Topics in Israel Studies (280-4-2)
Topic
MENA Jewry: History, Society, Culture
Instructors
Maayan Hilel
Crowe Hall, 5-155
Office Hours: Thursday 5:00 - 6:00
Dr. Maayan Hilel is an Assistant Professor of Instruction in Jewish & Israel Studies, and Assistant Director of the Crown Family Center for Jewish and Israel Studies at Northwestern University. She is a historian of the modern Middle East specializing in the cultural and social history of Palestine / the Land of Israel. Her book manuscript explores the emergence of modern leisure culture in Palestine's urban centers during the formative years of British rule (1918-1948). Relying on relational history, it examines intercommunal relations and cultural transformations within Jewish-Zionist and Palestinian-Arab societies. Through archival research in Hebrew, Arabic, and English, her research focuses on the ways in which members of marginalized social groups such as women, children, workers, and villagers participated, experienced, and interpreted major historical changes that unfolded at that time.
Meeting Info
Kresge Centennial Hall 2-325: Tues, Thurs 2:00PM - 3:20PM
Overview of class
This course delves into the multifaceted experiences of Jewish communities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), spanning from the 18th century to the present day. Looking at their history, cultural developments, societal dynamics, and linguistic transformations, we will examine the diverse cultural worlds where Arabic-speaking Jews lived and thrived. We will also explore the deep and enduring relationships they developed with non-Jews and their instrumental role in shaping local, regional, and national cultures and politics. Their identities and histories, which vary according to their place of origin, will be presented, assessed, and debated in scholarly articles and monographs, political statements, personal testimonies and memoirs, poetry and fiction, as well as music and cinema. Special attention will be given to the interplay between Jewish and Islamic cultures, continuities and ruptures between Jews and their neighboring societies, the impact of geopolitical events, and the formation of Israel within this historical context. By focusing on MENA Jewry, the course offers new perspectives on questions of Zionism and nationalism, colonialism and geography, religion and secularization, and historiography and memory.
Registration Requirements
None.
Learning Objectives
• To acquire a deep understanding of the diverse social and cultural experiences of Jews in the Middle East and North Africa during a formative historical period.
• To broaden students' historical and geographical analytical scope on Jewish-Arab relations and contacts.
• To be able to identify and restore voices and events in Middle Eastern history which has been marginalized and overlooked in the scholarly literature.
• To Develop strategies for reading primary sources and explaining what they can (and can't) tell us about the period in which they were created.
• To hone writing, collaboration, and interpersonal communication skills
Evaluation Method
Class participation: 20%
Midterm Paper 25%
Final Project: 40%
Readings/Discussion Posts: 15%
Class Materials (Required)
Materials will be provided by instructor.
Class Attributes
Historical Studies Foundational Discipline
Historical Studies Distro Area