Introduction to Jewish History: From Spanish Expulsion to the Present (3 cr)
Brian Hillman
JSTU-J 252 (5034) / HIST-H 252 (34456)
TR 1:15-2:30
Required course for Jewish Studies major and certificate students.
GenEd S&H, GenEd WC, CASE S&H, CASE GCC2; credit given for only one of J252 or HIST-H 252
This course explores how the lives of Jewish individuals and communities have transformed from the Expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492 to the present. Students will learn about key historical events including the Spanish Inquisition; Jewish life in early modern Europe and the Ottoman Empire; Messianic movements; the development of Jewish Enlightenment; the group of Jewish denominations; Jewish patterns of migration; the creation of American Jewish communities; the Holocaust; and Zionism and the founding of the State of Israel. Students will learn how to approach texts from a historical perspective, how to think critically about the past, and how to analyze primary source materials in different genres. Some questions this course considers include: How have Jews lived with their non-Jewish neighbors? Where have Jews lived and why have they moved during the early modern and modern eras? How have Jews maintained a distinct identity, while also participating in the culture around them?
