10347 The American Jewish Community 1
Credits: 6 advanced credits in Sociology & Anthropology or in Political Science or in Modern History of the Jewish People
Prerequisites: 36 credits, including Introduction to Sociology or a course in Modern History or in Modern History of the Jewish People. Students must also fulfill all English requirements and take bibliographic instruction in the Library.
Author: Charles Liebman
The course introduces the student to various aspects of the Jewish community in the United States. It discusses the values, basic attitudes, institutions and patterns of activity of the Jewish community as well as the way it organizes to achieve political goals. The course also addresses the role of Israel in the public and private lives of American Jews and includes an extensive discussion of the various opinions concerning the future of American Jewry. The materials include The Jewish Community in the United States from its Beginnings, by A. L. Gartner (in Hebrew); and American Jewry in a Pluralistic Society, by Y. Elman (in Hebrew).
Topics: Historical introduction; The organizational structure of the Jewish community in the United States; Religious pluralism and the Jewish community in the United States; Jewish education; Organizing to achieve political goals; Israel and the American Jewish community; Selected topics on the Jewish political agenda; The future of the American Jewish community.
1Students may write a seminar paper in this course, although it is not required. Students who write a seminar paper in this course may not write one in American Jewry (10589).