98-99 University Bulletin Entry for:


The Philip W. Lown School of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies

(file last updated: [8/10/1998 - 15:26:50])

The Lown School is the centerfor all programs of teaching and research in the areas of Judaicstudies, Ancient Near Eastern studies, and Islamic and ModernMiddle Eastern studies. The school includes the Department ofNear Eastern and Judaic Studies, the Hornstein Program for JewishCommunal Service, and the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies.The Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies offers academicprograms in the major areas of its concern. The Hornstein Programis a professional training program leading to the Master of Artsdegree in Jewish communal service. It makes full use of the academicresources of the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studiesand other departments in the University. The Cohen Center forModern Jewish Studies conducts, and serves to stimulate, researchand teaching in contemporary Jewish studies, primarily in thefield of American Jewish studies.


Near Eastern and Judaic Studies

(file last updated: [8/10/1998 - 15:26:50])


Objectives

The Department of Near Easternand Judaic Studies bears a proud tradition of scholarly excellencein both of the fields it embraces: the history, languages, andcultures of the Ancient Near East and the Modern Middle East,and the study of the Jewish people, including its history, religion,literature, and place in civilization.

Undergraduate Concentration

Undergraduate students arewelcome to study in the department as concentrators, as minors,or simply to take individual courses. Concentrators find thattheir NEJS background serves them well in preparation for a greatvariety of graduate and professional careers. Concentrators maygo on to have academic or diplomatic/professional careers relatedto the Ancient Near East, the Modern Middle East, Judaica, therabbinate, Jewish education, and other professions in the Jewishcommunity.

The undergraduate concentrationin Near Eastern and Judaic Studies is designed to combine a broadeducation in the various disciplines and periods that constitutethis field, with a degree of specialization in one specific area.It is the intent of the major also to introduce students to thecritical study of Near Eastern and Judaic sources, classical andmodern, within the academic context. Concentrators are stronglyencouraged to diversify their courses within the department andto consider related courses in other departments in order to acquaintthemselves with the different disciplines and approaches thatNear Eastern and Judaic Studies embraces.

(For the concentration in Islamicand Middle Eastern studies please see under that heading in thisBulletin.)

Graduate Program in NearEastern and Judaic Studies

The graduate program in NearEastern and Judaic Studies, leading to the Doctor of Philosophydegree, is designed to train scholars and teachers in variousareas of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies. Also a joint Ph.D. program is offered in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and sociology.On the M.A. level, the department offers general and specializedprograms. Also, a five-year B.A./M.A. program is available toundergraduate majors in the department. A two-year joint M.A.program is offered in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and sociology.In addition, a three-year joint degree program leading to theM.A. in Jewish communal service and M.A. in Near Eastern and JudaicStudies is available to students of the Hornstein Program.


How to Become an UndergraduateConcentrator

Students who wish to concentratein Near Eastern and Judaic Studies meet with the undergraduateadvising head and are assigned a faculty advisor in accordancewith their individual areas of interest. Together with their advisor,they develop a plan of study designed to fulfill the requirementsof the concentration and to meet their personal interests andneeds. With the approval of the department, a limited amount ofcredit may be awarded for appropriate courses taken at other universities.For further details, please see below.


How to Be Admitted tothe Graduate Program

The general requirements foradmission to the Graduate School, as specified in an earlier sectionof this Bulletin, apply to candidates for admission tothis program.

Program of Study

Among the main fields in thearea of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies in which courses are beinggiven in the Graduate School are: Bible and ancient Near Eaststudies, early rabbinical literature, Jewish history, Jewish philosophyand thought, the modern Middle East, contemporary Jewish studies,and modern Hebrew literature. The program regularly offers additionalcourses in related fields.


Faculty

Jonathan Sarna, Chair

American Jewish history.

Tzvi Abusch

Languages and cultures of AncientMesopotamia. Ancient Near Eastern religions.

Bracha Azoulay

Hebrew language.

Marc Brettler, GraduateAdvising Head

The Bible and its interpretation.

Bernadette Brooten, M.A.Advisor

Christian studies.

Charles Cutter

Jewish bibliography.

Olga Davidson

Arabic language and literature.Persian language and literature.

Sylvia Fishman

Contemporary Jewry and AmericanJewish sociology.

ChaeRan Freeze

East European Jewish history.

Arthur Green

Jewish thought.

Sarah Hascal

Hebrew language.

Ellen Kellman

Yiddish.

Reuven Kimelman

Talmud. Midrash. Liturgy.

Rena Lavie

Hebrew language.

Avigdor Levy

Middle Eastern studies.

Kanan Makiya

Middle East studies

Alan Mintz

Hebrew literature.

Yitzhak Nakash

Middle East studies.

Bruria Nevo-Hacohen

Hebrew language.

Antony Polonsky

East European Jewish history.Holocaust studies.

Bonit Porath

Hebrew language.

Benjamin Ravid, UndergraduateAdvising Head

Medieval and early modern Jewishhistory.

Jehuda Reinharz

Modern Jewish history.

Bernard Reisman

American Jewish communal studies.

Vardit Ringvald, DirectorHebrew and Oriental Languages Program

Hebrew language.

Esther Shorr

Hebrew language.

David Wright

Biblical studies. Languagesand literatures of the Ancient Near East.

The following members of otherdepartments are affiliated with the Department of Near Easternand Judaic Studies:

Joyce Antler (AMST), Alan Avery-Peck(Department of Religious Studies, College of the Holy Cross),Gerald Bernstein (FA), Eugene Black (HIST), Jacob Cohen (AMST),Gordon Fellman (SOC), Gregory Freeze (HIST), Sherry Israel (JCS),Patricia Johnston (CLAS), Edward Kaplan (ROMCL), Ann Koloski-Ostrow(CLAS), Wellington Nyangoni (AAAS), Joseph Reimer (JCS), ShulamitReinharz (SOC), Sharon Rivo (National Center for Jewish Film),Benson Saler (ANTH), Susan Shevitz (JCS), Lawrence Sternberg (JCS),Ibrahim Sundiata (AAAS), Robert Szulkin (GSL), Stephen Whitfield(AMST).


Requirements for the UndergraduateConcentration

The department offers two paralleltracks for concentration as follows:

1. Judaic Studies

2. Bible and Ancient Near EasternStudies

Judaic Studies Track

A. Studentsmust complete NEJS 1a (Foundational Course in Judaic Studies)as early as possible in the concentration.

B.Students must complete at least seven other courses in Near Easternand Judaic Studies, at least three of which must be taught bymembers of the NEJS faculty. Up to four may be cross-listedcourses or courses taken at other universities. Courses used tofulfill the Hebrew requirement (E below) do not count toward thefulfillment of this requirement.

C.Students must select one of the following areas as their fieldof specialization, and in it complete at least three of the above-mentionedseven courses:

1. Biblical and Ancient NearEastern Studies

2. Early Post-Biblical Judaism,Early Christianity, Rabbinic and

Medieval Jewish Studies

3. Modern and ContemporaryJewish Studies (including Yiddish)

4. Hebrew Language and Literature

5. Jewish Philosophy and Thought

6. Jewish History

7. Israeli Studies

8. Independent field (withthe approval of the undergraduate

advising head and appropriatefaculty member).

The following courses may notbe used toward the field of specialization: YDSH 10a (BeginningYiddish), YDSH 20b (Continuing Yiddish), PRSN 10a (Beginning Persian),PRSN 20b (Continuing Persian), ARBC 10a (Beginning Literary Arabic),and ARBC 20b (Continuing Literary Arabic).

D.Students must complete at least one of the above-mentioned sevencourses in each of the three chronological periods mentioned above(areas 1, 2, and 3).

E.In addition students must complete the following three Hebrewlanguage requirements: (1) any fourth semester Hebrew course exceptHBRW 42a, *exemptions will be granted only to those students whoplace out on the basis of the Hebrew placement test administeredby the Hebrew program at Brandeis, and (2) HBRW 101a or 101b orany Bible or rabbinics course in which the texts studied are inHebrew, and (3) HBRW 110a, 110b, 111a, or 111b or any Hebrew literaturecourse in which the texts studied are in Hebrew. In exceptionalcases, with the permission of the director of the Hebrew LanguageProgram, other courses may be substituted to fulfill this requirement.In no case may courses used to fulfill the Hebrew requirementcount toward fulfillment of any other departmental requirement.

Bible and Ancient Near EasternStudies Track

A. Students must complete NEJS1b (The Bible and the Ancient Near East) as early as possiblein the concentration.

B. Students must complete atleast seven other courses in Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Studies,at least four of which must be taught by members of the NEJS faculty.Up to three courses may be taken in other departments at Brandeisor at other universities. Courses used to fulfill the languagerequirement (E below) do not count toward the fulfillment of thisrequirement.

C. Students must select oneof the following areas as their area of specialization, and init complete at least three courses of the above-mentioned sevencourses:

1. The Hebrew Bible/AncientIsrael

2. Mesopotamia (The civilizationof Sumer, Babylon, and Assyria)

3. Northwest Semitic Cultures

4. Second Temple Judaisms andEarly Christianity

D. As part of the seven courses,students must complete at least one course in each of the followingareas: (1) the Hebrew Bible/Ancient Israel; (2) Mesopotamia; (3)Christianity or Judaism in late antiquity; (4) an area outsideof NEJS that broadens the contextual or methodological horizonsof Near Eastern study (e.g. in classics, linguistics, anthropologyor literary theory), to be determined in consultation with thestudent's advisor.

E. Students must study twolanguages of the ancient world, such as Akkadian, Aramaic, Greek,biblical Hebrew, Hittite, Ugaritic, or another approved ancientlanguage. One language, generally Akkadian or Hebrew, must bestudied to the fourth semester level, and another to the secondsemester level. In no case may courses used to fulfill this languagerequirement count toward the fulfillment of any other departmentalrequirement. Students who choose biblical Hebrew as the main language,after taking (or testing out of) first year modern Hebrew, musttake a course in biblical grammar and a biblical text course.Grammar courses include NEJS 72a and Hebrew 101a, b. (NEJS 72amay be taken as a third semester course.)

Honors

Satisfactory completion ofNEJS 99d (Senior Research) is required of candidates for degreeswith honors. Students proposing to seek honors should petitionthe department no later than September of their senior year.

Combined B.A./M.A. Program

Qualified Brandeis Universityseniors are invited to apply for admission to the department'sfive-year program leading to a master's degree in the fifth year.To qualify for admission to the program, students must have spentat least two years in residence at Brandeis, and must completeall B.A. requirements, including NEJS concentration requirements,by the end of their fourth year. Students accepted into the programmay apply toward the master's degree up to seven NEJS courses(or approved cross-listed courses) numbered 100 or above in whichthey have received at least the grade of B-. During their fifthyear, which must be spent in residence, students must completeseven additional courses with a grade of at least B-, of whichfour must be in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, as well as theirqualifying examination. Fulfillment of the departmental B.A. languagerequirement constitutes fulfillment of the B.A./M.A. languagerequirement. Students must obtain prior approval from the M.A.advisor before taking courses outside of Near Eastern and JudaicStudies. An undergraduate honors thesis will not be accepted asa master's thesis.


Evaluation of TransferCredits

A.By departmental rule a maximum of four semester course creditsfor courses taken at other universities may be accepted towardthe departmental concentration requirements. Each course transferredfrom another university must have the approval of the departmentin order to be acceptable for credit toward the concentrationrequirements. This rule applies to courses completed at any otherinstitution, whether in the United States or abroad.

B.No more than two courses taken at special programs for overseasstudents may be applied. Students are encouraged to seekadvanced approval from the department's undergraduate advisorfor all courses intended for transfer credit.

C.For courses taken in Israeli universities, one Brandeis semestercredit will be given for a three-hour-per-week,one-semester course;a two-semester, two-hour-per-week course; or two, two-hour-per-week,one-semester courses. Credit is not granted for Ulpan courses,with the exception of Brandeis Hebrew courses at Ulpan Akiva,but students may take the Hebrew Placement Test administered bythe Hebrew program at Brandeis.

D.Students may be offered advanced standing on the basisof studies completed elsewhere. Students with the appropriatebackground and ability, for example, may place out of Hebrew classeson the basis of their scores on the Hebrew Placement Exam, andmay move directly into advanced text courses. In addition, studentsentering Brandeis for the first time, who are non-native speakersof Hebrew, who have studied at yeshivot or comparable institutions,or in other non-college-level programs, and who have demonstratedadvanced knowledge in the regular Brandeis Hebrew Placement Examwill be granted the opportunity to take an additional advancedplacement exam for credit. Upon successful completion of thatexam, a student will receive one course credit. This opportunityis available to students only at the time they first enterBrandeis.


Hebrew Language Program

The Hebrew Language Programoffers a variety of courses from introductory to advanced levels.Each of these courses emphasizes a different aspect of the language.Students in the program are encouraged to develop their levelof proficiency by choosing to concentrate on either the culturalaspects of the language, or by improving the four basic skills:reading, writing, speaking, and listening comprehension. The mainoptions and conditions for studying Hebrew are the following:

A.Courses that emphasize the four basic skills are appropriate formost students. HBRW 10a, 20b, 34a, 44b.

B.Honors courses, which are more intensive than the previous setof courses. Students are placed in these courses by the directorof the Hebrew Language Program following the recommendation ofthe Hebrew language instructor. HBRW 29b, 39a.

C.Courses that emphasize writing skills, expansion of grammar andconversation are appropriate for students who did not begin studyingHebrew at Brandeis. HBRW 31a, 41b, 106b.

D.Courses that emphasize reading skills for the purpose of researchand scholarly work. HBRW 102a, 102b, and independent study HBRW98a.

E.Culture courses include: Israeli films, Israeli theater, Hebrewdrama, Jerusalem, Israeli women, history of the Hebrew language,literature, and classical Hebrew.

F.Students may enroll in only one 10-level, only one 20-level, andno more than two 30-level Hebrew language courses for credit.

There are a wide variety ofcourses that have 30-level or 40-level Hebrew courses as prerequisites:

Conversational Hebrew HBRW42a, 103a, 105a, 106b

Classical Hebrew HBRW 101a,101b

Advanced Composition HBRW41b, 106b, 108b

and Grammar

Modern Hebrew Literature HBRW110a, 110b, 111a, 111b

Modern Israeli Culture HBRW44b, 104a, 104b, 107a, 107b, 109a

Entering first year and transferstudents are required to take the Hebrew Placement Test if theyplan to enroll in any Hebrew course. Complete beginners shouldplace themselves in Hebrew 10 and fill out a questionnaire. Studentswho are placed above third semester (i.e. Hebrew 31, 34) willhave fulfilled the Brandeis language requirement and will be exempted.

NEJS majors need to take oneof the following fourth semester courses: HBRW 41 or HBRW 44.(HBRW 42 does not satisfy the language requirement for the NEJSconcentration.)

The Hebrew Language Programalso offers the Brandeis Hebrew Language Summer Institute.


Classification of Courses

Hebrew

HBRW 10a, 20b, 29b, 31a, 34a,39a, 41b, 42a, 44b, 49b, 98b, 101a, 101b, 102a, 102b, 103a, 104a,104b, 105a, 106b, 107a, 107b, 108b, 109a, 110a, 110b, 111a, 111b

Yiddish

YDSH 10a, 20b, 30a, 40b, 86b

Persian

PRSN 10a, 20b, 30a

Arabic

ARBC 10a, 20b, 30a, 40b, NEJS103a, 103b

General and IntroductoryCourses

IMES 104a, NEJS 1a, 63b, 68b,73b, 111a, 127b, 164b, 173b, 181b

Biblical and Ancient NearEastern Studies

NEJS 72a, 104b, 106b, 107a,108a, 108b, 109a, 109b, 110b, 111a, 112a, 113a, 113b, 114a, 114b,115a, 115b, 117a, 117b, 118b, 122b, 131b, 142b, 156b

Talmud and Rabbinic Literature

NEJS 53b, 120b, 125b, 126b,127b

Jewish Philosophy and Thought

NEJS 73b, 116b, 123b, 124b,129a, 130b, 132b, 146a, 153a, 155b, 158b, PHIL 71a

Hebrew and Yiddish Literature

NEJS 86b, 135b,138a, 139b, 177a, 177b, 178a, 179a, 180b, 181b, 182b, 185b

Contemporary Jewish Studies

AMST 121a, NEJS 160a, 160b,161a, 161b, 162a, 162b, 163a, 163b, 164b, 165a, 169a, 169b, 170b,172a, 173b, 174b, 176a, 190b, 191a, 191b, 194b

Islamic and Middle EasternStudies

ANTH 134a, HIST 184a, IMES104a, NEJS 128a, 128b, 143b, 144a, 144b, 145b, 147a, 147b, 148a,149b, 157a, 161b, 171b, 195a, 195b, 197b

Jewish History

NEJS 68b, 120a, 140a, 140b,141a, 151b, 152b, 157a, 165a, 165b, 166a, 166b, 167a, 167b, 168a,168b, 169a

Christian Studies

NEJS 130a, 132a, 133b, 134b,135a, 138a, 148b, 150a, 150b


Requirements for the Minorin Near Eastern and Judaic Studies

The minor consists of a coherentset of five courses in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, of whichtwo may be cross-listed courses or courses taken at other universities.

A.Three of these courses are to be selected from one of thefollowing areas:

1. Biblical and Ancient NearEastern Studies

2. Early Post-Biblical Judaism,Early Christianity, Rabbinic and

Medieval Jewish Studies

3. Modern and ContemporaryJewish Studies (including Yiddish)

4. Hebrew Language and Literature(Hebrew 30a and above)

5. Jewish Philosophy and Thought

6. Jewish History

7. Israeli Studies

8. Independent area (with theapproval of the undergraduate

advising head and appropriatefaculty member).

B.The additional two courses are to be selected from any of theother areas listed above. No more than two of the following semestercourses may be applied toward the minor: YDSH 10a (Beginning Yiddish),YDSH 20b (Continuing Yiddish), PRSN 10a (Beginning Persian), PRSN20b (Continuing Persian), ARBC 10a (Beginning Literary Arabic),and ARBC 20b (Continuing Literary Arabic).

C.Students are required to declare the minor in NEJS no later thanthe beginning of the senior year. Each student declaring a minorwill be assigned a departmental advisor after conferring withthe undergraduate advising head.

D.By departmental rule, a maximum of two semester course creditsfor courses taken at other universities may be accepted towardthe minor in NEJS. Each course transferred from another universitymust have the approval of the department in order to be acceptablefor credit toward the minor requirements. This rule applies tocourses completed at any other institution, whether in the UnitedStates or abroad. No more than two courses taken at special programsfor overseas students may be applied. Students are encouragedto seek advanced approval from the department's undergraduateadvisor for all courses intended for transfer credit. Forcourses taken in Israeli universities, one Brandeis semester creditwill be given for a three-hour-per-week one-semester course; atwo-semester, two-hour-per-week course; or two, two-hour, one-semestercourses. Credit is not granted for Ulpan courses, with the exceptionof Brandeis Hebrew courses at Ulpan Akiva, but students may takethe Hebrew Placement Test administered by the Hebrew program atBrandeis.


Requirements for the Diplomain Jewish Studies

Residence Requirement

One year of full-time study,consisting of eight courses tailored to the needs of the student.

Comprehensive Exam

The student will be examinedat the end of the year.


Requirements for the Degreeof Master of Arts

Residence Requirement

Ordinarily, two years of full-timeresidence are required at the normal course rate of seven courseseach academic year. At least eight of these required courses mustbe offered by members of the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies department.Students may not include courses taken to prepare for the M.A.language examination (HBRW 102 and below, or ARBC 40 and below)among these eight courses, but may include them among the required14 courses. Students must obtain prior approval from the M.A.advisor before taking courses outside of Near Eastern and JudaicStudies. Students who enter with graduate credit from other recognizedinstitutions may apply for transfer credit for up to four courses,or, with prior approval of the M.A. advisor, candidates may receivetransfer credit for up to four courses for study at a universityabroad.

Language Requirement

All candidates are requiredto demonstrate proficiency in biblical or modern Hebrew or Arabic.Candidates may not apply toward their required courses any languagecourses taught outside of NEJS, without advanced permission.

Comprehensive Examination

All candidates for the Masterof Arts degree are required to pass a comprehensive examination.

Thesis

Students may petition to write,or in the field of modern Middle East, may be required to write,a thesis, which must be submitted no later than April 1 of theyear in which the degree is to be conferred. A thesis is not requiredin other fields in the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies.


Requirements for the Three-YearJoint Master's Program: Hornstein/NEJS

Program of Study

This degree is for studentsaccepted into the Hornstein Program who seek a more intensivelevel of Judaic studies than is normally available in the two-yearcurriculum (especially for students specializing in Jewish education).Students who enroll in the three-year program devote most of theirfirst year to general Judaic studies and must take at least oneadditional NEJS course in each of their remaining two years. Thesemust be regular graduate (100- or 200-level) NEJS courses andHBRW courses, not courses primarily geared for Jewish communalservice students, and only one of the courses may deal primarilywith the contemporary period. NEJS and HBRW course selectionsmust be approved by the NEJS faculty member overseeing this program.

In their first year, studentsmust complete six NEJS courses and JCS 205a (Introduction to JewishCommunal Service). In their second year, students must completeone NEJS course and seven JCS courses and in the summer completethe Israel Seminar (JCS 350a) and individualized Judaica studyin Israel (SSIP). In their third year, students must completeone NEJS course (that may be a reading course to prepare for thecomprehensive exam) and six JCS courses. All candidates are requiredto demonstrate proficiency in biblical or modern Hebrew.

Language Requirement

All candidates are requiredto demonstrate proficiency in biblical or modern Hebrew.


Requirements for the JointDegree of Master of Arts in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies andSociology

Program of Study

Students will normally takeseven courses each year (14 courses in total). Six of these coursesmust be offered by or cross-listed with the sociology department,and must include a graduate level course in methods and one intheory. The remaining eight courses must be offered by or cross-listedwith the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies department, and at leastsix of these courses must be offered by NEJS faculty. Studentsmay not include courses taken to prepare for the M.A. languageexamination among these courses.

Residence Requirement

Ordinarily, two years of full-timeresidence are required at the normal course rate of seven courseseach academic year. Students who enter with graduate credit fromother recognized institutions may apply for transfer credit forup to four courses, or, with prior approval of the M.A. advisor,candidates may receive transfer credit for up to four coursesfor study at a university abroad.

Language Requirement

All candidates are requiredto demonstrate proficiency in Modern Hebrew or Arabic.

Comprehensive Examination

All candidates are requiredto pass an oral comprehensive examination, which is administeredby a committee composed of faculty from the NEJS and sociologydepartments.

Thesis papers

Students submit two graduatelevel research papers, which may have been previously submittedas part of their course work. These papers are read by a facultycommittee from the NEJS and sociology departments.


Requirements for the JointDegree of Master of Arts in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies andWomen's Studies

Students interested in thejoint two-year terminal M.A. degree program must first be admittedto the M.A. degree program in NEJS in the regular manner.

Program of Study

Courses must include the designatedfoundational course in women's studies, one women's studies coursein NEJS, one women's studies course outside of NEJS, and the year-long,noncredit, eight-part Women's Studies Colloquium Series. The remainingcourses must be jointly approved by each student's NEJS advisorand by the NEJS women's studies advisor.

Residence Requirement

Ordinarily, two years of full-timeresidence are required at the normal course rate of seven courseseach academic year. Students who enter with graduate credit fromother recognized institutions may apply for transfer credit forup to four courses, or, with prior approval of the M.A. advisor,candidates may receive transfer credit for up to four coursesfor study at a university abroad.

Language Requirement

All candidates are requiredto demonstrate proficiency in biblical or modern Hebrew or inArabic.

Comprehensive Examination

All candidates for the Masterof Arts degree are required to pass a comprehensive examination.

Thesis

In areas of NEJS that do notrequire an M.A. thesis, students receiving a joint M.A. degreein women's studies and NEJS must complete a research project onan issue connected to women's studies.

Research Project

This project must be at least25 pages long, in a format suitable for submission to a specificjournal or for presentation at a professional conference. It maybe a revision of a paper previously completed while enrolled inthe M.A. degree program at Brandeis. It must concern a topic relevantto NEJS and to women's studies. The project is read by two facultymembers within NEJS and by an additional member of the Women'sStudies Program Committee. It must be defended before that three-personcommittee by the first week of May of the year in which the candidateintends to receive the degree. (Check the date with the Officeof the University Registrar. It may vary with the academic calendar.)Once the project is found to be of acceptable M.A. degree quality,one copy of the project should be submitted to the women's studiesoffice, and an additional copy should be deposited in the BrandeisLibrary.


Requirements for the Degreeof Doctor of Philosophy

Residence Requirement

Three years of full-time residenceare required at the normal rate of at least seven term courseseach academic year. Students who enter with graduate credit fromother recognized institutions may apply for transfer credit. Byrule of the Graduate School, a maximum of one year of credit maybe accepted toward the residence requirement on the recommendationof the chair of the program.

Funding and Annual Evaluation

Scholarships and fellowshipsare generally renewable for three additional years (four for studentsin the program in Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Studies), subjectto evaluation by their professors at the conclusion of each academicyear. These evaluations will be shared with the students and willbe part of their official file, along with their grades. Additionally,University Dissertation Fellowships are available on a University-widecompetitive basis for the final year.

Language Requirements

Candidates are required toestablish competence in Hebrew or Arabic as well as in two Europeanlanguages, normally French and German. These exams are administeredby the students' advisors. Additional languages may be requiredas necessary for research in each individual candidate's program.

Candidates are not normallyadmitted to any Ph.D. program in Jewish studies, including modernand American Jewish studies, until they demonstrate reading knowledgeof modern Hebrew. Students who require additional work in thisarea should apply for the Degree of Master of Arts.

Consortium

Students should also discusswith their advisors the desirability of taking courses at memberinstitutions of the Boston Consortium.

Comprehensive Examinations

All candidates for the Ph.D.degree are required to pass several comprehensive examinations.Specific requirements vary from program to program. Details maybe obtained from the department office. In the semester in whichstudents plan to take their qualifying examinations, they mustsign up for reading courses with the members of the faculty whowill participate in those examinations.

Dissertation Proposal

After completing all qualifyingexaminations and language requirements, students must submit theirdissertation proposal to the department faculty by the end ofthe third year or the beginning of the fourth year (by the endof the fourth year for students in the program in Bible and AncientNear Eastern Studies), after first obtaining the approval of theirdissertation director and the other two members of the dissertationreading committee. These proposals should be up to 20 pages inlength, including bibliography, and contain a clear articulationof the topic with rationale for selecting it, a summary of currentresearch in its area, its intended contribution to scholarship,methodology, sources, structure and table of contents, preliminarybibliography, and any other relevant material.

Dissertation and Defense

The dissertation, ordinarilybetween 250 and 400 pages in length, must demonstrate the candidate'sthorough mastery of the field and competence in pursuing independentresearch; it must also constitute an original contribution toknowledge. Two copies of the dissertation are to be depositedin the office of the program chair no later than March 1 of theyear in which the candidate expects to earn the degree. The studentmust successfully defend the dissertation at a Final Oral Examination.


Requirements for the JointDegree of Doctor of Philosophy in Near Eastern and Judaic Studiesand Sociology

Program of Study

Students must complete a totalof 21 courses. Nine of these courses should be offered by thesociology department (comprising five graduate seminars and fourother sociology courses). Among the sociology courses at leastone must be a theory course and at least one must be on quantitativemethods. At least nine courses must be taken within the NEJS department.The remaining three courses are open to student choice with theapproval of the student's advisors. In addition, students in theirfirst year are required to participate in a year-long noncreditProseminar which introduces program faculty and their researchinterests.

Advising

Students are assigned advisorsfrom the sociology department and from the Near Eastern and JudaicStudies department. Both advisors will work with the student toassure appropriate course coherency. An interdepartmental meetingbetween both advisors and the student should take place at leastonce a year.

Residence Requirement

Three years of full-time residenceare required at the normal rate of at least seven term courseseach academic year. Students who enter with graduate credit fromother recognized institutions may apply for transfer credit. Byrule of the Graduate School, a maximum of one year of credit maybe accepted toward the residence requirement on the recommendationof the chair of the program.

Language Requirements

Candidates are required toestablish competence in Hebrew and one modern language (normallyFrench or German, but depending on the area of research anotherlanguage may be substituted). Language examinations will be administeredby the student's advisors.

Research Methods Requirement

Candidates are required toestablish competence in statistics by successful completion ofan appropriate Brandeis course in statistics.

Consortium

Students should also discusswith their advisors the desirability of taking courses at memberinstitutions of the Boston Consortium.

Comprehensive Examinationsand Graduate Accreditation

Before proposing and writinga doctoral dissertation, students must: show competence in twoareas of sociology through the Graduate Accreditation Committee(GAC) process; pass a two-part written comprehensive examinationin Jewish cultural literacy in the NEJS department; and pass anoral major field examination.

Candidates demonstrate Jewishcultural literacy in a two-part written examination, which hasEnglish and Hebrew components, and a follow-up oral examination.The Hebrew examination in primary sources is part of the culturalliteracy examination. This examination gives students the opportunityto demonstrate their broad general knowledge of Jewish literatureand cultures of the biblical, rabbinic, medieval, and early modernperiods. The oral examination provides opportunity for furtherexploration following the written examination. Following the successfulcompletion of the Jewish cultural literacy examinations candidatesdemonstrate their particular field of expertise in contemporaryJewish societies through the oral major field examination.

The Graduate AccreditationCommittee (GAC) is the sociology department equivalent to comprehensiveexaminations. Students elect two sociological areas of interestand together with the appropriate faculty member create a contractof requirements for the completion of a portfolio in the specificarea. The portfolio can include such items as completed courses,papers, independent readings, or bibliographies. Faculty advisorssuggest readings, written work, or independent studies. When theGAC requirement is completed there will be a comprehensive meetingto discuss the candidate's interests and direction in the fieldand the upcoming dissertation.

Dissertation and Final OralExamination

A dissertation proposal shouldbe submitted to the dissertation committee soon after the comprehensiveexaminations and GACs are completed. The dissertation committeeshould consist of five members: two each from the sociology andthe NEJS departments and a fifth member from outside those departments.After approval of the proposal by the dissertation committee itis submitted to the department faculties for approval. Two copiesof the dissertation are to be deposited in the offices of theprogram chairs no later than March 1 of the year in which thecandidate expects to earn the degree. The dissertation committeemust approve the dissertation and the student must successfullydefend the dissertation at a Final Oral Examination.


Courses of Instruction


(1-99) Primarily for UndergraduateStudents

NEJS 1a Foundational Coursein Judaic Studies

[ hum ]

A survey of the Jewish experienceand thought, focusing on the varieties of historical Judaism includingits classical forms, its medieval patterns and transformations,and its modern options. Usually offered in odd years.

Mr. Kimelman

NEJS 53b Introduction toTalmud

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: A 30-levelHebrew course or the equivalent.

An introduction to TreatiseSanhedrin, on the subject of judicial procedure and capital punishment.Attention will be paid to modes of argument, literary form, anddevelopment of the Talmudic text. No previous study of Talmudis presupposed. Usually offered in even years.

Mr. Kimelman

NEJS 63b Introduction tothe Gospels

[ hum ]

Meets the concentrationrequirement in NEJS.

A historical and textual examinationof the Christian Bible, with special attention to the formationof the literary and theological traditions of the gospels anda focus on an analysis of one specific gospel. Usually offeredin even years.

Ms. Brooten

NEJS 68b History of theJews from 1492 to the Present

[ hum ss ]

The main trends and eventsin the legal, political, social, economic, and religious historyof the Jewish people in the context of the general background,with emphasis on major areas of Jewish settlement. Usually offeredevery year.

Mr. Ravid

NEJS 72a Texts from theHebrew Bible

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: Some knowledgeof biblical Hebrew or modern Hebrew.

A review of biblical Hebrewgrammar followed by a survey of the major genres of the HebrewBible (e.g., Torah, history, prophecy, psalms, wisdom). Textswill be read in Hebrew; the course will be taught in English.Emphasis will be on literary and grammatical aspects of the texts.Usually offered every third year.

Mr. Brettler

NEJS 73b Midrash and theReligious Imagination

[ hum ]

This course may not be repeatedfor credit by students who have taken USEM 79b.

An examination of several biblicaltales as they are interpreted, re-read, and transformed in thehistorical development of Jewish biblical exegesis. Readings fromMidrash, medieval commentaries, the mystical tradition, and moderninterpretations in the form of direct commentary, fiction, andpoetry. All works read in translation with Hebrew originals madeavailable for those who can read them. Usually offered in oddyears.

Mr. Green

NEJS 86b The World of YiddishLiterature

[ hum ]

Enrollment limited to 20.

An introduction to Yiddishprose and poetry, this course will be taught in English, usingtexts in translation. The reading list includes classics and selectionsfrom contemporary artists. Usually offered in even years.

Ms. HarPaz

NEJS 98a Independent Study

Signature of the instructorrequired.

Usually offered every year.

Staff

NEJS 98b Independent Study

Signature of the instructorrequired.

Usually offered every year.

Staff

NEJS 99d Senior Research

Signature of the instructorrequired.

Usually offered every year.

Staff


(100-199) For Both Undergraduateand Graduate Students

NEJS 103a Advanced LiteraryArabic

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: ARBC 40b orthe equivalent.

Designed to help the studentattain an advanced reading proficiency. The syllabus includesselections from classical and modern texts representing a varietyof styles and genres. Usually offered every year.

Staff

NEJS 103b Advanced LiteraryArabic

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: NEJS 103aor the equivalent.

Continuation of NEJS 103a.Usually offered every year.

Staff

NEJS 104b Ezra, Daniel,and Early Aramaic Texts

[ hum ]

Prerequisites: HBRW 101aor b, NEJS 72a, or permission of the instructor.

A study of the language andtext of the Aramaic portions of Ezra and Daniel and of other earlyAramaic documents. Usually offered every third year. Last offeredin the fall of 1997.

Mr. Wright

NEJS 106a Northwest SemiticInscriptions

(Formerly NEJS 225b)

[ hum ]

A study of Phoenician, Hebrew,Edomite, and Moabite inscriptions. Issues of epigraphy, historicalgrammar, dialectology, and historical reconstruction are examined.Usually offered every third year. Last offered in the fall of1996.

Mr. Wright

NEJS 106b Elementary Ugaritic

[ hum ]

An introduction to the languagewith study of various texts. Usually offered every third year.Will be offered in the fall of 1998.

Mr. Wright

NEJS 107a Biblical Prophecy

[ hum ]

A study of the prophetic figuresand prophetic books in the Hebrew Bible. The emphasis will beon what these books meant in ancient Israel, and on the variousapproaches modern scholarship has used to understand prophecyas a religious and cultural phenomenon. No knowledge of Hebrewis presumed. Usually offered every third year. Last offered inthe fall of 1993.

Mr. Brettler

NEJS 108a Elementary Akkadian

[ hum ]

Introduction to Akkadian grammarand lexicon and cuneiform script. This course is for beginningstudents of Akkadian. Usually offered in odd years. Last offeredin the fall of 1997.

Mr. Abusch

NEJS 108b Comparative Grammarof Semitic Languages

[ hum ]

An introduction to and descriptionof the Semitic languages, the internal relationships within thislinguistic family, and the distinctive grammatical and lexicalfeatures of the individual languages. Usually offered every thirdyear. Last offered in the spring of 1997.

Mr. Wright

NEJS 109a Ancient Near EasternHistory and Culture I

[ cl38 nwhum ]

An introduction to the historyand culture of the ancient Near East from the beginnings of civilizationup to and including the appearance of Israel. Readings are inEnglish. Usually offered every third year. Last offered in thespring of 1997.

Mr. Wright

NEJS 109b Intermediate Akkadian

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: NEJS 108aor the equivalent.

Review of grammar and readingof Old Babylonian historical inscriptions, laws, letters, andliterary texts. Usually offered in odd years. Last offered inthe spring of 1998.

Mr. Abusch

NEJS 110b The Hebrew Bible:Meaning and Context

[ hum ]

Prerequisites: HBRW 101aor b, NEJS 72a, permission of the instructor.

A close reading of selectedbiblical texts. Topics may vary from year to year and the coursemay be repeated for credit. Usually offered every fourth year.Last offered in the spring of 1994.

Mr. Wright

NEJS 111a The Hebrew Bible

[ cl45 hum]

A survey of the Hebrew Bible.Biblical books will be examined from various perspectives andcompared to other ancient Near Eastern compositions. No knowledgeof Hebrew is presumed. Usually offered in even years. Will beoffered in the spring of 1999.

Mr. Brettler

NEJS 112a The Book of Genesis

[ hum ]

Close reading of the text ofGenesis, with particular attention to the meaning, documentarysources, and Near Eastern background of the accounts of creationand origins of human civilization in chapters one to 11, and ofthe patriarchal narratives, especially those about Abraham. Usuallyoffered in odd years.

Mr. Abusch

NEJS 113a The Bible in Aramaic

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: HBRW 101aor b, NEJS 72a, or permission of the instructor.

A study of the language andtext of the Targumim, Qumran Aramaic Paraphrases, and the SyriacPeshitta. Usually offered every third year. Last offered in thespring of 1998.

Mr. Wright

NEJS 113b Near Eastern Law:Source, Sense, and Society

[ nw hum ss ]

A study of laws and legal ideasin biblical and Near Eastern law "codes," treaties,contracts; economic documents and narratives; the developmentand function of the documents and ideas; the meaning of the laws;their significance for the various societies. Usually offeredevery third year. Will be offered in the fall of 1998.

Mr. Wright

NEJS 114a The Book of Amos

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: HBRW 101aor b, NEJS 72a, or a strong reading knowledge of biblical Hebrew.

An intensive study of the Hebrewtext, its historical background, and its ideas and their placein ancient Israel. Usually offered every third year. Last offeredin the fall of 1997.

Mr. Brettler

NEJS 114b Biblical Ritualand Cult

[ cl48 hum]

Prerequisite: HBRW 101aor b, NEJS 72a, or permission of the instructor.

A study of ritual and cultictexts of the Bible (in Hebrew) and their rites and phenomena withhistorical-critical, Near Eastern-environmental, social-scientific,and literary analysis. Usually offered every third year. Lastoffered in the fall of 1997.

Mr. Wright

NEJS 115a The Book of Deuteronomy

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: HBRW 101aor b, NEJS 72a, or a strong reading knowledge of biblical Hebrew.

A close examination of theprose and poetry of the Hebrew text of Deuteronomy with specialattention to its religious, legal, and compositional features.Traditions found in the Book of Deuteronomy will be compared withtheir counterparts elsewhere in the Pentateuch. The place of theBook of Deuteronomy in the history of the religion of Israel willbe considered. Usually offered every third year. Last offeredin the fall of 1994.

Mr. Brettler

NEJS 115b Women and theBible

[ cl37 hum]

The Hebrew Bible, a complexwork, reflects a wide range of attitudes toward women. We willexamine these attitudes as they are reflected in issues such asthe legal status of women, women in myths, women leaders, prostitution,and the gender of ancient Israel's deity. Usually offered everythird year. Last offered in the spring of 1998.

Mr. Brettler

NEJS 116a Jewish Women'sSpirituality Through the Ages

[ hum ]

Enrollment limited to 20.

Explores Jewish women's religiousexperience in a wide variety of geographical and chronologicalsettings. Special focus is placed on close reading of primarysources.

Ms. Adler

NEJS 117a Job and RelatedLiterature

[ hum ]

A close study of the Book ofJob against the background of biblical and ancient Near Easternwisdom texts. The literary structure of the book and the problemof the righteous will be focused on. An additional weekly meetingwill be scheduled to read representative texts in Hebrew. Usuallyoffered every third year. Last offered in the fall of 1996.

Mr. Brettler

NEJS 117b Dead Sea Scrolls

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: HBRW 101aor b or the equivalent.

Studies in the literature ofQumran texts, with particular attention to the exegetical literature.Usually offered every third year. Last offered in the fall of1996.

Mr. Brettler

NEJS 118b The Book of Psalms

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: HBRW 101aor b, NEJS 72a, or a strong reading knowledge of biblical Hebrew.

Selected readings of biblicalpsalms. Special attention will be paid to religious ideas, literaryforms, and poetics. Usually offered every third year. Last offeredin the fall of 1995.

Mr. Brettler

NEJS 120a Modern Historyof East European Jewry

[ hum ]

A comprehensive survey of thehistory (economic, socio-political, and religious) of the Jewishcommunities in Eastern Europe from the middle of the 18th centuryuntil World War II, with emphasis placed on the Jews of Polandand Russia. Usually offered in even years.

Mr. Polonsky

NEJS 120b Intermediate Talmud

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: A 40-levelHebrew course or the equivalent.

Tractate Sanhedrin, chapterthree, which deals with the issue of voluntary and compulsoryarbitration and the binding nature of gambling agreements. Usuallyoffered in even years.

Mr. Kimelman

NEJS 121a Polish-JewishRelations in the Twentieth Century

[ hum ]

In the Jewish world, Polandhas often been seen as a byword for anti-Semitism. Most Polesreject this analysis as one-sided and over-simplified. We examinehow these two diametrically opposed views of Polish-Jewish relationshave come to be current and how much truth lies behind the stereotypes.Usually offered every third year.

Mr. Polonsky

NEJS 122b Biblical NarrativeTexts: The Book of Judges

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: HBRW 101aor b, NEJS 72a, or a strong reading knowledge of biblical Hebrew.

An examination of the Hebrewbook of Judges. The basic tools for biblical research and theliterary study of the Bible will be explored. Topics vary fromyear to year and this course may be repeated for credit. Usuallyoffered in odd years.

Mr. Brettler

NEJS 123b Classical BiblicalCommentaries

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: Advanced readingknowledge of Hebrew.

An intensive study of the Frenchand Spanish schools of Jewish commentators on selected books ofthe Bible. Usually offered every fourth year. Last offered inthe fall of 1997.

Mr. Brettler

NEJS 124b Introduction toJewish Mysticism

[ cl48 hum]

A study of Jewish mysticismof the Middle Ages, primarily as presented in its most importantwork, The Zohar. While investigating the nature of mysticismand the transformation of key motifs of Judaism into a mysticalkey, the course will also be concerned with how to read a Jewishmystical text. All readings are in English. Usually offered inodd years.

Mr. Green

NEJS 125b Midrashic Literature:Sifre Deuteronomy

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: A 40-levelHebrew course or the equivalent.

An analysis of the midrashicmethod of the Sifre Deuteronomy. Emphasis will be placed on aclose reading of the text, with a view to developing in the studentsthe capacity to do independent analysis. Usually offered everyfourth year. Last offered in the fall of 1993.

Mr. Kimelman

NEJS 126b Agadic Literature:Avot De Rabbi Natan

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: A 40-levelHebrew course or the equivalent.

A study of the "talmudic"commentary to Mishnah Avot, which alone of the Mishnaic tractatesdeals exclusively with aggadah. The class will focus primarilyon literary and historical questions. Usually offered every fourthyear. Last offered in the spring of 1995.

Mr. Kimelman

NEJS 127b The Jewish Liturgy

[ cl48 hum]

Prerequisite: A 20-levelHebrew course or the equivalent.

A study of the literature,theology, and history of the daily and Sabbath liturgy. Emphasiswill be placed on the interplay between literary structure andideational content, along with discussion of the philosophicalissues involved in prayer. Usually offered every third year. Lastoffered in the spring of 1993.

Mr. Kimelman

NEJS 128a Explorations inIslamic Literature I: The Arab World

[ nw hum ]

Enrollment limited to 25.

A comprehensive view of Islamicliterature, presenting the full chronological, regional, ethnic,socioeconomic, linguistic, and ideological breadth of the Islamicworld, studied in the historical and social context. Usually offeredin odd years.

Ms. Davidson

NEJS 128b Explorations inIslamic Literature II: The Persian World

[ cl38 nwhum ]

Enrollment limited to 25.

See NEJS 128a for course description.NEJS 128a is not a prerequisite for 128b. Usually offered in oddyears.

Ms. Davidson

NEJS 130a The New Testament:A Historical Introduction

[ cl45 hum]

An introduction to the NewTestament and to related early Christian literature as sourcesfor the history and theology of the early church, with an emphasison development and diversity. Focus on the function of the NewTestament within current church discussion, e.g., feminism andJewish-Christian relations. Weekly workshops on exegetical methodand interpretive issues. Usually offered in odd years.

Ms. Brooten

NEJS 131b Biblical Poetry:Love and Death

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: NEJS 72a,HBRW 101a or b, or a strong reading knowledge of biblical Hebrew.

A close reading of biblicalpoetic texts, with a consideration of what makes these texts poetic.Texts will be chosen primarily from Song of Songs, Lamentations,Ecclesiastes, and Job. Topics will vary from year to year andthe course may be repeated for credit. Usually offered in evenyears.

Mr. Brettler

NEJS 132a Introduction toChristianity

[ hum ]

An introduction to Christianbeliefs, liturgy, and history. Surveys the largest world religion:from Ethiopian to Korean Christianity, from Black theology tothe Christian right. Analyses Christian debates about God, Christ,and human beings. Studies differences among Catholics, Protestants,and Orthodox. Usually offered in even years.

Ms. Brooten

NEJS 132b Ethics and theJewish Political Tradition

[ hum ]

A study in the structures ofauthority, power, and leadership in Jewish politics from Biblicalto modern times that focuses on the change from sovereignty toincorporated community to voluntary association. Issues includethe problems of nationalism, the limits of government, the rightof revolution, the legitimacy of terrorism, and the ethics ofwar. Usually offered in odd years.

Mr. Kimelman

NEJS 133a Art, Artifactsand History: The Material Culture of Modern Jews

[ hum ]

An interpretive, bibliographic,and hands-on study of the material (non-textual) culture made,used, and left by American and European Jews since 1600. Analyzeshow objects, architecture, and photographs can help us understandand interpret social, cultural, and religious history. Usuallyoffered every year.

Ms. Smith

NEJS 133b Seminar: Religionand Law

[ hum ]

Enrollment limited to 12.

Analysis of recent U.S. SupremeCourt cases concerning the free exercise of religion and the establishmentof religion. Focus is on the ways in which the Christian Bibleand the Jewish Bible are discussed in these cases. Discussionof "amicus curiae" briefs filed by religious groups.Usually offered in even years.

Ms. Brooten (NEJS) and Ms.Davis (LGLS)

NEJS 135a Jesus of Nazarethand the Christian Faith

[ cl45 hum]

An introduction to the lifeand teachings of Jesus set within the context of first-centuryJudaism and its political situation. Focus on the methodologicalproblems of ascertaining Jesus' message and of properly locatinghim within his historical context. A survey of the variety ofChristian dogmas and teachings concerning Jesus. Usually offeredin even years.

Ms. Brooten

NEJS 135b The Constructionof Gender in Modern Hebrew and Yiddish Literature

[ hum ]

Utilizes modern Hebrew andYiddish fiction and poetry to understand the ways in which theconceptions of masculinity and femininity changed during the greattransformation of Jewish society in the 19th and 20th centuries.Readings from Abramowitch, Shalom Aleichem, Devora Baron, ShulamithHareven, A.B. Yehoshua, and others. Usually offered in odd years.

Mr. Mintz

NEJS 137b Twentieth-CenturyGerman Jewish Thought

[ hum ]

Focuses on the thought of threeof this century's most important and influential philosophersof Judaism: Cohen, Buber, and Rosenzweig. These thinkers are consideredhistorically and in terms of their influence upon one another.The main emphasis, however, is upon the philosophical and religiousmeaning of their work and upon its contemporary significance.Special one-time offering. Will be offered in the spring of 1999.

Mr. Gottsegen

NEJS 138a Bialik and HisAge

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: HBRW 110aor b or the equivalent.

An examination of the worksof Hayyim Nahman Bialik, the great poet of the Hebrew Renaissance,in relation to preceding and contemporary Hebrew literature. Someattention will be given to Bialik's fiction and essays and hiswork in cultural retrieval. Texts and discussions in Hebrew. Usuallyoffered every third year. Last offered in the spring of 1996.

Mr. Mintz

NEJS 139b Yehuda Amichaiand Contemporary Hebrew Poetry

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: HBRW 110aor b or permission of the instructor.

Critical analysis of trendsand aesthetic values of Hebrew poetry from the War of Independenceto the present. Texts and discussion in Hebrew. Usually offeredevery third year. Last offered in the fall of 1994.

Mr. Mintz

NEJS 140a History of theJews from the Maccabees to 1492

[ hum ss ]

A study of Judea during theSecond Commonwealth; Jews in the Roman Empire; origins of anti-Semitism;Jewish religious heritage; Islam and the Jews; the Jewish community;church, state, society, economy, and the Jews; the expulsion fromWestern Europe. Usually offered in even years.

Mr. Ravid

NEJS 140b The Jews in Europeto 1791

[ hum ]

In addition to examining thehistorical background for the period in question, this courseconsiders the following topics: church, crusades, state, economy,society, and the Jews; religious and intellectual life; familyand community; England, France, and the Germanic lands; Spain,Spanish exile, and Iberian diaspora; Renaissance, Reformation,and Counter-Reformation; Eastern Europe and Hasidism; the returnto the West; and the Enlightenment and emancipation. Usually offeredin odd years.

Mr. Ravid

NEJS 142b Dealing with Evilin Ancient Babylon and Beyond: Magic and Witchcraft in Antiquity

[ cl48 nwhum ]

Surveys and analyzes magicalliterature, activities, and beliefs in the ancient Near East.Magic in Israel and in cultures of late antiquity will also beexamined. We will try to gain some understanding and sympathyfor the human situation and the magical activities and beliefsthat human life call forth. Such topics as demonology, illness,witchcraft, prayer, and exorcism are covered. Usually offeredin even years.

Mr. Abusch

NEJS 143a The Great Powersin the Middle East since World War I

[ hum ]

Explores the role of foreignpowers in Middle Eastern history and politics: The British andFrench impact on the emergence of modern Middle Eastern states;the Cold War and the Middle East; the role of the United Nationsin Middle Eastern politics; and Islamic responses to foreign influence.Usually offered every third year. Last offered in the spring 1998.

Ms. Du

NEJS 143b The World of Shi'iIslam

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: IMES 104a,NEJS 145b, NEJS 147a. Enrollment limited to 15.

Who are the Shi'i Muslims?We will address this question by focusing on the Shi'i communitiesof Iran, Iraq, the Persian Gulf, Lebanon, and India. We will examinethe social, cultural, and religious life of these communities,as well as their political development in modern times. Usuallyoffered in odd years.

Mr. Nakash

NEJS 144a Jews in the Worldof Islam

[ nw hum ]

A social and cultural historyof Jewish communities in the Islamic world. Special emphasis isplaced on the Jewish communities in the Middle East since 1492.Usually offered in even years.

Mr. Levy

NEJS 144b Nationalism andIslam in the Modern Middle East

[ cl27 hum]

Prerequisites: A courseon the modern Middle East or on Islam. Enrollment limited to 50.

This course examines the developmentof nationalism and Islamic fundamentalism in the Middle East inthe 20th century and their relations and interactions, with particularemphasis on Egypt, Turkey, and Iran. Usually offered every thirdyear. Last offered in the spring of 1994.

Mr. Levy

NEJS 145a Hebrew and TranslationIssues

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: 30 level HBRWcourse or permission of the instructor.

Starting with an overview oftranslation and a survey of Hebrew and its unique elements, weexamine and translate Hebrew from different periods, working asa class to evaluate possible English renditions and creating translationsfor discussion. By the end of the semester, students appreciatethe complexities of language and better understand how Hebrewexpresses those complexities.

Mr. Hoffman

NEJS 145b The Making ofthe Modern Middle East

[ cl27 nwhum ss ]

Discusses the processes thatled to the emergence of the modern Middle East: disintegrationof Islamic society; European colonialism; reform and reaction;the rise of nationalism and the modern states. Usually offeredin even years.

Mr. Nakash

NEJS 146a Ideas of Revelationin Judaism

[ hum ]

Enrollment limited to 30.

This course traces the developmentof the key theme of revelation in Jewish theology from the Bibleto modern times. Classical rabbinic views are seen in their historicalcontext and as re-interpreted by the philosophical, mystical,and Hasidic traditions. Also explored are challenges to the theologyof revelation beginning with Spinoza, and the views of such modernthinkers as Mendelssohn, Steinheim, and Rosenzweig. Usually offeredevery third year. Last offered in the fall of 1995.

Mr. Green

NEJS 147a The Rise and Declineof the Ottoman Empire, 1300-1800

[ cl3 cl27nw hum ss ]

Enrollment limited to 30.

A historical survey of theMiddle East from the establishment of the Ottoman Empire as thearea's predominant power to 1800. Topics include Ottoman institutionsand their transformation; the Ottoman Empire as a world power.Usually offered in even years.

Mr. Levy

NEJS 147b The Arab-IsraeliConflict

[ cl40 humss ]

Consideration of Arab-Jewishrelations, attitudes, and interactions from 1880 to the present.Emphasis on social factors and intellectual currents and theirimpact on politics. Examines the conflict within its internationalsetting. Usually offered in even years.

Mr. Levy

NEJS 148a Radical Islam

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: IMES 104a,NEJS 145b, or NEJS 147a. Enrollment is limited to 15.

Traces the recent re-emergenceof Islam by examining its position in modern Middle Eastern socioeconomicand political life. We will use Egypt, Syria, Algeria, Gaza andthe West Bank, and Iran as our major test-cases for assessingthe success of political Islam. Usually offered in even years.

Mr. Nakash

NEJS 148b Lesbian, Gay,and Bisexual Jews and Christians: Sources and Interpretations

[ cl12 cl46hum ]

Introduction to the classicalJewish and Christian sources on same-sex love and to a varietyof current interpretations of them, to the evidence for same-sexlove among Jews and Christians through the centuries, and to currentreligious and public policy debates about same-sex love. Usuallyoffered in odd years.

Ms. Brooten

NEJS 149a Jews, Judaism,and Gender

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: At least onecourse in Anthropology, Jewish history, or sociology. Enrollmentlimited to 25.

Current anthropological thinkingconceptualizes gendering as an on-going cultural process. We tracesome of the more noteworthy texts, events, and rituals that haveplayed, and continue to play, crucial roles in the gendering ofJewish men and women. Special one-time offering. Will be offeredin the fall of 1998.

Ms. Sered

NEJS 149b Islamic Bibliography

[ hum ]

The purpose of this courseis to familiarize the student with the history of oral and writtencommunications in Islam and the Middle East. Special emphasisis placed on bibliographic literature in Western languages. Noprerequisites. Usually offered every third year. Last offeredin the spring of 1993.

Mr. Levy

NEJS 150a The Perceptionof the Other

[ hum ]

In this course, we considerJewish and Christian perceptions of each other, of pagan outsiders,and of inside dissenters and deviants (e.g., heretics, witches,and homoerotic persons) from the Hellenistic period through theearly Middle Ages. We also examine the pagan views of Judaismand Christianity and consider the nature of religious polemicand the meaning of difference. Usually offered in even years.

Ms. Brooten

NEJS 150b Paul among Jewsand Gentiles

[ cl45 hum]

The apostle Paul, his life,work, and impact on Christianity, seen in the context of his owntime when Jews and Christians had not yet parted ways and whenHellenistic Judaism attracted many gentiles. Usually offered ineven years.

Ms. Brooten

NEJS 151a Jewish Life inWeimar Berlin, War-Time England, and the Post-War United States

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: Reading comprehensionof modern Hebrew; at least one course in 20th-century Jewish history.Signature of the instructor required.

Major themes, issues, and developmentsin 20th-century Jewish history in Germany, England, and the UnitedStates--including the establishment of Brandeis University andthe history of the NEJS department--in a biographical framework,on the basis of books, articles, newspapers, published and unpublishedletters, and a wide range of archival ephemera. Usually offeredin odd years.

Mr. Ravid

NEJS 151b Merchants, Moneylenders,and Ghetti of Venice

[ cl33 hum ss]

Key problems in Jewish historyin light of the experience of the Jews of Venice in the contextof Venetian social, political, and economic history. Topics includethe attitude of church and state toward Jews, the ghetto, Jewishmerchants and moneylenders, Marranos and inquisition, raison d'état,and the admission of the Jews to Western Europe and North America.Usually offered in odd years.

Mr. Ravid

NEJS 152b History of Anti-Semitism

[ hum ss ]

A historical survey of thephenomenon of anti-Semitism from classical antiquity to the present.Usually offered every year.

Mr. Ravid

NEJS 153a Hasidism as aReligious and Social Movement

[ cl45 hum]

The rise of East European Hasidismin the 18th century and its success. Key teachings, motifs, andreligious ideals of the movement and its leadership. Changes asHasidism struggled with modernity and destruction in the 19thand 20th centuries. Usually offered in even years.

Mr. Green

NEJS 153b History of Jewishand Christian Women in the Roman Empire

[ cl12 cl37hum ]

Social, cultural, and religioushistory of Jewish and Christian women under Roman rule until Constantine("first century" BCE-"fourth century" CE),using the methods of feminist historiography. Examination of theinter-relationships between Jewish and Christian women in differentparts of the Roman Empire. Focus on women's history, rather thanon Jewish and Christian teachings about women. Usually offeredin even years.

Ms. Brooten

NEJS 155a The Philosophyof Moses Maimonides

[ hum ]

A close examination of Maimonides'Guide of the Perplexed. Looks at the way Maimonides addressesthe tensions between the Greek philosophical world view and thetraditional Jewish world view. Examines issues such as the natureof God and the attributes of God, creation, prophecy, miracles,providence and the reasons for the commandments. All readingsare in English. Usually offered every fourth year. Will be offeredin the fall of 1998.

Mr. Mesch

NEJS 155b Judaism and theReligious Quest

[ hum ]

Signature of the instructorrequired.

Great seekers in the Jewishtradition from Philo of Alexandria to Franz Rosenzweig and severalcontemporary figures. The figure of Abraham depicted by traditionas a religious seeker. Tensions between personal quest and normativetraditions. Usually offered in even years.

Mr. Green

NEJS 156b Ancient Near EasternReligion and Mythology

[ cl48 nwhum ]

An introduction to the religion,mythology, and thought of the ancient Near East. Usually offeredin even years.

Mr. Abusch

NEJS 157a History of theState of Israel Since 1948

[ hum ]

This course examines the developmentof the State of Israel from its foundation to the present time.Israel's politics, society, and culture will be thematically analyzed.Last offered in the fall of 1995.

Ms. Gillerman

NEJS 157b The Politicaland Social Study of Women in Israel

[ hum ]

Israeli women face numerousobstacles in their struggle for equality. We utilize feministtheory to analyze the historical, social, and cultural forcesthat impact (and constrain) the status of women in Israel. Usuallyoffered every year.

Ms. Prince-Gibson

NEJS 158b Topics in JewishDevotional Literature of the Medieval and Later Periods

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: Reading knowledgeof Hebrew. Signature of the instructor required. Course may berepeated for credit.

Readings in Hebrew from suchinfluential religio-ethical treatises as Bahya's Duties ofthe Hearts, DeVidas's Beginning of Wisdom, Horowitz'sTwo Tablets of the Covenant, and others. Topic for 1998:Levi Yizhak of Berdichev; The Man and the Legend. Usually offeredevery year.

Mr. Green

NEJS 160a The Making ofthe American Jew

[ cl10 humss ]

Survey of American Jewish historyfrom the earliest settlement to the present. The emergence ofthe institutions, ideologies, lifestyles, and cultural norms thatshaped the contemporary American Jew. Usually offered in odd years.

Mr. Sarna

NEJS 161a American JewishLife

[ cl10 cl36hum ss ]

A survey of contemporary AmericanJewish life with special emphasis on the diverse forms of Jewishidentification found in American Jewry. Topics include Reform,Conservative, and Orthodox Judaism; the interplay of Americanand Jewish values; and the relationship of Jews to the generalsociety and other ethnic groups. Usually offered in odd years.

Ms. Fishman

NEJS 161b The Monument andthe City

[ cl33 nwhum ]

This course explores severalcity "types" in the non-Western world--ancient, sacred,and modern--through the prism of "monuments" or artifactsuniquely associated with particular cities (e.g., the Tower ofBabel in Babylon, the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif in Jerusalem,and Saddam Hussein's 1988 Victory Arch in Baghdad). Usually offeredin odd years.

Mr. Makiya

NEJS 162a American Judaism

[ cl45 humss ]

American Judaism from the colonialperiod to the present, with particular emphasis on the variousstreams of American Judaism, the synagogue, and the rabbinate.Usually offered in even years.

Mr. Sarna

NEJS 162b World Jewry Sincethe Holocaust

[ hum ]

Examines the post-war Jewishworld with special attention to Jewish communities beyond Israeland the United States. Topics include demography, the emergenceof new centers, anti-Semitism, identity, and assimilation. Usuallyoffered in even years.

Mr. Sarna

NEJS 163a Jewish-ChristianRelations in America

[ hum ss ]

A topical approach to the historyof Jewish-Christian relations in America from the colonial periodto the present. Usually offered in even years.

Mr. Sarna

NEJS 164b The Sociologyof the American Jewish Community

[ cl10 cl11hum ss ]

Explores transformations inmodern American Jewish societies, focusing on American Jewishfamilies, organizations, and behavior patterns in the second halfof the 20th century. Although we draw primarily on social sciencetexts, statistical studies, and memoirs, we also make use of abroad spectrum of source materials, examining evidence from journalism,fiction, film, and other artifacts of popular culture. Usuallyoffered in even years.

Ms. Fishman

NEJS 165a American JewishCulture

[ cl10 hum]

Examines selected aspects ofAmerican Jewish culture in the 19th and 20th centuries. Usuallyoffered in odd years.

Mr. Sarna

NEJS 166a Modern JewishHistory to 1880

[ hum ]

Themes include Enlightenmentand Haskalah in Eastern and Western Europe, Hasidism, emancipation,assimilation and the problem of the marginal Jew, the scienceof Judaism, and the development of denominationalism in Judaism.Usually offered every fourth year. Last offered in the fall of1993.

Ms. Gillerman

NEJS 166b Modern JewishHistory, 1880-1948

[ hum ]

Themes include integrationand assimilation, migration, nationalism, Zionism, non-Zionism,anti-Zionism, diaspora nationalism, Western and Eastern Jewryin the period between the World Wars, the Holocaust, and the establishmentof the State of Israel. Usually offered every fourth year. Lastoffered in the fall of 1994.

Ms. Gillerman

NEJS 167a East EuropeanJewish Immigration to the United States

[ hum ss ]

A historical survey of EastEuropean Jewish immigration to the United States (1881-1924).Regular readings will be supplemented by primary sources, immigrantfiction, and films. Usually offered in odd years.

Mr. Sarna

NEJS 167b A History of theJews in Warsaw, Lodz, Vilna, and Odessa

[ cl33 humss ]

This course will examine thehistory of the four largest Jewish communities in the RussianEmpire from the earliest settlement through the Holocaust to thepresent, comparing internal organization, different politicaland cultural allegiances, and relations with the majority population.Usually offered in even years.

Mr. Polonsky

NEJS 168a History and Cultureof the Jews in East-Central Europe to 1914

[ cl10 humss ]

Jewish civilization in Polandand Russia from the earliest Jewish settlements until World WarI, with emphasis on attempts to create a national culturethat was both "modern" and "Jewish." Usuallyoffered in odd years.

Mr. Polonsky

NEJS 168b History and Cultureof the Jews in East-Central Europe, 1914 to the Present

[ cl10 hum ]

Topics include relations betweenJews and non-Jews, Jewish politics, culture, the Holocaust, andthe current revival of Jewish identity in East-Central Europe.Usually offered in odd years.

Ms.Freeze

NEJS 169a The Destructionof European Jewry

[ hum ]

A systematic examination ofthe Holocaust in the context of Jewish and modern European history.Interdisciplinary approaches to historical sociology and legalphilosophy will be applied. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Haus

NEJS 169b Responses to theHolocaust

[ hum ]

Literary and cultural responsesto the particular nature of the Holocaust will be considered asthey have challenged ideas about God, man, the meaning of history,and Western civilization. Usually offered in odd years.

Mr. Mintz

NEJS 170a Yiddish LiteraryLandscapes

[ hum ]

Explores the changing faceof modern Yiddish diction from the second half of the 19th centuryto the present day. Selections from the prose fiction of Abramovitch-Mendele,Peretz, Sholem Aleichem, Bergelson, Weissenberg, Asch, Shapiro,Rabon, the Brothers Singer, and Grade will be read in Englishtranslation.

Staff

NEJS 170b Analyzing theAmerican Jewish Community

[ qr hum ss ]

Prerequisites: NEJS 160a,161a, or 164b. Enrollment limited to 12.

This course will explore theuse of quantitative and qualitative research techniques in recentanalyses of American Jewish life. Students will learn what kindsof information can be gathered through survey research and througha variety of qualitative research techniques. Usually offeredin even years.

Ms. Fishman

NEJS 171a Jews in ModernCentral Europe

[ hum ]

This course provides an introductionto the history of the Jews in German-speaking Europe from themid-18th century to the present. Topics to be covered includethe following: Haskalah and emancipation; modern religious streamsand secular Jewish culture; the rise of modern anti-Semitism;Jewish defense organizations and Zionist activities; integrationand acculturation; Jewish identities in Vienna, Prague, and Alsace;Nazi policies toward the Jews and the Holocaust; post-war Jewishlife in central Europe. Usually offered in odd years.

Staff

NEJS 171b Describing Cruelty

[ nw hum ]

Enrollment limited to 15

This seminar will grapple withthe difficult subject of cruelty. The focus is on political orpublic cruelty in the non-Western world. The method is comparativeand involves critical examination of the intellectual, visual,and literary works that engage the phenomenon. Usually offeredin even years.

Mr. Makiya

NEJS 172a Women in AmericanJewish Literature

[ cl7 hum]

Examines portrayals of womenin American Jewish literature from a hybrid viewpoint. Using closetextual analysis, we explore changing American Jewish mores andvalues and the changing role of women as revealed by portrayalsof women in American Jewish fiction. We focus on the developmentof critical reading skills to enhance our understanding of theauthor's intent. We approach the fiction and memoirs we read asliterature and as a form of social history. Usually offered inodd years.

Ms. Fishman

NEJS 173b American JewishWriters in the Twentieth Century

[ hum ]

American Jewish fiction inthe 20th century presents a panorama of Jewish life from immigrationthrough contemporary times. Short stories, novels, and memoirsilluminate how changing educational and occupational opportunities,transformations in family life, shifting relationships betweenthe genders, and conflict between Jewish and American value systemshave played themselves out in lives of Jewish Americans. Usuallyoffered in odd years.

Ms. Fishman

NEJS 174b Changing Rolesof Women in American Jewish Life

[ cl11 cl36hum ]

The lives of American Jews--andespecially American Jewish women-

-have been radically transformedby demographic changes and by American Jewish feminism. Thesedramatic transformations affect secular and Jewish education forwomen, personal options and the formation of Jewish families,a growing participation of women in public Jewish life, and anew awareness of women's issues. Usually offered in odd years.

Ms. Fishman

NEJS 175a History of Zionism

[ hum ]

The rise and development ofthe Zionist idea, Zionist parties, politics, and diplomacy inrelation to Jewish history and international affairs from 1880to 1950. Zionism today. Usually offered every fourth year. Lastoffered in the fall of 1994.

Staff

NEJS 176a Seminar in AmericanJewish Fiction: Literary Readings: Roth and Ozick

[ cl7 hum]

Prerequisite: NEJS 172a,173b, or 181b. No prerequisites for graduate students. Signatureof the instructor required.

Focusing in depth on the worksof two major American Jewish writers, Philip Roth and CynthiaOzick, and paying close attention both to their development asartists and to the evolution of their explorations of Jewish themes,this course will offer students the opportunity to delve intoeach author's oeuvre. Usually offered in even years.

Ms. Fishman

NEJS 177a Agnon and InterwarHebrew Fiction

[ hum ]

Prerequisites: HBRW 110aor b or permission of the instructor.

Examines the existence andstruggle of the Jews in the diaspora and Israel from World WarI, as reflected in modern Hebrew literature, particularly in theworks of Agnon and his contemporaries. Attention also given toparallel motifs in European literature. Texts and discussion inHebrew. Usually offered every third year. Last offered in thefall of 1995.

Mr. Mintz

NEJS 177b Responses to Catastrophein Hebrew Literature

[ hum ]

The role of the literary imaginationin overcoming events of national destruction in the history ofthe Jewish people from the destruction of the First Temple tothe Holocaust. Readings in Hebrew; class conducted in English.Usually offered in even years.

Mr. Mintz

NEJS 178a The Moderna: HebrewPoetry Between the Two World Wars

[ hum ]

Prerequisites: HBRW 110aor b or permission of the instructor.

Readings in the major modernistliterary movements of Hebrew poetry after the age of Bialik: symbolism,expressionism, and imagism. The emergence of women's voices inHebrew poetry. Poetic responses to political events in Europeand the Yishuv. Selections from Shlonsky, Alterman, U.Z. Greenberg,Vogel, Preil, Rahel, Bat-Miriam, and others. Texts and discussionin Hebrew. Usually offered every third year. Last offered in thefall of 1993.

Mr. Mintz

NEJS 179a Hebrew Literaturein Translation II: World War II to the Present

[ hum ]

Readings in major fiction byS. Yizhar, Megged, Oz, Yehoshua, Applefeld, Kahana-Carmon, Shabtai,Grossman, and others. Themes include war and peace, individualfreedom, critiques of Zionist ideology, and the Holocaust. Textsand discussion in English. Usually offered in even years.

Mr. Mintz

NEJS 180b Hebrew Prose inan Era of Revival

[ hum ]

Prerequisites: HBRW 110aor b or permission of the instructor.

Hebrew short fiction and essaysfrom 1881 to World War I. The critique of the shtetl; responsesto the pogroms; use of the Hasidic story; loss of faith. Mendele,Feierberg, Ahad Ha'am, Brenner, Baron. Texts and discussion inHebrew. Usually offered every third year. Last offered in thespring of 1994.

Mr. Mintz

NEJS 182a Introduction toJewish Bibliography

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: Reading knowledgeof Hebrew. Limited to NEJS concentrators, minors, and graduatestudents.

An introduction to generalbibliographic tools and resources in the major subfields of Judaicstudies, such as history, philosophy, Hebrew language and literature,anti-Semitism, and Holocaust studies. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Cutter

NEJS 182b The New Wave inIsraeli Fiction

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: HBRW 110aor b, or permission of the instructor.

Examines developments in Hebrewprose fiction from the 1960s onward, with respect to changes infictional technique and the thematic critique of ideology. Readingsinclude Amos Oz, A. B. Yehoshua, Amalia Kahana-Carmon, AharonAppelfeld, Yaakov Shabtai, Shulamit Hareven, and others. Textsand discussion in Hebrew. Usually offered every third year. Lastoffered in the spring of 1997.

Mr. Mintz

NEJS 183b Research in JewishLaw

[ hum ]

Prerequisites: Advancedknowledge of Hebrew. Familiarity with Rabbinic texts.

An exploration of major resourcesfor the study of Jewish law. Students will select an issue ofcontemporary significance and, utilizing basic texts, bibliographies,concordances, and indices (including computer data bases and CD-ROM)find and trace pertinent legal sources in biblical, Talmudic,medieval, and contemporary Halakhic literature. Usually offeredin even years.

Mr. Cutter

NEJS 185b The Dynamics ofModern Jewish Culture

[ hum ]

Signature of the instructorrequired.

Significant controversies thatshaped Jewish culture from the Haskalah to the present in EasternEurope, Israel, and America. Authors include Maimon, Mendele,Ahad Ha-am, Bialik, Berdichevsky, Peretz, Freud, Scholem, Kafka,Agnon, Kurzweil, Kaplan, and Halkin. Usually offered every thirdyear. Last offered in the spring of 1996.

Mr. Mintz

NEJS 189b Sotah: The SuspectedAdulteress

[ hum ]

A multidisciplinary study ofJewish primary and ancillary sources about the biblical Sotah,a suspected adulteress. An investigation of how the Sotah teststhe boundaries of monogamy and monotheism; and challenges themeanings of gender and authority in society. Usually offered everythird year. Will be offered in the fall of 1998.

Ms. Haberman

NEJS 190b Images of Jewson Screen

[ cl13 hum]

Survey course focusing on movingimages of Jews and Jewish life in fiction and factual films. Thecourse will include early Russian and American one-reel silents,pre-World War II travelogs and home movies of European Jews, Nazianti-Semitic propaganda, early Yishuv footage, Yiddish featurefilms, Israeli cinema, and Hollywood classics. Usually offeredin odd years.

Ms. Rivo

NEJS 191b Revisioning JewishLife in Film and Fiction

[ cl13 hum]

Film and fiction are prismsthrough which we can view transformations in American Jewish life.This course concentrates on cinematic and literary depictionsof religious, socioeconomic, and cultural change over the pasthalf century. It does this through films and fiction, both ofwhich reflected and helped to shape shifting definitions of theAmerican Jew. Usually offered in even years.

Ms. Fishman

NEJS 192b Ancient Greek-SpeakingJudaism and Christianity

[ hum ]

Reading and interpretationof Greek Jewish and Christian texts that help us to understandthe interrelationships between these two groups, as well as whatseparated them from each other. Greek track available for thosewith background in Greek. Usually offered in odd years.

Ms. Brooten

NEJS 193b Judaism and Healing

[ hum ]

Enrollment limited to 25.

Explores the vital and venerabletradition of Jewish professional involvement in medicine. We willexamine the historical and cultural roots of this phenomenon andthe ways in which Jewish religion and culture provide technical,moral, and spiritual resources for physicians and health careprofessionals. Usually offered every year.

Staff

NEJS 194b Film and the Holocaust

[ hum ]

Examines the medium of film--propaganda,documentary, narrative fiction--relevant to the history of theHolocaust. We examine the use of film to shape, justify, document,interpret, and imagine the Holocaust. Beginning with the filmsproduced by the Third Reich, the course includes films producedimmediately after the events as well as contemporary films. Thefocus will be how the film medium--as a medium--works to(re)present meaning(s). Usually offered in even years.

Ms. Rivo

NEJS 195b The Woman's Voicein the Muslim World

[ cl34 cl37cl45 nw hum ]

Study of the writings of womenand the writings expressing the woman's voice, starting with pre-Islamiclamentation poetry and extending all the way to modern literature.There will be special focus on literary genres in which women'sviewpoints and traditions are articulated. Usually offered ineven years.

Ms. Davidson

NEJS 197b Politics and the Culture ofthe Contemporary Middle East

(Formerly NEJS 197c)

[ cl27 hum ]

Prerequisites: courses in modern MiddleEast politics. Signature of the instructor required.

Considers the politics of democratizationand tolerance in the modern Middle East by way of inviting a numberof guest speakers from the region. The focus of the course ison the language of politics. Usually offered in even years.

Mr. Makiya


(200 and above) Primarilyfor Graduate Students

NEJS 201b Exodus: A Studyin Method

Prerequisite: A strong readingknowledge of biblical Hebrew and previous exposure to the criticalstudy of the Hebrew Bible.

An examination of the Hebrewtext of Exodus in relation to the methodologies of modern biblicalscholarship. Particular attention to source criticism, form criticism,and the text in its ancient environment. Usually offered everythird year. Last offered in the spring of 1998.

Mr. Brettler

NEJS 206a Akkadian LiteraryTexts I

Usually offered in odd years.

Mr. Abusch

NEJS 206b Akkadian LiteraryTexts II

Usually offered in odd years.

Mr. Abusch

NEJS 207a Akkadian Mythological/ReligiousTexts I

Usually offered in even years.

Mr. Abusch

NEJS 207b Akkadian Mythological/ReligiousTexts II

Usually offered in even years.

Mr. Abusch

NEJS 208b Advanced Akkadian:Historical Texts

Usually offered every thirdyear.

Mr. Abusch

NEJS 210b Biblical HebrewComposition

Prerequisite: An advancedknowledge of Biblical Hebrew.

An advanced course in biblicalHebrew grammar. The grammar of biblical Hebrew will be reviewedand extended through translation of English prose and poetry intobiblical Hebrew. Usually offered every third year. Last offeredin the spring of 1996.

Mr. Brettler

NEJS 214b Intermediate Ugaritic

Prerequisite: NEJS 106b.

A review of grammar and continuedreading in various Ugaritic texts. Usually offered every thirdyear.

Mr. Wright

NEJS 220b Introduction tothe Study of American Jewish History

Focuses on bibliography, historiography,and methods. A critical survey of the literature of American Jewishhistory with special attention to questions of methodology. Studentsexamine basic reference works and classics in the field and chooseone subfield within American Jewish history to explore in depth.Usually offered in alternate years.

Mr. Sarna

NEJS 221b The American JewishExperience: Sources and Interpretations

An in-depth examination ofprimary sources in selected areas of American Jewish history,with special attention to problems of interpretation and generalization.Usually offered in even years.

Mr. Sarna

NEJS 222b Research and ArchivalMethods in Modern Jewish History

A critical examination of researchmethodologies in the study of modern and American Jewish history,with special attention to primary sources and new historical approaches.Usually offered in even years

Mr. Sarna

NEJS 228a Jewish MysticalLiterature

Prerequisite: Fluency inclassical Hebrew and NEJS 124b, or the equivalent. Signature ofthe instructor required.

Intensive reading of classicalsources in the original languages. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Green

NEJS 235a Social Historyof the Middle East

Explores the major social transformationsthat have marked Middle Eastern history in the 19th and 20th centuries.The discussion covers such topics as tribal settlement, the villagecommunity, land reform, the Islamic city, urbanization, modernizationand modernity, the family, the concept of "class," andthe position of women. Usually offered in odd years.

Mr. Nakash

NEJS 237b Gender and JewishStudies

Uses gender as a prism to enhanceunderstanding of topics in Judaic studies such as Jewish historyand classical Jewish texts, psychology, sexuality and gender roledefinition, literature and film, contemporary cultures, and religion.Usually offered in odd years. Undergraduates by permission ofthe instructor.

Ms. Fishman

NEJS 240a Jewish Women inMedieval and Early Modern Times

Examines the status and activitiesof Jewish women, as well as the general attitudes held towardthem in the context of the times. Usually offered in odd years.

Mr. Ravid

NEJS 240b Seminar on Nationalismand Religion in the Middle East

Examines major issues in thedevelopment of nationalism and its interaction with religion inthe Arab countries, Israel, Turkey, and Iran in the 20th century.Topics vary from year to year. Usually offered in even years.

Mr. Levy

NEJS 241b Seminar: Texts,Issues, and Interpretations in Jewish History and Jewish Historiography

Strongly recommended forall graduate students in Judaic Studies.

Usually offered in even years.

Mr. Ravid

NEJS 245b Seminar on Statesand Minorities in the Middle East

Examines major issues in therelations between the state and ethnic and religious minoritiesin the Arab countries, Israel, Turkey, and Iran in the 20th century.Topics vary from year to year. Usually offered in odd years.

Mr. Levy

NEJS 258b Seminar on ModernJewish History and Historiography

Strongly recommended forall graduate students in Judaic Studies.

Usually offered every year.

Mr. Polonsky

NEJS 259d Topics on Zionism

Usually offered every thirdyear.

Staff

NEJS 260b Jewish Identityin the Age of Emancipation

This course introduces graduatestudents to major sources and secondary literature on a varietyof expressions of modern Jewish identity in Europe during the18th and 19th centuries. Class discussions include the emergenceof Hasidism, the Haskalah, Wissenschaft de Judentums, modern religiousmovements, and early Zionism. Usually offered every third year.Last offered in the spring of 1996.

Staff


NEJS 317-368 Reading Courses

Special tutorials for advancedgraduate students.

317a and b Readings in Assyriology

Mr. Abusch

318a and b Readings in Sumerian

Mr. Abusch

320a and b Readings in JewishBibliography

Mr. Cutter

321a and b Readings in MedievalJewish Philosophy

Staff

326a and b Biblical Literature

Mr. Brettler

328a and b Readings in AncientNear Eastern Languages

Mr. Abusch

329a and b Readings in AncientNear Eastern Religions and Cultures

Mr. Abusch

331a and b Readings in YiddishLiterature

Ms. HarPaz

332a and b Readings in AmericanJewish History

Mr. Sarna

333a and b Readings in theHistory of the Jews in Europe to 1800

Mr. Ravid

334a and b Readings in ModernJewish History

Ms. Gillerman

335a and b Readings in EastEuropean Jewish History

Mr. Polonsky

336b American-Jewish CulturalStudies

Mr. Whitfield

337a and b Readings in Talmudicand Midrashic Literature

Mr. Kimelman

338a and b Readings in Historyof Judaism

Mr. Kimelman

339a and b Readings in OttomanHistory and Civilization

Mr. Levy

340a and b Readings in ModernMiddle Eastern History

Mr. Levy

341a and b Readings in HolocaustHistory

Mr. Polonsky

342a Readings in the DeadSea Scrolls

Mr. Brettler

342b Readings in the DeadSea Scrolls

Mr. Wright

343a Readings in Bible andthe Ancient Near East

Mr. Wright

344a Readings in JewishMysticism and Literature

Mr. Green

345a and b Readings in Bibleand Ancient Near East Studies

Messrs. Brettler and Wright

347a and b Readings in theHistory of Spanish Jewry and the Iberian Diaspora in Europe

Mr. Ravid

348a and b Readings in theHistory of the Sephardim in the Near East

Mr. Levy

349a and b Readings in theSephardi Experience in the New World

Mr. Sarna

350a and b Readings in ModernMiddle Eastern Historiography

Mr. Nakash

356a and b Readings in AmericanJewish Museum Studies

Mr. Sarna

357a and b Readings in theHistory of Middle Eastern Jewry

Mr. Levy

359a and b Readings in Genderand Jewish Texts

Mr. Cutter

360a Readings in ArabicLiterature

Mr. Levy

360b Readings in ContemporaryJewish Literature and Life

Ms. Fishman

361a Readings in ModernJewish History

Mr. Polonsky

361b Readings in ModernGender in Judaism

Ms. Fishman

362a Readings in PolishHistory 1764-1914

Mr. Polonsky

363a Readings in the Historyof Eastern Europe 1750-1947

Mr. Polonsky

363b Readings in the Historyof East-Central Europe

Mr. Polonsky

365a Readings in IslamicLiterature

Ms. Davidson

366a and b Doctoral andPostdoctoral Seminar on Early Judaism and Christianity

Ms. Brooten and Mr. Kimelman

367a Readings in ModernHebrew Literature and Modern Jewish Culture

Mr. Mintz

368b American-Jewish Women'sLiterature

Ms. Antler

369a Readings in New Testament

Ms. Brooten

369b Readings in MoslemWomen

Ms. Davidson

370b Readings in Languageand Art

Ms. Ringvald

371a and b Readings in theHistory of Jewish Women in Medieval and Early Modern Times

Mr. Ravid

NEJS 372b Readings in EuropeanJewish Social Policy

Ms. Gillerman

NEJS 401d Dissertation Colloquium

Independent research for thePh.D. degree.

Specific sections for individualfaculty members as requested.

Staff


LANGUAGE COURSES

Arabic

ARBC 10a Beginning LiteraryArabic

(Formerly NEJS 101a)

A first course in literaryArabic, covering essentials of grammar, reading, pronunciation,translation, and composition. Four class-hours per week. Usuallyoffered every year.

Ms. Davidson

ARBC 20b Continuing LiteraryArabic

(Formerly NEJS 101b)

Prerequisite: ARBC 10a orthe equivalent.

Continuation of ARBC 10a. Threeclass-hours per week. Usually offered every year.

Ms. Davidson

ARBC 30a Intermediate LiteraryArabic

(Formerly NEJS 102A)

[ fl ]

Prerequisite: ARBC 20B orthe equivalent.

Readings in related classicaland modern texts. Study of advanced grammatical and syntacticalforms. Drills in pronunciation and composition. Usually offeredevery year.

Ms. Davidson

ARBC 40b Advanced IntermediateLiterary Arabic

(Formerly NEJS 102b)

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: ARBC 30a orthe equivalent.

Continuation of ARBC 30a. Usuallyoffered every year.

Ms. Davidson

Hebrew

HBRW 10a Beginning Hebrew

Enrollment limited to 18.

Six class hours and one additionallab hour per week. For students with no previous knowledge andthose with a minimal background. Intensive training in the basicsof Hebrew grammar, listening comprehension, speaking, reading,and writing. Several sections will be offered. Usually offeredevery semester.

Staff

HBRW 20b Intermediate Hebrew

Prerequisite: HBRW 10a orthe equivalent as determined by placement examination. Only one20-level Hebrew course may be taken for credit. Enrollment limitedto 18.

Six class hours and one labhour per week. Continuation of HBRW 10a, employing the same methods.Several sections offered every semester.

Staff

HBRW 29b Intermediate HebrewI: Honors

Prerequisite: HBRW 10a orthe equivalent as determined by placement examination. Only one20-level Hebrew course may be taken for credit. Enrollment limitedto 18.

This course is more intensivethan HBRW 20b. Students are admitted upon recommendation of thedirector of the Hebrew Language Program. Usually offered everyspring.

Staff

HBRW 31a Conversation andWriting Skills

[ fl ]

Prerequisite: HBRW 20b orthe equivalent as determined by placement examination. This courseis recommended for students who have not previously studied Hebrewat Brandeis and have been placed at this level. Enrollment limitedto 18.

Four class-hours and one lab-hourper week. Continuation of HBRW 20b, developing higher-level skillsin reading, and writing with a review and expansion of grammar.Frequent short essays and listening to tapes in the lab required.Usually offered every fall.

Staff

HBRW 34a Intermediate HebrewII: Aspects of Israeli Culture

[ fl ]

Prerequisite: Any 20-levelHebrew course or the equivalent as determined by placement examination.Enrollment limited to 18.

Four class-hours and one lab-hourper week. Continuation of HBRW 20b, developing higher-level skillsin reading, writing, and conversation. Contemporary cultural aspectswill be stressed and a variety of materials will be used. Usuallyoffered every semester.

Staff

HBRW 39a Intermediate HebrewII: Honors

[ fl ]

Prerequisite: HBRW 29b orpermission of the instructor. Enrollment limited to 18.

A continuation of HBRW 29b.This course is more intensive than HBRW 34a. Students are admittedupon recommendation of the director of the Hebrew Language Program.Usually offered every fall.

Staff

HBRW 41b Advanced Conversationand Writing Skills

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: Any 30-levelHebrew course, or the equivalent, or placement by the directorof the Hebrew Language Program. Students may not take both thiscourse and HBRW 44a for credit. Enrollment limited to 18. Thiscourse satisfies the foreign language requirement for studentswho entered Brandeis prior to the fall of 1994.

Intended for students who havecompleted HBRW 31a or for students of appropriate background whohave not previously studied Hebrew at Brandeis. Usually offeredevery spring.

Staff

HBRW 42a Intensive ConversationalHebrew I

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: Any 30-levelHebrew course or the equivalent. This course satisfies the foreignlanguage requirement for students who entered Brandeis prior tothe fall of 1994. Enrollment limited to 18.

For students who have acquiredan intermediate knowledge of Hebrew and who wish to develop agreater fluency in conversation. This course does not satisfythe language requirement for the NEJS concentration. Usually offeredevery spring.

Staff

HBRW 44b Advanced Hebrew:Aspects of Israeli Culture

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: Any 30-levelHebrew course or the equivalent. Students may not take both thiscourse and HBRW 41b for credit. Enrollment limited to 18. Thiscourse satisfies the foreign language requirement for studentswho entered Brandeis prior to the fall of 1994.

Three class-hours and one lab-hourper week. Reinforces the acquired skills of speaking, listeningcomprehension, reading, and writing. Contemporary cultural aspectsare stressed; conversational Hebrew and reading of selectionsfrom modern literature, political essays, and newspaper articles.This course is required for NEJS concentrators and is recommendedfor others who would like to continue studying Hebrew beyond theforeign language requirement. It is a prerequisite for many upperlevel Hebrew courses. Usually offered every semester.

Ms. Ringvald

HBRW 98a Independent Study

Signature of the instructorrequired.

Usually offered every year.

Staff

HBRW 98b Independent Study

Signature of the instructorrequired.

Usually offered every year.

Staff

HBRW 101a Introduction toClassical Hebrew I

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: Any 40-levelHebrew course or the equivalent, except HBRW 42a, as approvedby the director of the Hebrew Language Program. Enrollment islimited to 18.

Three class-hours per week.Primarily intended for NEJS concentrators. Concentrates on thestudy of biblical and classical Hebrew literary works; writtenand oral expression in modern Hebrew are also stressed. Differentprimary texts will be studied in HBRW 101a (fall) and HBRW 101b(spring). Usually offered every fall.

Ms. Nevo-Hacohen

HBRW 101b Introduction toClassical Hebrew II

[ hum ]

Enrollment is limited to18.

See HBRW 101a for special notesand course description. Usually offered every spring.

Ms. Nevo-Hacohen

HBRW 102a Developing ReadingProficiency and Comprehension

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: Intermediateknowledge of Hebrew reading. Primarily intended for NEJS graduatestudents. Enrollment is limited to 18.

Stresses the skills neededto read scholarly literature in modern Hebrew. Grammatical presentationsand drills supplement readings chosen from scholarly journals,covering different fields in Jewish studies. The class is conductedin English. This course will also help students who need to passthe graduate level Hebrew exam. Usually offered every fall.

Ms. Nevo-Hacohen

HBRW 102b Advanced ReadingProficiency and Comprehension

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: HBRW 102aor high intermediate reading knowledge of Hebrew. Enrollment islimited to 18.

A continuation of HBRW 102a.Different materials and texts are studied. This class is conductedin English. Usually offered every spring.

Ms. Nevo-Hacohen

HBRW 103a Intensive ConversationalHebrew II

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: Any 40-levelHebrew course or the equivalent. Enrollment is limited to 18.

For students who have acquireda basic knowledge of conversational Hebrew and wish to developgreater fluency in conversation. Role playing, vocabulary building,and guided speaking activities develop conversational skills forvarious situations. Reading and discussion of contemporary textsassist in vocabulary building. One additional hour of lab workor speaking practice is required weekly. Topics may vary fromsemester to semester and the course may be repeated once for creditwith permission of the instructor. Usually offered every semester.

Ms. Azoulay

HBRW 104a Israeli Films

[ wi hum ]

Prerequisite: Any 40-levelHebrew course or the equivalent. Enrollment is limited to 18.

The course will be concernedwith the various aspects of Israeli society as they are portrayedin Israeli television and films. In addition to viewing films,the students will be asked to read Hebrew background materials,to participate in class discussions, and to write in Hebrew aboutthe films. Usually offered in even years.

Mr. Peleg

HBRW 104b Israeli Theater

[ wi hum ]

Prerequisite: Any 40-levelHebrew course or the equivalent. Enrollment is limited to 18.

This course helps studentsto develop proficiency in the areas of creative writing, speaking,reading, and listening. This is accomplished by reading and viewing(in video) plays from the Israeli theater. Three class-hours andtwo additional weekly hours of lab work are required. Usuallyoffered in odd years.

Ms. Azoulay

HBRW 105a Advanced HebrewConversation

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: Any 40-levelHebrew course or permission of the instructor. Enrollment is limitedto 18.

For advanced students who wantto work on accuracy, fluency, and vocabulary building. Readingof contemporary texts and newspaper articles and listening toIsraeli videos will serve as a basis for building higher levelspeaking proficiency. One additional weekly hour of lab work orspeaking practice is required. Usually offered every fall.

Ms. Lavie

HBRW 106b Israel Today--AdvancedConversation

[ wi hum ]

Prerequisite: Any 40-levelHebrew course or the equivalent. Enrollment is limited to 18.

For advanced students who wishto enhance their proficiency and accuracy in writing and speaking.Plays, essays, current articles from Israeli newspapers, and filmsprovide the basis for written assignments and discussions. Usuallyoffered every spring.

Ms. Lavie

HBRW 107a The Voices ofJerusalem

[ wi hum ]

Prerequisite: Any 40-levelHebrew course or the equivalent. Enrollment is limited to 18.

This course aims to developstudents' proficiency in creative writing, speaking, reading,and listening through the analysis of selected materials thatdepict the unique tradition, history, politics, art, and otherfeatures of Jerusalem's culture. Usually offered in odd years.

Ms. Hascal

HBRW 107b Portrait of anIsraeli Woman

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: A 40-levelHBRW course or its equivalent. Enrollment is limited to 18.

Develops students' proficiencyin Hebrew in writing, speaking, reading, and listening throughthe analysis of authentic selected materials that depict the role,the image, and the changes of the Israeli woman's unique voicethrough literature, history, politics, art, and tradition throughoutthe 1900's. Usually offered in odd years.

Ms. Hascal

HBRW 108b History of theHebrew Language

[ wi hum ]

Prerequisite: Any 40-levelHebrew course or the equivalent, as determined by the directorof the Hebrew Language Program. Enrollment is limited to 18.

Surveys the origins of theHebrew language and its development throughout the centuries,focusing on its major stages (biblical, Rabbinic, medieval, andmodern). Explores the unique phenomenon of its revival as a spokenlanguage and its adaptation to the modern world. Usually offeredin odd years.

Ms. Porath

HBRW 109a Hebrew Drama--Languagethrough Creativity and Action

[ ca hum ]

Prerequisite: Any 40-levelHBRW course or its equivalent, as determined by the director ofthe Hebrew Language Program. Enrollment is limited to 18.

Focuses on the process andvarious aspects of creativity, improvisations, drama, performanceand relaxation techniques, movement, imagination, and other basicskills necessary to act out scenes from various plays in the Hebrewlanguage. Writing assignments and self-critique all enhance thestudents' skills in language acquisition. The course culminatesin the writing of one-act plays in Hebrew along with a theatricalperformance and production. Usually offered every year.

Ms. Azoulay

HBRW 110a Introduction toModern Hebrew Literature I

[ wi hum ]

Prerequisite: Any 40-levelHebrew course or the equivalent, as determined by the directorof the Hebrew Language Program. Enrollment is limited to 18.

An introduction to modern Hebrewprose and poetry stressing major trends. Topics include Biblicalmotifs and love, among others. Students are expected to acquirefluency in reading, writing, and conversation. Usually offeredevery fall.

Ms. Hascal

HBRW 110b Introduction toModern Hebrew Literature II

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: Any 40-levelHebrew course or its equivalent, as determined by the directorof the Hebrew Language Program. Enrollment is limited to 18.

An introduction to modern Hebrewprose and poetry, stressing major trends. Topics include the Holocaustand the relationship between parents and children, among others.Students are expected to acquire fluency in reading, writing,and conversation. Usually offered every spring.

Ms. Hascal

HBRW 111a Advanced Surveyof Hebrew and Israeli Literature I

[ wi hum ]

Prerequisite: Any 40-levelHebrew course or the equivalent. Enrollment is limited to 18.

Focuses on the themes and uniquestyle of young Israeli writers, stressing the various trends andreactions to different aspects of Israeli daily life during thelast two centuries. In addition to reading, class participationand written assignments will be required. Usually offered in evenyears.

Ms. Hascal

HBRW 111b Advanced Surveyof Hebrew and Israeli Literature II

[ wi hum ]

Prerequisite: HBRW 111a,any 40-level Hebrew course, or the equivalent. Enrollment is limitedto 18.

A continuation of HBRW 111a.Different materials and texts are used. Usually offered in oddyears.

Ms. Hascal

HBRW 119a Proficiency BasedInstruction in Modern Hebrew I

[ hum ]

Enrollment is limited to18.

This course is taught in Hebrewand in English. Designed primarily for students at the advancedlevel who are interested in eventually being able to teach modernHebrew. Usually offered every fall.

Ms. Ringvald

HBRW 119b Proficiency BasedInstruction in Modern Hebrew II

[ hum ]

Enrollment is limited to18.

Continuation of NEJS 119a.Students will expand their teaching practicum through internshipand learn how to apply their knowledge from the previous semester.Usually offered every spring.

Ms. Ringvald

Persian

PRSN 10a Beginning Persian

(Formerly NEJS 23a)

Enrollment limited to 25.

Introduction to classical andmodern spoken Persian. Usually offered in odd years.

Ms. Davidson

PRSN 20b Continuing Persian

(Formerly NEJS 23b)

Readings will include selectionsfrom contemporary and classical prose, to be followed, towardthe end, by selections from Sa'adi's Golestan (a superbarray of prose and poetry). Usually offered in odd years.

Ms. Davidson

PRSN 30a Intermediate Persian

(Formerly NEJS 195a)

[ fl ]

Prerequisites: PRSN 20bor the equivalent.

Selected readings, in the originalPersian, from the poetry of Hafez, Ferdowsi, and Rumi and thelike as well as from modern poetry and from prose texts, classicaland modern. Usually offered in even years.

Ms. Davidson

Yiddish

YDSH 10a Beginning Yiddish

(Formerly NEJS 21a)

The first of a four-semestersequence, this course develops basic conversation and readingskills and introduces the essentials of Yiddish grammar. In addition,the class incorporates cultural and historical elements throughmusic, film, and literature. Usually offered every fall.

Staff

YDSH 20b Continuing Yiddish

(Formerly NEJS 21b)

Prerequisite: YDSH 10a orpermission of the instructor.

The second in a four-semestersequence, this course is a continuation of YDSH 10a. It enhancescomprehensive reading and writing skills with emphasis on interactivecommunicative skills. Cultural and historical elements of thelanguage are continually incorporated through music, film, andliterature. Usually offered every spring.

Staff

YDSH 30a Intermediate Yiddish

(Formerly NEJS 24a)

[ fl ]

Prerequisite: YDSH 20b orpermission of the instructor.

This course is the third ina four-semester sequence. Selected readings in Yiddish literature,including short stories, poetry, and some prose, are read anddiscussed in class with regard to their historical and culturalsignificance and literary merit. This course develops advancedYiddish grammar as well as reading, writing, comprehension, andconversation skills. Usually offered every fall.

Staff

YDSH 40b Advanced IntermediateYiddish

(Formerly NEJS 24b)

[ hum ]

Prerequisite: YDSH 30a orpermission of the instructor.

The fourth in a four-semestersequence, this class reads from selected classic and contemporaryYiddish texts, films, and songs. The class has the structure ofa reading seminar with continued reinforcement of advanced Yiddishgrammar and an emphasis on interaction and participation in discussion.Usually offered every spring.

Staff


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The American Jewish Woman:1890-1990s

ANTH 135a

Paradoxes of Peoplehood inContemporary Israel

ANTH 149a

Archaeology of Egypt and Canaanin Ancient Times

HIST 140b

The Jews in Europe Since 1945

HIST 184a

Arabs and Jews in Palestine,1840-1948

HOID 108b

Greek and Roman Ethics: FromPlato to the Stoics

IMES 104a

Islam: Civilization and Institutions

JCS 287a

Methods in Jewish CommunityResearch