RUSS 380CJewish New York

Catalog

A study of ethnic, urban, and material history with a focus on Yiddish speaking, Eastern European immigrant society and the story of its arrival into America's signature metropolis at the turn of the twentieth century. With this broad canvas in mind, we will tackle themes that have a particular as well as universal resonance, such as the collective imagining of home for those who are newly displaced, and of newer identities embraced with the abandonment of the old. To wrap our minds around this historical purpose, we will turn to an eclectic mix of sources: literature and film, urban architecture and everyday objects will become our tools to excavate an emergent "New York-ish" world in all its distinctive detail.