Courses

Courses by semester

Courses for

Complete Cornell University course descriptions are in the Courses of Study .

Course ID Title Offered
JWST2644 Introduction to Judaism
This course is an introduction to Jewish identities, values, and practices from the ancient to modern era. Organized thematically, it examines Judaism as a religious phenomenon, with a particular emphasis on its cultural and textual diversity across three millennia. Themes covered include creation, Sabbath, prayer, Jerusalem, pious customs, magic, reincarnation, revelation, among others. Throughout the semester students perform close readings of a wide selection of Jewish texts from the Bible, Talmud, kabbalah (mysticism), philosophy, liturgy, and modern Jewish thought. In what ways are these various traditions of Judaism interrelated and/or in tension with one another? In the face of the Jewish history's tremendous diversity, what is it that has unified Judaism and the Jewish people over the centuries? By exploring these types of questions, this course examines the appropriateness of defining Judaism as a religion, an ethnicity, a civilization, and/or a culture. Readings include introductory-level textbooks and essays, as well as a range of primary source materials in translation.

Full details for JWST 2644 - Introduction to Judaism

Spring.
JWST2720 The World of Italian Jewry
The Jewish community of Rome is the oldest one in all of Europe, dating back to 200 BCE, but it is only a part of a complex and fascinating mosaic that is Italian Jewry. In this course we will examine the long Jewish presence in the Italian peninsula through the work of some of Italy's most eminent modern Jewish writers, as well as the writings of historians of Jewish Italy. We will focus on the historical events that have shaped the past hundred and fifty years: the role of Italian Jews in the unification of Italy and state-building, two world wars and different social movements of the pre- and post-WWII eras, and the plurality of Jewish voices today, especially in their relationship to Israel and the diaspora. The course material will include several lectures by Italian scholars active in the field and by at least one writer discussed in the course, and visits to Italian cultural and political institutions relevant to our topic.

Full details for JWST 2720 - The World of Italian Jewry

Summer.
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