Fall 2025

 

HEB*1010*A Modern Elementary Hebrew I

M, W, F 12:30-1:40 PM

This course is designed for students with no prior experience in the language. Special emphasis is placed on active communication to develop oral and comprehension skills. If you have prior knowledge of Hebrew either in a traditional academic setting or a religious setting contact the instructor to determine your Hebrew level. A paper and pencil placement exam is available.

Additional Information: course fee $20

 

HEB*3010*A Falafel Nation

M, W 2:00 PM – 3:40 PM

Focusing on the period between the 1905 immigration wave and the present, the course will explore the cultural, social, and economic practices relating to the production and consumption of food in Palestine and later Israel. The course will also analyze how the change in relationship between Israelis and their food mirrors the search for a definition of modern Jewish nationalism. We will examine the role of women (focusing on the struggle of pioneer women to be recognized as equal partners in the building of the country), ethnic groups, and different generations in the food narrative of the country and we will also highlight some of the issues associated with this narrative. In addition, the course will also examine trends in food globalization and food glocalization.  We will also examine how political differences (Israeli Palestinian Conflict and Israel’s neighbors) are translated into food wars and on the other hand we will also examine the ways in which efforts are made to use food as a bridge to create an understanding between nations (gastro diplomacy). Does not count toward the World Language Proficiency Requirement; taught in English.

Additional Information: course fee $100

 

HST*1390*A Fascism and Propaganda

M, W, F 11:00 AM-12:10 PM

This course focuses on the theory and practice of propaganda during the 12 years of the Third Reich. It combines the study of the ideological roots of National Socialism, the radical and peculiarly German form of Fascism, with a close analysis of the techniques, organization, and effectiveness of the Nazi regime’s propaganda. Challenging the idea of the total power of propaganda, it looks for the limits of persuasion and possible other reasons for which Germans might have decided to follow Hitler. The course is divided into two main parts, which address (1) the historical developments in Nazi Germany until the outbreak of the War, 1933-1939; and (2) the Second World War and the destruction of European Jewry, 1939-1945.

 

REL*1850*A Jewish Traditions

Tu, Th 12:30 PM – 2:10 PM

This course traces the history of the Jewish community from its origins in ancient Israel to the present day, considering the evolution of its major ideas and practices as well as the diversity of Jewish cultures throughout the world. A range of classical and contemporary Jewish approaches to theology, ethics, ritual, gender, peoplehood, spirituality, authority, and relations with other communities will be explored.