JWST 230(S) Modern European Jewish History, 1789-1948 (Same as History 230)

HIST 230(S) Modern European Jewish History, 1789-1948 (Same as Jewish Studies 230)
What does it mean to be a Jew? The vexed question of Jewish identity emerged at the end of the eighteenth century in Europe and has dominated Jewish history throughout the modern period. Although Jewish emancipation and citizenship followed different paths in France and the German states, in both cases Jews were confronted by unprecedented opportunities for integration into non-Jewish society and unprecedented challenges to Jewish communal life. This course will introduce students to the major social, cultural, religious, and political transformations that shaped the lives of Europe's Jews from the outbreak of the French Revolution to the aftermath of World War II. We will explore such topics as emancipation, Jewish diversity, the rise of religious denominations within Judaism, competing political ideologies, Jewish-gentile relations, the role of Jewish women, Jewish responses to Nazism, and the situation of Jews in the immediate postwar period. In addition to broad historical treatments, course materials will include memoirs and diaries.
Format: lecture/discussion. Evaluation will be based on class participation, two papers, and a final exam.
No prerequisites. No enrollment limit (expected: 10-20).
Group C
Hour: GARBARINI