The Jewish Studies Program: Courses
JST 1000–2999 (lower level)
JST 3000–3999 (upper level)
Note: Hebrew language courses are in the Language and Culture section.
Added Fall 2008:
Klezmer Ensemble
JST 1360 Refer to MPE 1360 in Music Undergraduate Courses for description.
The Ancient Middle East
JST 2035 / 4 credits / Every year
Explores the ancient civilizations of the Middle East, including those of Egypt, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran. Students examine cultural, social, and political movements using texts as well as archaeology as sources. Also offered as HIS 2035.
Jewish Culture and Civilization
JST 2040 / 3 credits / Fall
Examines how early Jewish interactions with various cultures affected the development of Judaism. Interactions with Mesopotamian, Greek, Roman, Christian, and Muslim cultures are explored. Topics include conflicts with external powers, exile, and diaspora. Also offered as HIS 2040.
Creating Commentary: Jewish Arts
JST 2530 / 3 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
An in-depth study of Jewish concepts and themes through the creative arts. Using an interdisciplinary approach, this course focuses on the ways in which painting, sculpture, music, film, literature, and theatre express aspects of Jewish faith, tradition, and history. Also offered as ARH 2530.
The Bible
LIT 2530 Refer to Literature Courses 1000–2999 for description.
Introduction to Jewish-American Literature
JST 2717 Refer to LIT 2717 in Literature Courses: 1000–2999 for description.
Issues in the Study of the Holocaust
JST 2815 / 4 credits / Alternate years
How was the Holocaust possible in the 20th century? This course responds to the question by examining specific issues: German anti-Semitism; Hitler’s rise to power; the genocide process; responses to Nazism and the news of the Holocaust in Jewish and international communities; resistance and collaboration; and theological and moral questions. Also offered as HIS 2815.
Israeli Literature
JST 2855 / 4 credits / Alternate years
In this literature-in-translation course, literary texts are used to explore concerns that have been prevalent in Israeli culture and society from the inception of the state to the present. Themes may include Zionism, conflict between generations, religious and secular impulses, and the complex relationships between Jews and Arabs. Also offered as LIT 2855.
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
JST 2871 / 3 credits / Every year
Considers the profound influence Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have exerted on the social, cultural, and political history of the East and the West. This course examines the historical developments, tenets, and scriptures of the three religions. Also offered as HIS 2870.
The Golden Land: American Jewish Literature and Film
JST 2873 Refer to LIT 2872 in Literature Courses: 1000–2999 for description.
Jews in American Society and Culture
JST 3209 / 4 credits / Alternate years
A survey of American Jewry from the 1650s to the present, with emphasis on immigration patterns, economic accomplishment, interaction with non-Jews, and the Americanization of Judaism. Also offered as HIS 3209.
The Bible and Modern Thought
JST 3210 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
This course addresses some of the ways in which biblical topics are relevant within the context of the modern world. For instance, the prophetic Book of Amos addresses such topics as social justice, doom vs. the possibility of redemption, ritual vs. ethics, and universalism vs. particularism. Students examine these issues as presented in the Bible and discuss how they are germane to the present time.
Death and Afterlife in the Biblical World
JST 3215 / 4 credits / Alternate years
Explores the issues of death, burial, and afterlife beliefs in ancient Israel and the biblical world, as well as the slightly later burial and mourning practices of early Judaism and issues relating to the treatment of ancient human remains. Also offered as HIS 3215.
Women in the Biblical/Ancient World
JST 3235 / 4 credits / Alternate years
An exploration of gender issues in the ancient world. Beginning with the ancient Near East and the biblical world in particular, students discuss portrayals of women, as well as their actual roles in society. Using textual and archaeological evidence, the course branches out to the related cultures of Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Also offered as HIS 3235 and GND 3235.
Modern European Jewish History
JST 3240 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
Focuses on the forces that profoundly transformed Jewish life after 1650. Topics include Hasidism, emancipation, the Jewish Enlightenment, life under the Czar, modern racial anti-Semitism, and the rise of Nazism. Also offered as HIS 3240.
The Land of Israel: Ancient to Modern
JST 3245 / 4 credits / Alternate years
An exploration of the peoples, religions, cultures, places, and monuments of the land of Israel. Home to three major world religions, the land has been embraced, fought over, and conquered repeatedly throughout history. Why? Students explore the reasons for Israel’s prominence and discover how its position and importance in the worldview is constantly being reinvented. Also offered as HIS 3245.
Biblical History 1200–200 B.C.
JST 3255 / 4 credits / Alternate years
The historicity of the Hebrew Bible is explored, from the protohistory of the Israelites as related through the Pentateuch and early prophetic works, through the period of the Monarchies, to the 6th-century B.C. exile, the birth of early Judaism, and the books of prophets and writings. Issues relating to historiography and biblical criticism are essential elements in this course. Also offered as HIS 3255.
Travelers to the Holy Land
JST 3295 / 4 credits / Alternate years
Explores the phenomenon of Westerners traveling to Palestine as explorers and pilgrims. Students concentrate on the journeys and their perils, the cultural and religious clashes they embodied, and the motivations of the individual travelers, including religion, politics, and personal gain. The course begins with travelers of the Middle Ages and quickly moves toward the 19th century. Also offered as HIS 3295.
Added for Spring 2009:
Encounter and Conflict: History of Jewish-Christian Relations
JST 3325 / 4 credits / Alternate years
The historical relationship of Judaism and Christianity and the encounter of the Jewish and Christian communities from ancient to contemporary times are examined. Topics include the split between the two religions in late antiquity, medieval disputations, and the challenges of the modern period. Students also examine the varying ways in which texts can be interpreted. Also offered as HIS 3325.
Jewish Texts, Global Contexts: Multiple Voices in Diaspora
JST 3715 Refer to LIT 3715 in Literature Courses: 3000–3999 for description.
Literature of the Holocaust
JST 3725 / 4 credits / Alternate years
Despite the imperative to accept shocked silence as the most appropriate response to the Nazi genocide, the Holocaust experience has inspired a powerful and eloquent body of literary expression, especially in fiction and poetry. This course considers some of the significant authors and texts that constitute the literature (e.g., Appelfeld, Schwarz-Bart, Wiesel, Singer, Borowski, and Wallant). Also offered as LIT 3725.
Prerequisite: FRS 1001 and LWR 1110, or permission of instructor
The Arab-Israeli Conflict
JST 3780 Refer to HIS 3780 in History Courses for description.
Updated Aug. 25, 2008