Transformations of Judaism in Modernity

About the course

This course deepens students' specialized knowledge in the history of Judaism and Jewish/non-Jewish relations, with a special emphasis on contestation and religious change in the modern era. It specifically attends to issues of Jewish representation and self-presentation as drivers of religious change, and equips students to consider the representational framework as potentially applicable to other religious communities. The course consists of three modules of 5 credits each. 

Modul 1: Emancipation and Religious Change in the 19th Century (5 credits) 
This part traces the impact that the debate over Jewish Emancipation, citizenship, and integration on the formation of forms of modern Jewish thought such as Reform, Orthodoxy, and early Zionism. 

Modul 2: Antisemitism and the Holocaust (5 credits) 
This part focusses specifically on antisemitism and the Holocaust as factors external to Judaism which prompted significant changes to Jewish religious self-understanding. It will particularly engage with current scholarly debates on the question of Holocaust uniqueness, discussing both lines of continuity from Emancipation debates as well as distinctive features of the antisemitism of the 1930's. 

Modul 3: Representation and Religious Change in the 20th Century (5 credits) 
This part traces developments in Judaism in the 20th century including both external factors (post-Holocaust dialogue, the state of Israel, feminism, postcolonialism) and Jewish communal, cultural, and religious responses to these. It focusses particularly on the role of public representations of Judaism in religious debate and the creation of new forms of Jewish understanding and expression.