American Jewish History and Culture

Catalog description

What has it meant to be Jewish in America in the modern era? It’s a provocative question, and one that has many different answers depending on the time period and whom you ask. (Two Jews, three opinions, right?) This course will explore some of these answers and the debates surrounding them by examining the history and culture of the Jewish community over the past 150 years, starting with the first immigration in the 1800s, and working our way to the present day. Among the topics covered will be the different waves of Jewish immigration, the evolving role of women within American Judaism, relations with other immigrant and minority communities, and Zionism. Looking at these and other subjects will help us to understand how the community has arrived at the place it is today. This course fulfills the American Jewish History requirement.