Approved Courses
The following list includes undergraduate courses that have been approved as of June 2010. Courses added after that date do not appear in this list. Courses eliminated after that date may still appear. Not every course is offered regularly. Students should consult the Schedule of Classes at www.testudo.umd.edu to ascertain which courses are actually offered during a given semester.
COURSE NUMBERING SYSTEM
| Number |
|
Eligibility |
| 000-099 |
|
Non-credit course |
| 100-199 |
|
Primarily freshman course |
| 200-299 |
|
Primarily sophomore course |
| 300-399 |
|
Junior, senior course not acceptable for credit toward graduate degrees |
| 386-387 |
|
Campus-wide internship courses; refer to information describing Experiential Learning |
| 400-499 |
|
Junior, senior course acceptable for credit toward some graduate degree |
| 500-599 |
|
Professional School course (Dentistry, Architecture, Law, Medicine) or post-baccalaureate course |
| 600-899 |
|
Course restricted to graduate students |
| 799 |
|
Master Thesis credit |
| 899 |
|
Doctoral Dissertation credit |
Use the search box below to view the approved courses.
Courses in "JWST-Jewish Studies"
JWST - Jewish Studies
JWST 141 American Jewish Experience (3)
Also offered as: HIST106. Credit only granted for: HIST106 or JWST141.
History of the Jews in America from Colonial times to the present.
Emphasis on the waves of migration from Germany and Eastern Europe; the
changing nature of the American Jewish community and its participation
in American social, economic, and political life.
JWST 219 Special Topics in Jewish Studies (3)
Repeatable to 9 credits if content differs.
JWST 225 Religions of the Ancient Near East (3)
Recommended: JWST262 or ENGL262.
Introduction to ancient Near Eastern religious systems and mythology,
from the third millennium BCE through the fourth century BCE.
Particular emphasis on Mesopotamia and ancient Israel.
JWST 227 Reconstructing the Civilization of Ancient Mesopotamia (3)
Also offered as: HIST280. Credit only granted for: HIST280 or JWST227.
Formerly: HEBR440.
History and culture of Ancient Mesopotamia, as reconstructed from
archeology, language, and texts of the region. Emphasis on culture,
literature, religion, and institutions.
JWST 230 Introduction to the Rabbinic Movement: History and Culture (3)
Also offered as: HIST281. Credit only granted for: HIST281 or JWST230.
The emergence of the Rabbinic movement after the destruction of the
Temple in 70 CE through the 7th Century CE. The essential texts of
ancient rabbinic literature.
JWST 231 Jewish Texts and Cultures of the Second Temple Period (3)
Credit only granted for: HIST219C (Fall 2005), HIST219D (Fall 1998),
JWST219C (Fall 2005), JWST219F (Fall 1998), or JWST231.
An introduction to the literature, history, and culture of Jews in the
period between the sixth century BCE and the second century CE. Special
topics may include the rise of the formation of the biblical canon,
scriptural interpretation, sectarian and revolutionary movements, and
growth of the diaspora.
JWST 234 History of the Jewish People I (3)
Also offered as: HIST282. Credit only granted for: HIST282 or JWST234.
Political, economic, social, and cultural development within Jewish
history from the Biblical period to the late Middle Ages. Special
attention to the emergence of Rabbinic Judaism and its subsequent
encounter with medieval Christian and Islamic civilizations.
JWST 235 History of the Jewish People II (3)
Credit only granted for: HIST283, HIST283H, JWST235, or JWST235H.
Political, economic, social and cultural development within Jewish
history from the end of the Middle Ages to the present. Special
attention to the twentieth century developments including the Nazi
Holocaust and its aftermath, the Zionist movement and the creation of
the State of Israel, and the rise of the contemporary American-Jewish
community.
JWST 250 Fundamental Concepts of Judaism (3)
Also offered as: PHIL234, RELS250. Credit only granted for: JWST250,
PHIL234, or RELS250.
A conceptional introduction to Judaism, analyzing its fundamental
concepts from both analytical and historical perspectives. Discussion of
"normative" Judaism as well as other conceptions of Judaism. Topics
include: God, the Jewish people, authority, ethics, the sacred and the
profane, particularism and universalism.
JWST 251 Authority, Faith, and Reason in Judaism (3)
Restriction: Must not have completed PHIL235. Also offered as: PHIL235.
Credit only granted for: JWST251 or PHIL235.
A broad survey of the concepts of authority, faith, and reason in
Jewish tradition from the Bible to the modern period, and their
interrelationships.
JWST 260 Introduction to Classical Hebrew I (3)
Prerequisite: HEBR111; or students who have taken courses with similar
or comparable course content may contact the department. Formerly:
HEBR401.
Readings of the Bible and other classical texts in original Hebrew.
Emphasis on classical grammar and vocabulary, and reading of textual
passages.
JWST 261 Introduction to Classical Hebrew II (3)
Prerequisite: JWST260; or permission of ARHU-Meyerhoff Program & Center
for Jewish Studies. Formerly: HEBR402.
Continuation of JWST260. Readings in the Bible and other classical
texts in original Hebrew. Emphasis on classical grammar and vocabulary,
and reading of textual passages.
JWST 262 The Hebrew Bible: Narrative (3)
Also offered as: ENGL262. Credit only granted for: JWST262 or ENGL262.
Formerly: HEBR223.
Selected readings from narrative sections of the Hebrew Bible stressing
the new literary approaches to the biblical text. In English; no
knowledge of Hebrew required.
JWST 263 Hebrew Bible: Poetry and Prophecy (3)
Also offered as: ENGL263. Credit only granted for: ENGL263 or JWST263.
Formerly: HEBR224.
Readings of poetic and prophetic selections from the Hebrew Bible.
Analysis of devices and their rhetorical effect. Comparison of biblical
poetry with other poetry of the ancient Near East. In English; no
Hebrew required.
JWST 269 Special Topics in Study Abroad II (1-6)
Repeatable to 15 credits if content differs.
Special topics course taken as part of an approved study abroad program.
JWST 270 Fantasy and Supernatural in Jewish Literature (3)
Two hours of lecture and one hour of discussion/recitation per week.
Credit only granted for: HONR219O, JWST219O, or JWST270. Formerly:
JWST219O.
An examination of Jewish fantastical and supernatural literature from
ancient to modern times, tracing how such stories have addressed
essential questions of good and evil, power and powerlessness within a
Jewish framework. Topics include intersections of Jewish and non-Jewish
cultures.
JWST 272 Introduction to Jewish Literature (3)
Formerly: HEBR231.
A survey of Jewish literature and introduction to methods of reading
literature in general and Jewish literature in particular. Concern with
what makes a literary corpus Jewish and other issues of canonicity. All
texts in English translation.
JWST 275 The Jew and the City through the Centuries (3)
Also offered as: HIST286. Credit only granted for: HIST286 or JWST275.
Jewish urban experience from ancient times to the present. Public space
and private. The city and the sacred. Jewish ghettos and quarters. The
struggle over modern Jerusalem.
JWST 281 Yiddish I (3)
Also offered as GERM148Y. Not open to students who have completed
GERM148Y.
Introduction to the Yiddish language, with emphasis on speaking,
reading, and writing skills. Students will also learn the history of the
language, its significance to Jewish culture, its origins and basic
structure.
JWST 282 Elementary Yiddish II (3)
Prerequisite: JWST281; or permission of ARHU-Meyerhoff Program & Center
for Jewish Studies.
Continuation of JWST281.
JWST 283 Intensive Elementary Yiddish I (4)
Restriction: Must not have completed JWST282. Credit only granted for:
GERM149Y, JWST282, or JWST283.
An intensive introduction to the Yiddish language. Course covers one
year of language instruction in one semester.
JWST 289 New Explorations in Jewish Studies (3)
Investigation of critical and innovative responses in Jewish Studies.
Although the topic will vary, the course will encourage intellectual
exploration by students of fundamental problems and critical methods.
JWST 298 Elementary/Introductory Language Module for Jewish Studies (1-3)
Prerequisite: HEBR212 or JWST282; or permission of ARHU-Meyerhoff
Program & Center for Jewish Studies. Repeatable to 9 credits if content
differs.
A supplementary language module for students enrolled in designated
Jewish Studies classes. Language of instruction English, texts in
original language.
JWST 299 Independent Study in Jewish Studies (1-3)
Prerequisite: Permission of ARHU-Meyerhoff Program & Center for Jewish
Studies. Repeatable to 6 credits if content differs.
This lower-level independent study allows students in to work closely
with a Jewish Studies faculty member of their choice, pending the prior
approval of the faculty member. In this independent study, students
will focus on a topic specific to Jewish Studies.
JWST 304 Critical Approaches to Israeli Culture (3)
Formerly: JWST419B and JWST419K.
An examination of the intersections of literature, society, philosophy,
and politics in the making of modern Israeli culture. Special attention
will be paid to the Zionist emphasis on making "new" Jews and its
implications when expressed in literature and society.
JWST 314 Pedagogy and Instruction in the Hebrew Classroom (3)
Credit only granted for: JWST314, JWST419F, or JWST429C. Formerly:
JWST419F and JWST429C.
An exploration of applied linguistic theory and issues in Hebrew
teaching to current and future Hebrew and Judaic studies teachers.
First and second language acquisition theories, past and present
language teaching methodologies, effective approaches to teaching and
testing in the four skill areas (listening, speaking, reading, and
writing), as well as knowledge of the role of identity, context, and
affective factors in Hebrew language learning. Taught in English.
JWST 315 Culture and Identity in Jewish and Hebrew Education (3)
Credit only granted for: JWST429P or JWST315. Formerly: JWST429P.
An in-depth examination of heterogeneous natures of various language
learning settings. Social and psychological theories of second language
and identity acquisition, anomie and language/identity attrition, and
conflicts of class, religion, ethnicity, and power relations that
affect Jewish and Hebrew education. Taught in English.
JWST 319 Special Topics in Jewish Studies (1-6)
Repeatable to 12 credits if content differs.
Topics in Jewish Studies.
JWST 324 Biblical History and Culture (3)
Also offered as: HIST321. Credit only granted for: HEBR333, HIST321, or
JWST324. Formerly: HEBR333.
Study of the political, social, and religious development of the
Jewish nation from its inception to its return from exile in Babylonia
around 536 C.E. Focus on biblical texts, archeological finds, and
source materials from neighboring cultures to reconstruct political
history and the development of religious concepts.
JWST 325 Jews and Judaism in Antiquity I: Sixth Century BCE through the First Century CE (3)
Also offered as: HIST370. Credit only granted for: HIST370 or JWST325.
Political, social, and religious history of the Jews from the Persian
Period to the Judean Revolt of 66-70CE. Special attention to the rise of
sectarian and revolutionary movements.
JWST 326 Jews and Judaism in Antiquity II: First through Seventh Centuries (3)
Also offered as: HIST371. Credit only granted for: HIST371 or JWST326.
Political, social, and religious history of the Jews from the
destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 CE to the Muslim conquests.
Special attention to the political transformations in Judaism under late
Roman Christianity, and the rise of the Rabbinic movement.
JWST 331 Early Christianity: Jesus to Constantine (3)
Also offered as: HIST320. Credit only granted for: HIST320 or JWST331.
Social and religious history of early Christianity from its origin in
the first century to the reign of Constantine.
JWST 333 Jews in Early Modern Times 1450-1750 (3)
Recommended: HIST282; or JWST234. Also offered as: HIST373. Credit only
granted for: JWST333, HIST373, HIST418C/JWST419C (Fall 2006, Fall 2004)
or HIST419C/JWST419Y (Spring 2001). Formerly: JWST419C.
Emergence of new powerful population centers, religious and cultural
creativity, new forms of community, and radical messianic movements.
JWST 343 Modern Jewish History I: The Road to Emancipation, 1650-1870 (3)
Also offered as: HIST374. Credit only granted for: HIST374 or JWST343.
Social, political, economic, and cultural change in the Jewish world
since 1650. Emphasis on emancipation, assimilation, and new forms of
Jewish identity in Western and Eastern European Jewry from the 17th to
the 20th centuries.
JWST 344 Modern Jewish History II: World Jewry Since 1870 (3)
Also offered as: HIST375. Credit only granted for: HIST375 or JWST344.
Continuation of JWST343: Social, political, economic, and cultural
change in the Jewish world since 1870. Emphasis on emancipation,
assimilation, and new forms of Jewish identity in Western and Eastern
European Jewry from the 19th Century to the present.
JWST 345 The Holocaust of European Jewry (3)
Also offered as: HIST307. Credit only granted for: HIST307 or JWST345.
Roots of Nazi Jewish policy in the 1930s and during World War II: the
process of destruction and the implementation of the "final solution of
the Jewish problem" in Europe, and the responses made by the Jews to
their concentration and annihilation.
JWST 346 Representing the Holocaust (3)
Also offered as: ENGL332, ENGL332. Credit only granted for: ENGL379J,
JWST419I, ENGL332, or JWST346. Formerly: ENGL379J and JWST419I.
Different perspectives on how the Holocaust should be represented.
Examination of a wide range of texts including fiction, memoirs,
critical essays, poems and films in different languages (in
translation). Emphasis on the international and comparative nature of
Holocaust literary studies and investigation into the propriety of
literary representation of historical catastrophe. Consideration of our
own role as readers serving as witnesses to an event that has marked
itself indelibly in the aesthetic history of the twentieth century.
JWST 347 Religious Movements in European Jewish History (3)
Credit only granted for: JWST419E, JWST347, HIST419Q, HIST429X,
JWST419R. Formerly: JWST419E, JWST419R.
An exploration of the history of the different modern Jewish religious
movements that developed in Europe, starting with messianic movements
and ending with Reform and Orthodoxy. Emphasis will be placed on the
influence of the academic study of Judaism on the development of modern
Jewish religious ideologies and practices.
JWST 369 Special Topics in Study Abroad III (1-6)
Repeatable to 15 credits if content differs.
Special topics course taken as part of an approved study abroad program.
JWST 370 Jews of Eastern Europe (3)
Credit only granted for: JWST419E, JWST370, or HIST419Q. Formerly:
JWST419E.
An exploration of the history of the Jews of Eastern Europe from the
period of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth until the Holocaust.
Topics to be covered include religious, political, social, and cultural
transformation of Jewish life in Eastern Europe in the context of the
general political changes in the area.
JWST 376 Literature of the Holocaust (3)
An exploration of the primary texts of the literary canon of the
Holocaust: Night by Elie Wiesel, The Diary of Anne Frank, Maus by Art
Spiegelman, and other lesser known works. Exploration of the strategies
used by authors of Holocaust narratives to depict a subject matter that
has long been considered impossible, and to some extent, unethical to
render in a work of art.
JWST 381 Introduction to Hebrew Cultural Studies (3)
Prerequisite: HEBR314; or permission of instructor. Restriction: Must
not have completed HEBR381. Also offered as: HEBR381. Credit only
granted for: HEBR381 or JWST381.
Critical study of Israeli culture with special emphasis or literature
film, and art as sites of struggle over political and social meaning
during times of cultural transformation in Israel. Topics will focus
on the historical development of Israeli identity and gender, in
particular within the military and Zionist youth movements. Taught in
Hebrew.
JWST 382 Israeli Media (3)
Prerequisite: HEBR314; or permission of instructor. Restriction: Must
not have completed HEBR382. Also offered as: HEBR382. Credit only
granted for: HEBR382 or JWST382.
Examines various media genres in Israeli today: print news, magazines,
television and radio news, print and video advertising, the internet,
popular music on CD and the radio, video art and film and the
self-representation of Israeli society and the interaction between
media and society and culture. Taught in Hebrew.
JWST 386 Experiential Learning in Jewish Studies (3)
Prerequisite: Permission of ARHU-Meyerhoff Program & Center for Jewish
Studies. Restriction: Junior standing or higher.
The Jewish Studies Program's internship program. Pre-professional
experience in research, analysis, and writing related to Jewish Studies
in a variety of work settings.
JWST 408 Honors Seminar in Jewish Studies (3)
Prerequisite: Permission of ARHU-Meyerhoff Program & Center for Jewish
Studies. Restriction: Junior standing or higher.
An in-depth exploration of a theme in Jewish history, literature,
culture or thought. Course subject and readings will vary from year to
year, but will generally cut across periods, locations, or disciplines.
Students are expected to engage the course material critically and to
use the seminar as an opportunity to develop an independent research
agenda.
JWST 409 Research Seminar in Jewish Studies (3-4)
Prerequisite: Must have completed two upper-level courses in an
appropriate area of Jewish Studies; or permission of ARHU-Meyerhoff
Program & Center for Jewish Studies. Repeatable to 9 credits if content
differs. Formerly: JWST309.
A capstone course for Jewish Studies. Guides students through advanced
source material and subject matter, research skills, and presentation
techniques. A substantive paper based on independent research and
analysis is one expected outcome.
JWST 419 Special Topics in Jewish Studies (3)
Repeatable to 9 credits if content differs.
JWST 429 Advanced Topics in Jewish Studies (3-4)
Repeatable to 12 credits if content differs.
Special topics at an advanced level for Jewish Studies. Primarily
intended for majors and graduate students.
JWST 430 Dead Sea Scrolls (3)
Prerequisite: Must have completed one JWST course or one RELS course; or
permission of ARHU-Meyerhoff Program & Center for Jewish Studies. Also
offered as: RELS430. Credit only granted for: JWST429Q, JWST430,
RELS419Q,or RELS430. Formerly: JWST429Q.
A study of the Dead Sea Scrolls in their ancient and modern settings,
and in terms of contemporary scholarly interpretations of their
meaning. Interpretations of the historical significance of these
documents, their connections to ancient Jewish sectarian movements, and
their implications for our understanding of Judaism, Christianity, and
the history of the Bible.
JWST 432 Jews in Medieval Times 1000-1450 (3)
Recommended: HIST282, JWST234, HIST330, or HIST331. Also offered as:
HIST476. Credit only granted for: HIST419R, HIST476, or JWST432.
Formerly: JWST429M.
Social and cultural life of Jewish communities spread throughout Islam
and Christendom. Major topics include the Gaonate; kehila organization;
legal, rationalist, and mystical thought; and the context of rising
animosity linked to the Crusades and changing Church doctrines.
JWST 451 Issues in Jewish Ethics and Law (3)
Prerequisite: Must have completed 3 credits in philosophy or Jewish
studies (excluding Hebrew language); or permission of ARHU-Meyerhoff
Program & Center for Jewish Studies. Credit only granted for: JWST451,
or PHIL433.
Philosophical and meta-legal questions concerning the nature of Jewish
law and its relation to morality.
JWST 452 The Golden Age of Jewish Philosophy (3)
Prerequisite: 3 credits in PHIL courses; or permission of ARHU-Meyerhoff
Program & Center for Jewish Studies. Restriction: Must not have
completed PHIL417. Also offered as: PHIL417. Credit only granted for:
JWST452 or PHIL417.
Jewish philosophy from Maimonides in the 12th Century to the expulsion
of the Jews from Spain at the end of the 15th Century. Topics include
the limitations of human knowledge, creation of the world, foreknowledge
and free will, and the existence of God.
JWST 453 Philosophy of Spinoza (3)
Prerequisite: 6 credits in PHIL courses; or permission of ARHU-Meyerhoff
Program & Center for Jewish Studies. Restriction: Must not have
completed PHIL424. Also offered as: PHIL424. Credit only granted for:
JWST453 or PHIL424.
An investigation of the metaphysical, ethical, and political thought of
the 17th century philosopher Benedict Spinoza.
JWST 459 Readings in Medieval Hebrew (3-4)
Repeatable to 9 credits if content differs. Credit only granted for:
JWST459 or JWST466. Formerly: JWST466.
Readings and analysis of Hebrew texts and literature from the Middle
Ages. Language of instruction in English; all texts in Hebrew.
JWST 468 Readings in the Hebrew Bible (3-4)
Prerequisite: HEBR313; or permission of instructor. Repeatable to 9
credits if content differs. Formerly: HEBR441 and HEBR442.
Readings in the Hebrew text of the Bible. Emphasis in close reading,
grammar analysis, and modern interpretations of the Bible. Language of
instruction English; all texts in Hebrew.
JWST 469 Readings in Rabbinic Hebrew (3-4)
Prerequisite: HEBR313; or permission of instructor. Repeatable to 9
credits if content differs.
Readings in classical rabbinic texts and related corpora. Emphasis on
grammar and reading skills as well as critical analysis of the material.
Language of instruction: English; all texts in original language.
JWST 471 Modern Hebrew Literature in Translation (3)
An exploration of modern Hebrew prose, poetry, and literary essays
written from the 1880s through the present in Europe, Palestine, and
Israel. An investigation of the challenges confronting authors such as
Mendele Mokher Sforim, Avraham Mapu, Chaim Nahman Bialik, Dvorah Baron,
S.Y. Agnon, and David Fogel as they tried to create a contemporary
secular literature out of an ancient sacred language. All texts in
English translation.
JWST 478 Readings in Modern Hebrew (3)
Prerequisite: HEBR313; or permission of instructor. Restriction: Junior
standing or higher. Repeatable to 12 credits if content differs.
Variable topics in Modern Hebrew Literature.
JWST 491 Judaism and the Construction of Gender (3)
Credit only granted for: JWST419X, JWST491, or WMST491. Formerly:
JWST419X.
The study of Jewish culture, religious practice, communal authority, and
literature through the frame of such critical categories of analysis as
gender, sexuality, masculinity, power, ethics, and the feminine.
JWST 498 Advanced Language Module for Jewish Studies (1-3)
Prerequisite: HEBR212 or JWST282; or permission of ARHU-Meyerhoff
Program & Center for Jewish Studies.
A supplementary language module for students enrolled in designated
Jewish Studies classes. Language of instruction English, texts in
original language.
JWST 499 Independent Study in Jewish Studies (1-3)
Prerequisite: Permission of ARHU-Meyerhoff Program & Center for Jewish
Studies. Repeatable to 6 credits if content differs.
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