Undergraduate Courses Spring 2016

Jewish Studies 39M

Freshman/Sophomore Seminar: “Hasidism and the Modern Age”
W 2-4 p.m., 332 Giannini
CCN: 47803, 2 units

Instructor: Shmary Brownstein
This class will explore the history, thought, and social organization of the Hasidic movement, at its 18th century beginnings and today. We will focus on the question of whether and how contemporary Jewish life has been influenced by Hasidism. Attendance mandatory first two weeks of semester. Students will be dropped for non-attendance.

Jewish Studies 39N

Freshman/Sophomore Seminar: “Holocaust History, Memory, and Representation”
M 2-4 p.m., 332 Giannini
CCN: 47806, 2 units

Instructor: Rebecca Golbert
This course explores Jewish life in Europe before, during, and after the Holocaust and the physical and emotional impact of the Holocaust on Jewish community, memory, and identity and on Jewish relations with non-Jewish neighbors. Attendance mandatory first two weeks of semester. Students will be dropped for non-attendance.

Jewish Studies 101

The Cultural Legacies of the Jews
“Introduction to Jewish Culture: Text, Ritual, and Media”
TuTh 9:30-11 a.m., 89 Dwinelle
CCN: 47818, 3 units

Instructor: Yosef Rosen
This class provides an introduction to Jewish culture and history through a close examination of traditions both sacred and secular, ancient and contemporary. We will divide the course into three sections: Literature, Ritual, and Media. Each section will provide us with a different perspective on Jewish history and Jewish creativity. Attendance mandatory first two weeks of semester. Students will be dropped for non-attendance.

Jewish Studies 120

Special Topics in Jewish Studies: “Israeli Feminism”
W 2-5 p.m., 107 Mulford
CCN: 47821, 3 units

Instructor: Hila Shamir
Contemporary Israeli feminists face a set of distinct challenges.The course will explore central issues in Israeli feminism, mainly through the lens of law and social movement activism, and look into the evolution, internal schisms, foreign influences, successes, failures, and compromises of Israeli feminism. Attendance mandatory first two weeks of semester. Students will be dropped for non-attendance. N.B.: Course will satisfy L&S breadth requirement only if taken for 3 units.

Jewish Studies 198, Section 2 (DeCal)

Journalism and Judaism
Th 5-6 p.m., 175 Dwinelle
CCN: 47827, 1 unit

Faculty Sponsor: Rebecca Golbert; Student Facilitators: Jason Block and Mallory Foster
We will examine journalism in Jewish culture and American society, as well as the world. Through an interdisciplinary perspective, we will examine the evolution of Jewish journalism and its modern day implications. The course will expand on a variety of rhetorical and digital media approaches developed in Israel and the United States, and will look at a number of case studies and guest speakers. Students will write their own pieces, to be published online and in various news/magazine publications, and will explore contextualizing Jewish issues and Jewish experiences in American and Israeli media, including such topics as freedom of religion, Anti-Semitism in the media, writing about religious identity and conflicts, and the history of Jewish community press. In addition, they will gain technical skills in interviewing, design, editing, and writing, which will enhance their professional and personal development.

Near Eastern Studies (NES) 190A, Section 1

The Abrahamic Religions – Points of Conflict and Convergence
TuTh 12:30-2 p.m., 129 Barrows
CCN: 61577, 4 units

Instructor: Manuel Duarte de Oliveira
This course aims to introduce students to the three major monotheistic religious. While Judaism, Christianity and Islam share common biblical roots, their differences and similarities vis-à-vis an understanding of their particular position in the world often placed them in confrontation, despite periods of complementary convergence. We will survey some of the theological/spiritual dimensions of these Abrahamic traditions and explore the significance of their heritage to human civilization.

Graduate-Level Courses Spring 2016

Jewish Studies 200

Advanced Topics in Jewish Studies: “History, Knowledge and Redemption”
Th 2-5 p.m., 201 Wheeler
CCN: 49833, 4 units

Instructor: Gilad Sharvit
This course focuses on radical theories of history in early twentieth-century German-Jewish philosophy, literature and culture. Across disciplines-philosophy, literature and Jewish thought-and various methodologies, the early twentieth century saw a surge of interest in history and myth as realms of challenge to the predominance of reason. This course explores a tradition of anti-rationalism in German and Jewish thought that was shaped in late German Idealism (specifically Hegel and Schelling), and crystallized in the works of Franz Kafka, Walter Benjamin, Franz Rosenzweig, and Sigmund Freud.

Hebrew 202B

Advanced Late Antique Hebrew Texts
Tu 2-5 p.m., 248 Barrows
CCN: 62642, 3 units

Instructor: Daniel Boyarin
Historical and literary study of Hebrew and Aramaic Judaic texts (e.g., Talmud and Midrash).

Hebrew 204B

Advanced Modern Hebrew Literature and Culture
W 2-5 p.m., 246 Barrows
CCN: 62645, 3 units

Instructor: Chana Kronfeld
Critical approaches to the history and textual practices of modern Hebrew poetry and fiction. Alternating focus between period, genre, and author, seminar topics include stylistic developments in Hebrew poetry and fiction from the Enlightenment to the present, modernism, and modernity, the creation of the modern Hebrew novel, women writers and the Hebrew canon, and single-author seminars.

Near Eastern Studies (NES) 298, Section 3

Seminar: The Complex Relations Between Judaism and Christianity The Complex Relations Between Judaism and Christianity
M 2-5 p.m., 252 Barrows
CCN: 61827, 1-4 units

Instructor: Manuel Duarte de Oliveira
Despite their shared roots in biblical faith and intrinsic conceptual similarities, Judaism and Christianity have profound theological differences that in moments of crisis led to attitudes of overt contempt, persecution and physical annihilation. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the relation between these traditions evolved towards a rapprochement, pioneered by some scholars and religious leaders. In this seminar, we will approach the nature of the theological controversies embedded in these traditions, and explore potential ways of overcoming such complexities.

Hebrew and Yiddish Language Course Offerings Spring 2016

Hebrew 1B: Elementary

MTWTF 10-11 a.m., 252 Barrows
CCN: 62603, 5 units

Instructor: Chava Boyarin

Hebrew 20B: Intermediate

TuWTh 11 a.m.-12 p.m., 275 Barrows
CCN: 62606, 5 units

Instructor: Rutie Adler

Hebrew 190B: Special Topics in Hebrew

MW 11-12:30, 271 Barrows
CCN: 62625, 3 units

Instructor: Chava Boyarin
Immersion in the Hebrew language and culture of Israel and Judaism. For native speakers or students who have taken Hebrew language courses in Hebrew School.

Hebrew 104B

Modern Hebrew Literature and Culture
M 2-5 p.m., 271 Barrows
CCN: 62515, 3 units

Instructor: Chana Kronfeld
“The Literature of Politics and the Politics of Literature” – Course taught in Hebrew

Hebrew 107B

Biblical Hebrew Texts
Time/Room TBA with students and instructor
CCN: 62621, 3 units

Instructor: Rutie Adler
The tools and procedure of biblical exegesis applied to simple narrative texts.

Hebrew 100M

Special Topics in History of the Middle East Section 1, The History of Modern Israel
TuTh 11-12:30 p.m., 102 Moffitt
CCN: 39300, 4 units

Instructor: Y. Ben Bassat

Hebrew 100M

Special Topics in History of the Middle East Section 2, Jews and Muslims (this course is a room-share with MES 150)
MW 4-5:30 p.m., 102 Wurster
CCN: 39302, 4 units

Instructor: Emily Gottreich
Jewish-Muslim relations as they developed in the Middle East and North Africa from the rise of Islam to the present day. This course analyzes how ethnic and religious boundaries were drawn and transgressed in historical settings including Muhammad’s Arabia, Islamic Spain, the Ottoman Empire, and modern Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Morocco, and Israel. It asks how this shared cultural heritage is remembered and mobilized in the contemporary world, shedding light on the current state of Muslim-Jewish relations in MENA, Europe and the US. Films, memoirs, scripture, and historical works will form the basis of our inquiry.

History 178

History of the Holocaust
TuTh 9:30-11 a.m., 102 Wurster
CCN: 39609, 4 units

Instructor: Andrea Sinn
This course will survey the historical events and intellectual developments leading up to and surrounding the destruction of European Jewry during World War II. By reading a mixture of primary and secondary sources we will examine the Shoah (the Hebrew word for the Holocaust) against the backdrop of modern Jewish and modern German history. The course is divided into three main parts: (1) the historical background up to 1933; (2) the persecution of the Jews and the beginnings of mass murder, 1933-1941; and (3) the industrialized murder of the Jews, 1942-1945.

Legal Studies 174

Comparative Constitutional Law: The Case of Israel
TuTh 3:30-5 p.m., B51 Hildebrand
CCN: 51656, 4 units

Instructor: Ori Aronson

Middle Eastern Studies (MES) 150

Section 1, Jews and Muslims (this course is a room-share with History 100M, Section 2)
MW 4-5:30 p.m., 102 Wurster
CCN: 57015, 4 units

Instructor: Emily Gottreich
Jewish-Muslim relations as they developed in the Middle East and North Africa from the rise of Islam to the present day. This course analyzes how ethnic and religious boundaries were drawn and transgressed in historical settings including Muhammad’s Arabia, Islamic Spain, the Ottoman Empire, and modern Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Morocco, and Israel. It asks how this shared cultural heritage is remembered and mobilized in the contemporary world, shedding light on the current state of Muslim-Jewish relations in MENA, Europe and the US. Films, memoirs, scripture, and historical works will form the basis of our inquiry.

Near Eastern Studies (NES) 190C

Jewish Studies: Introduction to Jewish Thought, Life, and Civilization
TuTh 12:30-2p.m., 129 Barrows
CCN: 61578, 4 units

Instructor: Manuel Duarte de Oliveira
This course surveys one of the civilizations that deeply marked and inspired Western civilization. The Jewish tradition, one of the cornerstones of Europe and the New World, belongs to a group of ancient cultures originated in the Fertile Crescent, which throughout time was crystallized in evolving oral and written references, around which fundamental moments of the relation between God and humanity were crystallized. This course will examine the works of Jewish authors who dedicated themselves to the study of their tradition in a particularly creative mode.

Undergraduate Courses Fall 2015

Jewish Studies 39L

Freshman/Sophomore Seminar: Gender and the Body in Yiddish Literature
W 2-4 p.m., 201 Giannini
CCN: 47803, 2 units

Instructor: Anna Elena Torres
This course will explore the representation of the body and gender in Yiddish texts, spanning both religious and secular literature. From spirit possession to the gendering of the soul, this course will use gender theory as a lens into the world of Yiddish writing. Literary texts will range from medieval women’s memoir to 20th Century experimental poetry. All texts will be read in English translation.

Jewish Studies 120 Sec. 1

Special Topics in Jewish Studies: Arendt, Benjamin, and Scholem on Modern Chaos
TuTh 9:30-11:00 a.m., 2070 Valley LSB
CCN: 47812, 3 units

Instructor: Diller Postdoctoral Fellow Gilad Sharvit
This course will focus on the writings of three major figures in 20th-century thought whose works are still considered crucial points of departure for contemporary debates in the fields of political and ethical philosophy; literary-cultural history, theory, and criticism; and religious-mystical traditions and their relation to modern historical analysis.

Jewish Studies 120*, Sec. 2

Special Topics in Jewish Studies: A Jewish and Democratic State
TuTh 8-9:30 a.m., 174 Barrows
CCN: 47814, 3 units

Instructor: Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation/Israel Institute Visiting Professor Ori Aronson (Bar-Ilan University Faculty of Law)
The course will review the central arguments on the meaning, possibility, and legitimacy of a “Jewish and Democratic State,” as Israel is defined in its constitutional documents. We will engage the central debates that have emanated from this constitutional duality, with a focus on their legal incarnations: the design of governing bodies and processes, the status and rights of the Arab minority, the Law of Return and immigration policy, land use and territory, the place of religion in the public sphere, and the future of Israeli constitutional design.

Hebrew 104A

Modern Hebrew Literature and Culture: To Love in Hebrew: Gender and Eros in Modern Hebrew Literature
M 2-5 p.m., 246 Barrows
CCN: 62615, 3 units

Instructor: Chana Kronfeld
A close reading of selected works of modern Hebrew fiction, poetry, and drama in their cultural and historical contexts.

Hebrew 107A

Biblical Hebrew Texts
W 12-3 p.m., 275 Barrows
CCN: 62621, 3 units
Instructor: Ruti Adler

History 103F, Sec. 6

The Emergence of Modern Jerusalem, 1850-1950
W 4-6 p.m., 2303 Dwinelle
CCN 39504, 4 units

Instructor: Berkeley Institute Visiting Professor Yuval Ben-Bassat
To date, the vast majority of research on late Ottoman and Mandatory Palestine tends to focus on the city of Jerusalem. This holy city, which has great religious and symbolic importance to all three monotheistic religions, was the focus of international attention in the 19th century. The course discusses interfaith relationships in Jerusalem during the late-Ottoman and Mandatory periods as influenced by major political and social developments in the region such as the Ottoman reforms, growing European involvement, the beginning of Zionist activity, World War I, the end of Ottoman rule and the beginning of the British Mandate, the Arab Revolt, World War II, and the establishment of the State of Israel. The course also compares the development of Jerusalem to the situation of other major cities in the Levant at the time, both coastal and inland, such as Beirut, Damascus, and Jaffa.

DeCal: Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Israel*

Time and Location TBA, 1 unit

Instructors: Berkeley Institute Undergraduate Fellows Nir Maoz, ’16 and Jackson Block, ’18;
Faculty of Record: Steve Tadelis, Haas School of Business
This course explores the various sectors of the Israeli economy and looks at different innovations that the country has produced–everything from high-tech startups to financial programs that are unique to Israel. The course will consist of case studies and guest speakers, including various venture capitalists, innovators, CEOs, and academics.

Graduate-Level Courses Fall 2015

Jewish Studies 290

Modern Jewish Scholarship: History and Practice
M 3-6 p.m., 47 Evans
CCN: 47820, 4 units

Instructors: Ronald Hendel, Norma and Sam Dabby Professor of Hebrew Bible and Jewish Studies, and Robert Alter, Emeritus Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature
Close reading of the first half of the Book of Exodus and related modern Hebrew poems. Secondary readings will introduce methodological and disciplinary perspectives relevant to Jewish studies and to the studied texts. Reading knowledge of Hebrew is required. This course is taught in conjunction with Hebrew 206.

Gender and Women Studies 210* Sec 2

Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies: Governance Feminism
W 2-5 p.m., 602 Barrows
CCN: 33041, 4 units

Instructor: Berkeley Institute visiting professor Hila Shamir (Tel Aviv University Faculty of Law)
Feminists now walk the halls of power. By no means all feminists: some forms of feminism disqualify their proponents from inclusion in the power elite. But you can get a job in the UN, in the World Bank, in the International Criminal Court, in the local prosecutor’s office, and in the child welfare bureaucracy for espousing dominant strands of feminism. This form of feminism – known as Governance Feminism – has been, in some cases, highly successful in changing laws, institutions, and practices. What forms of feminism “make sense” to previously entirely male power elites, find their way into legal institutions, and change legal thought and legal operations? Once feminists gain a foothold in governance, what do they do there and which particular legal forms are they most heavily invested in? What are the distributive consequences of the partial inclusion of some feminist projects? Can feminism foster a critique of its own successes? These are among the primary questions we will address in the course. Undergraduates may enroll with instructor’s permission.

Hebrew 202A

Advanced Late Antique Hebrew Texts
W 2-5 p.m., 8B Barrows
CCN: 62648 3 units
Instructor: Daniel Boyarin

Hebrew 206

Ancient and Modern Hebrew Literary Texts
M 3-6 p.m., 47 Evans
CCN: 62654, 4 units

Instructors: Ronald Hendel, Norma and Sam Dabby Professor of Hebrew Bible and Jewish Studies, and Robert Alter, Emeritus Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature
Close reading of the first half of the Book of Exodus and related modern Hebrew poems. Secondary readings will introduce methodological and disciplinary perspectives relevant to Jewish studies and to the studied texts. Reading knowledge of Hebrew is required. This course is taught in conjunction with Jewish Studies 290.

Hebrew and Yiddish Language Course Offerings Fall 2015

Hebrew 1A

Elementary Hebrew
MTWTF 9-10 a.m., 252 Barrows
CCN: 62603, 5 units
Instructor: Chava Boyarin

Hebrew 20A

Intermediate Hebrew
TuWTh 11 a.m.-12 p.m., M 11 a.m.-1 p.m., 275 Barrows
CCN: 62609, 5 units
Instructor: Ruti Adler

Hebrew 100A

Advanced Hebrew
TuTh 12:30-2 p.m., 275 Barrows
CCN: 62612, 3 units
Instructor: Ruti Adler

Hebrew 190A P001

Special Topics in Hebrew
TuTh, 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 211 Dwinelle
CCN: 62623, 3 units
Instructor: Chava Boyarin
This course is intended for students who have some prior knowledge of Hebrew language: either by being heritage speakers or from studying at Hebrew school. The course will cover materials from first year Hebrew in greater depth with additional focus on grammatical materials, mostly having to do with Hebrew verb forms. Acceptance to the course will be determined by the instructor.

Yiddish 101

Elementary Yiddish
MTWTF 11 a.m.-12 p.m., 65 Evans
CCN: 37903 5 units
Instructor: Jenna C. Ingalls

Yiddish 103

Readings in Yiddish
TuTh 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 102 Barrows
CCN 37906, 3 units
Taught by Yael Chaver

 

*Courses marked with an asterisk are sponsored by the Berkeley Institute for Jewish Law and Israel Studies.