, literature, and film. Examines interplay of religious belief, secularism, social mobility, and acculturating influences within American experience.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:050:335 or 01:988:334.
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01:563:336
Jewish Historical Fiction (3)
Explores a variety of Jewish historical novels and their relationship to the historical periods they purport to represent, from late antiquity to the modern period. Special emphasis is given to comparing works of history with works of fiction. Topics include: Second Temple sectarianism; Medieval Jewish marriage law and customs; mysticism; Sabbatianism; and revolution in the Soviet Union.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:510:393.
|
01:563:338
The Jewish Graphic Novel (3)
Examination of Jewish graphic novels since the emergence of
this genre during the latter half of the 20th century. Focus on the role
of graphic novels in Jewish popular culture and as a medium for Jewish
storytelling.
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01:563:340
The Dead Sea Scrolls (3)
Introduction to the history and scholarship surrounding the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:840:340.
|
01:563:341
Jesus the Jew (3)
Explores the historic figure of Jesus within the context of first-century Palestinian Judaism. Topics include Jesus and the Law, Jesus and the Temple, the problem of religious authority and types of religious leaders, the Sermon on the Mount, and the "Parting of the Ways."
Credit not given for both this course and 01:840:310.
|
01:563:342
Jewish Nationalism (3)
Examines the varieties of Jewish nationalisms that arose in Europe at
the end of the 19th century. Considers causes of Jewish national thinking in the broader political
and intellectual context within which the Jews lived.
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01:563:343
History of Zionism (3)
Messianism, forerunners of Zionism; ideology of Zionism; pioneer movements; the Yishuv and its institutions. The state of Israel: its structure, and inner and outer life.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:510:386 or 01:685:343.
|
01:563:344
Sephardic Jewish History and Culture (3)
Explores the history,
religion, and culture of Sephardic Jews from the 15th century to the
present.
|
01:563:346
Contemporary Jewish Life (3)
Study of contemporary Jewish life, especially in America--in communities, institutions, rituals, personal histories, etc.--through the approach of fieldwork and ethnographic writing.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:050:337.
|
01:563:348
Tradition and Innovation in American Jewish Ritual (3)
Focuses on the tension between tradition and innovation that characterizes American Jewish life cycles by considering theories of ritual and ethnographic practice. Examines some of the ways American Jews have engaged various rituals including birth, marriage, bar/bat mitzvah, and death and mourning rituals.
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01:563:351
Contemporary Politics in the Middle East (3)
Contemporary politics of the Middle East through scholarly literature and documentary-type films dealing with socioeconomic and cultural influences on politics.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:685:351 or 01:790:351.
|
01:563:352
Israeli Politics (3)
Basic understanding of the historical background of the establishment of the state of Israel; major characteristics of the political culture and institutions and how they have responded to the dynamic sociocultural and political changes that have shaped the society.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:790:352 or 01:685:352.
|
01:563:355
Kafka and World Literature (3)
Introduction to Kafka's work and its impact on world
literature. Topics include: literary
modernism and European modernity; Jewish languages, culture, identity, and
music in the early 20th century and beyond; minor and postcolonial
literature; rethinking the relationship among humans, animals, hybrids, and
monsters; and new directions in art, literature, film, and music. Taught in
English.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:195:382 or 01:470:354.
|
01:563:359
Race, Culture, and Politics: Blacks and Jews in America (3)
How black and Jewish identities have evolved in relationship
to one another through an examination of social and political history,
literature, and film.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:512:359 or 01:014:359 or 01:050:359.
|
01:563:364
Genocide, the Holocaust, and Legacies of Violence (3)
How the Holocaust has shaped and reshaped understandings of genocide and witnessing through an ethnographic and historiographic lens. Examines the complexities of survival as they relate to truth and memory.
|
01:563:365
Holocaust Literature in Translation (3)
Prose and poetry about the Holocaust by selected European, American, and Israeli writers.
All readings in English.
|
01:563:366
Holocaust Media (3)
Examines the wide array of uses of media to represent the Holocaust, from World War II to the present. Examples range from wartime radio broadcasts and newsreels to documentaries, television dramas, videotaping of Holocaust testimonies, photography, as well as the use of media in museum displays and tourist practices.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:195:371.
|
01:563:367
American Jewish Writers of the 20th Century (3)
A selection of works by major authors of American Jewish fiction.
|
01:563:368
Jews of Germany and Austria-Hungary, 1780-Present (3)
Jewish history in modern Central Europe. Focus on Germany, Austria, Hungary, and
Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic and Slovakia) from the late 1700s until
the present day.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:510:368.
|
01:563:370
Germany Confronts the Holocaust (3)
Analyzes the shifting role of the Holocaust in postwar German public life--in art, literature, museums, and other memorials; film; television; and political discourse. Some attention will also be given to Austria and Switzerland; contrasts will be drawn to the place of the Holocaust in postwar and contemporary America.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:470:310 or 01:195:370.
|
01:563:373
History of Jewish Women (3)
Jewish women's history; examines the religious, social, intellectual, and cultural environments of Jewish women from the biblical period through the 20th century.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:506:373 or 01:988:373.
|
01:563:375
Jewish Immigrant Experience (3)
Modern Jewish immigrant experience, focusing on European and Middle Eastern communities resettled in America, Israel, and Europe.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:506:375, 01:070:375, and 01:688:375.
|
01:563:380
German-Jewish Literature and Culture (3)
Survey of German-Jewish culture, 18th century to present. Literature in political-historical context, with some attention to music, philosophy, and film.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:470:380, 01:195:380, and 01:563:375.
|
01:563:381,382
Topics in Jewish Studies (1.5,1.5)
Topics vary. Topics announced when course is offered.
Seven-week courses; may be taken consecutively or separately.
|
01:563:383
Modern Jewish Art (3)
The Jewish experience in modern art.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:082:380.
|
01:563:384
Gender and Politics in Yiddish Literature and Culture (3)
Traces the cultural dynamics of Ashkenazic Jews in 16th- to 19th-century Europe through Yiddish religious writing, folktales, fiction, memoirs, and poetry.
Credit not given for this course and 01:470:384 and 01:988:391. All readings in English.
|
01:563:385
Rabbis, Rebels, and Rationalists: The Jews of Eastern Europe (3)
Economic, legal, and political conditions of Jewish life from the 16th century to World War II. Forms of Jewish response: autonomism, messianism, Hasidism, emigration, and socialism.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:510:385.
|
01:563:386
Modern Yiddish Literature and Culture (3)
Yiddish prose, poetry, folklore, theater, and film in Europe and America from the late 19th century to the present.
All readings in English translation.
|
01:563:389
Jewish Politics, Jewish Power (3)
Political relationship of the Jewish community to the Gentile
authorities among whom they lived, from Rome in 70 CE to the
contemporary period. Continuities and discontinuities of
traditional conceptions of Jewish political behavior and rebellion, and
accommodation to structures of power in varying historical contexts.
Prerequisite: At least one course in Jewish or European history after 1500. Credit not given for both this course and 01:510:389 or 01:790:384.
|
01:563:390
Jewish Memory (3)
Explores various forms of Jewish memory shaped in response to major events, including myths, holidays, monuments, pilgrimages, testimonies, museums, literature, and film.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:510:390.
|
01:563:393
Israeli Film (3)
Explores major social, cultural, and political issues central to contemporary Israeli society and its development, and their representation in Israeli cinema.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:195:393.
|
01:563:394,395,396,397
Topics in Jewish Studies (3,3,3,3)
Selected themes in Jewish studies. Topics announced when course offered.
|
01:563:399
Research and Writing in Jewish Studies (3)
Explores a major theme in Jewish studies and allows students to pursue their own scholarship, culminating in a major research paper.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:506:464.
|
01:563:404
Spinoza (3)
Spinoza's theological political treatise: prophecy, miracles, and faith and reason. Spinoza's ethics: God and his attributes, the human mind, and human bondage and freedom.
Prerequisites: Two courses in philosophy. Recommended: 01:730:205 or 307. Credit not given for both this course and 01:730:404.
|
01:563:408
Sociology of American Jewish Religious Movements (3)
Denominational patterns of America's Jews; religious patterns including Hasidism, fundamentalism-secularization, women's roles, intermarriage, and intra- and interreligious patterns.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:920:408.
|
01:563:409
Introduction to the Semitic Languages (3)
Survey of the Semitic languages and their history from a
comparative perspective.
Prerequisite: One year of a Semitic language (such as Hebrew or Arabic) or permission of instructor. Credit not given for both this course and 01:013:409.
|
01:563:451
Critical Perspectives on the Middle East (3)
Promotes critical thinking about the Middle East by analyzing how stereotypes and Western political thinking hinder intercultural understanding, and encourages students to think more dynamically about the relationship between the United States and the developing world.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:685:451 or 01:790:451.
|
01:563:460
Jewish Studies Internship (3)
Supervised work at a historical society, archive, museum, communal agency, etc.; 112 hours required. Students also required to prepare a research project related to the internship, under the supervision of an assigned faculty member. Students may do more than one internship, as long as no two are at the same institution. Only one internship can count toward the Jewish studies major or minor.
Open to all Rutgers undergraduates.
|
01:563:461
Supplementary Independent Study (1)
Add-on for undergraduates who undertake extra work in relation to a course, for example, regularly meeting with a professor to read texts in their original language.
Prerequisite: Special permission of department.
|
01:563:464
Jewish Studies Seminar (3)
Explores a major theme in Jewish studies and allows students to pursue their own scholarship, culminating in a major research paper.
Prerequisite: 01:563:201 or 202 or permission of instructor. Credit not given for both this course and 01:506:464.
|
01:563:480
Modern Middle Eastern Literature in Translation (3)
Modern literature in the Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, and Turkish traditions; with a focus on poetry, the short story, and the novel.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:195:490 or 01:685:490.
|
01:563:482,483
Advanced Topics in Jewish Studies (1.5,1.5)
Highly specialized advanced courses open to both undergraduate and graduate students. Specific titles available at registration.
Seven-week courses; may be taken consecutively or separately.
|
01:563:490
Studies in Jewish History (3)
In-depth study of selected issues and problems in Jewish history and culture.
|
01:563:491,492
Independent Study and Research (3,3)
Individual reading research project under the guidance of a Jewish studies faculty member on a topic of interest to the student. Final written report required.
|
01:563:495
Special Topics in Literature (3)
Selected themes in Hebrew, Yiddish, or other Jewish literature. Topics announced when course offered.
|
01:563:496,497
Senior Honors (3,3)
Independent research project under supervision of a faculty member, culminating in an honors thesis that must be approved by the program.
Prerequisite: Permission of department director.
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