This course will introduce students to the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) from general texts, historical perspectives, geography, introduction to Rashi script and basic interpretations and analytical skills needed for Bible courses to follow. This survey course will look at Ancient Israel, through the Maccabees.
This course will explore themes in selected stories from Genesis from Creation to Abraham. This intensive curriculum has been constructed as ten - week modules. Genesis Part I - covers the first twenty generations from Adam to Avraham and the story of the first Jewish family.
The curriculum is centered on one text, and all commentaries brought are surrounding this text. Students are trained to read between the lines, to ask questions and to discover the ambiguities and issues raised by the text. Students are introduced to different expressions of commentaries including art and literature.
As part of this learning process students will be exposed to the biblical Hebrew which is different from the Modern Hebrew they are exposed to in their Hebrew classes.
’The Torah has seventy faces‘ said the ancient’s rabbis. If one looks hard enough, one finds the face he is seeking
Tanakh in freshman year course will help our students to explore our sacred text in its Hebrew narrative, and its different translations. We will examine the biblical accounts through one’s lens, peers’ lens, generations’ lenses –from Revelation, מעמד סיני to our time. We will examine the accounts from a literal (P’shat) aspect and by reading between the lines (D’rash). We will add our voice to the generations’ voices while having a dialog with the Torah.
This course will survey Jewish rituals, holidays and life-cycle events for those students who do not meet a minimum level of Judaic knowledge, based on criteria and standards set forth by the Jewish Studies department and reviewed during the first couple of days of school.
Our students are future ancestors of the Jewish people. Like previous ancestors, your generation will in some ways transmit, in some ways adapt, in some ways grow beyond, and in some ways add to the heritage of previous generations. The purpose of this course is to provide part of the foundation for your task.
Realizing that our students come from differing backgrounds and experiences, this course reviews (or introduces) some of the basic concepts and practices of Jewish tradition, with a focus on identifying the central values and principles they represent. Judaism is not merely an ethnic or religious identity, but a calling that has the potential to inform and inspire every area of life. To live as a Jew is to be a partner with God in the repair of the world. Concrete deeds (mitzvot) give the Jewish way of life its distinctive texture and character, cultivating a dimension of kedushah (holiness). Students are invited to respond to the sources they encounter and to develop their own vision of a dedicated, meaningful, and inspiring way of life, a vision informed by but not limited by the heritage of the past.
This class will introduce students to the early Rabbinic period, the texts and historical development of the Mishnah and Talmud, and its historical context in the shift from the Centrality of Israel to the Diaspora academies in Babylonia. The aim of the course is to gain an understanding and appreciation for the world view, way of life and historical circumstance of the classical rabbis of antiquity so as to better understand the literature they created and the form of Judaism they lived and taught; foster a basic understanding of the purpose and nature of the Mishnah and its place as the foundational non-midrash collection of Oral Law teachings and begin to explore the relationship of modern interpretations of Judaism to the rabbinic Judaism of the classical period.
The Mishnah is the first and central written expression of the Oral Torah, the body of practices and customs which the ancient rabbis asserted came down from Mt. Sinai alongside the written Torah. The Mishnah was produced at a time of immense turmoil for the Jewish people, after two wars which had resulted in the destruction of the Temple and the devastation of the centers of Jewish population in the holy land. Of all the sects and movements of Judaism that existed during the time of the Second Temple, it is paradoxical that only Rabbinic Judaism, with its emphasis on careful adherence to tradition, was able to adapt and change in response to the new circumstances thrust upon the Jews. Thus the tradition which is the foundation of all Orthodoxy is also an example of the Reconstruction of Judaism for a New Age, Conserving its values while reformulating its practices.
The classes will be taught in a Beit Midrash setting, using the classic chevruta or partner study. A Beit Midrash is a study hall (literally a House of Learning ). Chevruta study is the traditional method of studying Jewish texts with a partner, involving intense debate and discussion. Intellectual sex is about the best metaphor for it. It originates from the Aramaic word for friendship.
This class will examine liturgy and prayer development from all of the major denominations and will look to identify similarities and differences reflected through the respective liturgical pieces, comparing and analyzing the sources, sequence (order) of the prayers and the process through which each of the denominations laid out their respective prayer books and services. Students will also have the opportunity to create their own personal prayer book (siddur) that will incorporate the prayers that are most meaningful to them personally. The primary focus will be the Shabbat Evening (Kabbalat/Ma’ariv) liturgy in depth. Through an exploration of context, content, ritual, various interpretations and individual personal Hebrew to English translations, the class will look at each major prayer section as a multilevel piece of literature. We will also touch slightly on Shabbat day/evening activities such as seudat slishit, havdallah, prayer inclusions/exclusions into Birchat Hamazon and Zmirot as well as halachah and ritual clothing.
This course will explore themes in Genesis from the Patriarchs & Matriarchs. This intensive curriculum has been constructed as ten - week modules. Genesis Part II - covers the period from Abraham through Joseph and the journey to Egypt and into the period from Slavery to freedom Topics will include birthright, covenant, sibling rivalry, honor and redemption/Teshuvah, freedom, oppression, and Revelation.
The curriculum is centered on one text, and all commentaries brought are surrounding this text. Using skills developed in earlier courses, the students will discover the questions, the ambiguities, and issues raised by the texts. The students are introduces to different expressions of commentaries including art and literature.
The students are exposed to the biblical Hebrew language as part of this learning process.
In this course we will be taking a journey to the past revealing the hidden messages of our sacred text. We will look at the Josephs stories in בראשית in our sacred tongue בעברית מקראית. We will examine them closely and relate them to our life stories. We will zoom out to understand the divine plan that led our people to Egypt; these narratives will be our jumping board to the book of שמות.
We will identify the concept of תשובה (Repentance) with its components as it surfaces in these accounts, and we will explore the criteria for authentic change based on classic Jewish perspectives. We will introduce the concept of Tshuva basing it on Rambam Hilchot Teshuva 2:2, and Rabbi Soloveitchik interpretation, while adding our own commentary.
We will compare contrast narratives in Shmot to Bereshit allowing us to understand the book Exodus as it moves us forward in time and reflects a new realm. We will examine Mishlei (Proverbs) 19:21 and its relevance to Bereshit and Shmot accounts. We will relate the narrative of the Brit Bein Habtarim in Genesis 15:13-14 while reinforcing the notion in Mishlai and pointing out to its relation to the book of Shmot. We will examine Moshe’s Leadership as reflected in Shmot comparing to othe accounts in the Torah. We will examine the 10 commandments in Shmot to the one in Dvarim understanding the meanings of the differences based on text’s location in the Torah. We will be evaluating the different accounts through the critical – historical approach and the traditional approach.
A survey of the position Jews held in societies since the birth of Christianity. They will gain insight into the history of anti-Semitism as well as the history of Jewish participation in the societies in which they lived. Considerable attention will be paid to the nature and growth of anti-Semitism in our time.
This course will explore and examine the Jewish World and its relationship to various communities and toward each other from Talmudic times through the 17th Century. Students will study the Geonic period and its transformational impact on the Jewish world. Students will look at the rising communities in both the Ashkenazic (Germany & France) and Sepharadic (Northern Africa) and their relationship to their non-Jewish communities and their impact in the fields of the Halakhah, Talmudic and Biblical exegesis, Jewish philosophy, and poetry.
Students will look at the Golden Age of Jewish Spain and attempt to try and understand the differences between the Muslim & Christian majorities on their Jewish religious, cultural and economic life and the effect of subsequent expulsion of the Jewish community in 1492
This course will examine the Holocaust, its events and its relationship to Human Behavior, looking at the how & why and emphasizing how Human behavior shaped its outcome. Students will study the context and events of the Holocaust from 1933 to 1945.
Students will pay particular attention the implementation of Nazi policies, particularly the anti-Jewish legislation, and the desperate Jewish attempt to grasp the upcoming catastrophe that sooner or later would befall Jews throughout Europe. Students will research and learn about the Nazi “New Order”, manifested by the Nazi geo-political aggression against peaceful nations in Europe.
The class will primarily use the Facing History and Ourselves curriculum as a guideline. “Facing History and Ourselves is devoted to teaching about the dangers of indifference and the values of civility by helping schools confront the complexities of history in ways that promote critical and creative thinking about the challenges we face and the opportunities we have for positive change. Facing History is unique in that it is not a program of one-week seminars that are all-too-easily forgotten, a packaged curriculum, or a prescribed set of lessons. Rather, it offers dynamic, long-term intervention. It is designed to have a lasting effect on the life of a school.” (Facing History and Ourselves Introduction)
This course will provide students with a basic understanding of the Talmud, introduce them to Aramaic and provide fundamental basics needed for the study of Talmud at diverse levels. The Babylonian Talmud is a synthesis of the debates, discussions, and interpretations of the rabbinic academies of Babylonia.
This course will provide students with an understanding of the Talmud, and skills for future independent study, they will learn how to learn, know what to ask, and build a greater appreciation for the study of Talmud. The Babylonian Talmud is a synthesis of the debates, discussions, and interpretations of the rabbinic academies of Babylonia based upon the Mishnah. Completed in the late 6th century c.e., the Talmud has served, since its compilation, as the source of all later Jewish law, and the primary curriculum of advanced Torah study. Though all codes of halakhah rely on information supplied by the Talmud, the primary interest of the Talmud does not involve establishing practical rules. It is a complex and profound investigation into the principles of Jewish law. The Talmud reflects the notion that the best way to honor the divine law is to subject it to the most penetrating and painstaking investigation which human reasoning can accomplish. The Talmud is exercise equipment for the rabbinic mind, and its goal is to develop the capacity of the learner to move beyond the kind of knowledge which memorization and passive learning can supply. Study of the Talmud should not only broaden your knowledge of Jewish values, but develop your capacity to think logically and to apply values to new questions and situations.
Elective classes and requirements:
Junior students are required to take 4 credits of Jewish Studies courses, in addition to their participation in the AMHSI ISRAEL STUDY PROGRAM (2 JS Credits). They are required to take 1 credit each in Rabbinics, Bible and Jewish History plus an additional credit in any of the Jewish Studies disciplines.
Senior students are required to take 6 credits of Jewish Studies courses. They are required to take 1 credit each in Rabbinics, Bible and Jewish History plus 3 additional credits in any of the Jewish Studies disciplines.
This class will look at how modern archeology has expanded our understanding of selected Biblical narratives and their impact of the way we look at the text. This class will look at the geography of the Bible. While looking at the geography, we will focus on what the Israelites borrowed from other nations and vice versa. We will examine different covenant documents of the area and mark their period of monarchy, judge and prophets in Israel as well. We will be using Devers and Coogan, as well as Who Wrote the Bible.
This course will introduce students to the differences between the five books of the Megillot - Shir Hashirim (Song of Songs), Ruth, Aicha (Lamentations), Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) and Esther. Students will examine differences in content, historical perspectives, geography, people, places, narrative, and Jewish law and customs in each of the Books. Students will also gain insight and develop an understanding of the metaphors and moral lessons as they appear in the relevant texts and the correlation of the texts to specific seasons and Jewish holidays.
The struggle for establishing a society that strives to social Justice as an essential value in prophecy.
This course will explore chapters selected readings from the Prophets - Samuel, Amos, Isaiah, Micah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, striving to understand the influence of fulfilling moral laws as a condition for the destiny of the Jewish people. Students will understand the precedent of moral laws in comparison to our cultic practices in the different prophets’ times. They will grasp the importance of morality and its impact on the future of our leadership as our early and literary prophets depicted it. They will examine the evolution that happened in our people understanding of G-D’S mitzvoth, based on time and place and will learn about the historic period of each prophet introduced to fully appreciate their messages in a context of time.
This course will take-a close study of texts from the books in the Writings known as Wisdom Literature. We will study Job, Proverbs, Psalms, and Ecclesiastes with an eye toward seeking to understand their meaning for our time
Students explore selected biblical texts for imagery and meanings, engage the wisdom Talmudic and midrashic texts, intersect it with contemporary interpretations, then view historical and contemporary art inspired from the texts. Students create their own artistic interpretations of selected stories or texts and write artist’s statements to accompany each piece.
This course will offer advanced students the opportunity for more in-depth analysis of selected Biblical Texts (selected in consultation between the students and instructor), exploring contemporary and traditional interpretations and contexts for the chosen texts. This is an advanced course and Hebrew above Level 4 is recommended.
This course will explore the concepts of trial and ordeal which are central to the Jewish belief; and introduce the students to major elements of Biblical narrative that revolve around these concepts. Beginning with the story of creation in the Book of Genesis; onward to the birth of the Jewish People and the presentation of religious and ethical laws in the Books of Moses; through the admonishments of the Prophets, and until the moral lessons stated in Writings.
This course will explore the experience of Galut – the exile of the Jewish people from his homeland- as mirrored in the words and deliberations conceived in the minds of our prophets. The students shall be exposed to the relevant biblical texts that speak of the looming uprooting of the people from his land – including the religious, social, political and moral reasoning for it - through the adaptation of the Jews to their new land and host country; and ending with Ge’ulah and Nechamah, the pledge for the rebirth and regeneration of the Jewish People in his ancient homeland.
This course will deal with the biblical law and its origins. Students shall explore the ancient origins of law in the human society and inquire regarding the formative alliance which brought about the Biblical law. Further, the students delve into major benchmarks that constitute the biblical law i.e., honoring one’s parents, protecting and catering for the weak and helpless in the society, the laws of slavery, murder and war.
Students will delve into the depths of the Torah to understand the brilliant commentary of Rashi. This class will provide students with the opportunity to appreciate Rashi's unique style and language and to comprehend the analytical logic that lies behind his unique interpretation. The class will guide students in how to truly understand Rashi's often cryptic words clearly, while bringing clarity to the Chumash text.
If we wish to understand people from various cultures, we must of necessity understand the world religions, because the religions shape and express the world-views of billions of people. The study of other faiths requires more than collecting facts about theological systems and rituals. We must try to learn how to look out on the world through others’ eyes. We want to become adept at the skill of ‘trying on’ the viewpoint of others. “Whoever understands only one religion understands none.” (Max Müller) Having experienced new viewpoints, our own faiths may benefit from a freshness of perspective that was not otherwise possible.
This course will include field trips to other faiths houses of worship and guest lectures by religious leaders of various faiths in the Greensboro community.
Students will explore the history, legends, and sociology of the various Hasidic Groups. Students will explore some of the specialized teachings of Hasidism and their relationship to Kabbalah. Students will practice applying the teachings of Hasidism to their personal lives.
This course will look at the historical relationship between the three monotheistic faiths, from the early Christian and Muslim periods to the present day, their relative developmental periods and will explore the way each deals with various themes – Death & Dying, Prayer, the role and relationship with G-D and coexistence.
Students view the Holocaust through theological and artistic understanding. They engage with material through their own art and journaling as well as classroom debates, articles and artwork. Students write artist’s statements for each work they produce that engages the ideas of theologians and artists studied, as well as their personal views.
This course will explore the many diverse aspects and the development of the American Jewish experience, from its early roots to the politics and challenges of today’s Jewish community. Issues such as community relations, Jewish faith, politics, education and assimilation in America, will be explored and analyzed. Students will also see the role that Jews have played in changing American practices, policies and their influence in American foreign Policy, towards Israel and the ways that they are confronting the challenges facing today’s Jewish community. It will also look at how Jews in America have influenced pop-culture and the arts by exploring selected movies, readings and other examples.
This course will introduce students to the basic Jewish laws surrounding death, exploring the Halahkic definitions of death, death in the Bible, the Rabbinic age and its development to modern times. Students will learn about the Chevra Kadisha, or Holy Ones, who perform the ultimate mitzvah of burial preparation, and the details of Tahara. Resurrection, immortality, the Jewish views on Heaven and Hell will also be examined from various Jewish viewpoints. Students who complete the course will be eligible to do community service in cooperation with the local Jewish community Chevra Kadisha.
This class will delve into the inner workings of popular culture as well as the role of Jews within it. We will look at the factors for the Jewish contribution in and to the entertainment industry- by looking at immigration patterns into the United States as a jumping off point.
We will look at three major questions through the course -What is the definition of pop-culture? (How is effected by Jews and how does it affect Jews?); How do we see ourselves? How does Pop-Culture affect us? Is the overwhelming involvement of Jews in pop-culture a impediment or an advantage to the Jewish people? We will be looking at different aspects of pop-culture as described under the major focus of study.
This class will look at the historical evolution of the Middle East and the impact it has had on Israel, her viability, survival and efforts towards peace in the region. We will be focusing on the history of the Middle East- from Egypt to Saudi Arabia. Our class will look at colonizing powers, Arab mandated leaders as well as historically relevant clan and tribe leadership. We will examine the relationship each had with Israel as well as "outside" pressure and or support. We will look at the final status issues of Oslo, as well as dealing with issues from early statehood that have lingered. We will also focus on the Palestinian people within Israel and within the Arab world, with specific emphasis on their government organizations.
This course will explore Israeli society through its internal political structure, its diverse people and culture as well as the various dimensions and dynamics in this vibrant Jewish State. This class will be broken into 2 main sections; current events and the history of Israel: politically, culturally and socially. Students will be required to bring in one article every class from 1 news source regarding politics and society in Israel. (New York Times, Ha'aretz, Jordan Times- all online) We will look at the different historic models of the Israeli political system, social system, as well as cultural system. Our main focus will be the merging and tearing apart of different political, social, and ethnic groups. We will also look at the important political issues for ALL Israeli citizens from 1948- Present Day.
This course will examine and compare the development of law in Judaism and its influence on jurisprudence in American and contemporary laws through cases from the Supreme Court, and other laws in contemporary America. This course will give students the tools that will enable them to understand how general jurisprudential issues and specific Jewish values are instantiated and concretized through the Halakhic and American Judicial Systems.
How do Jews make informed choices concerning the bioethical problems we face? This course will examine several key issues such as abortion, stem cell research, and genetic engineering in order both to wrestle with these important issues as well as to see how the Jewish voice in these discussions can play a role.
This course will look at the development of women in Judaism through Biblical, Medieval and Modern periods. In this course, students will explore the ways in which women have understood and experienced Judaism from the biblical period through the present. Students will look at women’s traditional religious roles and status and will discuss the many ways in which women have understood Jewish self-identity. The class will also explore contemporary feminist efforts to reevaluate and transform contemporary Jewish life, in America, Israel and in other communities.
This course will explore ecology, Torah, and the arts through multiple philosophical lenses. Genesis 1:27 tells us that we are made in the image of G-d. Likewise, Genesis tells us that humans were given domination over the earth. How do these strands converge? This class explores how Judaism and other religious traditions offer a framework for examining humanity’s relationship with the environment and for defining problems and evaluating potential solutions. Our goal is to see the sacred interdependency in the ecological world so that all Creation becomes a source of wonder rather than only a resource four our use and abuse.
This course will examine great Jewish thinkers and Jewish philosophies, with an introduction of early Jewish philosophers to those of the modern period and how they have confronted modernity in the ever changing world. Classical Jewish thinkers like Philo, Judah HaLevi and Maimonides will be discussed. Then, students will look at a post-emancipated Jewish enlightened era. Here, both rational and irrational philosophies that confront modernity and the new Jewish experience will be explored. Thinkers like Hermann Cohen, Leo Baeck, Mordechai Kaplan, Franz Rosensweig, Martin Buber, Abraham Joshua Heschel and Joseph B. Soloveitchik and ideological responses like Zionism, the post-Holocaust theology and feminist thought will be presented and discussed in the course.
This course will be offered to those students who wish to delve deeper into an advanced study of the Talmud, with students and instructor choosing an appropriate tractate to study. This is an advanced course and Hebrew above Level 4 is recommended.
Henry David Thoreau is credited with saying “an unexamined life is not worth living”. Philosophy “is an attitude of critical and systematic thoughtfulness” or put differently, a way to examine life. In this class we will critically and systematically explore fundamental questions and assertion about the existence of God, evil, meaning of life and religion. This is not a personal theology class, nor is it a Jewish theology class. We will read theologians, some Jewish some not. We will not be exploring your personal views or beliefs. We will, however, be extremely interested in your thought out, reasoned arguments in favor of or against the points of view we will be reading.
The objective of this class is for students to become familiar with the basic concepts and texts of Kabbalah as well as with the techniques of Kabbalistic meditation/tefilah and practical Kabbalah. It is intended for students to wrestle with some of the texts of the Kabbalistic tradition, their language, and the complexities of their subject matters. This class is also intended to help students to gain a competency in the essential Kabbalistic vocabulary.
This course will introduce students to the basic laws of Kashrut (Kosher) and will understand some concepts such as Meat & Milk, “Ma’achalot Asurot – Non-Kosher Foods”, “Bishul - cooking”, “Bitul B’rov and B’Shishim - mixtures” and other concepts – while observing in the dining hall, kitchen and preparing food for the community.
Students will share research throughout the course of the trimester as they compose a college-level essay in a topic in Judaic Studies of their individual choosing. Students will also read and present essays written after 1965 in the field of Judaic Studies that have made a major contribution to the field.
This course will examine selected topics in Jewish Studies in-depth. Students will gain historical perspective and textual insight through critical analysis and research. Topics are selected by the students with a Jewish Studies faculty advisor.
This course is designed to prepare students for the RAVSAK Moot Beit Din competition and will have students preparing legal arguments on a specific case in Jewish Law for the competition. This course will examine and compare the development of law in Judaism ;examination contemporary laws through case study, and other laws. This course will give students the tools that will enable them to understand how Jewish law function in practical ways.
Students view the Holocaust through theological and artistic understanding. They engage with material through their own art and journaling as well as classroom debates, articles and artwork. Students write artist’s statements for each work they produce that engages the ideas of theologians and artists studied, as well as their personal views.
Students explore selected biblical texts for imagery and meanings, engage the wisdom Talmudic and midrashic texts, intersect it with contemporary interpretations, then view historical and contemporary art inspired from the texts. Students create their own artistic interpretations of selected stories or texts and write artist’s statements to accompany each piece.
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