Spring Term 2025 Courses

HST 299 | Antisemitism 
INSTRUCTOR: Professor Natan Meir
MODE: Online (1 credit)
DAYS / TIMES: Asynchronous
CRN: 64477
TUITION-FREE

We’ve heard a lot about antisemitism recently. But what is antisemitism, anyway? This one-credit, asynchronous, self-paced mini-course will introduce students to antisemitism (Jew-hatred). You’ll explore the following topics: (1) Who are the Jews? (2) How does antisemitism function? (3) What is the relationship between antisemitism and other forms of racism? (4) How do we recognize antisemitism in the world around us? Class materials will include short readings, videos, and podcasts.

Note #1: This course is tuition-free. Students are not required to pay for this credit.

Note #2: Students who have already taken JST/HST372 History of Antisemitism are not eligible to take this course. 

JST / HST 308U | Historical Introduction to the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) 
INSTRUCTOR: Professor Loren Spielman
MODE: In-Person
DAYS / TIMES: Tue/Thurs, 10:00 AM - 11:50 AM
LOCATION:  Fourth Avenue Building (FAB) - Room 48
CRN: 64118

Curious about the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament)? Where does it come from and what does it contain? What historical information can be learned from the Biblical stories of Abraham, Moses, David and Solomon?  This course investigates these issues while surveying the contents of the Hebrew Bible, also known as the Old Testament.  We will examine some of the more famous stories in the Hebrew Bible in an academic environment with special attention to its literary and historical developments.  We will examine the connections between the Hebrew Bible and contemporary Ancient Near Eastern literature and compare their different world views.  We will also discuss the various sources and traditions of Israelite religion and engage with Biblical ideas about community, sanctity, social justice, prophesy, wisdom, and the nature of human suffering.

University Studies cluster: Interpreting the Past.

JST / WS 336U | Gender and Judaism
INSTRUCTOR: Professor Nina Spiegel
MODE: Online
DAYS / TIMES: Asynchronous
CRN: 61546

Have you ever wondered what Judaism has to say about gender? What are Jewish attitudes and ideas about gender? This course explores a variety of topics including religious and spiritual life, religious leadership, sexuality, life cycle events, new rituals, images of parenting and varieties of pathways to becoming a parent. Throughout, the course will examine a range of experiences, choices and dilemmas related to gender in contemporary Jewish life, including experiences of Jews from different denominations and locations around the globe, Jews of color, and LGBTQ and nonbinary Jews.

Note: this course is taught fully online. No prerequisites are required.

Fulfills a requirement for University Studies cluster: Gender and Sexualities

JST / HST 379U | History of Zionism 
INSTRUCTOR: Professor Nina Spiegel
MODE: Hybrid 
DAYS / TIMES: Wed, 11:30 AM - 1:20 PM
LOCATION: Ondine (OND) - Room 202
CRN: 64119

Zionism is in the news, on posters, debated, fought over. But what is Zionism, anyway? This course will explore the ideas, visions, debates, and challenges that shaped Zionism and the formation of the modern Israeli state. We will investigate the Zionist movement in Europe in the 19th century, the variety and diversity of Zionist visions, and the movement’s growth in Palestine from the late 19th century up until the formation of the state of Israel in 1948. The course examines the roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the society and culture the Zionist movement developed in Ottoman and British Mandate Palestine. The class includes a variety of sources, including film, photography, literature, memoirs, political philosophy, and historiography.

University Studies cluster: Global Perspectives.

WLL / ENG 383U | Topics in Comparative Literature, Film, and Comics: Superheroes, Games, and Ethics
INSTRUCTOR: Professor Moshe Rachmuth
MODE: In-Person
DAYS / TIMES: Mon/Wed, 2:00 PM - 3:50 PM
LOCATION:  Peter W. Stott Center (PSC) - Room 122
CRN: 61078

In the course, We'll  consider how creators of popular culture—from the ancient Greek myth of the Minotaur, through the gladiator shows, to modern global Netflix—develop in consumers what one scholar calls “visceral ethics.” We’ll discuss essays that explore the nexus between philosophy and pop culture and a major work on the role of games in human civilization.
We’ll read:
- "The Amazing Spiderman" #655
- "Batman: Devil’s Asylum", and "Batman: The Killing Joke"
We’ll watch:
- "Squid Game"
- "Avatar: The Last Airbender"
- "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2" and others 

University Studies cluster: Global Perspectives or Pop Culture