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Jewish
Studies at Harvard:
Course Offerings 2007-08
FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
CORE CURRICULUM
Literature and Arts A-48. Modern Jewish Literature
Catalog Number: 1250
Ruth R. Wisse
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 12, and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 14
Studies works in different languages and genres that variously interpret the experience of Jews in the 20th century. Explores such issues as what information literature can provide, the relation of language and historical context to artistic strategy, and personal and national perspectives in narrative. Authors include Sholem Aleichem, Franz Kafka, Isaac Babel, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Shmuel Yosef Agnon, Primo Levi, and Saul Bellow.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2008–09.
Literature and Arts A-70. The Book of Job and the Joban Tradition
Catalog Number: 7991
Peter Machinist
Half course (fall term). M., W., (F.), at 12, and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 5
An examination of the biblical book of Job along with related texts, ancient, medieval, and modern, that allow us to establish the literary and philosophical traditions in which Job was composed and the literary and philosophical legacy it has left. Particular focus on the ways the texts play off one another in literary form and expression and in their treatment of such themes as divine justice, human piety, and the nature of the divine-human encounter.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2008–09.
Literature and Arts C-70. From the Hebrew Bible to Judaism, From the Old Testament to Christianity
Catalog Number: 5275
Shaye J.D. Cohen
Half course (spring term). M., W., (F.), at 10, and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 3
The Hebrew Scriptures, what Christians call the “Old Testament” and Jews call the “Bible,” are the basis of both Judaism and Christianity. In this course we shall survey how this work of literature, through interpretation and re-interpretation, spawned two different cultural systems. Topics to be surveyed include: canon and prophecy; exegesis and Midrash ; Shabbat and Sunday; temple, synagogue, church; the Oral Torah and the Logos; sin and righteousness; messiah and redemption.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2008–09.
Moral Reasoning 54. “If There is No God, All is Permitted”: Theism and Moral Reasoning
Catalog Number: 1321
Jay M. Harris
Half course (spring term). M., W., (F.), at 12, and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 5
This course will examine the ways in which a concept of God has informed Western moral discourse trying to help students engage the literature as they consider why one might think “if there is no God, all is permitted” and why one might think if there is a God, human moral achievement is impossible.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2008–09.
FRESHMAN SEMINAR
Freshman Seminar 42s. Jews on the Tube: Images and Integration in American Jewry - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 4921 Enrollment: Limited to 12.
Rachel L. Greenblatt
Half course (fall term). Tu., 1–4.
Traces the representation and self-representation of Jews in radio, television, and cinema, focusing on questions of integration, assimilation, and Jewish identity. How were Jews portrayed in radio, television, and film? When Jews were artists, actors, directors, and producers, how did they portray themselves? Explores American Jewish history to understand media depictions of Jews and to compare them to non-Jewish historical precedents. How did media portrayals evolve as American Jewish life evolved throughout the 20th century?
Note: Open to Freshmen only.
*Freshman Seminar 49g. The Holocaust, History and Reaction
Catalog Number: 1208 Enrollment: Limited to 12.
Kevin J. Madigan ( Divinity School )
Half course (fall term). W., 1–3.
Approaches Nazi persecution of European Jewry from several disciplinary perspectives. Presents backgroundand narrative of the Holocaust, introduces the use of primary historical sources, and studies some of the major historiographical debates. Evaluates religious and theological reactions to the Holocaust -- uses literary, cinematic, and theological sources. Considers the role played by the Protestant and Catholic churches and theologies in the Holocaust. Assesses role played by the Holocaust in today's world, specifically in the United States .
Note: Open to Freshmen only.
LITERATURE and COMPARATIVE LITERATURE
Literature 153 (formerly Comparative Literature 153). Saul Bellow and the New York Intellectuals
Catalog Number: 2506
Ruth R. Wisse
Half course (fall term). Tu., 1–3, and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
Studies Bellow's major works in the context of the intellectual and literary community that constituted America 's first European style "intelligentsia." Considers work of Isaac Rosenfeld, Delmore Schwartz, Lionel Trilling, Irving Howe, writers of Partisan Review and Commentary .
Note: Class is conducted in a modified seminar format.
HISTORY
History 1091 (formerly Jewish Studies 125). Jewish History in the Second and Post-Temple Period
Catalog Number: 6035
Shaye J.D. Cohen
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 10–11:30. EXAM GROUP: 12, 13
A survey of Jewish history in antiquity from the Persian period (5th century BCE) to the Byzantine period (5th century CE). Topics include: political accommodation and resistance, Hellenism, the Hasmoneans and Herod the Great, the effects of Roman rule, Pharisees, Qumran, Christians, unity and diversity, the destruction of the temple and its aftermath, the emergence of rabbinic Judaism, homeland and diaspora.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1462.
History 1150. The Jews in Muslim and Christian Spain
Catalog Number: 5331
Bernard Septimus
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 12. EXAM GROUP: 14
A study of the political, social, and cultural history of the Hispano-Jewish community from the Muslim conquest of Spain in 711 to the expulsion of the Jews from Christian Spain in 1492. Emphasis on literary and intellectual developments and on the complex relationship of the Jews to Iberian Christendom and Islam. Combines material from former courses History 1151 and 1152.
Note: This course, when taken for a letter grade, meets the Core area requirement for Historical Study B.
*History 1426. On Display: Commemoration, Collection and Public Spaces (c. 1600-2000): Reading Seminar - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 9970 Enrollment: Limited to 12.
Rachel L. Greenblatt
Half course (spring term). Th., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
Traces the collection, commissioning, creation and display of artworks and objects from their development in religious and royal settings of the early modern period to their uses in nation-building and self-representation in the twentieth-century. Topics include monuments and urban spaces in Christian-Jewish polemics, collections as displays of political power, and museums as sites of national, cultural and ethnic identity. Geographical focus on Central Europe, but Western Europe and North America will also be considered.
History 1427. Women's Voices in Medieval and Early Modern Europe - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 7597
Rachel L. Greenblatt
Half course (fall term). M., W., (F.), at 10. EXAM GROUP: 3
Seeks out the voices of Jewish, Protestant and Catholic women, with an emphasis on women's writings, and examines methods for uncovering information about women's lives when their own voices are absent from the historical record. Considers ideal images and the daily realities of both men's and women's gendered roles in such areas as life-cycle rituals, livelihood and spirituality.
*History 1498. Citizenship, Migration, and European Cultures Since 1945: Reading Seminar - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 7630 Enrollment: Limited to 12.
Uta G. Poiger ( University of Washington )
Half course (spring term). Tu., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
An introduction to major contests about national belonging and "European culture" in the aftermath of war and genocide and in the context of the cold war, decolonization, globalization, and wars on terror. Topics include Displaced Persons and the postwar refugee crisis; reconstruction and Americanization; "Brown Babies" in postwar Europe; Jewishness after genocide; The Empire Talks Back; "Guestworkers"; the European Union; Islam in Europe.
History 1606. American Jewish History - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 4228
Jeffrey Gurock ( Yeshiva University )
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 1–2:30. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
A survey of the social, economic, religious and political history of the Jews in the United States within the contexts of American and Jewish history from the Colonial period through the contemporary era.
*History 1609. The Social History of American Judaism: Research Seminar - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 6122 Enrollment: Limited to 15.
Jeffrey Gurock ( Yeshiva University ) 5894 (fall term only)
Half course (fall term). W., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
American freedom and voluntarism have posed major challenges to the continuity of Judaism. How Jews have defined that challenge and attempted to reconcile, accommodate, or preserve unchanged their religious faith and practice in America will be the focus of this course. Topics include differing rabbinic and lay perceptions of social realities, issues of cooperation and competition among different Jewish movements, growth and development of religious institutions and their parallels within Christian society.
NEAR EASTERN LANGUAGES AND CIVILIZATIONS
Ancient Near East 90. History, Kingship, and the Gods in the Ancient Near East - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 2490
Peter Machinist
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
An introduction to the major civilizations of the ancient Near East, focusing on the periods prior to the coming of Alexander the Great to the region, and on such topics as the rise and fall of states and empires, the ways in which the ancients understood and wrote history, and religious beliefs and practices both as these define a common ancient Near Eastern world and differentiate the particular cultures within it.
Ancient Near East 107. History and Historiography in the Ancient Near East
Catalog Number: 0665
Peter Machinist
Half course (fall term). W., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 8, 9
Conceptions of history and the practice of historical writing in the ancient Near East. Discussions based on a comparative study of texts from a variety of cultural traditions, such as the Hittites, Mesopotamia, ancient Israel/ Hebrew Bible, and Second Temple Judaism, together with classical Greece.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1427.
Ancient Near East 117. Biblical Archaeology
Catalog Number: 1371
Lawrence E. Stager
Half course (fall term). F., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Archaeology and texts, such as the Bible, used to reconstruct aspects of social, economic, and religious life (from courtier to commoner) in ancient Israel during the Iron Age.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1422. Includes a lab section.
Ancient Near East 120. Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures
Catalog Number: 6544
Michael D. Coogan
Half course (fall term). F., 9–11 and additional hour weekly for a section meeting. EXAM GROUP: 2, 3
A survey of the Hebrew Scriptures as viewed in their historical and cultural setting in the ancient Near East and as interpreted by modern scholarship, with attention to this literature as an expression of the religious thought of Israel and one of the formative influences on Western civilization.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1101.
Ancient Near East 128. Jewish Apocalypticism
Catalog Number: 8249
Paul D. Hanson ( Divinity School )
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
A study of Jewish apocalyptic movements from their roots in late biblical prophesy to their flowering in Hellenistic and Roman times. Attention will be paid to the biblical and extra-biblical traditions incorporated in these texts and woven into messages addressing crises such as persecution and forced assimilation. The manner in which books like Daniel and Revelation are used by contemporary apocalyptic movements will be assessed.
Note: All texts read in English translation. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1460.
Prerequisite: Ancient Near East 120 or the equivalent.
Ancient Near East 222. History of the Study of the Hebrew Bible: From the Renaissance to the Present: Seminar
Catalog Number: 8086
Peter Machinist
Half course (spring term). Th., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 17, 18
Surveys Hebrew biblical scholarship since the Renaissance, focusing on particular scholars and their representative and seminal works. The central theme is the emergence of and reactions to a historical-critical understanding of the Bible.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1425.
Prerequisite: A background in the study of the Hebrew Bible. Also, Biblical Hebrew and at least one of the following: French, German, and Modern Hebrew.
Ancient Near East 236. Biblical Theology: Seminar
Catalog Number: 7022 Enrollment: Limited to 12.
Paul D. Hanson ( Divinity School )
Half course (spring term). Tu., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
An examination of resources within the Bible for the construction of contemporary political theology.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1801/2471.
Prerequisite: Introductory level knowledge of the Bible and/or political science.
Postbiblical Jewish Studies
Jewish Studies 55. Jews, Judaism, and Jewishness - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 2338
Jay M. Harris
Half course (fall term). M., W., at 12. EXAM GROUP: 5
An overview of the development of the major trends in Jewish civilization, focusing on the literary, legal, and institutional expressions of Jewish ideas and practices.
Note: Required of all secondary concentrators in Jewish Studies, unless excused by the DUS.
Jewish Studies 104. Introduction to Yiddish Culture
Catalog Number: 8611
Yuri Vedenyapin
Half course (spring term). W., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 8, 9
An exploration of a thousand years of European Jewish culture through its vernacular, Yiddish. Topics covered will demonstrate the geographical, intellectual, and artistic breadth of this culture, and will include the history of the Yiddish language, selections of pre-modern and modern Yiddish literature, folklore, the press, film, theater, klezmer music, and song.
Note: Course readings and lectures will be in English.
Jewish Studies 111. Modern Jewish Thought
Catalog Number: 5461
Jay M. Harris
Half course (spring term). M., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
A study of significant Jewish thinkers in the modern period and their reflections on the past and present meaning of Judaism. All thinkers studied against the background of premodern Jewish thought and the challenges posed by modern Western philosophical systems.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3682.
Jewish Studies 112. The Poet as Translator - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 3400
Avi Matalon
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines the phenomenon of accomplished poets who are also translators. Poetry demands original and direct access to language, while translation is thought of in terms of fidelity to an existing text. How do poets negotiate these seemingly contradictory expectations? Draws from various literary traditions, with special emphasis on Jewish literature.
Jewish Studies 114. History versus Literature in Modern Jewish Texts
Catalog Number: 3527
Avi Matalon
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines the treatment of history in modern Jewish and Israeli literature.
Jewish Studies 135. Jewish-Arab Encounters: the Classical Age - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 3448
Bernard Septimus
Half course (fall term). M., W., at 1. EXAM GROUP: 6
An examination of Jewish-Arab cultural exchange against its socio-political backdrop, from the pre-Islamic period through the thirteenth century. Topics include: perceptions of the other; social relations; polemics; conversions; interchange in the realms of religion, law, literature, philosophy and mysticism; the end of the classical age. These topics will be explored through primary sources in translation.
Jewish Studies 140. Deconstruction and Questions of Jewish Identity: Seminar
Catalog Number: 2198
Avi Matalon
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines the work of philosopher Jacques Derrida (1930–2004) and the method of deconstruction. Focuses on Derrida's writings that touch on questions of identity, as developed in his prolific career.
Jewish Studies 143. Jews in the Modern World - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 8216
Steven J. Zipperstein ( Stanford University )
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 11:30–1. EXAM GROUP: 13, 14
An examination of Jewish culture, politics, economics, and society from the late seventeenth century to the present. The course will study Jewish history in a comparative framework with primary concentration on the major areas of Jewish demographic density -- in particular, the Ottoman Empire, Eastern Europe, Russia, and eventually the US and Israel. Topics discussed will include the transmutation of "traditional" Jewish life, hasidism, the Jewish enlightenment, the Russian government and the Jews, acculturated and assimilated Jewish identity in Western and Central Europe, the origins of Reform and Orthodox Judaism, Antisemitism, Zionism, Liberalism and the Jews, Jewish life in the Soviet Union and inter-war Europe, the Holocaust, post-war European Jewry, the rise of Israel, and the Jewish life in the US.
Jewish Studies 144. History and Memory: Modes of Jewish Discourse - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 7216
Rachel L. Greenblatt
Half course (spring term). W., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Focus on close readings of selected pre-Enlightenment Jewish historical writings, with consideration of relevant theoretical and methodological frameworks. Readings will be available in the original Hebrew and Yiddish and in English translations.
Jewish Studies 153. Jews and Communism in Russia: 1880 to the Fall of the Soviet Union: Seminar - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 2095
Steven J. Zipperstein ( Stanford University )
Half course (fall term). Th., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 17, 18
This course explores the engagement of Jews -- as believers, victims, and, in the minds of some, as the key progenitors of Communism in Russia from its birth as a coherent ideology until the fall of the Soviet Union . Themes discussed will include: Jews and the origins of Marxism; Jews as Populists, Anarchists; Bolsheviks, and Mensheviks; Marxism and the Jewish Question; Lenin, Stalin, and Trotsky on Jews and Judaism; War, Revolution, Civil War and the Jewish Street; the Jewish intelligentsia and the Revolution; Jews in the Soviet administration; the social/economic transformation of Jewry under Communism; the Second World War, and its aftermath; post-war antisemitism, etc. Some comparative analysis on the influence of Communism on Jews elsewhere (in Europe, the US , and Palestine ) will be included. The approach will be interdisciplinary with historical, sociological, political, and literary texts provided.
Note: Participation in the course is open to undergraduate seniors, as well as graduate students.
Prerequisite: There are no language requirements; supplementary reading lists for Russian and/or Yiddish readers will be provided.
Jewish Studies 206. The Law at Qumran and the Law of the Mishnah
Catalog Number: 2808
Shaye J.D. Cohen
Half course (spring term). W., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
A study of the emergence of Jewish law in antiquity. Theme for 2008: The Law at Qumran (the Dead Sea Scrolls); the relationship of Qumran law with the law of the Mishnah.
Note: Open to undergraduates with the permission of the instructor. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3935.
Prerequisite: Ability to read Qumran texts in the original.
Graduate Courses of Reading and Research
*Jewish Studies 300. Reading and Research in Postbiblical Jewish Studies
Catalog Number: 1544
Shaye J.D. Cohen 4180, Jay M. Harris 2266, Bernard Septimus 7160, and Ruth R. Wisse 3177
Hebrew Language Courses
Classical Hebrew A. Elementary Classical Hebrew
Catalog Number: 8125
Jo Ann Hackett
Full course (indivisible). Tu., Th., 11:30–1. EXAM GROUP: 13, 14
A thorough and rigorous introduction to biblical Hebrew, with emphasis on grammar in the first term, and translation of biblical prose in the second. Daily preparation and active class participation mandatory.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 4010.
Classical Hebrew 120a. Intermediate Classical Hebrew I
Catalog Number: 5545
Jo Ann Hackett and assistant
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 11:30–1. EXAM GROUP: 13, 14
Readings in prose books; review of grammar.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 4020.
Prerequisite: Classical Hebrew A or equivalent.
Classical Hebrew 120b. Intermediate Classical Hebrew II
Catalog Number: 8494
Jo Ann Hackett and assistant
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 11:30–1. EXAM GROUP: 13, 14
Readings in prose and poetic books; review of grammar.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 4021.
Prerequisite: Classical Hebrew 120a or equivalent.
Classical Hebrew 130ar. Rapid Reading Classical Hebrew I
Catalog Number: 7895
Jo Ann Hackett and assistant
Half course (fall term). W., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1625/4030.
Prerequisite: Classical Hebrew A, 120a, and 120b, or equivalent.
Classical Hebrew 130br. Rapid Reading Classical Hebrew II
Catalog Number: 7896
Jo Ann Hackett and assistant
Half course (spring term). Tu., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1626/4031.
Prerequisite: Classical Hebrew 130a or equivalent.
Classical Hebrew 135. Introduction to Mishnaic Hebrew - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 2263
John Huehnergard and assistant
Half course (fall term). Th., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
An introduction to the language of the Hebrew of the MishnaI and the rabbinic literature.
Prerequisite: Prerequisite: Classical Hebrew A, Modern Hebrew B, or equivalent
Modern Hebrew B. Elementary Modern Hebrew
Catalog Number: 4810
Miri Kubovy and Irit Aharony
Full course (indivisible). Section I: M. through F., at 9; Section II: M. through F., at 10. EXAM GROUP: 2, 11
For students with no previous instruction in Hebrew and for those who have had some unsystematic exposure to the language. Emphasis on developing skills necessary for fluent reading, speaking, and writing basic sentences in all tenses. Grammar is taught through the Israeli “Top 40.”
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 4015.
Modern Hebrew 120a. Intermediate Modern Hebrew I
Catalog Number: 1711
Irit Aharony and Anna Grinfeld
Half course (fall term). Section I: M. through F., at 10. Section II: M. through F., at 11. EXAM GROUP: 3, 12
Continuation of Modern Hebrew B. Selected readings from 20th-century Hebrew literature prose, poetry, drama, and the language of the current Israeli media, including newspapers, magazines, and satires. The linguistic analysis of the texts is followed by a literary discussion as well as an examination of the individual works in relation to various trends in modern Hebrew culture.
Note: Conducted primarily in Hebrew. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 4040.
Prerequisite: Modern Hebrew B or passing of special departmental placement test.
Modern Hebrew 120b. Intermediate Modern Hebrew II
Catalog Number: 2563
Irit Aharony and Anna Grinfeld
Half course (spring term). Section I: M. through F., at 10. Section II: M. through F., at 11. EXAM GROUP: 3, 12
Continuation of Modern Hebrew 120a.
Note: Conducted primarily in Hebrew. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 4041.
Prerequisite: Modern Hebrew 120a.
Modern Hebrew 125a. Advanced Modern Hebrew I
Catalog Number: 4985
Anna Grinfeld
Half course (fall term). M., W., 1–2:30. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Continuation of Intermediate Modern Hebrew 120a and 120b. The course explores oral and textual forms of the language such as journalism, literature, poetry, plays, music, and more. The course will take a broad look at Israeli culture and current events via the media: radio, television, the internet, and the arts. The course goal is to further develop practical skills in the language.
Note: Conducted in Hebrew. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 4042.
Prerequisite: Modern Hebrew 120a, 120b, or equivalent.
Modern Hebrew 125b. Advanced Modern Hebrew II
Catalog Number: 3201
Miri Kubovy
Half course (spring term). M., W., 1–2:30. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Continuation of Modern Hebrew 125a. The course explores advanced and sophisticated issues in grammar, syntax, style, and idioms of the language. It prepares students to work with more advanced materials from the media, scholarly texts for research, and literature.
Note: Conducted in Hebrew. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 4043.
Prerequisite: Modern Hebrew 120a, 120b, and 125a.
Modern Hebrew 130r. Contemporary Israeli Culture
Catalog Number: 8127
Miri Kubovy
Half course (fall term). W., 6:45–9:45 p.m. EXAM GROUP: 9
Surveys typical examples of contemporary Israeli culture: novels, short stories, poetry, feminist literature, Holocaust literature, literary and political journals and magazines, theater and films, rock music from the "Top 40," all representing current cultural trends and expressing attitudes toward social and political issues. Includes exposure to the language of the current Israeli media.
Note: Discussion, papers, and texts presented in Hebrew. This constitutes one of the fourth year courses of the Modern Hebrew track.
Prerequisite: Modern Hebrew 125a, 125b or equivalent.
Modern Hebrew 134r. The Layers of Hebrew in Texts about Jerusalem
Catalog Number: 6949
Irit Aharony
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
A survey of the layers of the Hebrew language as reflected in texts dealing with Jerusalem , written in different centuries. Students learn the characteristic components of all the periods of the Hebrew language in many kinds of texts. For the modern period, selections are taken from literature, the press, the media, and academic papers. The goal is to facilitate scholarly work and research in Hebrew.
Note: Conducted in Hebrew. This constitutes one of the fourth year courses of the Modern Hebrew track.
Prerequisite: Modern Hebrew 125a, 125b, or equivalent.
Modern Hebrew 136r. Hebrew for Academic Reading
Catalog Number: 3383
Anna Grinfeld
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Tu., Th., 1:30–3. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
Hebrew for academic reading is designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate students with a strong background knowledge of Hebrew, seeking to master reading skills in a range of Hebrew texts in the fields of Jewish studies, Middle Eastern studies, government, literature, religion, and history. Some selections of the reading material will be decided by the individual needs and interests of the students.
Note: Conducted in Hebrew.
Hebrew Literature Courses
Hebrew 176. Aristotle's Ethics in Medieval Jewish Thought - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 4571
Bernard Septimus
Half course (fall term). Tu., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
Prerequisite: A reading knowledge of Hebrew
Hebrew 177. Introduction to Critical Talmud Scholarship - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 6485
Bernard Septimus
Half course (spring term). W., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
Designed to introduce students to the philological, historical and source-critical methods used in the contemporary academic study of Talmud and Midrash, through the study of selected passages.
Prerequisite: Ability to prepare a Talmudic text.
Hebrew 191. From Jewish Literature to Israeli Literature: Seminar
Catalog Number: 3376
Avi Matalon
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines the development and transition of Hebrew literature from Europe to Israel beginning in the 1850s.
Prerequisite: Reading knowledge of Modern Hebrew required.
Primarily for Graduates
*Hebrew 200r. Problems in the Literature, History, and Religion of Israel: Seminar
Catalog Number: 3265
Peter Machinist, Lawrence E. Stager and members of the Department
Half course (fall term). Th., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 17, 18
Topic for 2007-08: Israel and the Jews in the Persian Period.
Note: Primarily for doctoral students in Hebrew Bible. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1810.
Hebrew 208r. Literature of Israel: Seminar
Catalog Number: 1356
Peter Machinist
Half course (fall term). W., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 8, 9
Topic for 2006-07: The Book of Exodus.
Note: Jointly offered with the Divinity School as 1825.
Prerequisite: Advanced reading knowledge of biblical Hebrew. Acquaintance with other relevant ancient and modern languages desirable.
Hebrew 230. Midrash: The Figure of Abraham: Seminar - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 7364
Jon D. Levenson ( Divinity School )
Half course (fall term). W., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
A close reading in Hebrew of some rabbinic midrashim centering on the figure of Abraham. Emphasis on the acquisition of the textual skills necessary for studying midrash and on the role of Abraham in rabbinic theology. Ample comparison with other primary sources about Abraham from Second Temple Judaism and the New Testament, presented in English.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1803.
Prerequisite: Sound reading knowledge of Hebrew (any period).
Graduate Courses of Reading and Research
*Hebrew 300. Classical Hebrew Language and Literature
Catalog Number: 7831
Shaye J.D. Cohen 4180, Jo Ann Hackett 2389, Paul D. Hanson ( Divinity School ) 1394 (on leave fall term), John Huehnergard 7697, Peter Machinist 2812, and Lawrence E. Stager 1468
*Hebrew 350. Postbiblical Hebrew Language and Literature
Catalog Number: 4408
Shaye J.D. Cohen 4180, Jay M. Harris 2266, and Bernard Septimus 7160
Yiddish
Yiddish A. Elementary Yiddish
Catalog Number: 4623
Yuri Vedenyapin
Full course (indivisible). Fall: M., W., F., at 10; M., W., F., at 11; Spring: M., W., F., at 10. EXAM GROUP: 3
Introduction to the Yiddish language, and to the culture of Ashkenazic Jewry, including story, song, and film of Europe, the Americas, and Israel.
Note: For students with little or no knowledge of Yiddish.
Yiddish Ba. Intermediate Yiddish I
Catalog Number: 6023
Yuri Vedenyapin
Half course (fall term). M., W., 1–2:30.
Further develops the four basic communication skills. Includes selected readings from modern Yiddish literature.
Prerequisite: Yiddish A or equivalent.
Yiddish Bb. Intermediate Yiddish II
Catalog Number: 1239
Yuri Vedenyapin
Half course (spring term). M., W., F., at 11. EXAM GROUP: 4
Continuation of Yiddish Ba.
Yiddish Ca. Advanced Yiddish I
Catalog Number: 8331
Yuri Vedenyapin
Half course (fall term). M., W., F., at 11. EXAM GROUP: 8, 9
Yiddish Cb. Advanced Yiddish II
Catalog Number: 8968
Yuri Vedenyapin
Half course (spring term). M., W., F., at 1. EXAM GROUP: 6
Prerequisite: Yiddish Ca or equivalent.
Yiddish 104. Faith and Reason in Modern Yiddish Literature - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 9102
Ruth R. Wisse
Half course (fall term). Th., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
Declining confidence in God and growing faith in human reason inspired the renaissance of Yiddish and Hebrew literatures, until their writers began to doubt its "improvements." Course examines this premise studying major works of fiction, drama, and poetry by I. L. Peretz,Sholem Aleichem, Bialik, An-sky, Asch, Brenner, Berdyczewski, the family Singer, and others. Readings in English. Added section available for readers of Yiddish.
Primarily for Graduates
Yiddish 200r. Modern Yiddish Literature: Bashevis Singer and Grade: Seminar
Catalog Number: 4263
Ruth R. Wisse
Half course (spring term). Th., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
Cast as the great rivals of modern Yiddish prose, Singer and Grade gain from being studied in tandem. Course treats their approaches to autobiography, choices of literary genre, treatments of gender, uses of memory and commemoration, responses to the Holocaust, Israel , and America .
Prerequisite: Reading knowledge of Yiddish required.
Graduate Courses of Reading and Research
*Yiddish 300. Yiddish Language and Literature
Catalog Number: 7833
Ruth R. Wisse 3177
THE STUDY OF RELIGION
Religion 11. World Religions Today: Diaspora, Diversity and Dialogue
Catalog Number: 4811
Diana L. Eck
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 11:30–1.
An introduction to five of the world's religious traditions --Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim-- through the voices of modern adherents and interpreters. How do people in each tradition articulate their faith in the context of the modern world and its many forms of diaspora and globalization? How do they think about the challenges of religious pluralism? What are the tensions within traditions? Between traditions? In a world of religious difference, what does dialogue mean?
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3220.
Religion 28. The Hebrew Bible and Its Worlds - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 1482
Shaye J.D. Cohen
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 1–2:30.
This course is a survey of the major books, genres, institutions, and ideas of the Hebrew Bible (commonly called the Old Testament). The course will also treat the historical contexts in which the Bible emerged, and the Bible's role as canonical scripture in Judaism and Christianity. All readings in translation. No prior knowledge of the subject is assumed.
Religion 1004. Competing Fundamentalisms in the "Holy Land" - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 8455
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Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
This seminar will examine Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Market Fundamentalisms in Israel / Palestine in relation to the following themes: Election and Covenants; Land and Sacred Spaces; Democracy and Human Rights; Gender Justice; Violence and non-Violence; Anti Semitism and Racism.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School .
Religion 1007. Religion in Multicultural America: Case Studies in Religious Pluralism
Catalog Number: 8833 Enrollment: Limited to 15.
Diana L. Eck
Half course (fall term). W., 1–3.
An exploration and analysis of the dynamic multi-religious landscape of the US with special focus on Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and Sikh traditions. In what contexts do minority religious communities encounter long-dominant Christian and Jewish communities? How is America changing as religious communities struggle with civic, constitutional, and theological issues, especially in the post-9/11 period? Reading , discussion, and class projects will focus on particular cases and controversies.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3847.
Religion 1076. Religion and Politics in Current “Fundamentalist” Movements
Catalog Number: 8243
Harvey G. Cox, Jr. ( Divinity School )
Half course (spring term). Tu., 1–3 and an hour to be arranged.
A comparative investigation of ultra-conservative movements within four different religious traditions: Jewish “Settler” theology, the Chabad, and the Lubavot; Roman Catholic dissenting Marian groups and Opus Dei; Protestant TV Evangelists, “Christian Zionism”, and Megachurches; and Islamic radicalism (Hamas) and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 2511.
Religion 1260. Midrash: Jewish Biblical Interpretation in the Rabbinic Period
Catalog Number: 2424
Jon D. Levenson ( Divinity School )
Half course (fall term). M., W., 10–11:30.
An introduction to the way the rabbis of the Talmudic period interpreted their Bible. Close reading in English of a range of midrashic literature, halakhic and aggadic, exegetical and homiletical, Tannaitic and Amoraic. Emphasis on literary assumptions and theological affirmations. Consideration of the affinities and contrasts of midrash with early Christian biblical interpretation and with contemporary literary theory.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3669.
Religion 1528. The German Church Struggle and the Holocaust - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 6091
Ronald Thiemann ( Divinity School )
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
An analysis of the role of the churches in Germany during the period 1918-1945. Consideration will be given to the following topics: religious intellectuals and the Weimar culture, Christian anti-Judaism, the rise of Nazism and the role of the church, the confessing church movement, and Christian resistance to and complicity with the Holocaust.
Note: Jointly offered with the Divinity School as 2536.
HARVARD DIVINITY SCHOOL
Reading Midrash
Catalog Number: 1469
John T. Townsend
Half course (fall)
Times to be arranged. First meeting Sept. 22, 2-4
This course will examine and interpret midrashic literature with those having at least an intermediate knowledge of Hebrew. The readings this year will be from Tanhuma Buber and Abba Gorion on Esther. Prerequisite: at least two years of Hebrew or the equivalent. (Also offered in Area III as 3677.)
1881 Ritual, Gender, and Space in Ancient Judaism and Early
Christianity
Catalog Number: HDS 1881
Joan Branham
Half Course (Spring 2008) Th., 3-5
Location to be announced.
This seminar examines ritual, gender, and space as they are formulated in the ancient Jerusalem Temple and then appropriated and/or reinterpreted in late-antique synagogues and churches. Students will analyze textual and archaeological evidence as well as theories of sacred space, working at the intersection of three methodological disciplines: art history, women's studies, and history of religions.
3660 Gender, Justice, and Jewish Law
Catalog Number: HDS 3660
Ronit Irshai
Half Course (Spring 2008) Tu., 9-11
Location to be announced.
The course treats the challenges of feminist theory to traditional Judaism both in the areas of theology and of \halakhah/ (Jewish law). After a brief introduction to the feminist critiques in the field of epistemology, jurisprudence and religion, as well as to the nature and function of Jewish law, we explore discrimination against women in the form, content and tone of \halakhah/, with particular attention to legal rulings on women's Torah study, abortion, and family planning. The theological section focuses on how Jewish theology responds to feminist critiques that God, as the author of Jewish law, fails to seek justice for women.
HARVARD LAW SCHOOL
Jewish Law: The Legal Thought of Maimonides
Catalog Number: 40320-31
Hani Ben-Menahem (Visiting Professor)
Spring, 2 classroom credits
This class will examine Maimonides' legal corpus--including his explicitly legal works, the Code and the responsa; the philosophical Guide for the Perplexed; and the interpretative Commentary on the Mishnah--and the jurisprudential assumptions on which it rests. Though we will be focusing on the legal thought and jurisprudential strategies of one individual, so central is Maimonides in the development of Jewish law that in studying his approach, a wide range of topics pertaining to Jewish law in general, many not related exclusively to Maimonides, will of necessity be touched upon. Students will thus acquire a broad understanding of various theoretical and socio-pragmatic aspects of Jewish law. A reader with all the material in English translation will be provided.
HARVARD EXTENSION SCHOOL
FORE E-169 Modernity and Tradition in Jewish Literature (22770)
Sacvan Bercovitch, PhD, Powell M. Cabot Professor of American Literature, Emeritus,
Harvard University .
Graduate seminar. Course tuition: graduate credit $1,725. Limited enrollment.Spring term: Wednesdays, 7:35-9:35 pm, Sever Hall, Room 107.
This course sets out to explore a controversial set of assumptions: first, that there is a Jewish literary tradition; second, that we can speak of distinctively Jewish forms of modernity; and third, that Jewish modernism, so understood, expresses certain changing-but-persistent modes of Jewish identity. The tradition in question lies in a procession of cultural-religious-literary texts, beginning with the Bible. The Jewish modernists we consider represent three major strains of modernity in the arts. They also represent three major areas of the modern Jewish diaspora: Franz Kafka, "assimilated Western" European Jews; Isaac Babel, Russia's "Eastern ghetto" Jews; and Saul Bellow and Philip Roth, the hyphenated "Jewish-Americans." All these writers have been canonized in their respective national literatures. Yet all had crucial Jewish connections and each was profoundly engaged with his sense of racial identity. Together, they suggest the diverse ways in which Jewish tradition (as identity and as a cultural legacy) affected modern literature and culture. (4 credits)
RELI E-1076 Religion and Politics in Current Fundamentalist
Movements (22767)
Harvey G. Cox, Jr., PhD, Hollis Professor of Divinity, Harvard Divinity School .
Course tuition: noncredit and undergraduate credit $700, graduate credit $1,625.Spring term
Online only, beginning Feb. 6. See Distance Education. Required sections to be arranged.
This course is a comparative investigation of ultraconservative movements within four different religious traditions: Jewish "Settler" theology, the Chabad, and the Lubavot; Roman Catholic dissenting Marian groups and Opus Dei; Protestant TV evangelists, "Christian Zionism," and megachurches; and Islamic radicalism (Hamas) and the Muslim Brotherhood. The recorded lectures are from the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences course Religion 1076. Prerequisite: students must view sample online lectures before they register. (4 credits)