ISRL - Israel Studies
ISRL187 God, Land, Power, and the People: Moral Issues in the Jewish Historical Experience (3 Credits)
Examines the complicated relationship between theology, nationalism, sovereignty, and the ethical exercise of social control using case studies drawn from the Jewish historical experience. The universal and age-old issues implicit in the exercise of power have gained special moral force for Jews with the creation of the State of Israel, a Jewish and a democratic state with substantial non-Jewish minorities and hundreds of thousands of non-citizen subjects. Can these be reconciled? Jewish efforts over the ages and in recent times to define justice provide concrete examples through which to examine and discuss crucial abstract principles.
ISRL249 Selected Topics in Israel Studies (3 Credits)
Topics in the study of Zionism and contemporary Israel from the 1880's to the present. Future offerings may address history, politics, or culture.
Recommended: ISRL142.
Repeatable to: 6 credits if content differs.
ISRL256 Zionism and Sexual Revolution (3 Credits)
A study of the changes within European Jewish communities that influenced the development of particular fantasies about and representations of gender, love, and sex in Palestine and Israel. We will investigate the broader intellectual and cultural contexts needed to understand the gender and sexual revolutions of the 19th and 20th centuries, and will examine how European and, later, Israeli Jews adopted and adapted these ideas and cultural forms. We will closely analyze a variety of texts (stories, plays, photographs, and films) and will consider the relationship between ideology and aesthetics.
Cross-listed with: JWST256.
Credit Only Granted for: ISRL249N, JWST219G, ISRL256, or JWST256.
Formerly: ISRL249N or JWST219G.
ISRL269 Special Topics in Study Abroad II (1-6 Credits)
Special topics course taken as part of an approved study abroad program.
Repeatable to: 15 credits if content differs.
ISRL283 The Israeli/Palestinian Conflict: Fundamental Questions (3 Credits)
As has become evident virtually every year, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict retains its capacity to mobilize both sides against each other. Why are Palestinian Arabs and Israeli Jews unable to resolve their differences? This course uncovers some of the deeper explanations as to why the conflict persists, even as it changes over the decades.
Credit Only Granted for: ISRL283 or ISRL289I..
Formerly: ISRL289I.
ISRL289 New Explorations in Israel Studies (3 Credits)
Investigation of critical and innovative responses in Israel Studies. Although the topic will vary, the course will encourage intellectual exploration by students of fundamental problems and critical methods.
ISRL299 Independent Study in Israel Studies (1-3 Credits)
This lower-level independent study allows students to work closely with an Israel Studies faculty member of their choice, pending prior approval of the faculty member. In this independent study, students will focus on a topic specific to Israel Studies.
Prerequisite: Permission of ARHU-Meyerhoff Program & Center for Jewish Studies.
Repeatable to: 6 credits.
ISRL329 Special Topics in Israel Studies (3 Credits)
Topics in the study of Zionism and contemporary Israel from the 1880's to the present at an intermediate level. Individual sections may address history, politics, or culture.
Repeatable to: 9 credits if content differs.
ISRL329G The Israeli Settler Movement: The Road to One State? (3 Credits)
Explores the Israeli settler movement over the last four decades, from its position on the fringes of Israeli society in the 1970s and 1980s to its rise to prominence in Israeli politics today. Topics will include the history of the Israeli settlement project in the West Bank, the emergence of Gush Emunim and its ideological foundations in Jewish messianism, its violent offshoots, and the influence of the settler movement on the Israeli political system. Study of these topics illuminates some of the most important driving forces of modern history such as nationalism, religious fundamentalism, colonialism and the ability of a determined minority to influence a country's policies.
Cross-listed with: JWST332, HIST381.
Credit Only Granted for: HIST329G, HIST381, ISRL329G, JWST332 or JWST319N.
Formerly: JWST319N.
ISRL330 Mizrahi Identity in Israel (3 Credits)
It is impossible to understand Israeli society today without examining the Mizrahi experience. Despite the common misconception that Israel is predominantly made up of Jews from European origin, the fact of the matter is that Jews of Mizrahi origin, whose parents and grandparents immigrated to Israel from the Middle East and North Africa, represent a major part of the Israeli population. Moreover, Ashkenazi-Mizrahi relations continue to be a major source of tension in Israeli politics, and issues of race continue to come up on social media and polarize the Israeli society. This course brings to light narratives of Mizrahi identity in Israel and explores the trajectory of the Mizrahi struggle for equality and against racism through its various milestones: the 1959 Wadi Salib Revolt, the Black Panthers Movement in the 1970s, the emergence of the Israeli Sephardi-Orthodox party Shas, and the new wave of Mizrahi activism in the 21st century.
Cross-listed with: HIST377, JWST334.
Credit Only Granted for: JWST319D, JWST334, HIST377, HIST329Z, ISRL329M, or ISRL330.
Formerly: ISRL329M.
ISRL342 History of Modern Israel (3 Credits)
History of modern Israel since the beginning of the Zionist settlement in 1882. Attention to different interpretations and narratives of Israel's history, including the historical and ideological roots of Zionism, the establishment of the State of Israel, ideological forces, wars, and the triumphs and crises of democracy.Cross-listed with HIST376.
ISRL343 Global Migration and the Israeli Case Study (3 Credits)
Over 70% of Israel's population is made of first, second or third generation immigrants, who came from over 70 countries, making Israel an ultimate immigrant society. This course will focus on the history of Israel as a case study for the understanding of the historical phenomena of modern immigration.
Cross-listed with: SOCY398G.
Credit Only Granted for: ISRL349K, GVPT368G, SOCY398G, SOCY398I, or ISRL343.
Formerly: ISRL349K.
ISRL344 The Israeli Settler Movement: The Road to One State? (3 Credits)
Explores the Israeli settler movement over the last four decades, from its position on the fringes of Israeli society in the 1970s and 1980s to its rise to prominence in Israeli politics today. Topics will include the history of the Israeli settlement project in the West Bank, the emergence of Gush Emunim and its ideological foundations in Jewish messianism, its violent offshoots, and the influence of the settler movement on the Israeli political system. Study of these topics illuminates some of the most important driving forces of modern history such as nationalism, religious fundamentalism, colonialism and the ability of a determined minority to influence a country's policies.
Cross-listed with: JWST332, HIST381.
Credit Only Granted for: HIST329G, HIST381, ISRL329G, ISRL344, JWST332 or JWST319N.
Formerly: JWST319N.
ISRL349 Investigating Topics in Israel Studies (3-6 Credits)
Topics in the study of Zionism and contemporary Israel from the 1880's to the present at an intermediate level. Individual sections may address history, politics, or culture.
Recommended: ISRL142 and ISRL249.
ISRL350 The End of the Israel-Arab Conflict?? (3 Credits)
Violence between Jews/Israelis and Arabs/Palestinians on both an inter-communal and inter-state level has been pervasive in the Holy Land for over a century. However, in the past few years, Israel has signed treaties with several Arab countries and more are likely in the near future. Is the larger Israel-Arab conflict ended, or nearly so? This course will examine the last 30 years to understand what has changed about these conflicts and what remains, and then explore different scenarios as to how peace may be possible and what it might look like.
ISRL369 Special Topics in Study Abroad (1-6 Credits)
Special topics course taken as part of an approved study abroad program.
Repeatable to: 15 credits if content differs.
ISRL372 Jewry of Muscle: Zionism and Jewish Masculinity (3 Credits)
Part of the Zionist cultural project involved creating a new Jewish masculinity that would replace the diasporic "sissy Jew" with a strong, healthy new "Jewry of Muscle." Using literary and cinematic sources, we will analyze how these Zionist and Israeli cultural productions served to build (and sometimes undermine) this new model of Jewish masculinity.
Cross-listed with: JWST372.
Credit Only Granted for: JWST319K, ISRL329K, JWST372 or ISRL372.
Formerly: JWST319K or ISRL329K.
ISRL375 Jews and Representations of Race (3 Credits)
Attention to the evolution of Western concepts of "race" from late medieval to modern times requires addressing the meaning of the term "race." How did constructions of Jewish "racial" identities fit into this broader discussion? As Christian Europe's primary minority for centuries, "the Jews" provide evidence for constructions of race as a means of grouping populations culturally and materially. How did Jews interact with the racial discourse of diverse time periods, and how did they negotiate their political realities by both adopting and challenging aspects of the rhetoric of antisemitism as well as the rhetoric of "whiteness" versus "blackness"?
Cross-listed with: JWST375.
Credit Only Granted for: ISRL375, JWST375, ISRL349Z, or JWST319M.
Formerly: ISRL349Z or JWST319M.
ISRL380 Israel: Politics and Society (3 Credits)
Addresses the main issues in Israeli politics and society by focusing on the role of Zionism in the Jewish state, the institutional foundations of Israeli democracy, the main political parties and blocs and their different ideological principles and visions, as well as the main social groups, movements, and institutions that comprise Israeli civil society.
Credit Only Granted for: ISRL329C, ISRL380, or GVPT368D.
Formerly: ISRL329C .
ISRL381 Israeli Foreign and Security Policy (3 Credits)
An overview of Israeli foreign and security policy from 1948 to the present. We will examine how Israel's foreign and security policies reflect its Jewish origins, Zionist ideology, its relations with its neighbors and world powers, and its regional quest for recognition and legitimacy.
Credit Only Granted for: ISRL381, ISRL329P or GVPT368E.
Formerly: ISRL329P.
ISRL382 U.S. Foreign Policy and the Arab-Israeli Conflict (3 Credits)
What are the United States' interests in the Middle East? Who and/or what determines those interests? How are these interests pursued? This course will provide an overview of American diplomacy in the Middle East as it unfolded since the mid-1940s with an emphasis on the Israeli-Arab/Palestinian conflicts. We will first examine the overarching ideational and institutional factors that shape and guide U.S. foreign policy, and then turn to analyze major issues and challenges American diplomacy faces in the Middle East. The course seeks to integrate U.S. foreign policy and the Arab-Israeli conflict into a broader analytical framework dealing with mediation, conflict resolution and management, alliance and politics, and patron-client relations.
Credit Only Granted for: ISRL382, ISRL349F or GVPT368A.
Formerly: ISRL349F.
ISRL383 Political Psychology, Israel, and the Middle East (3 Credits)
What is the role of perceptions and misperceptions in international politics? How do emotions impact policy-making processes? Does social psychology matter when analyzing domestic politics or foreign policy? Political psychology is an interdisciplinary academic field dedicated to the analysis of the nexus between psychological and political processes. This course will identify and employ multiple pertinent political psychology theories to account for Israeli domestic politics and foreign policy as well as other major political events throughout the Middle East including nuclear proliferation, terrorism, and territorial expansionism
Cross-listed with: GVPT368P.
Credit Only Granted for: ISRL329Q, ISRL383 or GVPT368P..
Formerly: ISRL329Q.
ISRL448 Seminar in Israel Studies (3 Credits)
Intensive study of an Israel Studies topic. Expected work product is a substantial research or analysis paper or appropriate equivalent.
Recommended: ISRL349 and ISRL249.
Restriction: Must be in the Israel Studies Minor.
ISRL449 Advanced Topics in Israel Studies (3 Credits)
Topics in the study of Zionism and contemporary Israel from the 1880s to the present at the advanced level. Individual sections may address history, politics, or culture. Some Sections may have language or course prerequisites.
Recommended: ISRL349 or ISRL249.
Repeatable to: 6 credits if content differs.
ISRL499 Advanced Independent Study in Israel Studies (1-3 Credits)
This upper-level independent study allows students to work closely with an Israel Studies faculty member of their choice, pending prior approval of the faculty member. In this independent study, students will focus on a topic specific to Israel Studies.
Prerequisite: Permission of ARHU-Meyerhoff Program & Center for Jewish Studies.
Repeatable to: 6 credits.