Jews in the Modern World

This course will examine the meeting of Jews and the modern world over the course of the 18-20 centuries.  In addition to studying social, religious and intellectual developments, we will also look at the impact of the modern state, the influence of larger demographic changes (urbanization and migration) and the influence of individual Jews in wider social and political contexts.  Alongside discussions of Jewish communities in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the experiences of Jews in German lands, we will also discuss Jewish communities in the new world.  The course will emphasize reading and analyzing articles and historical sources.

Requirements: Active participation (including attendance), reading assignments, take home work.