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Department of Philosophy and Religious StudiesIntroduction to JudaismRELG 330Instructor: Alan W. Todd, Ph.D. Day/Time: TBDOffice: AOC 2, Room 337 Location: TBDOffice Hours: TBD Credits: 3.00E-mail: atodd1@coastal.edu Course DescriptionThis course introduces students to the social and religious history of Jews and Judaism. Students learn about the emergence of the foundational beliefs and practices of Judaism, how Jews have adapted these traditions differently through the ages, and the resulting variegated expressions of Judaism present today. Students analyze primary sources—including the Hebrew Bible, rabbinic texts, and philosophical writings—in light of the social and historical contexts in which they were produced. F, SCourse ObjectivesIn general, upon successful completion of this course, students can expect to:1. Learn about the development of the foundational beliefs, practices, and traditions that has defined Judaism through the ages. 2. Gain knowledge of the core socio-historical events that shaped these basic Jewish beliefs, practices, and traditions. 3. Understand that Judaism has taken on numerous forms from antiquity to today.4. Understand the challenges, tensions, and points of conflict within and between Jewish communities, as well as between Jewish communities and non-Jewish communities. Student Learning Outcomes Specifically, upon completion of this course students can expect to: 1. Demonstrate proficient knowledge of the core beliefs and practices of Judaism. 2. Describe and identify specific beliefs and practices associated with different Jewish communities and the time period in which they existed. 3. Identify the major events in Jewish history that shaped the core features of Judaism. 4. Critically evaluate the reason many Jewish practices and beliefs took the shape they did when they did. Required Texts available at the CCU Campus Bookstore:1. Michael L. Satlow, Creating Judaism: History, Tradition, Practice (Columbia University Press, 2006) (CJ)2. Jeffrey Rubenstein, Rabbinic Stories (Paulist Press, 2002) (RS)3. The Jewish Study Bible [2nd Edition; Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler, eds; Oxford University Press, 2014] (HB)Course Requirements and GradingParticipation: Individual student participation and conduct in class will be evaluated on a class-by-class basis and recorded using a three-point scale: 1 (poor), 2 (average), and 3 (excellent). At the end of the semester, the points will be averaged. Rounded to the nearest whole point, students with a 3 for the semester will see their grade raised (e.g. B to B+), students with a 2 will see no change in their grade, and students with a 1 will see their grade reduced (e.g. B to C+).Response Papers: Students will write four (4), 2-page responses on assigned topics (one for each section of the class). Each paper is worth 10 points. Assigned topics will be provided a week in advance. Midterm Exam: Worth 100 points. Questions are multiple choice, short answer, and essay. The exams are based on lectures, assigned Readings, and multimedia content. Final Exam: The final exam is partly cumulative. A portion of the exam is based on material not yet covered by a previous exam. Worth 100 points. Questions are multiple choice, short answer and essay and based on lectures, assigned Readings, and multimedia contentSummary of Points:Participation N/AResponse Papers 40Midterm Exam 100Final Exam 100TOTAL 240 TOTALA = 90 – 100%; B+ = 87 – 89%; B = 80 – 86%; C+ = 77 – 79%; C = 70 – 76%; D+ = 67 – 69%; D = 60 – 66%; F = below 60%Online Information ALL students in this class are REQUIRED to access the class website on Moodle. You will also need an e-mail address (a free account is available to all CCU students or through Gmail). If you do not have access to a computer or to the Internet where you live, plan to make use of CCU computing facilities. Please watch for regular course announcements on the course website. *Throughout the semester you may check your grades in the online gradebook on Moodle.Attendance, Make-ups: Regular class attendance will be expected throughout the semester. A sign-in sheet will be circulated initially at the start of each class (replaced by instructor roll). If at any point a student misses 25% of class meetings (8 or more) he/she will receive an F as their final grade. This includes both excused and unexcused absences from class. If a student misses 3 or more classes it will result in a reduction of a letter grade for the course (e.g. B to C+). Missing 6 or more will result in a second penalty. To withdraw from the class, students must follow the prescribed CCU policies.If the student missed an assignment or exam and seeks a makeup, the student must provide the instructor with supporting evidence for an excused absence (e.g. doctor’s note for an illness). Students with Disabilities:As a higher education institution, Coastal Carolina University wants to see each student become successful and be given equal opportunity to achieve his/her fullest potential. Keeping this in mind, any student who needs further assistance due to a disability—physical, learning or psychological—will be provided with the means necessary to achieve his/her goals. For further information, please contact Accessibility and Disability Services at 843-349-2503 or . The office is in 106 Kearns Hall, and the email contact is disability@coastal.edu. Academic Honesty:All CCU students are expected to adhere to the Student Code of Conduct Integrity Statement: Coastal Carolina University is an academic community that expects the highest standards of honesty, integrity and personal responsibility. Members of this community are accountable for their actions and reporting the inappropriate action of others and are committed to creating an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust.Violations of the Student Code of Conduct will not be tolerated. Any such violations will be dealt with in strict accordance to Coastal Carolina University guidelines. The student will be responsible for familiarizing himself/herself with this policy, which is located in the CCU Student Handbook under the Code of Student Conduct Section. Cheating will result in immediate failure of the course. Format of Course:The format of the course necessitates that all readings are to be completed prior to the class listed. All readings are to be completed prior to the class listed because the readings have been carefully selected to stimulate dialogue between your classmates and me on that day. Classes will not be lecture-based. Not only do I not particularly enjoy the sound of my voice, the nature of the material covered in this class requires that we engage with one another by sharing our thoughts and questions derived from our readings. In the process, we will respectfully critique (if possible) the ideas proffered by me and your classmates, while allowing ourselves to reflect on our own (pre)conceived notions that rest at the foundation of our statements made during class and (possibly) questioned by others. Class Conduct:Students are expected to maintain a respectful and productive atmosphere in this class. Students should not be disruptive (i.e., talk to their neighbors; use cell phones). You should turn off/silence all cell phones when entering class. The use of computers is NOT allowed while in class (unless I state otherwise). Arrive on time. Any students who are late repeatedly will be asked to meet with me. You are asked to remain in your seats until I dismiss the class. If a student has to be late or leave class early on any given date, he/she should inform me before we meet that day. I am committed to helping each student do his or her best. Therefore, if you anticipate problems or you begin having problems during the course, please contact me as soon as possible. If you cannot come to office hours, please e-mail me.Schedule of Classes and Readings:This syllabus is given as a guideline only. Requirements and assignments may change as circumstances warrant. I will advise you of any such changes in advance online (i.e., on Moodle) and/or via email.Class 1: (Jan 10)Introductions Class 2: (Jan 12)Studying Religion and Defining JudaismReading: CJ, “Introduction,” 1-21Class 3: (Jan 17)Contemporary Judaism: OverviewReading: CJ, “Promised Lands,” 22-68Class 4: (Jan 19)Jewish Identity in the United StatesTuchman and Levine, “‘Safe Treyf’: New York Jews and Chinese Food,” 1-23 (Moodle)SECTION A:Class 5: (Jan 24)Creating JudaismReading: CJ, “Creating Judaism,” 69-95, Numbers 5:11-31 (HB)Class 6: (Jan 26)The Hebrew Bible, Israelite History, and ArchaeologyWatch in Class: The Bible’s Buried Secrets**#1 Response Paper Topics Distributed**Class 7: (Jan 31)The Hebrew Bible: A Brief Survey Reading: Genesis 1-3, 17; Exodus 19-20; Leviticus 19; Deuteronomy 4-6, 34; Isaiah 6; Ezekiel 1; Proverbs 8 (HB)Class 8: (Feb 2)The Hebrew Bible: Purity and Dietary LawsReading: Leviticus 11; Deuteronomy 14 (HB); Mary Douglas, “The Abominations of Leviticus,” 42-58 (Moodle); **#1 Response Papers Due**SECTION B: Class 9: (Feb 7)The Second Temple PeriodReading: CJ, “Between Athens and Jerusalem,” 96-114; Community Rule (Moodle)Class 10: (Feb 9)Presentation #1: Archaeology of Greco-Roman Palestine (Todd)Class 11: (Feb 14)Presentation #2: Archaeology of Greco-Roman Palestine and the Jewish Revolt (Todd)* Extra Credit (Feb 15) Attend: “Agrarian Ethics: Perspectives and Prospects”Wednesday February 15, 4 p.m. Edwards Recital HallClass 12: (Feb 16)The RabbisReading: CJ, “The Rabbis,” 115-139**#2 Response Paper Topics Distributed**Class 13: (Feb 21)Text Workshop: Midrash and TalmudReading: RS, 186-189, 193-199; 80-84, 114-118, 128-135Class 14: (Feb 23)Mitzvot: Overview and KashrutReading: CJ, “Mitzvot,” 164-186; Reread Leviticus 11;Deuteronomy 14 (HB); “Jewish Dietary Laws” (Moodle)**#2 Response Papers Due**Class 15: (Feb 28)Mitzvot: Sacred Time and PrayerReading: Mishnah Shabbat 7 (Moodle); Mishnah Pesahim 10 (Moodle); Mishnah Sukkah 1-2 (Moodle); Mishnah Rosh Hashanah 1 (Moodle); Mishnah Yoma 8:9 (Moodle); Mishnah Berakhot (Moodle)Class 16: (March 2)Midterm ExamMarch 6–11**** Spring Break *****SECTION C:Class 17: (March 14)GeonimReading: CJ, “The Rise of Reason,” 187-208Class 18: (March 16)MaimonidesReading: CJ, “From Moses to Moses,” 209-228; Selections from Maimonides (Moodle)Class 19: (March 21)Mysticism Reading: CJ, “Seeing God,” 229-249; Selections from Zohar (Moodle) **#3 Response Paper Topics Distributed**SECTION D: Class 20: (March 23)The Dawn of ModernityReading: CJ, “East and West,” 250-287Class 21: (March 28)The Rise of Jewish Denominationalism Reading: Reform Responsum on Cosmetic surgery (Moodle); Conservative Responsum on the Status of Transexuals (Moodle); Orthodox Responsum on Cloning People (Moodle)**#3 Response Papers Due**Class 22: (March 30)Jewish Denominationalism: Women and GenderReading: Stuart Charmé, “The Political Transformation of GenderTraditions at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, 5-34 (Moodle)** Paper Two Due In Class **Class 23: (April 4)Jewish Denominationalism: Kashrut, “Outreach,” etc.Reading: David Kraemer, “‘Bugs in the System’ (The KashrutWars),” 147-172 (Moodle)Class 24: (April 6)The HolocaustReading: Saul Friedl?nder, “The Holocaust,” 412-444 (Moodle)Class 25: (April 11)The Creation of the State of Israel Reading: The Jewish Political Tradition, 295-309, 424-440, 501- 509 (Moodle)Class 26: (April 13)Archaeology and the State of IsraelReadings: Raphael Greenberg “Contested Sites” found at: 27 (April 18)Modern Israel and The United StatesReadings: TBA**#4 Response Paper Topics Distributed**Class 28 (April 20)Modern Israel and The United States Cont’dReadings: TBAClass 29 (April 25)Conclusions and ReviewReading: CJ, “Whither Judaism?,” 287-296**#4 Response Papers Due**Class 30 (April 27) **** Study Day *********** FINAL EXAMMay 4, 1:30pm ******* ................
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