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Courses

The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular term. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on the MyBU Student Portal for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.

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  • CAS JS 150: Introduction to Jewish History
    Explores history of Jews across the globe from beginnings to the present. Highlights the diversity of Jewish experiences, identifies patterns of continuity and evolution, situates Jewish history in larger contexts, and limns various modes of interaction with other groups. Effective Spring 2026, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Teamwork/Collaboration.
    • Historical Consciousness
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
    • Teamwork/Collaboration
  • CAS JS 210: The Hebrew Bible
    Study of the literature of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and the religious traditions to which these writings bear witness within the context of the history of the ancient Israelite community. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
    • Aesthetic Exploration
    • Critical Thinking
    • Historical Consciousness
  • CAS JS 211: From Jesus to Christ: The Origins of Christianity
    Introduces the texts of the New Testament and other early Christian writings: first, to place Jesus of Nazareth in the religious and social context of Second Temple Judaism and the Roman empire; and second, to explain the origins and growth of Christian beliefs, practices, and social formations up to the second century. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I, Critical Thinking.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Historical Consciousness
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS JS 214: Introduction to Rabbinic Literature
    Chronological exploration of rabbinic Judaism's major documents, using a modern scholarly anthology. The Mishnah; legal and legendary selections from the midrashim and both the Jerusalem and Babylonian Talmuds. Themes: monotheism, sin and atonement, heaven and hell, conceptions of gender, the impact of rabbinic texts on medieval and modern Judaism.
  • CAS JS 235: Introduction to Yiddish
    ntroduces students to the Yiddish language and the culture and civilization built from it. Yiddish is a critical language for learning about Jewish history, the Holocaust, and eastern European culture. It has been spoken around the world since the Middle Ages, and continues to evolve. The class also explores Yiddish's central role in the development of American popular culture, especially music, theater, and film.
  • CAS JS 239: Jewish Humor and Satire: Stand-Up Comedy
    Undergraduate prerequisites: First-Year Writing Seminar (CASWR 100 or 120). - We begin with Freud's theories, illustrated by Viennese and Yiddish humor. The course then focuses on oral-style short fiction, the creation of a persona, and stand-up comedy routines. As we read texts and study performances, students write their own. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Creativity/Innovation, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Writing-Intensive Course.
    • Creativity/Innovation
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS JS 244: Early Jewish Mystical Thought
    Analysis of the development of Jewish mysticism from the biblical to the early medieval era. Emphasis on the forms of mysticism--and the texts in which they are embedded--from the rabbinic era. No knowledge of Hebrew is required.
  • CAS JS 246: Jewish Mysticism
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: First-Year Writing Seminar (CAS WR 120 or equivalent) - This course explores the rich world of Jewish Mysticism from its earliest roots to its contemporary expressions in the 21st century. We look at the interaction between Jewish mystics and major western schools of thought such as Gnosticism, Neoplatonism, Aristotelianism, and Sufism. The course also introduces students to the Kabbalistic tradition and its various historical manifestations. No prior knowledge of Hebrew or other themes in Jewish studies required. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Aesthetic Exploration, Teamwork/Collaboration.
    • Aesthetic Exploration
    • Teamwork/Collaboration
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS JS 250: Holy City: Jerusalem in Time, Space, and Imagination
    Transformation of an ordinary ancient city into the holy city of Jews, Christians, and Muslims; and development of modern Jerusalem, as shaped by British rule, Zionism, and Palestinian nationalism. Jerusalem's past, present, and meanings considered through analyses of religious and secular rhetoric. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, The Individual in Community, Critical Thinking.
    • Aesthetic Exploration
    • Critical Thinking
    • The Individual in Community
  • CAS JS 252: History of Judaism
    This class surveys Jewish history from the classical period to modern times. It covers: the destruction of the 1st Temple; the encounter with Hellenism; the Roman period; the destruction of the 2nd Temple; the rise and influence of rabbinic Judaism; the medieval era under Muslim and Christian rule; medieval antisemitism; Jewish mysticism (Kabbalah); and philosophy (Maimonides). For the modern era we discuss: the Renaissance; the Reformation; the complex issue of Emancipation; coming to America; the growth of American Judaism; religious reform; modern antisemitism; and Zionism. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Historical Consciousness
  • CAS JS 253: Topics Jewish History
    Course may be repeated if topic differs. Explores the History of Jews and Jewish Communities in various geographic, chronological, or thematic contexts. Topic for Spring 2026: History of Jews in the Americas. The history of Jews and Jewish communities in North America, South America, and the Caribbean from 1492-present, highlighting the diversity of Jewish experiences and Jews¿ engagement with other sectors of society. Effective Spring 2026, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Digital/Multimedia Expression
    • Historical Consciousness
    • Research and Information Literacy
  • CAS JS 255: Modern Judaism
    Encounters between Judaism and modernity from the Renaissance and Reformation; the Spanish expulsion and creation of Jewish centers in the New World; emancipation and its consequences; assimilation, Reform Judaism, Zionism, the American Jewish community, non-European communities, Jewish global migration, and modern antisemitism. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Historical Consciousness
  • CAS JS 256: Introduction to Antisemitism
    Explores the history of antisemitism across the globe from antiquity to the twentieth century. Highlights the manifold causes of Jew hatred, identifies continuities and distinctions in its forms, and situates antisemitism within a larger cultural history of racial discourse.
  • CAS JS 257: Contemporary Antisemitism
    Are there new forms of antisemitism that have developed since the Holocaust? How have old forms persisted and reappeared indifferent guises? Did the Holocaust change our understanding of possible consequences of bigotry and hatred? These questions are discussed, along with similarities to other forms of bigotry and racism, and the relationship of anti-Zionism to antisemitism. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry 1, Critical Thinking.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Historical Consciousness
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS JS 258: Antisemitism and the Holocaust in America
    Prerequisite: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., CASWR 100 or WR 120). - Antisemitism during the twentieth century in the United States, represented in cinema and histories: eugenics and racialist movements, racism and antisemitism, antisemitic propaganda, Nazi spies in New York and Boston, impact of the Holocaust, post-Holocaust bias, social exclusions, antisemitism today. Effective Fall 2026, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Teamwork/Collaboration, Writing-Intensive Course.
    • Historical Consciousness
    • Teamwork/Collaboration
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS JS 260: The Holocaust
    Rise of German (and European) antisemitism; rise of Nazism; 1935 Nuremberg Laws; the initial Jewish reaction; racial theory; organizing mass murder including ghettos, concentration camps, killing squads, and gas chambers; bystanders and collaborators (countries, organizations, and individuals); Jewish resistance; post-Holocaust religious responses; moral and ethical issues. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Ethical Reasoning
    • Historical Consciousness
  • CAS JS 261: Representations of the Holocaust in Literature and Film
    How can we understand the impact of the Holocaust and its ongoing legacies? Holocaust representation in literature, film and memorials, including discussions of bystander complicity and societal responsibilities, testimonial and fictive works by Wiesel and Levi, documentaries and feature films. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness.
    • Ethical Reasoning
    • Historical Consciousness
  • CAS JS 280: Israeli Popular Music
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLH212) or equivalent. - Advanced-intermediate Hebrew language and culture course for those who have completed at least four semesters' college Hebrew or equivalent. Introduction to Israeli cultural history through music. Students expand vocabulary and further develop writing, reading, listening, and conversational skills in Hebrew. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Creativity/Innovation.
    • Creativity/Innovation
    • Digital/Multimedia Expression
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • CAS JS 281: Advanced Modern Hebrew: Voices in Israeli Society
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLH212) or the equivalent as determined by placement test. - This course provides advanced language practice and introduction to globally diverse groups in Israeli society: Orthodox and secular, immigrants and veteran immigrants, Mizrahi and Ashkenazi Jews, Arab-Israelis and more. Through reading a variety of academic and newspapers articles, short stories, poems and viewing interviews, documentaries and movies, students will enhance their interpretation, writing and oral skills while acquiring fundamental knowledge about ethnic/religious/national/social diversity in Israel. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Digital/Multimedia Expression.
    • Digital/Multimedia Expression
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • CAS JS 282: Sixth-Semester Hebrew: Food Culture in Israel
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLH311) or placement test results. - This course is taught in Hebrew. Israel has a rich cuisine that reflects the diversity of Israeli society, Jewish and Arab culinary traditions, and a wide range of regional influences. Through reading/viewing a variety of authentic materials, students will enhance their language and cultural proficiency. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Creativity/Innovation.
    • Creativity/Innovation
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication

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