Documenting Israeli and Palestinian Food Cultures: Teaching and Travel

Catalog description

How does the study of food cultures allow us to approach cultural intersections, conflict, and peacemaking, especially in a region as fraught as Israel and Palestine? This course, cotaught by CMU faculty in the departments of History, Modern Languages, and the Entertainment Technology Center, is designed to provide students with a historical and cultural background about the hybrid nature of Jewish and Palestinian-Arab cultures and the multiple ethnic contributions to food cultures in Israel/Palestine, as well as with media-tech skills, with the aim of preparing them for travel to Israel and the West Bank during Spring Break 2023. In the weeks leading up to the trip, the professors will introduce students to the history, literature, film, and language(s) of the region, as well as to critical scholarship in food studies. Students will also begin developing and creating their own personal narrative experience in the media of their choice. During the trip, students will participate in documenting local food cultures through film and other media. Upon their return, they will work on the production of a collaborative multi-layered interactive documentary (iDoc) meant to capture their first-hand experiences with local and regional cuisine practices in Israel and the West Bank, and present separate small group final projects based on these experiences. Specific course themes will include: the shared history of Arabs and Jews from the rise of Islam to Al-Andalus (Muslim Spain) and the Ottoman Empire to the modern and contemporary history of the Arab-Israeli conflict; the history of Sephardi, Ashkenazi, and Mizrahi Jewish immigration and contributions to Israeli cuisine; Palestinian identity, culinary traditions and gendered aspects of food practices; the politics of food; and Palestinian and Jewish voices in literary contexts. To apply to be considered for this course, go to…