Judaic Studies Courses Spring 2023
JST 205-0001 – Jewish History and Antisemitism: From Antiquity to the Founding of the State of Israel – Merrill Hall 335, 2:00-3:15 PM, TTh
This course is a history of antisemitism, describing its manifestations from pre-Christian Alexandria to the founding of the State of Israel. Students will be exposed to several academic and popular theories of antisemitism, exploring debates about its proper scope and development, and integrate these ideas with a study of the arc of Jewish history, read closely together in primary sources.
No prerequisites. General Education: Cultural Diversity & International Perspectives; Ethics
Instructor: Rabbi William Siemers, william.siemers@maine.edu
JST 383-0002 – Jewish American Literature – Jenness Hall 102, 1:00-1:50 PM, MWF
What role does ethnicity and religion play in the American literary tradition? What is the Jewish American literary tradition? How and where does it fit into a larger American literary tradition? In this class, we will explore these issues as we follow the Jewish American tradition from the 19th century work of Emma Lazarus, famous for her poem on the Statue of Liberty, through the 20th-century and into the present. Along the way, we’ll read the Nobel Laureate Saul Bellow along with Bernard Malamud, Cynthia Ozick, Philip Roth, and Grace Paley. We’ll conclude with work from a contemporary writer such as Nicole Kraus, Nathan Englander, Allegra Goodman, Michael Chabon or Jonathan Safran Foer.
Cross-listed as ENG 382. Prerequisites: 6 credits beyond ENG 101 (ENG 170 and ENG 222 recommended) or instructor permission. General Education: Western Cultural Tradition
Instructor: Jonathan Barron, jonathan.barron@maine.edu
HBR 102-0180 – Beginning Modern Hebrew II – Online Live, 12:30-1:45 PM, TTh
Continued study of the basics of the Hebrew language, with equal emphasis on developing reading, listening comprehension, speaking and writing skills. Continued discussion of Hebrew as an expression of Jewish culture in Israel and the United States. For students with one semester study of Hebrew or the equivalent as determined through consultation with the instructor.
Prerequisites: HBR 101 or equivalent
General Education: Cultural Diversity & International Perspectives.
Instructor: Shellie Batuski, shellie.batuski@maine.edu
Registration
To register for courses as a non-degree student see https://umaine.edu/dlladvising/non-degree-student-information/. Courses are FREE for Maine residents 65 and older (https://umaine.edu/dlladvising/senior-citizen-tuition-waiver/).