University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · Courses
JWST
69 courses with the subject JWST, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
JWST 100/ (core course)
RELI 123 Four (4) additional Jewish Studies (JWST) elective courses, with at 1 least one course numbered 400 or higher. Total Hours 1 For students minoring in both Jewish studies and religious studies, only two courses can overlap between the two minors. Although this minor is housed in the Department of Religious Studies, the director of Jewish studies is responsible for advising all students who minor in Jewish studies.
This course introduces students to the field of Jewish studies as an academic discipline. Jewish studies is by nature interdisciplinary and can be approached from a variety of viewpoints and discourses. The course will address foundational texts, developments, and ideas in Judaism from the biblical world to contemporary contexts, while exploring major approaches to Jewish studies in the scholarly world today.
Introduces the essential elements of modern Hebrew structure and vocabulary and aspects of modern Israeli culture. Aural comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing are stressed.
Continued instruction in the essential elements of modern Hebrew structure and vocabulary and aspects of modern Israeli culture. Aural comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing are stressed.
JWST 103Understanding the Bible: Hebrew Bible/Old Testament3
This course teaches students how to understand the various books of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament in light of the history and culture of the ancient Israelites responsible for producing them. It asks students to compare the values with which they today approach reading the Bible with the work these texts would have performed in their ancient context. Among other topics, it addresses how the past is used for the formation of national identity, how divinity is conceptualized, ancient forms of worship and social and ethical values, and how biblical texts were used within early Judaism and Christianity. Honors version available.
This course surveys Jewish history and religion during the Second Temple and Rabbinic periods, from the destruction of the First Jewish Temple (Solomon's Temple) in 586 BCE to the Muslim conquest of Palestine (640 CE).
An examination extending from Hebrew origins to the Babylonian exile and including political history as well as social and religious institutions. Honors version available.
This course examines the global history of the Bible. What the Bible is -- the Bible's identity -- is determined by how it has been used within the multitude of communities that have engaged it across the globe for over two millennia. The course begins with the Bible's earliest origins in the ancient Near East, explores its role in the formation of Judaism and Christianity, traces its spread throughout the globe through translation and missionary activity, considers its transformations in the modern period, and concludes with its varied uses in the contemporary world.
An examination of Judaism in its two major centers, demonstrating how different social and cultural environments shape very different interpretations and practices of the Jewish tradition.
JWST 153From the Bible to Broadway: Jewish History to Modern Times3
This class surveys the history of the Jews from ancient to modern times. It focuses on the development of Jewish religion, culture identity, and politics in Jewish communities in the Western, Atlantic and Middle Eastern Worlds. It also explores the development of antisemitism and anti-Jewish violence.
Second-year instruction in the essential elements of modern Hebrew structure and vocabulary and aspects of modern Israeli culture. Aural comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing are stressed. An introduction to representative literary works is included.
Continued instruction in the essential elements of modern Hebrew structure and vocabulary and aspects of modern Israeli culture. Aural comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing are stressed. An introduction to representative literary works is included.
JWST 206Prophecy and Divination in Ancient Israel and Judah3
An examination of prophecy and divination in the Israelite-Jewish traditions and in their environments, including an analysis of the major biblical prophets. Honors version available.
JWST 211Classical Hebrew I: A Linguistic Introduction to the Hebrew Bible3
An introduction to the culture and history of ancient Israel through an exploration of the language of the Hebrew Bible. Students will learn the essentials for basic engagement with biblical Hebrew, then consider what this linguistic evidence reveals about the historical and cultural background of the Hebrew Bible.
JWST 212Classical Hebrew II: A Linguistic Introduction to the Hebrew Bible3
This course explores the linguistic background of the Hebrew Bible, giving special attention to the literary aspect of biblical interpretation. Specific topics include the forms of the Hebrew verb, prose and poetic genres in the Hebrew Bible, wordplay and repetition, narration and dialogue.
This course examines how contemporary thinkers have considered philosophy, ethics, and theology from a Jewish perspective. Methodological points of inquiry include: the role of interpretation in Judaism, revelation and redemption, authority and tradition, pluralism and inclusion, suffering and evil, gender and Jewish philosophy, and 20th-century approaches to God. Honors version available.
JWST 225Popular and Pious: Early Modern Jewish Literature3
This seminar covers popular and pious literature written by and for Jews in the 15th to 18th century in German-speaking countries. Originally written in Old Yiddish, this literature preserved the popular European genres and nonfiction accounts of Jewish community and family life. Readings and class discussions in English. Previously offered as GERM 225.
This course explores connections and interactions between Judaism and popular culture in the American context. We will consider what counts as religion by examining and interpreting a series of contemporary case studies drawn from film, television, radio, consumer culture, literature, stand-up comedy, and other media.
JWST 235Israeli Cinema: Gender, Nation, and Ethnicity3
The course explores major periods and trends in Israeli cinema. Focus is given to issues pertaining to gender, ethnicity, and the construction of national identity. Honors version available.
A study of the role of Jews and the "Jewish question" in German culture from 1750 to the Holocaust and beyond. Discussions and texts (literary, political, theological) in English. Previously offered as GERM 270.
Course provides a comprehensive introduction to American Judaism, its various movements, institutions, theological, and liturgical characteristics, as well as its standing within the larger framework of religious life in America.
A survey of the Jewish experience in the United States from colonial times to the present, that examines connections and disjunctures with the experiences of Jews in the Americas more broadly. Topics include the social patterns and communal constructs of the various Jewish immigrations; modes of political engagement; and the diverse cultural practices through which American Jews have shaped their identities.
JWST 253A Social History of Jewish Women in America3
This course examines the history and culture of Jewish women in America from their arrival in New Amsterdam in 1654 to the present and explores how gender shaped this journey.
JWST 262History of the Holocaust: The Destruction of the European Jews3
Anti-Semitism; the Jews of Europe; the Hitler dictatorship; evolution of Nazi Jewish policy from persecution to the Final Solution; Jewish response; collaborators, bystanders, and rescuers; aftermath.
JWST 267How Does It Feel? Yiddish Literature and Emotions3
This course delves into the profound emotional landscapes depicted in modern Yiddish literature. Envy, rage, love, optimism, fickleness, all these and others will be our focus in this course. The study of literary texts will be blended with theoretical frameworks in order to achieve a comprehensive understanding of how affect and emotions are both portrayed in literature and understood through critical theory. We will read seminal works such as Cynthia Ozick's Envy; or Yiddish in America, which explores themes of jealousy and cultural displacement, and Uri Nissan Gnessin's In the Gardens, which thematizes love and existential despair. Taught in English.
JWST 268Cultural Trends in Post-Communist Central Europe: Search for Identity, Importance of Jewish Voices3
We will study how contemporary literary and cinematic works of Central European intellectuals serve as reflections on the everyday life of this region. Readings and class discussions in English. Films with English subtitles.
JWST 269Springtime for Hitler: Jews on Stage from Shakespeare to Mel Brooks3
This course examines the roles and representations of Jews in the world of the theater from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice to the present, considering dramas, operas, musicals, film adaptations, and films. Readings and discussions in English.
JWST 274Representing the Holocaust: Mediating Trauma in Art and Theory3
This course will explore artistic mediations of the Holocaust in literature, film, and beyond. It focuses on questions of representation, authenticity, appropriateness and uniqueness, the role of memory, the problems and limits of language in articulating the Shoah, and issues of trauma and justice. Readings and class discussions in English. Previously offered as GSLL 274.
This course examines Jewish American literary works in various genres from the nineteenth century to the present day. Together, we will interpret and critique the aesthetic and moral "worldview" of each work while simultaneously situating these works in the historical and cultural contexts in which they were created.
JWST 305Advanced Composition and Conversation: Immigration, Ethnicities, and Religious Traditions3
Third year of instruction in modern Hebrew with an emphasis on Israeli culture, literature, and media. Students will immerse themselves in language communication while exploring authentic materials that showcase the experience of immigration to Israel.
JWST 306Advanced Composition and Conversation: Zionism and the Hebrew Language3
Third year of instruction in modern Hebrew with an emphasis on Israeli culture, literature, and media. Students will engage in language communication while exploring authentic materials that showcase the history of Zionism, the Hebrew language, and immigration.
The Renaissance (1300-1600) is known as a time of great artistic, scientific, and political renewal. But did Jews, the only religious minority in Europe, get an opportunity to benefit from and participate in that progress? This class studies the history of the Jews at a time of great cultural change.
JWST 311Ghettos and Shtetls? Urban Life in East European Jewish History3
The migration of Jewish populations from small towns to large cities in Eastern Europe altered notions of Jewish community, space, cultures, and identities. This course will explore the roles of ghetto and shtetl in both history and memory of the Jewish past, drawing on memoirs, literature, film, and photography. Honors version available.
JWST 330Jesus and the Jews: From the Bible to the Big Screen3
This class will study the history of the claim that the Jews are responsible for Christ's death. Students will examine the power of this idea to travel through time and space and discuss how it is portrayed differently and with different purposes throughout history. Honors version available.
The relation between religious communities, their hopes and their agendas to the culture, politics, and law of the country has been a central feature of the Israeli state from its inception. Religious faiths, agendas, and affiliations have affected the character of the country, as well as its relationships with groups and governments around the globe.
JWST 358Religion and Tradition in Israeli Cinema, TV, and Literature3
This research-intensive course focuses on the ways religion and religious practices are represented in Israeli literature and media. The greater part of the semester will explore the variety of religious traditions in Israel within the framework of Zionist thought, gender and sexuality issues, and ethnic differences.
This course will investigate, through literature, film, and song, the encounter of Eastern European Jews and their descendants with Anglo-Protestant America over four generations.
JWST 364Multiethnic Cultures of Contemporary Spain3
This course examines multiethnic cultural production from Spain since 1975. Considers the histories and literatures of religious, ethnic, and racial minorities including but not limited to Jewish, Moroccan, Afro-descendent, and East Asian identities.
Subject matter will vary with instructor but will always be focused on a particular problem or issue. Course description is available from the departmental office.
Subject
JWST
Credits (min)
1
Credits (max)
1
Credit unit
Credits
Type
course
Repeatable
May be repeated for credit; may be repeated in the same term for different topics; 4 total credits.
JWST 412From Communism to Capitalism: 20th- and 21st-Century Polish Literature and Culture3
An overview of the literary and cultural movements in 20th and 21st century Poland as they relate to major historical changes of the century (World War I and World War II, Communism, Post-communism, accession to the European Union). All readings and discussions in English; readings available in Polish for qualified students.
This course examines the challenges posed to ethics and theology by the Holocaust. We will address philosophical and moral issues such as the problem of evil, divine omniscience, omnipotence, suffering, theodicy, representation, testimony, and an ethics of memory. Honors version available.
JWST 425Beyond Hostilities: Israeli-Palestinian Exchanges and Partnerships in Film, Literature, and Music3
Focuses on the various collaborations, exchanges, and mutual enrichment between Israelis and Palestinians in the realm of culture, particularly literature and cinema. These connections include language (Israeli Jewish authors writing in Arabic and Palestinian writers who choose Hebrew as their language of expression), collaborating in filmmaking, and joint educational initiatives.
JWST 435The Origins of Culture: Translation and Self-Translation in Hebrew, Yiddish, and Beyond3
What happens when the translator is also the author of a work? Such instances occupy us in this course, which is devoted to the role of (self-)translation in the creation of Yiddish and Hebrew literatures. In self-translation, everything is blurred: what is the difference between translation and writing? What is the origin of a text, of a culture? How can one conceptualize ''fidelity to the original''? And what motivates someone to write their work in more than one language? Through theories of translation, world literature, and comparative literature, we will try to understand the unique type of creation self-translation produces.
JWST 436Language, Exile, and Homeland in Zionist Thought and Practice3
Employing Zionist and post- and anti-Zionist documents, treatises, and mostly literary and cinematic texts, this class will focus on the relations between language, Jewish-Israeli identity, and the notion of homeland. Previously offered as HEBR 436.
JWST 462The Arab-Jews: Culture, Community, and Coexistence3
This course is designed to examine Jewish life in Arab lands in the last century by examining culture, language, and the communal life that the Arab-Jews shared with their neighbors.
JWST 464Imagined Jews: Jewish Themes in Polish and Russian Literature3
Explores the fictional representation of Jewish life in Russia and Poland by Russian, Polish, and Jewish authors from the 19th century to the present. Taught in English; some foreign language readings for qualified students.
JWST 465Literature of Atrocity: The Gulag and the Holocaust in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe3
Historical contexts and connections through artistic representation of the Holocaust and Soviet terror in Eastern Europe and the USSR. Taught in English; some foreign language readings for qualified students.
JWST 469Coming to America: New York in Yiddish Literature and Culture3
New York was a significant gateway for immigration to the United States, particularly for Jews from Eastern Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As a result, the city became the world's capital of Yiddish culture. This course explores the vibrant world of Yiddish literature, theater, poetry, journalism, and political activism that flourished in New York, shaping its unique ''Nyu-Yorkrish'' qualities. Through a diverse selection of texts, we will trace the evolution of Yiddish creativity in America's cultural capital. Readings and class discussions in English.
JWST 472Traditions in Transition: Jewish Folklore and Ethnography3
This seminar examines Jewish stories, humor, ritual, custom, belief, architecture, dress, and food as forms of creative expression that have complex relationships to Jewish experience, representation, identity, memory, and tradition. What makes these forms of folklore Jewish, how do source communities interpret them, and how do ethnographers document them? Previously offered as FOLK 380/FOLK 505/JWST 380/JWST 505.
The history of modern Eastern, East Central, and southeastern Europe has been shaped by the ethnic and religious diversity of the regions. This course examines experiences in the Russian, Habsburg, and Ottoman Empires and their successor states from the 19th century to the present day.
JWST 480Russian-Soviet Jewish Culture: Lofty Dreams and Stark Realities3
This course delves into the scintillating literary, visual, musical, and cinematic culture created by Jewish universalists seeking to build their new secular identity under the aegis of the Soviet Communist experiment in the aftermath of the 1917 Bolshevik coup. Surveys the works of Isaac Babel, Eduard Bagritsky, Marc Chagall, Sergey Eisenstein, Ilya Ehrenburg, Masha Gessen, Vasily Grossman, Osip Mandelshtam, and others. Taught in English; some readings in Russian for qualified students; films with English subtitles. Honors version available.
JWST 481Jewish Belonging/s: The Material Culture of Jewish Experience3
What makes an object "Jewish"? This seminar examines how we think about, animate, repurpose, and display "Jewish" objects in the public realm, cultural institutions, religious spaces, and the home. We consider how makers and users negotiate objects' various meanings within the domains of prayer, performance, entertainment, and exhibition. The class curates a final group exhibition of Jewish material culture based on original fieldwork.
JWST 485From Fiddler on the Roof to the Holocaust: East European and Soviet Jewish History3
Eastern Europe was one of the largest centers of Jewish civilization from premodern times to the Second World War, giving rise to important religious, cultural, and political developments in Jewish modernity. This course examines main developments of Jewish society from the late 18th century until the aftermath of the Holocaust.
JWST 486The Jewish South: Race, Region, and Religion3
This course explores ethnicity in the South and focuses on the history and culture of Jewish Southerners from their arrival in the Carolinas in the 17th century to the present day.
This course examines historical developments in the study of women and gender in Judaism. We will discuss efforts to challenge and revitalize Jewish tradition through the lens of gender theory and other critical interpretive approaches. Topics to be addressed include biblical interpretation, Jewish law, feminist Jewish theology and liturgy, the renewal of ritual, the rabbinic ordination of women, gender identity, race, sexuality, queer, trans, and non-binary approaches, and representations of these themes in various media.
JWST 556Language Remains: Exploring the German-Jewish Dialogue3
This course explores German-Jewish writing before and after the Holocaust, focusing on the social and political position of Jews as a minority in German-speaking countries and how those are manifest in their writing and relation to the German language. Readings and class discussions in English. Previously offered as GERM 466/JWST 466.
JWST 56First-Year Seminar: Germans, Jews, and the History of Anti-Semitism3
This course seeks to explore the historically difficult position of minorities in the modern world, using the situation of Jews in Germany from the 18th century to the Holocaust as a case study. Previously offered as GERM 56.
JWST 60First-Year Seminar: Israeli Culture and Society: Collective Memories and Fragmented Identities3
The course explores selected themes and case studies pertinent to culture and society in modern Israel, with emphasis on debates about "Israeliness" in various cultural and social arenas.
JWST 602What Is Scripture? Formations of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Canon3
The course traces the past and continued canonical processes that define what the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament has been and is today, with a focus on the history of biblical interpretation.
This course explores changing conceptions of the self and its relationship to society through the lens of biblical interpretation. How do contemporary notions of the self impact our understanding of the Hebrew Bible? What alternatives to the modern self are available in the Bible? What does the history of biblical interpretation have to tell us about the history of the self? The course focuses on close analysis of biblical texts, translation, and the history of Western thought.
This seminar examines selected topics in modern Hispanic Jewish culture, focusing on literature and film. Possible thematic approaches include identity, diaspora, migration, memory, statehood, life writing, and interreligious relations.
Subject
JWST
Credits (min)
3
Credits (max)
3
Credit unit
Credits
Type
course
Repeatable
May be repeated for credit; may be repeated in the same term for different topics; 9 total credits.
JWST 697Capstone Course: Themes and Methodologies in Jewish Studies3
Required of majors and minors in religious studies with a concentration in Jewish studies; interested non-majors and graduate students may also enroll. Concentrating on a different theme each year, and taught by instructors affiliated with the Carolina Center for Jewish Studies, the course offers intensive grounding in key areas of and approaches to Jewish studies. Combines exploration of broad topics with scholarly rigor and specificity.
JWST 70First-Year Seminar: Jewish Spain: History and Culture Across the Hispanic World3
This seminar explores the history and culture of medieval Spanish Jewry and how modern Hispanic societies have reimagined this past. We will interrogate how a fascination with Sephardic Jews overlaps with a variety of topics: national identity, anti-Semitism, liberal democracy, colonialism, exile, Holocaust memory, among others. We will think about the relevance of Jewish Spain to our present by working with a diverse group of cultural products from Spain, Argentina, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Cuba.
