10589 American Jewry: 1820-1950 1
Credits: 6 advanced credits in Modern History of the Jewish People
Prerequisites: 36 credits, including one course in Modern History of the Jewish People,2 or in Modern History. Students must also fulfill all English requirements and take bibliographic instruction in the Library.
Recommended: The Jews of Eastern Europe: History and Culture
Author: Mira Katzburg-Yungman. The materials include a collection of historical documents and articles, edited by Mira Katzburg-Yungman and Yossi Goldstein.
The course surveys the main characteristics of American Jewry and the major historical developments which it underwent from 1820 to 1950, including the stand that American Jewry took toward the Holocaust of European Jewry, and its contribution to the establishment of the State of Israel.
Topics: Waves of immigration – the German and the East European; The characteristics of American Jewry – an examination of the implications of American pluralism, freedom of religion in the US, American patriotism and the American identity on the character of American Jewry, the second generation of immigrants from Eastern Europe; Religious streams – developments that the Reform movement underwent during the period covered, the emergence of the Conservative and the Reconstructionist movements, the history of the Orthodox movement; Expressions of Jewish solidarity toward Jewish communities throughout the world.
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 The American Jewish Community (10347).
This course is also offered in Russian (42304). Its description is available on the Russian-language website of the Open University (https://www-r.openu.ac.il/).
There is some overlap in the content of this and other courses. For details, see Overlapping Courses.
2or any two History courses, for those who took them before Fall 2009.