Time Schedule:
Devin E Naar
SISJE 368
Seattle Campus
Surveys European Jewish history from the Spanish expulsion (1492) to World War I (1914). Considers diversity of European Jewries and the factors that cohered them. Examines how European Jewries ordered their lives, shaped gender and class norms, and interacted with the societies in which they lived. Offered: jointly with HSTEU 368.
Class description
This course surveys the history of European Jewry from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries. It explores the varied ways in which Jews encountered “modernity” and fashioned their own conceptions of being modern. Investigating major political, social, and cultural practices of European Jews, from France and Germany to the Russian and Ottoman Empires, the course includes themes such as emancipation and enlightenment; religious movements; secularization and assimilation; antisemitism; Zionism and Socialism; colonialism; empires and nation-states; mass migration; the Holocaust; and the creation of the state of Israel.
Student learning goals
1. To actively engage with major themes in Modern European Jewish History
2. To critically read, discuss, and write about both secondary and primary sources, principally written, but also visual (such as film, photographs and paintings) and audio (such as music and oral interviews)
General method of instruction
General Method of Instruction Lecture and discussion
Recommended preparation
None
Class assignments and grading
A take home mid-term and a final essay, two short response papers, and regular participation in discussions. There will also be one required and one optional film screening.
A take home mid-term and a final essay, two short response papers, and regular participation in discussions. There will also be one required and one optional film screening.
