DATE
|
DESCRIPTION
|
REQUIRED
READINGS
|
ASSIGNMENT DUE
|
RECOMMENDED
READINGS
|
Jan 13
|
Presentation & Orientation
|
|
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Jan 15
|
Constructing our Object:
Basic Concepts:
Religion, Culture & Interpretation
|
Norman Solomon, Judaism: A Very Short Introduction, 1-135
NOTE: This is a very small book so don't get alarmed from the amount of pages;
Shmueli, Seven Jewish Cultures, 1-42, Introduction
and Chapter 1;
Shmueli's Bibliography Notes
|
|
Bourdieu, The Craft of Sociology, Part 2, “Constructing the Object,” 1991
Geertz, The Interpretation of Culture, 1977
Ricoeur, The Conflict of Interpretations, 2007
|
Jan 20
|
Constructing our Object:
Basic Concepts:
Religion, Culture & Interpretation |
Norman Solomon, Judaism: A Very Short Introduction, 1-135
NOTE: This is a very small book so don't get alarmed from the amount of pages;
Shmueli, Seven Jewish Cultures, 1-42 Introduction
and Chapter 1 |
Blog Entry + Hard Copy (to be handed in)
|
Bourdieu, The Craft of Sociology, Part 2, “Constructing the Object,” 1991
Geertz, The Interpretation of Culture, 1977
Ricoeur, The Conflict of Interpretations, 2007 |
Jan 22
|
The Book(s)I:
Tanakh:
Torah
Nevi'im
Ketuvim
|
Coogen, Excerpts form The “Old” Testament : A Very Short Introduction.
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|
Tanakh: The New JPS Translation According to the Traditional Hebrew Text, 1985
David M. Carr, The Formation of the Hebrew Bible: A New Reconstruction, 2011
Alan Levenson The Making of the Modern Jewish Bible: How Scholars in Germany, Israel, and America Transformed an Ancient Text, 2011
Seth D. Postell, Adam as Israel: Genesis 1-3 as the Introduction to the Torah and Tanakh, 2012
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Jan 27
|
The Book(s) II:
Talmud = Mishna + Gemara
|
Neusner, The Mishnah:
An Introduction , 1-17, 37-39, 200-229
Steinsaltz, The Essential Talmud, 3-9, 109-140;
Sample Page from the Babylonian Talmud
|
Blog Entry + Hard Copy (to be handed in)
|
Daniel Boyarin, Reading Sex in Talmudic Culture, 1993
David Weiss Halivni, The Formation of the Babylonian Talmud, 2013
Charlotte E. Fonrobert (Editor) , Martin S. Jaffee (Editor), The Cambridge Companion to the Talmud and Rabbinic Literature, 2007
Norman Solomon, The Talmud: A Selection, 2009
Eliezer Segall's Talmud Website
|
Jan 29
|
On Midrash & Aggada
|
Heineman, “The Nature of Aggada;"
Kugel, “Two Introductions to Midrash” (Read pp. 77-84, 91-100)
Selections
|
|
Hayyim Nahman Bialik, Book of Legends/Sefer Ha-Aggadah: Legends from the Talmud and Midrash, 1992
Shmuel Safrai, The Literature of the Sages, 2007;
Ephraim E. Urbach, The Sages, 1975
|
Feb 3
|
On Midrash & Aggada
|
Heineman, “The Nature of Aggada;”
Kugel, “Two Introductions to Midrash;”
Selections
|
Blog Entry + Hard Copy (to be handed in)
|
Hayyim Nahman Bialik, Book of Legends/Sefer Ha-Aggadah: Legends from the Talmud and Midrash, 1992
Shmuel Safrai, The Literature of the Sages, 2007
Ephraim E. Urbach, The Sages, 1975 |
Feb 5
|
The Book(s) III:
Kabbalah & Mysticism
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Dan, Kabbalah, A Very Short Introduction, xi-61, 72-103
|
|
Gershom Scholem:
On the Kabbalah and its Symbolism, 1996;
Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, 1995;
The Messianic Idea in Judaism and other Essays, 1995;
Origins of the Kabbalah, 1991
On the Mystical Shape of the Godhead:
Basic Concepts in the Kabbalah, 1997
|
Feb 10
|
Kabbalah & Mysticism
|
Dan, Kabbalah, A Very Short Introduction, xi-61, 72-103
|
Blog Entry + Hard Copy (to be handed in)
Make an appointment with a TA for research paper proposal
|
Gershom Scholem:
On the Kabbalah and its Symbolism, 1996
Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, 1995
The Messianic Idea in Judaism and other Essays, 1995
Origins of the Kabbalah, 1991
On the Mystical Shape of the Godhead:
Basic Concepts in the Kabbalah, 1997
|
Feb 12
|
Song of Songs as Paradigm of Cultural Change
|
Tanakh, Song of Songs;
Shmueli, 65-81
|
Make an appointment with a TA for research paper proposal |
The Song of Songs: The World's First Great Love Poem, Ariel Bloch and Chana Bloch (Translators), 2006
Levi ben Gershom, (Gersonides), Commentary on Song of Songs, 1998
|
Feb 17
|
The Commandments (Mitzvot) |
Shmueli, 82-111;
Yeshayahu Leibowitz,
Judaism, Human Values, and the Jewish State, 3-29
|
Blog Entry + Hard Copy (to be handed in)
Research Paper Proposal is due
|
The Song of Songs: The World's First Great Love Poem, Ariel Bloch and Chana Bloch (Translators), 2006
Levi ben Gershom, (Gersonides), Commentary on Song of Songs, 1998 |
Feb 19
|
The Commandments (Mitzvot
|
Shmueli, 82-111;
Yeshayahu Leibowitz,
Judaism, Human Values, and the Jewish State, 3-29
|
|
Gersion Appel, A Philosophy of Mitzvot, 2008
Yeshayahu Leibowitz,
Judaism, Human Values, and the Jewish State, 1995
Accepting the Yoke of Heaven: Commentary on the Weekly Torah Portion, 2006
|
Feb 24
|
Difference between Judasim & Christianity |
Buber, Two Types of Faith
|
Blog Entry + Hard Copy (to be handed in)
|
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Feb 26
|
Difference between Judasim & Christianity
|
Buber, Two Types of Faith
|
|
|
Mar 3
|
Difference between Judasim & Christianity |
Scholem, "The Messianic Idea in Judaism" and "Revelation and Tradition as Religious Categories in Judaism"
|
Blog Entry + Hard Copy (to be handed in)
|
|
Mar 5
|
Memory, History, Knowledge |
Yerushalmi, Zakhor, 1-52
|
|
Saul Friedlander, When Memory Comes, 2003
Maurice Halbwachs, On Collective Memory, 1992
Art Spiegelman, Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History & II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began, 1986
James E. Young, The Texture of Memory: Holocaust Memorials and Meaning, 1994 |
Mar 10
|
Memory, History, Knowledge |
Yerushalmi, Zakhor, 56-117 |
Blog Entry + Hard Copy (to be handed in) |
|
Mar 12
Midterm Exam
|
Midterm Exam
|
Midterm Exam
|
Midterm Exam
|
Midterm Exam
|
Mar 16-21
|
Spring Break
|
Spring Break |
Spring Break |
Spring Break |
Mar 24
|
Jewish Philosophy:
Maimonides & Spinoza
|
Selected Excerpts:
Maimonides
Spinoza
|
Blog Entry + Hard Copy (to be handed in)
|
Daniel H. Frank (Editor), Oliver Leaman (Editor), The Cambridge Companion to Medieval Jewish Philosophy, 2003
Joshua Parens, Maimonides and Spinoza: Their Conflicting Views of Human Nature, 2012
Kenneth Seeskin, The Cambridge Companion to Maimonides, 2005
Leo Strauss, Leo Strauss on Maimonides: The Complete Writings, 2013
|
Mar 26
|
Jewish Philosophy:
Maimonides & Spinoza
|
Selected Excerpts:
Maimonides
Spinoza
|
|
Daniel H. Frank (Editor), Oliver Leaman (Editor), The Cambridge Companion to Medieval Jewish Philosophy, 2003
Joshua Parens, Maimonides and Spinoza: Their Conflicting Views of Human Nature, 2012
Kenneth Seeskin, The Cambridge Companion to Maimonides, 2005
Leo Strauss, Leo Strauss on Maimonides: The Complete Writings, 2013 |
Mar 31
|
Jewish Philosophy:
Buber & Levinas
|
Selected Excerpts:
Buber (pp. 1-20)
Levinas (pp. 67-79)
|
Blog Entry + Hard Copy (to be handed in)
|
Martin Buber:
I-Thou, 1971
Eclipse of God,
1977
Mamre: Essays in Religion, 1970
Tales
of Hasidism, 1991
|
Apr 2
|
Jewish Philosophy: Buber & Levinas
|
Selected Excerpts:
Buber (pp. 1-20)
Levinas (pp. 67-79)
|
|
Emmanuel Levinas:
Difficult Freedom, 1990 Time and the Other, 1987
|
Apr 7
|
Antisemitism
|
Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism, 3-120
Bibliograpy Notes
Horkheimer and Adorno
|
Blog Entry + Hard Copy (to be handed in)
|
Raul Hilberg, The Destruction of the European Jews, 3 vols. 1985
Horkheimer and Adorno, Dialectics of Enlightenment, 2007
Leon Poliakov, The History of Anti-Semitism, 4 vols. 2003
Jean Paul Sartre, Anti-Semite and Jew, 1948
|
Apr 9
|
Antisemitism |
Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism, 3-120
Bibliograpy Notes
Horkheimer and Adorno
|
|
Raul Hilberg, The Destruction of the European Jews, 3 vols. 1985
Horkheimer and Adorno, Dialectics of Enlightenment, 2007
Leon Poliakov, The History of Anti-Semitism, 4 vols. 2003
Jean Paul Sartre, Anti-Semite and Jew, 1948 |
Apr 14
|
Judaism after the Holocaust
Film
|
Jonas, "The Concept of God after Auschwitz: A Jewish Voice;"
Kolitz, Yossel Rakover Speaks to God
Levinas, "To Love the Torah More Than God"
|
Research paper is due
No Blog Entry
|
Eliezer Berkovits, Faith After the Holocaust, 1977
Yoram Kaniuk, Adam Resurrected: A Novel, 1990;
Richard L. Rubenstein, After Auschwitz: History, Theology, and Contemporary Judaism, 1992
|
Apr 16
|
Judaism after the Holocaust |
Jonas, The Concept of God after Auschwitz: A Jewish Voice;”
Kolitz, Yossel Rakover Speaks to God
Levinas, "To Love the Torah More than God"
|
|
Eliezer Berkovits, Faith After the Holocaust, 1977
Yoram Kaniuk, Adam Resurrected: A Novel, 1990
Richard L. Rubenstein, After Auschwitz: History, Theology, and Contemporary Judaism, 1992 |
Apr 21
|
Jewish Religion after
the Holocaust
|
Jonas, "The Concept of God after Auschwitz: A Jewish Voice;"
Kolitz, Yossel Rakover Speaks to God
Levinas, "To Love The Torah More Than God"
|
Blog Entry + Hard Copy (to be handed in)
|
Eliezer Berkovits, Faith After the Holocaust, 1977
Yoram Kaniuk, Adam Resurrected: A Novel, 1990
Richard L. Rubenstein, After Auschwitz: History, Theology, and Contemporary Judaism, 1992 |
Apr 23
|
Film
|
|
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Apr 28
|
Film
|
|
Final Blog Entry + Hard Copy (to be handed in)
|
|
Apr 30
Last Class
|
Conclusion
|
Conclusion
|
Conclusion
|
Conclusion
|
TBA
|
Final Exam
|
Final Exam
|
Final Exam
|
Final Exam
|