HEBREW

JUDC 102     Elementary Hebrew
Ms. Gutmark | MWF 10-10:50
Ms. Fox | T Th 9:30-10:50

In this course, students will acquire basic conversational and grammatical Hebrew skills. Students will learn primary grammatical structures and develop a vocabulary that will allow them to carry basic conversations in modern Hebrew. In addition to the linguistic aspects of the course, students will be introduced to various facets of modern Israeli culture - the culture in which modern Hebrew developed and continues to evolve. Students will listen to live Israeli radio, read newspapers at basic level, watch movies and video clips, learn songs, eat Israeli food, play games, and learn about the Jewish holidays. Emphasis is placed on developing basic skills: listening, reading, writing, comprehension, and conversation. The course is tailored to accommodate students on different levels.

JUDC 112             Hebrew Language Lab
Ms. Rosenblatt | TBA

These tutorial/recitation sessions are intended to aid Elementary Hebrew students in their studies through conversation, readings, and exercises administered in a small-group setting incorporating some work at the individual student’s pace. Three one-hour sessions will be offered every week, in which issues of students’ in-class work and written assignments will be addressed as needed.

JUDC 202     Intermediate Hebrew
Ms. Gutmark | MWF 9-9:50
Ms.  Fox | TH    9-10:20

Games, Israeli movies, songs, and newspapers, recordings of conversations, art, Israeli feast, celebrating holidays, live Israeli radio; these are some of the means by which Modern Hebrew is taught in this Intermediate-level class. This course is a dynamic combination of grammar, syntax, vocabulary, prose and poetry, and Israeli culture. Emphasis is put on developing the basic skills: listening, reading, writing, comprehension, and conversation. Students have the opportunity to teach their class-mates and give oral presentations regularly. Group work, cooperative learning and discussions are used in every class. In-class work is supplemented by multimedia activities in the mandatory language lab, using the audio-visual and interactive web sites, in order to give students multiple learning opportunities, suited to a variety of learning styles.

JUDC 262     Biblical Hebrew 2
Mr. Brolley | MWF 9:9-50

* This course provides the student with an overview of the Hebrew Bible in English translation, without neglecting the significance of biblical Hebrew. We will examine and discuss basic issues of scripture and canon, and will occasionally compare Judaism’s and Christianity’s approaches to the biblical writings. There will also be extensive discussion of such topics as literary genre, authorship and editorial activity, and historical context. Throughout the quarter, we will engage a broad range of scholarly opinion concerning the Bible’s composition and content.

JUDC 332     Advanced Hebrew
Dr. Kaplan | T Th 9:30-10:50

This is an advanced level course in Modern Hebrew with a focus on Modern Hebrew texts. The aim of this course is to develop students’ abilities to read texts in modern Hebrew, through intensive study of advanced aspects of Hebrew grammar, morphology, phonology, syntax and semantics through reading and grammatical analysis of selected texts.  Class discussions will be based on assigned readings, and deal with topics of general interest and with issues related to Israeli society.

CORE COURSES

JUDC 128                 History of Jewish Civilization
Dr. Kraus | MWF 11-11:50
Dr. Krome | TH 9:30-10:50

The Middle Ages are the bridge between the worlds of the Bible and the rabbis and the Judaism of today. This second part of the survey will trace the development of Jewish civilization from the rise of Islam until the eve of the Enlightenment. It will focus on three aspects of medieval Jewish life: political and cultural relations with the external world; community building; and Jewish thought. You will meet famous figures from Rashi to Maimonides, as well as ordinary Jewish men and women; you will encounter mystics and mothers, poets and philosophers, communal leaders and criminals. Department majors are required to complete an honors project.

JUDC 135            Introduction to Judaism 
Dr. Kraus | MWF 12-12:50

Judaism is the religion of the Jews. In this course, we will explore the ideas, texts, and religious practices of the Jewish people.  The course will introduce students to the basic texts of Judaism (Bible, Talmud, prayer book), to the Jewish concepts of God, Torah, and Israel, to the cycle of festivals and the life cycle. We will pay  attention to contemporary issues such as the encounter between Judaism and modernism and the similarities and differences between Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, Reconstructionist and Humanist Jews.  Field trip.

JUDC 497     Capstone Seminar
Dr. Kraus | M 1:00-4:00

American Jews and Judaism:  Theory and Practice.

In this 2 quarter capstone course for Judaic Studies, we will analyze methodological issues associated with Jewish Studies and apply this analysis to an archival project related to American Jewish history.   In the Winter Quarter, we will examine how various methods provide different interpretations of specific features characteristic of the American Jewish experience. In the Spring Quarter students will write and present a seminar paper involving the use of American Jewish archival materials. All Junior or Senior majors should register for the Capstone seminar

ELECTIVES

JUDC 321     Demons
Mr. Brolley | MWF 10-10:50        

FRESHMAN SEMINAR

This course focuses on the figure of the demon in Near Eastern writings of several time periods. Our main emphasis is on the interaction between the Bible’s portrayal and non-biblical writings’ portrayals of demons and the demonic. For example: why does the Book of Job offer a picture of Satan that is so different from those offered in New Testament writings? How long a history does the figure of Lilith have, and why do English translations of the Bible translate her name as “screech owl” or “tailless ape”? And how do later religious writings – Jewish, Christian, and Muslim -- reflect the Bible’s take on demons? This quarter the Demons course is a Freshman Seminar; only freshmen may enroll, and Arts and Sciences freshmen receive first priority.

JUDC 330     Jews and Islam
Dr. Bowman | T 6:30-9:10 (evening)

Jews and Arabs have had a long and symbiotic relationship prior to the 20th century. The course will focus on the medieval period from the 7th to the 17th centuries when mutual influences were greatest and provide the background for understanding the modern controversy.

JUDC 372 Israeli Cinema
Dr. Kaplan | T Th 12:30-1:50

The course examines the major transitions and changes that have shaped modern Israeli society through the medium of film.  It focuses on the transformation of Israel from a mobilized community into a modern, self-doubting and pluralistic society that openly questions its past.  Israeli films reflect these transitions and offer a unique insight into this fascinating and continually evolving culture.

JUDC 374 Jewish and Women’s Humor
Dr. Naveh | T Th 11-12:15

This course investigates humor in its various guises and highlights its place in American society as it negotiates race, ethnicity, gender, and class relations. Students explore through the study of primary documents (stand up comedians/comediennes, Jewish and other ethnic groups, original video tapes and films stressing Jewish/women’s experience in America, live performances, interviews, etc.) the particular ways in which men and women confront social, racial, and psychological problems by using humor. Students learn about the psychological complexity of humor, laughter, etc., the catharsis experienced through laughter, and the specific ways in which humor reveals the cultural identity of a people, a country, or an ethnic group.
 
JUDC 393     Biblical Archaeology
Dr. Bowman | T Th 2-3:15

What has archaeology discovered to illuminate the past recorded in the Bible? Whereas the Bible defined to a great extent ancient history until the modern period, new civilizations were uncovered in the 19th and 20th centuries that appeared to challenge the biblical authority. How too has archaeology stimulated modern nationalism and entered the lists of regional conflicts? This course will look at the discoveries, their interpretations, and their repercussions on the world of the Bible

JUDC 508     Freud and Judaism
Dr. Naveh | T Th 2-3:15

This course focuses on Freud’s depiction of society and social change on the backdrop of his own experience as a Jew and as an ambition intellectual living in a Europe in turmoil. Students will investigate pivotal primary texts, such as Moses and Monotheism, The Future of an Illusion , and Civilization and Its Discontents, to understand Freud’s views on religion, politics, nationalism, sexuality, and gender and to uncover the underlying sources of his thinking. Secondary works by Gilman, Gay, Faber and Rieff will be studied to elucidate further the work of this giant controversial figure who has revolutionized our way of thinking about human sexuality, human drives, aggression and the subconscious.

JUDC 510     Antisemitism
Dr. Krome | M 6:30-9:10 (evening)

This course will examine the history of Antisemitism from Antiquity to the present. Special attention will be paid to the origin, development, and long term impact of Christian Anti-Judaism, with particular emphasis on the Blood Libel. The growth of modern racial Antisemitism, and the image of the Jew in popular literature, will also be examined. The class will also consider the relationship between image/rhetoric and Antisemitic violence.

PRACTICA AND INDIVIDUAL WORK

JUDC366 Practicum in Judaic Studies
Drs. Bowman, Kaplan, Kraus, Naveh | TBA

1-6 undergraduate credit hours. Internships in community organizations; teaching assistant responsibilities in Judaic Studies; other related tasks; can be used as the second component in a three-part sequence. Requires departmental contract  on the part of the student, a faculty advisor, and an on-site advisor.

JUDC 592 Individual Work Judaica
Drs. Bowman, Kaplan, Kraus, Naveh | TBA

Fall 05 Courses
Winter 05 Courses
Fall 04 Courses
Summer 04 Courses
Winter 04 Courses

Department of Judaic Studies, 50 McMicken, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0169 E-mail: Judaic.Studies@uc.edu Tel: 513.556.2297
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