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Introduction to Judaism
Fall 2008
Hebrew and Semitic Studies 211
Jewish Studies 211
Religious Studies 211
Instructor:
Professor Jordan D. Rosenblum
Office: Department of Hebrew and Semitic Studies, 1340 Van Hise Hall
Office Hours: TuTh 10:30-11:30 and by appointment
E-mail: jrosenblum@wisc.edu
Course Hours:
Tuesday and Thursday 1:00-2:20 pm
Prerequisite(s):
This course assumes no prior knowledge of Hebrew
and/or Judaism.
Course Description:
This course surveys the major practices, beliefs, and traditions of
Judaism. Throughout, we will ask: what is Judaism? In an
attempt to answer this deceptively simple question, students will
examine how Jewish communities across history have shaped their
practices and beliefs within their own specific historical
circumstances. Further, students will explore how Jewish
self-identity, textual traditions, and religious practices combine to
define “Judaism.” Students will interact with primary sources,
including (but not limited to) the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, and the
Zohar.
Course Goals:
Through guided reading in the classroom and at home, students will
learn how to read historical documents, in general. Students will
further develop these analytical skills through several writing
assignments, both in class and take home. Finally, students will
understand the historical development and the literature of rabbinic
Judaism.
Requirements and Grading:
(1) Regular class attendance of lectures and careful preparation
of assigned texts are
considered essential aspects of this course. For each reading
from Michael Satlow’s Creating Judaism, be prepared to answer
in class the discussion questions located at:
http://www.creatingjudaism.com/resourcesindex.html. Please bring
the assigned texts to both class and discussion section each
week. In grading papers and tests, we will be particularly
concerned that you are learning the material and concepts that are
taught in class sessions. Prior learning of Jewish sources is not
a substitute for doing the work required by this course.
(2) Attendance and participation in sections: 10%. Active involvement in discussion sections is highly important. Your teaching assistant will provide an additional syllabus with standards and guidelines. In both class and discussion sections, students are expected to arrive on time.
(3) Regular Pop Quizzes: 10%. Throughout the semester, students should expect to receive occasional in-class pop quizzes. These short quizzes will assess students’ knowledge of course readings and will occur at the beginning of class. If a student is absent when a pop quiz is given, then his/her grade for that quiz will be a 0. At the end of the semester, the lowest quiz grade will be dropped, and the remaining grades will be averaged and will count towards 10% of each student’s grade. There will be no opportunities to make-up a missed pop quiz.
(4) Two papers: 15% each; 30% total. Two short papers, each not more than three typed, double-spaced pages, will be assigned during the semester. They are due at the beginning of class on October 14 and December 2. No e-mail submissions will be accepted.
(5) Midterm: 20%. There will be one midterm, given in-class on October 23. It may address any of the readings and class discussions up to that point.
(6) Final Exam: 30%. The final exam, given on December 19, will be cumulative and may address any of the readings and class discussions. Students must take the final exam at the scheduled time.
(7) You may sign up for honors credit, which can be a very productive way of exploring your own interests in relation to the topics of the course. If you do so, it is your responsibility to talk with the professor to arrange your honors work in the first two weeks of the semester.
**Students are expected to bring relevant texts to every class**
Honor Code:
Students are expected to follow the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Academic Honor Code. If students have any questions about this
policy, please speak with your teaching assistant or the
instructor. More information on plagiarism can be found at:
http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/QPA_plagiarism.html
Absence Policy:
Attendance for the lectures is very important, since there is no single
source in the library (or the internet) for the material covered in the
lectures. Attendance will not be taken directly, but the ability
to complete the course assignments will indirectly reflect your
attendance. Students whose behavior in class is disruptive can
expect a significant reduction in their final grade. We will
start class on time and end on time. Please do not disrupt the
class by arriving late or leaving early.
Extension Policy:
Extensions on papers and exams will not be granted. For
each 24-hour period that a paper is late, the student’s grade will be
reduced by one full letter grade.
Required Books:
(1) Michael L. Satlow, Creating Judaism: History, Tradition,
Practice [Columbia
University Press, 2006](CJ)
(2) The Jewish Study Bible [Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi
Brettler, eds; Oxford University
Press, 1999] (recommended)
(3) Electronic Reserve (R)
**All books are available for purchase at the
University Bookstore**
Class Schedule:
September
2
Introduction; Studying Religion and Defining Judaism
Reading: CJ, “Introduction,”
1-21
September
4
Contemporary Judaism: Overview
Reading: CJ, “Promised Lands,”
22-68
September
9
Jewish Identity in America
Reading: Jane Leavy, Sandy Koufax: A Lefty’s Legacy, 167-194
(R); Tuchman and Levine, “‘Safe Treyf’: New York Jews and
Chinese Food,” 1-23 (R)
September
11
Creating Judaism
Reading: CJ, “Creating Judaism,” 69-95
September
16
The Hebrew Bible: A Brief Survey
Reading: Genesis 1-3, 17; Exodus 19-20; Leviticus 19; Deuteronomy 4-6,
34; Isaiah 6; Ezekiel 1; Proverbs 8
September 18
The
Hebrew Bible: Purity and Dietary Laws
Reading: Leviticus 11; Deuteronomy 14; Mary Douglas, “The Abominations
of Leviticus,” 42-58 (R); Marvin Harris, "The Abominable Pig,”
67-79 (R)
September
23
The Second Temple Period
Reading: CJ, “Between Athens and Jerusalem,” 96-114;
Community Rule (R); Damascus Document (R)
September
25
The Rabbis
Reading: CJ, “The Rabbis,” 115-139
September
30
NO CLASS: Rosh Hashanah
October
2
Text Workshop: Midrash
Reading: Midrash Selections (R)
Paper One topics distributed
October
7
Text Workshop: Talmud
Reading: Talmud Selections (R)
October 9 NO CLASS: Yom Kippur
October
14
Rabbinic Concepts: God and Creation
Reading: CJ, “Rabbinic Concepts,” 140-163
** Paper One due in class **
October
16
Rabbinic Concepts: Torah and Revelation
Reading: Selections (R)
October 21
Rabbinic
Concepts: Israel and Redemption
Reading: Selections (R)
October 23 MIDTERM (in class)
October
28
Mitzvot: Overview and Kashrut
Reading: CJ, “Mitzvot,” 164-186; Reread Leviticus 11;
Deuteronomy 14; “Jewish Dietary Laws” (R)
October
30
Mitzvot: Sacred Time and Prayer
Reading: Mishnah Shabbat 7 (R); Mishnah Pesahim 10 (R);
Mishnah Sukkah 1-2 (R); Mishnah Rosh Hashanah 1 (R);
Mishnah Yoma 8:9 (R); Mishnah Berakhot (R)
November
4
Mitzvot: Lifecycle
Reading: Ivan Marcus, “Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah, Confirmation,”
82-123 (R); Selections (R)
November
6
Geonim
Reading: CJ, “The Rise of Reason,” 187-208
November
11
Maimonides
Reading: CJ, “From Moses to Moses,” 209-228; Selections from
Maimonides (R)
November
13
Mysticism
Reading: CJ, “Seeing God,” 229-249; Selections from the Zohar
(R)
November
18
The Dawn of Modernity
Reading: CJ, “East and West,” 250-287
Paper Two topics distributed
November
20
The Rise of Jewish Denominationalism
Reading: Reform Responsa on Cosmetic surgery:
http://data.ccarnet.org/cgi-bin/respdisp.pl?file=7&year=5752 ;
Conservative Responsa on the Status of Transexuals:
http://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/teshuvot/docs/20012004/rabinowitz_transsexuals.pdf
;
Orthodox Responsa on Cloning People:
http://jlaw.com/Articles/cloning.html
November 25 NO CLASS: Society of Biblical Literature conference
November 27 NO CLASS: Thanksgiving
December
2
Jewish Denominationalism: Women and Gender
Reading: Stuart Charmé, “The Political Transformation of Gender
Traditions at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, 5-34 (R)
** Paper Two Due In Class **
December 4
Jewish
Denominationalism: Kashrut, “Outreach,” etc.
Reading: David Kraemer, “‘Bugs in the System’ (The Kashrut
Wars),” 147-172 (R)
December
9
The Holocaust; Israel
Reading: Saul Friedländer, “The Holocaust,” 412-444 (R); S.
Ilan
Troen, “Settlement and State in Eretz Israel,” 445-470 (R)
December 11 Conclusions and Review
December
19
FINAL EXAM
2:45 PM – 4:45 PM