Introduction to Judaism (230-0-1)

Instructors

Barry Wimpfheimer
847 4912618
Crowe Hall, 1860 Campus Drive, 4-140
Barry Wimpfheimer is an assistant professor of Religious Studies and Law at Northwestern University. A specialist in Ancient Judaism, and particularly the Talmud, Wimpfheimer is interested in the relationship betweeen Jewish Law and the traditional literature and culture of Judaism. He is the author of Narrating the Law: A Poetics of Talmudic Legal Stories.

Meeting Info

Kresge Centennial Hall 2-415: Mon, Wed, Fri 10:00AM - 10:50AM

Overview of class

This course attempts to answer the questions "What is Judaism?" and "Who is a Jew?" by surveying the broad arc of Jewish history, reviewing the practices and beliefs that have defined and continue to define Judaism as a religion, sampling the vast treasure of Jewish literatures, and analyzing the unique social conditions that have made the cultural experience of Jewishness so significant. The class will employ a historical structure to trace the evolutions of Jewish literature, religion, and culture through the ages.

Class Materials (Required)

1) SHORT HISTORY OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE, By SCHEINDLIN, PUBLISHER: OXF ISBN: 9780195139419 2) INTRODUCING JUDAISM, By SEGAL, PUBLISHER: TAYLOR ISBN: 9780415440097

Class Attributes

Ethical and Evaluative Thinking Foundational Disci

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Pre-Reg: Reserved for Jewish Studies major and minors and Hebrew minors