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Introduction to Judaism
Fall 2009
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 11:00-12:00 and by appointment
E-mail: jrosenblum@wisc.edu
Course Hours:
Tuesday and Thursday 1:00-2:15 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learn how to read historical documents, in general.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.
Classroom Etiquette:
In both class and discussion sections, students are expected to arrive
on time and should not engage in private conversations. While
laptops are allowed in both class and discussion sections, students
should use their computers for taking notes and not for surfing the
web, sending e-mails, etc. There is no reason for a student to be
talking or sending texts on his/her cellular phone during class
time. This is distracting to both professor and students. Students
whose behavior in class is disruptive can expect a significant
reduction in their final grade.
Requirements and Grading:
(1) Regular class attendance of lectures and careful preparation
of assigned texts are
essential aspects of this course. Readings are to be completed
for the class day upon which they appear on the syllabus. 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.
(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. 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 overall grade.
(a) Students have the opportunity to replace
up to two (2) pop quizzes by
attending a CJS lecture (information available online at:
http://jewishstudies.wisc.edu/lectures/) and writing a one page
response paper. Each response paper will replace one quiz
grade. The structure of the response paper is as follows: one
paragraph summarizing the content and thesis of the lecture and one
paragraph of your own critical assessment of the lecture. Each
paper must be submitted to your teaching assistant within one week of
the lecture. Late papers will not be accepted.
(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 8 and December 1. No e-mail submissions will be accepted.
(5) Midterm: 20%. There will be one midterm, given in-class on October 20. It may address any of the readings and class discussions up to that point.
(6) Final Exam: 30%. The final exam, given on December 18, 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 in hard copy 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. For the absence policy in discussion sections, please
see the additional syllabus provided by your teaching
assistant.
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) Jeffrey Rubenstein, Rabbinic Stories [Paulist Press,
2002] (RS)
(3) The Jewish Study Bible [Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi
Brettler, eds; Oxford University
Press, 1999] (recommended) (HB)
(4) Electronic Reserve: Learn@UW (R)
**All books are available for purchase at the
University Bookstore**
Class Schedule:
September
3
Introduction; Studying Religion and Defining Judaism
Reading: CJ, “Introduction,”
1-21
September
8
Contemporary Judaism: Overview
Reading: CJ, “Promised Lands,”
22-68
September
10
Jewish Identity in the United States
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
15
Creating Judaism
Reading: CJ, “Creating Judaism,” 69-95
September
17
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 (HB)
September
22
The Hebrew Bible: Purity and Dietary Laws
Reading: Leviticus 11; Deuteronomy 14 (HB); Mary Douglas, “The
Abominations of Leviticus,” 42-58 (R); Marvin Harris, "The
Abominable Pig,” 67-79 (R)
September
24
The Second Temple Period
Reading: CJ, “Between Athens and Jerusalem,” 96-114;
Community Rule (R); Damascus Document (R)
September
29
The Rabbis
Reading: CJ, “The Rabbis,” 115-139
October
1
Text Workshop: Midrash
Reading: RS, 186-189, 193-199; Warren Harvey, “The Pupil, the
Harlot and the Fringe Benefits,” 259-264 (R)
October
6
Text Workshop: Talmud
Reading: RS, 80-84, 114-118, 128-135, 151-153
October
8
Rabbinic Concepts: God and Creation
Reading: CJ, “Rabbinic Concepts,” 140-163
** Paper One due in class **
October
13
Rabbinic Concepts: Torah, Revelation, Israel and Redemption
Reading: RS, 104-113, 163-166, 169-175, 215-217, 229-248
October
15
Rabbinic Concepts: Gender and Sexuality
Reading: Judges 4-5 (HB); RS, 139-153
October 20 MIDTERM (in class)
October
22
Mitzvot: Overview and Kashrut
Reading: CJ, “Mitzvot,” 164-186; Reread Leviticus 11;
Deuteronomy 14 (HB); “Jewish Dietary Laws” (R)
October
27
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)
October
29
Mitzvot: Lifecycle
Reading: Ivan Marcus, “Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah, Confirmation,”
82-123 (R); Selections (R)
November
3
Geonim
Reading: CJ, “The Rise of Reason,” 187-208
November
5
Maimonides
Reading: CJ, “From Moses to Moses,” 209-228; Selections from
Maimonides (R)
November
10
Mysticism
Reading: CJ, “Seeing God,” 229-249; Selections from the Zohar
(R)
November
12
The Dawn of Modernity
Reading: CJ, “East and West,” 250-287
November
17
The Rise of Jewish Denominationalism
Reading: Reform Responsum on Cosmetic surgery (R);
Conservative Responsum on the Status of Transexuals (R);
Orthodox Responsum on Cloning People (R)
Paper Two topics distributed
November
19
Jewish Denominationalism: Women and Gender
Reading: Stuart Charmé, “The Political Transformation of Gender
Traditions at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, 5-34 (R)
November 24 NO CLASS: Society of Biblical Literature conference
November 26 NO CLASS: Thanksgiving
December
1
Jewish Denominationalism: Kashrut, “Outreach,” etc.
Reading: David Kraemer, “‘Bugs in the System’ (The Kashrut
Wars),” 147-172 (R)
** Paper Two Due In Class **
December
3
The Holocaust
Reading: Saul Friedländer, “The Holocaust,” 412-444 (R)
December
8
Israel
Reading: S. Ilan Troen, “Settlement and State in Eretz Israel,” 445-
470 (R)
December
10
Jews and Popular Culture
Reading: Matthew Pateman, “‘That Was Nifty’: Willow Rosenberg
Saves the World in Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” 64-77 (R)
December
15
Conclusions and Review
Reading: CJ, “Whither Judaism?,” 287-296
December
18
FINAL EXAM
10:05 AM – 12:05 PM