RELG 311 - Modern European Jewish History

Credits: (3)
College Curriculum: COLL 200
Domain (Anchored): ALV
Additional Domain (if applicable): CSI
Blood Libels. Expulsion from Spain. The Inquisition. Pogroms. The Holocaust. It is easy to take a lachrymose view of Jewish history, highlighting persecution throughout the ages. This course seeks to overturn the stereotype of Jewish history as one reduced to a tale of oppression. Through rich primary sources such as diaries, letters, newspaper articles, and memoirs, this course introduces students to the major themes, actors, and movements of European Jewish history, from the eighteenth century through the fall of communism. We will explore political, social, economic and religious developments, as well as how these events impacted the personal and inner lives of ordinary and extraordinary Jews. This class assumes no previous knowledge of Judaism or Jewish history.