Maham Ayaz — Near Eastern & Judaic Studies
Examines terms like “citizen,” “national,” “refugee,” “stateless,” and “indigenous” using theory, law, and historic case studies to understand the different relationships between states and people. From voting, to travel, to social security, our basic rights are determined by how a state views our legal status. In the current era of border control, refugee crises, and resurgent nationalism, a critical study of citizenship is more relevant than ever. This course will help students understand the legal terms used to categorize humanity and appreciate the complexities and limitations of those definitions in practice. Modern state of Israel will serve as a prominent case study. Special one-time offering, Spring 2021.
Alexander Kaye — Near Eastern & Judaic Studies
Investigates Israeli history, politics, and culture through the lens of major legal controversies including the tension between "Jewish" and "democratic," the Shoah in Israeli history, the Occupied Territories, legislation of family life and religious practice and more. Usually offered every second year.
Ilana Szobel — Near Eastern & Judaic Studies
Taught in Hebrew. Explores trauma and violence in Israeli Literature, film, and art. Focuses on man-made disasters, war and terrorism, sexual and family violence, and murder and suicide, and examines their relation to nationalism, Zionism, gender, and sexual identity. Usually offered every second year.
Sharon Pucker Rivo — Near Eastern & Judaic Studies
Survey course focusing on moving images of Jews and Jewish life in fiction and factual films. Includes early Russian and American silents, home movies of European Jews, Yiddish feature films, Israeli cinema, independent films, and Hollywood classics. Usually offered every second year.
Ilana Szobel — Near Eastern & Judaic Studies
Explores cultural representations of disability in Israel, Europe, and the US. By focusing on literature, film, dance, and visual art, it explores physical, mental, and emotional disability experiences, and their relations to gender, sexuality, nationalism, and identity politics. Usually offered every second year.
Yehudah Mirsky — Near Eastern & Judaic Studies
Though Jews were stateless for centuries they had many political institutions and thought deeply about basic questions of politics, authority, ethics and power. In modernity, the age of emancipation, revolution, democracy, nationalism, Holocaust and Zionism those ideas and institutions were put to new, shattering tests. All readings are in English with a HEBREW option for those who would like.
Alexander Kaye — Near Eastern & Judaic Studies
Strongly recommended for all graduate students in Judaic studies. Aims to introduce students to the emergence of history as an academic discipline in the nineteenth century and to provide some acquaintance with the classics of historical scholarship. It will also examine the emergence of Jewish historiography and analyze critically the works of the major Jewish historians. In addition, it will assess the contributions of the "new" historians to historical understanding and see how far their insights can aid in the study of key problems in Jewish history. Usually offered every second year.
Yehudah Mirsky — Near Eastern & Judaic Studies
Explores the writings of a fascinating group of figures - including Bialik, Brenner, Gordon, Kook, Rachel - poised on the cusp of traditional Jewish society and the nascent Zionist revolution. They explored the dilemmas of Jewish identity and modern politics and philosophy with great literary power and intellectual intensity. Usually offered every third year.
Gary Samore — Politics
Explores and analyzes the theories behind, dynamics within, and problems encountered with arms control as part of regional security in the Middle East and Asia, with emphasis on the nuclear weapons programs of Israel, Iran, India, Pakistan and North Korea. Usually offered every year.
Guy Antebi — Near Eastern & Judaic Studies
A continuation of HBRW 20b. A beginner-intermediate level course that helps students strengthen their reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. Contemporary cultural aspects will be stressed and a variety of materials will be used. Usually offered every semester.
Guy Antebi — Near Eastern & Judaic Studies
Reinforces the acquired skills of speaking, listening comprehension, reading, and writing at the intermediate level. Contemporary cultural aspects are stressed; conversational Hebrew and reading of selections from modern literature. Usually offered every semester.
Rima Farah — Near Eastern & Judaic Studies
Examines the cultures and institutions of ethnic minorities in Israel. By examining and discussing the cultural characteristics and political activism of non-Jewish communities in Israel, this course exposes students to various faces of Israeli society, and to its multi-ethnic and multi-cultural identity. Special one-time offering, spring 2021.
Spring 2021 Courses
Fall 2020 Courses
Past Courses