H502 Jewish History
Instructor: Stan Meyer, PhD
Location: https://mjti.populiweb.com
Dates: October 27 – December 29, 2024
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is a survey of Jewish history from the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE to the 21st Century, with particular attention given to the Holocaust and the State of Israel. The course focuses on important Jewish thinkers, people, and events that shaped Judaism and Jewish culture today.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After completing this course successfully, the student will be able to:
- Describe essential events in Jewish history and explain how they shaped Judaism, Jewish values, and Jewish life.
- Identify key Jewish thinkers, people, and their works, and explain how they shaped Judaism, Jewish values, and Jewish life.
- Explain the implications of the events, texts, and people who shaped contemporary Jewry for Jewish ministry.
- Describe the hand of God in Jewish history as he preserved and protected His covenant people from exile to today.
RELATIONSHIP TO THE CURRICULUM
This course is required for the Master of Rabbinic Studies degree, the Master of Jewish Studies degree, the Madrikh degree program, and some certificate programs.
RELEVANCE
Jewish values, beliefs, and life emerged out of the context of exile, adaptation, persecution, and redemption. To engage with Jewish people and understand this context, one must examine the people, thinkers, texts, and events that shaped world Jewry.
PREREQUISITES
GR101 Introduction to Graduate School (may be taken concurrently).
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
A computer, internet access, video conferencing equipment, Zoom, and word processing software.
COURSE FORMAT
This course meets once a week by Zoom for two hours over eight weeks from Oct 27 – Dec 20.
REQUIREMENTS
This course will include weekly reading assignments and short videos, five discussion board posts (DQs), two class presentations, one field trip, and one final exam.
REQUIRED TEXTS & VIDEOS
Videos are available to stream on PBS.org or Amazon.
Brenner, Michael. A Short History of the Jews. Princeton University Press, 2012.
Burns, Ken. The US and the Holocaust.
ADDITIONAL READING AND VIDEOS TO BE SUPPLIED IN POPULI
Additional articles, chapters, and videos will be posted in Populi.
Ariel, Yaacov. “Jews and New Religious Movements”. Nova Religio. Vol. 15. No. 1. (August 2011).
Ariel, Yaacov. Evangelizing the Chosen People. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2000.
Dunn, James, Editor. Jews and Christians: The Parting of the Ways. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1999.
Rudolph, David. And Willits, Joel, Editors. Introduction to Messianic Judaism. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishers, 2013.
Recommended Reading and Videos
Eben, Abba. Israel: A Nation is Born. Homevision. 2003.
Gordis, Daniel. Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn. Ecco. 2016.
Johnson, Paul. A History of the Jews. Harper, 1988.
Rees, Laurence. The Holocaust: A New History. Public Affairs, 2017.
Schama, Simon. The Story of the Jews. [Video]. PBS, 2014.
References and Helpful Sources
Bim Bam Jewish Videos
Encyclopedia Judaica
Holocaust Encyclopedia
Jewish Encyclopedia Online
Jewish Women’s Archive
My Jewish Learning
Virtual Jewish Library
Yivo Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe