Attention will be focused on the different bases of Israeli identity which give rise to a society defined by its cleavages, and the resultant tensions arising within such a society. The analysis will include a consideration of the ways in which the particular and peculiar history of the state of Israel is reflected in the national culture. The course will adopt a multi-disciplinary approach encompassing historical, sociological, literary, and cultural studies. Requirements for the course include compilation of dialectical journal and a paper. Students are evaluated on the basis of two exams.
Emphasis is on reading and listening and viewing comprehension.
There is a particular emphasis on the expansion of vocabulary in the domain of current events and the development of discussion skills. Unedited newspaper selections will be read, and news broadcasts and television programs will be used in the class in the language laboratory. Grades will be based on two exams and special projects. A study of the historical development of Jewish mysticism, its symbolic universe, meditational practices, and social ramifications. While we will survey mystical traditions from the late second Temple period through modernity, the central focus will be on the rich medieval stream known as kabbalah.