Hunter College Department of Classical and Oriental Studies Division of Hebrew and Hebraic Studies Sample Syllabus

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1 Hunter College Department of Classical and Oriental Studies Division of Hebrew and Hebraic Studies Sample Syllabus Hebrew 215 (sec 001) Fall 2013 Hebraic and Judaic Culture and Thought in the Medieval Islamic World Monday & Thursday 1:10-2:25 P.M Professor Ethan Zadoff Office: 1349B Office Hours: Monday, 2:45-4:00 P.M and by Appointment Course Objective The purpose of this course is to explore the history and culture of the Jews living in the Islamic world from the rise of Islam to the seventeenth century. Topics to be covered include the relationship between Judaism and Islam, the legal status of the Jews, the organizational and structural elements of the Jewish community, Jewish history from below, Jewish intellectual history, and developments in Jewish law, philosophy, and literature. Particular attention will be given to the ways in which the Jewish experience was shaped by the surrounding Islamic cultural, social, and intellectual milieu. Class Attendance Policy You are allowed two unexcused absences and three excused absences for the entire semester. If you have a medical issue and are required to miss class you must provide a doctor s note to that effect. All other absences must be cleared with me. Additional absences from class will affect your attendance and participation grade. Code of Courtesy Arrive on time with your cell phone silenced. Please do not use your cell phone, Blackberry or iphone during class time. Bring the appropriate book. Give the professor your full attention. Do not chat, text, or surf the Internet. Remain in the room until the lecture or section ends. Conduct yourself in a manner respectful to all present. Never hesitate to ask a question, to express a doubt, or to request clarification. Assigned Texts There are two assigned texts for this course available for purchase at Shakespeare & Co. (Lexington Avenue between 68 th and 69 th streets) Bernard Lewis, The Jews of Islam. (Princeton University Press)

2 Norman Stillman, The Jews of Arab Lands: A History and Source Book. (Jewish Publication Society of America.) Blackboard Site Assignments and Percentages of Final Grade Attendance and Participation (10%) I expect students to come to class on time, having completed the assigned reading and ready to participate. If students are not coming to class prepared with the reading, I will institute weekly quizzes that will figure into the attendance and participation grade. While parts of each class s time will be dedicated to lecture, students are encouraged to ask questions. Midterm Exam (20%) The exam will be in class and will cover material from both readings and lectures. See the class schedule for details. Response Papers (15%) In these papers you are to respond briefly to one of the assigned readings that I designate. Specific questions accompany each of the response papers so please pay particular attention. You are to complete three out of the five assignments, with the fourth assignment counting as an extra credit paper. Each of the papers is worth five points for a total of fifteen possible points. In turn, these fifteen points will count as fifteen percent of your final grade. These papers must be between two and three double spaced pages in length and make reference back to the requisite readings. In addition to handing in a hard copy of the assignment, you must submit all written work to Turn-It-In as well. If you have not done so already, please visit turnitin.com to set up a user profile. Once you have set your account you can log into the class page using the following information: Class ID: Class Name: Enrollment Password: Please make sure to upload the assignment by 11:00 PM on the day it is due. Written Assignment (25%) There will be one long written assignment of 4-6 pages due at the end of the semester. Final Exam (30%) The exam will cover material from the second half of the course. Expectations Students are expected to attend all lectures on time, participate actively and to refrain from disruptive behavior such as talking, passing notes and text messaging while class is in session. Readings are to be completed before class on the day for which they are assigned. Written work is to be turned in by the end of class on the day for which it is assigned. Papers should be typed, double spaced, and stapled. BE SURE TO PROOFREAD YOUR WORK. Sloppy and careless grammar will lower your grade. The CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity will be strictly enforced. Any violation of these regulations, including acts of plagiarism or cheating will be dealt with on an individual basis

3 according to the severity of the misconduct. If you are unsure about what constitutes plagiarism please consult with me before handing in written work. Finally, it is your responsibility to be alert and pay attention to announcements in this class. The syllabus, the sequence of lectures and the nature of the assigned work is all subject to change. Class Schedule 8/28- Introduction to the Course 9/2- No Class, Labor Day 9/5- No Class, Rosh Hashanah 9/9- Mark Cohen, Bernard Lewis, and Edward Said: The Past and Present in Historical Interpretation Mark Cohen, Under Crescent and Cross: The Jews in the Middle Ages, Chapter 1 (Blackboard) Joseph Massad, The Intellectual Life of Edward Said (Blackboard) Response Paper #1 (Due 9/23) Using Cohen s analysis of the Myth and Countermyth as well as Massad s description of Said s intellectual endeavors please discuss the broad methodology and approach that researchers and scholars have undertaken to study and elucidate the relationship between Judaism and Islam (and in Said s case the Orient and Occident). What do you think are the relative merits and pitfalls associated with the various approaches and methods? 9/12-Jews in the Pre- Islamic World: The History of the Jews from the 1 st -7 th century Please consult particularly the section Diasporas-Babylonian Jewry. Under the Primary Source heading please read sources, 3, 4 and 9/16- The Emergence of Islam: History and Religion Arthur Goldschmidt, A Concise History of the Middle East, (Blackboard) 9/19- No Class, Sukkot 9/23-The First Encounter between Muhammad and the Jews (Response #1 Due) Stillman, 3-21; Lewis, Chapter Response Paper #2 (Due 10/7)

4 Please discuss the nature of the first encounter between the Muslims and the Jews of the Arabian Peninsula. Was the relationship acrimonious or mostly peaceful? What do the primary sources (Please refer to the sources in the Stillman reader) indicate about the early relationship between the Jews and Muslims? Are these primary sources to be trusted to paint an accurate picture of the historical past? 9/26- No Class, Shemini Atzeret 9/30 - The Legal Position of Jews in Islamic Society Stillman, ; /3 - Defining the Geonic Period and its Primary Sources Rabinowich, The Iggeret of Sherira Gaon pg. 1-11; (Blackboard) pg (Blackboard) 10/7- The Geonic Academies and Role of the Gaon and the Exilarch (Response #2 Due) pg (Blackboard) Stillman, Response Paper #3 (Due 10/21) Discuss the role of the Gaon and the Exilarch in the Jewish community. What are the primary differences between the two roles? Who held more communal power? Which office played a more important role in defining the relationship between the Babylonian center and Jewish Diaspora? To which office does Brody attach more importance? Why? 10/10 -The Relationship Between Babylon and Palestine and the Jewish Diaspora (Blackboard 10/14- No Class 10/15 (Classes Follow Monday Schedule) - The Intellectual World of the Geonim (Blackboard) 10/17- Saadya Gaon Sarah Strousma, Saadya and Jewish "Kalam" The Cambridge Companion to Medieval Jewish Philosophy, (Blackboard) Brody, (Blackboard) 10/21- Midterm Review (Response #3 Due)

5 10/24- Midterm Exam 10/28 - Karaites, Revolt, and Heresy Leon Nemoy, Karaite Anthology, 11-20; (Blackboard) Meira Polliack, Rethinking Karaism: Between Judaism and Islam, AJS Review 30:1 (2006), (Blackboard) 10/31- The Cairo Genizah Stefan Reif, A Jewish Archive from Old Cairo, 1-23; (Blackboard) Response Paper #4 (Due 11/14) In what ways do the documents of the Cairo Genizah aid in the study on medieval Jewish history? What kind of the documents were found in the Genizah and what do you think that says about the nature and make-up of the Jewish community living under Muslim rule? 11/4 - New Independent Centers: The Case of Egypt and North Africa Stillman, /7- New Centers, Continued 11/11 - New Centers, Continued 11/14- The Rise of Andalusian Jewry: The Historical Context (Response #4 Due) Stillman, 53-57; Jane Gerber, The Jews of Spain, (Blackboard) Abraham Ibn Daud, The Book of Tradition, The Story of the Four Captives, (Blackboard) Response Paper #5 (Due 12/5) What is the significance of the Story of the Four Captives in regards to the genesis of the Andalusian Jewish community? What does the story indicate about the relationship between the Spanish Jewish community and other Jewish communities around the world, particularly in the Middle East 11/18 - The Good Life: Poetry, Language and Grammar in Al- Andalus Gerber, (Blackboard) Raymond Scheindlin, Wine, Women and Death, 1-11; (Blackboard) Encyclopedia Judaica Entries, Dunash ben Labrat, Menahem b. Jacob ibn Saruq, Ibn Janah, Yehudi ben Sheshet 11/21 - Philosophy in Al- Andalus Joel Kraemer, The Islamic Context of Medieval Jewish Philosophy, The Cambridge Companion to Medieval Jewish Philosophy, (Blackboard) OR Barry Kogan, Judah Halevi and his use of Philosophy in the Kuzari, The Cambridge Companion to Medieval Jewish Philosophy, (Blackboard

6 11/25 - Maimonides: Life and Times Joel Kraemer, Maimonides, 23-55; 69-91; ; (Blackboard) Isadore Twersky, A Maimonides Reader, (Blackboard) 12/2- Maimonides: Law and Philosophy Kraemer, Maimonides, (Blackboard) 12/5- Maimonides: Law and Philosophy Continued (Response #5 Due) Kraemer, Maimonides, (Blackboard) 12/9 - Ottoman Revival Stillman, /12- Ottoman Revival and Sabbatai Sevi 12/16- Final Day of Class- Reflections on the relationship between Judaism and Islam Wrap Up and Last Day of Class (Final Paper Due)