We will examine the social, cultural, and religious life of these communities, as well as their political development in modern times. Lown 203 Rise and Decline of the Ottoman Empire - A historical survey of the Middle East from the establishment of the Ottoman Empire as the area's predominant power to 1800. Uses Egypt, Syria, Algeria, Gaza and the West Bank, and Iran as major test-cases for assessing the success of political Islam. Maimonides - An examination of Maimonides' Guide of the Perplexed and Mishneh Torah focusing on his attempt to correlate traditional Judaism and contemporary Hellenism. Issues include biblical interpretation, the nature of God, creation, prophecy, miracles, providence, and the rationales for the laws.
All readings are in English.
This course examines the development of the State of Israel from its foundation to the present time. Israel's politics, society, and culture will be thematically analyzed. The rich mythic imagination of the Tales had a key role in shaping the unique religious consciousness of the Bratslav Hasidic sect and also influenced such modern writers as Franz Kafka and Shmuel Yosef Agnon. The Tales will be read against the backdrop of Nahman's life and teachings as preserved in his Liqqutey MoHaRaN and other Bratslav sources. Topics include demography, the emergence of new centers, anti-Semitism, identity, and assimilation.