JWST 286: Rabbis and Rebels: An Offbeat Introduction to Judaism

An introduction to the major texts, themes, ritual practices, and holidays of the Jewish tradition from its inception to the present. The course is divided up into three main sections: 1) the Jewish textual tradition; 2) the Jewish liturgical calendar; and 3) Jewish life-cycle events and daily practices. By looking at a variety of accounts of the tradition – textual, theological, autobiographical, ethnographic - we will examine the similarities and differences between Judaism as it is presented “on the page” and the way it is understood and practiced by Jews today. We will also consider some themes and events in twentieth-century Jewry including the Holocaust, the creation of the State of Israel, and Jewish participation in the feminist movement.