The Hebrew Bible is a heritage shared by Jews and Christians in common. In this course, major portions of the Torah will be studied from both the Jewish and Christian points of view, to discover where the two traditions are parallel and where they differ. Topics to be explored include: the...
Read moreThis course explores the following three questions: (1) Does Judaism have saints, and if so, who are these saintly Jewish heroes? (2) What is the definition of a Jewish saint? (3) Can a sinner become a saint? We will also discuss the Christian concept of saints and how Christian saints are...
Read more(GRADES: Adults)
Jewish folklore reflects the cultural traditions and heritage of Judaism. It is full of vivid stories that both teach and entertain. This survey course will look at samples of Jewish folklore embedded in ancient Jewish texts such as midrash and the Bible and also examine present-day Jewish...
Read moreThis online graduate seminar offers a survey of 2000 years of German and German-Jewish history and their remarkable interactions. Beginning with Jewish settlement in Germany during the Roman Period, we will examine the rise of Ashkenazic Jewish culture in Germany during the Middle Ages and its...
Read moreThis course will survey Jewish life in the contemporary world since about 2010. Topics will include American Jewish demography, synagogue movements, and culture; Israeli Jewish society, culture, and politics; and a survey of Diaspora Jewish communities outside of the United States. Attention...
Read moreThis course explores the common roots of ancient Rabbinic Judaism and early Christianity in the first five centuries CE. We study both the theological similarities between the two movements and the ways in which they developed into distinctly different religious traditions. Topics to be covered...
Read moreJudaism and Islam are in many ways extraordinarily similar and, in other respects, very different. To study them side by side increases our understanding of each one. The course will assume that students have some knowledge of Judaism, but little knowledge of Islam. Topics include an...
Read moreThis course offers a graduate-level introduction to Judaism in the Modern Period. Together with a brief survey of Jewish history during this period, the course will concentrate on the religious and ideological challenges posed to Judaism by modernity and the range of Jewish responses, such as...
Read more(GRADES: All)