History and Memory-Key Themes in the Jewish Experience, Part One
Introductory overview of Jewish history. Rather than trying to cover 3,000 years in the worldwide existence of the Jewish people, we will instead highlight key themes (capitalized terms below) running through the history of the Jews from their ancient origins to the modern era. Our principal theme is the tension between "history" and "memory," essential to understanding core aspects of the Jewish experience such as the nature of the Jews as a people, the challenge of Diaspora culture, and the evolution of Judaism as a religion. The class is appropriate both for those new to the study of Jewish history and for those conversant with its basic narratives but interested in digging deeper into its meaning and relevance for Jews today.
Sessions:
HISTORY v. MEMORY: Introduction
PEOPLE: Ancient Near Eastern origins of the Jews
TORAH: The authorship of the Hebrew Bible
DIASPORA: Hellenistic culture and the "blessing" of Assimilation
SYNAGOGUE: Jewish sectarianism and the birth of Christianity
MIDRASH: "Oral Torah" and the rise of the Rabbinic movement in Judaism