FYI HIST106 Jewish Responses to Modernity
| Prof. Magdalena Teter
208 PAC Ext. 5356 E-mail: mteter@wesleyan.edu |
Classes: Tu Th., 2:40-4 pm
Location: Fisk 414
Office hours: T: 10:30-12; Th: 1:00-2:30 or by appointment. |
This course will explore challenges and dilemmas Jews faced in modern
times, their responses to them and the formation of new modern Jewish identities.
We will read primary sources by authors such as Baruch/Benedict Spinoza,
Moses Mendelssohn, Samson Raphael Hirsh, Solomon Maimon, Israel Salanter,
Rahel Levin Varnhagen, Rosa Luxemburg, Heinrich Heine and others. We will
also watch some films that explore the same questions.
| Major Readings:
F. Forman Found Treasures: Stories by Yiddish Women
Texts by some of the authors mentioned above, distributed in class. ALL BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT THE "ATTICUS" BOOKSTORE. They are also all on reserve in the Olin Library. |
Wesleyan University's Library offers a lot of valuable research resources, contact Alan Nathanson to guide you through the Library's treasures. |
1. Th. 01/25 Introduction
2. Tue. 01/30 The Meaning of Modernity and Social and Legal Changes (M. Meyer "Where Does the Modern Period of Jewish History Begin?", Judaism 24 (1975) on Ereserves ; M. Pelli “When did Haskalah begin? Establishing the Beginning of Haskalah Literature and the definition of “Modernism” Leo Baeck Institute Year Book 44 (1999) + H. Gordon Writing with Sources
3. Thu. 02/01 "Precursors of Modernity": Baruch Spinoza (Hand-out + Jew in the Modern World pp. 57-61)
4. Tue. 02/06 The Enlightenment, Its Values and Problems: Hand-Out+ Jew in the Modern World pp. 304-309)
5. Thu. 02/08 Revolution and Emancipation: New Challenges (Jew in the Modern World pp.114-161; M. Graetz "From Corporate Community to Ethnic-Religious Minority 1750-1830", LBIY 37 (1992) on Ereserves + Handout);
6. Tue. 02/13 Moses Mendelssonhn Jerusalem Part I PAPER TOPICS ANNOUNCED
7. Thu. 02/15 Moses Mendelssonhn Jerusalem Part II
8. Tue. 02/20 The Berlin Haskalah: Jew in the Modern World pp. 70-114 + J. Lehmann “Maimonides, Mendelssohn and the Measfim” LBYI XX (1975) - Handout.
9. Thu. 02/22 Haskalah and What’s Next? Jew in the Modern World pp. 260-261; 256-259; (Plus Heine hand-out) DRAFT of the First Paper DUE
10. Tue. 02/27 Religious Reform and Adjustment: M. Meyer “The Religious Reform Controversy in the Berlin Jewish Community 1814-1823” LBIY XXIV (1979) on Ereserves and Jew in the Modern World pp. 161, 162, 167-168; 173-178; 187-188
11. Thu. 03/01 Religious Reform and Adjustment: Orthodox Judaism in the West: Jew in the Modern World pp. 169-173; 197-211; Samson Raphael Hirsch Hand-out)
12. Tue. 03/06 Religious Reactions in the East: Hasidism (hand-out)
13. Thu. 03/08 Between Tradition and Modernity Solomon Maimon Autobiography (reader). First Paper due
SPRING BREAK
FILM: Life Apart 121 Science Center, Monday 03/26 7:15 pm
14. Tue. 03/27 Discussion of the Film and Other Religious Responses in the East (Mitnagdut and Musar) Readings to be assigned (Hand-out)
15. Thu. 03/29 FILM: The Quarrel
16. Tue. 04/03 Discussion of the Film and of the Musar movement (Hand-out)
17. Thu. 04/05 Secular Response: Modern Jewish Studies (Jew in the Modern World pp. 211-259; H. Graetz Hand-out + M. Meyer "Jewish Religious Reform and Wissenschaft des Judentums: The Position of Zunz, Geiger and Frankel", LBIY 16 (1971) Ereserves ) PAPER TOPICS ANNOUNCED
18. Tue. 04/10 Secular Response: Socialism (R. Luxemburg – Hand-out, Found Treasures pp.105-122, 145-157, 187-192)
19. Thu. 04/13 Secular Response: Other Voices (Jew in the Modern World pp. 265-280; 289-292; 295-301)
20. Tue. 04/17 Nationalism: Zionism: T. Herzl Jewish State DRAFT DUE
21. Thu. 04/19 Nationalism: Zionism and Modernity: T. Herzl Old New Land
22. Tue. 04/24 Nationalism: Jews in the Diaspora Jew in the Modern World pp. 417-423; 424-425)
23. Thu. 04/26 Jewish Women and Modernity I: Women in the Traditional/Orthodox Society (reader; Found Treasures pp. 65-104; L. Gordon "Toward a Gender Inclusive Account of the Halakhah" in Gender and Judaism: The Transformation of Tradition (New York: NYU Press 1995) on Ereserves .
FILM: Kadosh Thursday 04/26 001 PAC, 7 pm
24. Tue. 05/01 Jewish Women and Modernity II: Discussion of the Film; Other dilemmas: P. Hyman Gender and Assimilation in Modern Jewish History. LAST PAPER DUE
25 Thu. 05/03 Jewish Women and Modernity III: Film Half the Kingdom and discussion.
26. Tue. 05/08 Modern Jewish Identity – reassessment