All courses are for three graduate credits, except where noted. Campus-based students need permission to register for online sections of Framework and Gateway courses.
Framework Courses
Gateway Courses
Hebrew College Online
Courses offered through Hebrew College Online during the 2007-2008 academic year are available to Hebrew College students. Unless otherwise noted, Hebrew College Online courses may be taken for three graduate credits or non-credit. View the
Hebrew College Online course listings.
Me’ah Graduate Institute
Courses offered through the Me’ah Graduate Institute (MGI) during the 2007–2008 academic year are available to Hebrew College students. These courses may be taken for credit or for non-credit and are offered on a pass/fail basis only. Matriculated students in degree programs may take up to two MGI courses for credit toward their degree.
View Fall Semester courses by discipline:
Bible
Cantorial
Education
Hebrew
History
Interdisciplinary
Jewish Thought
Liturgy
Music
Rabbinics
Online
Register Now!
BIBLE
Bible: Text and Context
Bernat
Framework
Thursday, 9:00–11:00 a.m.
BIBLE 600
A critical introduction to the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), studying its place in the history of ancient Israel and Jewish tradition, as well as its relationship to ancient Near Eastern cultures of the biblical period. Through broad coverage and close reading, students will focus on the fundamental scholarly methods of literary, historical and theological analysis, in order to explore the Bible's compositional development and overarching
messages.
Genres and Themes of Biblical Literature
Bock
Gateway; 4 credits
Tuesday and Thursday, 9:00–11:00 a.m.
BIBLE 502
Prerequisite: Online Hebrew V
, or campus-based Hebrew VI
or equivalent.
Students will read extended selections in Hebrew from the major biblical genres, including narrative, law, prophecy, Psalms and wisdom literature. Particular attention is paid to a thorough understanding of the Hebrew text, and to the linguistic and literary characteristics of the different genres.
Rashi and His School: The First Revolution in Bible Interpretation
Cohn
MGI
Monday, 9:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m., begins the week of October 15
BIBLE-GC 123
While many Bible commentaries written long after Rashi have become dated, Rashi's commentary still has a hold over the Jewish imagination. What is it that made this commentary, written over a millennium ago, into a classic? And how can it continue to be useful even when critical biblical scholarship, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and modern sensibilities, have taken our understanding of the Bible so far beyond Rashi and the medievals? Students will use Rashi's Torah commentary, with selections primarily from Genesis and Exodus, to grasp the essence of Rashi's genius as a Bible commentator. The course will examine how Rashi's commentary has served both as a primer for children beginning their studies, and as a focus for advanced scholars. Students will also take note of the radical aspects of Rashi's commentary, showing how it started a revolution in the study of the Bible by freeing scholars from the constraints of traditional interpretations. The course will place Rashi's Torah commentary into the context of his complete oeuvre, his times (the First Crusade), and the world of midrash, which he both supplanted and invigorated.
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CANTORIAL
Nusah for Daily Services: Theory
Mayer
Wednesday, 11:15 a.m.–1:15 p.m.
CANTR 520
Note: This course is limited to CEP students or by permission of the Dean.
This course provides the foundation for the entire sequence of nusah for cantorial students. In the first part of the semester, students learn the musical modes for Ashkenazic prayer chant and discuss their harmonic elements. Later students will learn the specific motivic content for leading daily services within the Ashkenazic tradition.
Nusah for Daily Services: Practicum
Mayer
Wednesday, 2:15–4:15 p.m.
CANTR 533
Note: Enrollment is limited to CEP students or by permission of the Dean.
This course provides students with the skills necessary to lead daily services, emphasizing modal and motivic improvisation within the established framework of Nusah Ashkenaz.
Nusah for Festivals and Hallel: Theory
Ness
Wednesday, 11:15 a.m.–1:15 p.m.
CANTR 521
Note: Enrollment is limited to CEP students or by permission of the Dean.
As with preceding nusah theory courses, this course emphasizes the theoretical analysis of Ashkenazic nusah, in this case as applied to the Shelosh Regalim, Rosh Hodesh and minor festivals. In addition to the primary services for these holidays, aspects of Hallel and home rituals (e.g., the seder) are examined.
Nusah for Festivals and Hallel: Practicum
Sokol
Wednesday, 2:15–4:15 p.m.
CANTR 534
Note: Enrollment is limited to CEP students or by permission of the Dean
Emphasis in this class is on acquiring basic davening skills, utilizing the modes and motifs of
Shelosh Regalim, Rosh Hodesh and minor festivals. In addition, students will be introduced to selected cantorial recitatives for these festivals and coached on their authentic rendering. As time allows, melodies for the Passover seder and other home festival rituals will be shared.
Cantillation I: Theory and Practice of Torah Cantillation
Jacobson
Tuesday, 11:15 a.m.–1:15 p.m.
CANTR 529
In this course students will analyze the punctuation system underlying the chanting of the Hebrew Bible. The focus of instruction will be on a traditional Ashkenazic mode for the public cantillation of the Pentateuch.
Advanced Sabbath Practicum: Traditional
Osborne
Thursday, 11:15 a.m.–1:15 p.m.
CANTR 540
Note: Enrollment is limited to CEP students and designed for those planning to serve traditional congregations.
This practicum class focuses on traditional Sabbath repertoire. Students will spend a portion of class time discussing the process of crafting a unified and effective worship experience and choosing appropriate music with that goal in mind. The remainder of the time is spent coaching individual pieces with the instructor. Piano accompaniment will be provided as required.
Basic Nusah for Jewish Professionals
Buhr
Friday, 9:00–11:00 a.m.
CANTR 517
This class is an introduction to the modes and motifs for synagogue prayer during weekday and Sabbath worship. Emphasis is on acquiring the skills needed to teach basic davening. Discussions also examine some theoretical and pedagogical issues in the teaching of prayer to children.
Cantorial Coaching
Staff
Times TBA
CANTR 579
Note: Enrollment is limited to CEP students.
This course provides weekly coaching by a practicing cantor who will guide the student according to his or her individual needs. The goals of coaching are to increase facility with prayer leading and to improve vocal and musical interpretations of selected repertoire.
Cantor-Educator Proseminar
Buhr and Staff
2 semesters
Wednesday, 2:15–4:15 p.m.
CANTR 996
This year-long course will bring together Cantor-Educator students with professionals in the field who are serving as cantors and cantor-educators. The course is designed to address lifecycle, social, pastoral and professional issues not covered in other classes. Attendance is required at biweekly meetings during which guest lecturers from a wide range of professions will be brought in to teach on topics such as circumcision, marriage counseling, social services, professional organization, life-coaching, staff management and others. Alternating weeks will consist of a guided discussion of the previous week’s topic or issues relating to the student’s placement.
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EDUCATION
Practicum I: Models of Teaching in Jewish Education
Rodenstein
Thursday, 11:15 a.m.–1:15 p.m.
EDUC 601
In this course students will analyze a wide repertoire of teaching models in Jewish education—influenced by content, students and institutional contexts—that represent techniques, philosophical approaches and values of teachers. Features of lesson planning and how to structure lessons and courses for Jewish educational settings are also considered. The course examines rationales for choosing or adapting different models; Students will practice alternative approaches. In addition, students will reflect on their own teaching experiences and collaboratively assess alternative ways to address the range of educational issues that they encounter.
Bet Midrash for Jewish Educators
Potok
Tuesday, 9:00–11:00 a.m.
EDUC 725
It is often difficult for Jewish educators to convey meaning from ancient Jewish traditions to modern Jewish students, youths and adults alike. This course will offer the opportunity to take a step back and reflect on the role Judaism plays in one’s own life, in order to be a more effective teacher. The curriculum is designed to engage classic Jewish texts that focus on themes and issues of central concern to Jewish educators. Using the traditional
bet midrash approach to Jewish learning, participants will study these texts together in class with the object of developing their textual skills and at the same time reflecting on how these texts and the values and themes they represent could be put into an educational setting. The course will also look at pedagogic approaches to teaching Jewish content.
Proseminar in Jewish Education
Meskin
Monday, 9:00–11:00 a.m.
EDUC 899
Note: Offered on campus and via simultaneous videoconference to Pardes Educators in Jerusalem.
This proseminar offers an intensive examination of major educational theorists—such as Piaget, Vygotsky, Dewey, Bruner, Gardner and Egan—combined with more recent work in the fields of adult education, adult development and Jewish education. While the work of each thinker is examined, problems of Jewish education, in general, are kept paramount throughout this proseminar. The goal of this course is to further develop the students’ own Jewish educational thinking, while they examine and grapple with the most important theories in the field of education and learn the complex and far-reaching "conceptual vocabulary" of the field of education.
Foundations of Jewish Congregational Education
Gribetz
Tuesday, 11:15 a.m.–1:15 p.m.
EDUC 800
Through an examination and analysis of a variety of existing modes for synagogue education and how they are implemented, students are introduced to the complex and rich potential of Jewish education in this setting. Topics will include the evolution of family education and ways to develop and work toward a series of family-education goals. In addition, the synagogue will be considered as a learning community in which informal education, formal education, youth activities and adult learning work together to create an integrated system. Alternative models of Jewish education will be explored as well. Particular attention will be paid to the skills and roles that the education leader must develop to create success in this venue.
Student Teaching
1 credit
EDUC 900A
Required of all students in the MJEd program; YEAR-LONG Course--two semesters.
The Art of Teaching
Grumet
EDUC 615
Note: Offered exclusively to Pardes Educators in Jerusalem.
This course focuses on the basics of planning and delivering effective lessons: establishing goals, maintaining the focus of the class, enduring understandings, discovery learning, essential questions, lesson planning, unit planning, formulating and reformulating questions, motivation, closure, homework and testing. Considerable attention is paid to applying basic principles of general education to the Jewish studies classroom, particularly in the day school setting.
The Art of Learning
Wall
EDUC 616
Note: Offered exclusively to Pardes Educators in Jerusalem.
This course focuses on various factors that influence a person’s ability to learn: multiple intelligences, diverse learning styles/patterns, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, and overall motivation. Theories are applied through clear instructions, assessments, rubrics and differentiation in the classroom to help learners more effectively. While this course is designed primarily for day school teachers, concerns of teachers in any setting will be addressed. Self-reflection on the learning experience is an important element throughout the course.
Master of Jewish Education: Final Project Seminar
Staff
2 semesters
Friday, 9:00–11:00 a.m.
EDUC 707
Required for all candidates for the MJEd degree.
Early Childhood Institute: Teaching Jewish Values to Young Children
Rodenstein
EDUC 501
Note: Offered online.
This course is an introduction to the general field of early childhood education with an emphasis on the special characteristics and potential of the Jewish preschool. Using models of child development and values acquisition as a frame of reference, as well as source material, the course will explore basic Jewish values and how to convey them to young children.
Early Childhood Institute: Families, School and Community
Vogelstein
EDUC 503
Note: Offered to the community of western Massachusetts through a special distance-learning program made possible by a grant from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.
This course examines the relationship between family, school and community, and explores ways to create an environment that supports and educates Jewish families. Students will explore the role of the family in Jewish tradition and text. Other topics include intake procedures, profiles of preschool families, parent-teacher conferences, handbooks and newsletters. The coursework will guide students to develop a vision and plan for building partnerships between families, school and community.
Early Childhood Institute: Hebrew for Early Childhood Education
Davis
Monday, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
EDUC 534
Note: Offered in conjunction with the Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Boston.
This course introduces basic Hebrew vocabulary, focusing on its application in the early childhood classroom. Integrating Hebrew throughout the day in music, games and routines is modeled. Other topics include theories of language acquisition in children, as well as in adults. Students will be encouraged to use and practice Hebrew in the classroom.
Early Childhood Directors Institute Seminar
Regosin
2 semesters; 1 credit
Wednesday, 7:00–9:00 p.m. (3 sessions: Oct. 17, Oct. 31, Nov. 28)
EDUC 526
Note: Offered in conjunction with the Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Boston.
Participants in this seminar will study selected texts as a lens for examining the ideas of Judaism. The seminar will also focus on the dimensions of leadership and the unique roles of Jewish early childhood educational leaders.
Register Now!
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HEBREW
Updated Curriculum Offers Flexibility
The campus-based and online Hebrew language programs have been realigned so that they now cover the same sections of the Ivrit Min Hahatchala textbook. Courses include the online Hebrew Mekhina and Hebrew I–IV. Like their campus-based counterparts, online Hebrew I–IV can now be taken for 4 undergraduate credits or for non-credit.
This realignment enables students to choose between a campus-based or online course from one semester to the next, based on schedule, location, or preferred mode of study. |
Mekhina (Preparation) for Hebrew Language
Staff
non-credit
HEBRW 010
Note: Offered online for both online and campus-based students. No prior knowledge of Hebrew is required.
This course is designed to serve as an introduction to Hebrew language study and to ensure that students with some prior Hebrew study experience begin Hebrew I at comparable levels. The
Mekhina introduces the Hebrew alphabet and vowels, as well as verbs and syntax sufficient for conducting simple daily conversation. Registration takes place on a rolling basis. Students progress at their own pace, submit oral and written homework, and take online quizzes. Weekly real-time class discussions are conducted by the instructor with small groups of students at comparable levels. The
Mekhina is based on the seven introductory units of
Ivrit Min Hahatchala (
Hebrew from Scratch), the textbook used by Hebrew College's campus-based and online Hebrew Language programs.
Hebrew I
Barone
4 undergraduate credits
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 9:00–11:00 a.m.
HEBRW 201
This course enables students to recognize and use fundamental structures of Hebrew grammar and morphology, and to acquire the necessary vocabulary for basic reading of modern and classical texts, as well as for conversation. Sessions will include reading from modern and classical texts and short dialogues, with and without vowels. Students will listen to short stories and recorded dialogues and participate in guided conversation. Based on topics introduced in class, students will write short dialogues and passages. All language skills are mastered through elementary syntactic and grammatical structures. Students will learn the basic verbs in the different common active verb groups and their conjugation in the present tense.
Hebrew III
Veissid
4 undergraduate credits
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 9:00–11:00 a.m.
HEBRW 203
Students will learn to recognize and use new and more complicated structures of Hebrew grammar and morphology, such as combined sentences, and will acquire vocabulary for advanced reading of classical and modern texts, as well as for conversation. Sessions include readings of longer passages from modern and classical texts, as well as dialogues and abridged stories. Students will listen to stories and recorded dialogues, participate in open conversation and write short expository passages. All language skills are mastered through the syntactic and grammatical structures. Students will learn basic verbs in the strong verb groups in the future tense and frequent weak verbs.
Hebrew V
Davis
4 undergraduate credits
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 9:00–11:00 a.m.
HEBRW 205
Building on
Hebrew III and
IV, the two-semester sequence of
Hebrew V and
VI focuses on more advanced modern Hebrew language structures and prose writings. Students will deepen their understanding of the Hebrew language, with emphasis on skill acquisition and development through the extensive use of classical and modern texts. This course gives a systematic presentation of grammatical and syntactic principles of biblical and rabbinical Hebrew (including vocabulary). Texts of different styles, such as narrative, poetry, prophecy and wisdom literature, are examined with an emphasis on literary analysis. Hebrew texts are used and some English translations may be available to students.
Hebrew VII
Bock
3 graduate credits
Thursday, 2:15–4:15 p.m.
HEBRW 207
Building on the language skills developed in Hebrew language levels I through VI, the
Hebrew VII and
VIII sequence focuses on Hebrew grammar, reading and writing skills, and vocabulary development. In these advanced courses, Hebrew language texts from biblical through medieval and modern periods are studied.
Hebrew for Me’ah Graduate Institute
The Hebrew courses listed below are appropriate for Me’ah Graduates, candidates for the Masters of Jewish Liberal Studies (MJLS) degree, and any other students who would like to make progress in their reading of Hebrew. If you are a candidate for any other degree other than the MJLS, please consult with your advisor about whether this program is appropriate for you and eligible for credit.
Understanding Hebrew Texts: Fundamentals for Beginners I
Davis
MGI; 2 semesters; 6 credits
Tuesday, 9:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m., begins the week of October 15
HEBRW-GC 102
This course is designed for those with no prior knowledge of Hebrew who want to engage in the study of classical Jewish texts—such as the
Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), the siddur (prayer book), and classic rabbinical and Hasidic texts—in the original Hebrew. Students will begin learning basic Hebrew grammar and vocabulary needed to read such texts. The pace of the course will be brisk and a significant investment of study time outside the classroom will be expected. The 20-session, yearlong course begins with an introduction to Hebrew grammar and the development of vocabulary. There will be some in-class conversation in Hebrew, but the emphasis will be on developing reading comprehension skills.
Understanding Hebrew Texts: Fundamentals for Beginners II
Davis
MGI; 2 semesters; 6 credits
Wednesday, 11:15 a.m.–2:00 p.m., begins the week of October 15
HEBRW-GC 202
Prerequisite: Students considering this course must complete the Hebrew language placement evaluation form.
This course, the second year of the
Understanding Hebrew Texts sequence, will enable students to acquire additional vocabulary and expand their knowledge of Hebrew grammar with readings of increasing complexity. Selections from classical texts will also be introduced to familiarize students with both the shared and distinctive features of Hebrew in its different periods. The pace of the course will be brisk and a significant investment of time in home study will be expected.
Understanding Hebrew Texts: Fundamentals for Beginners III
Davis
MGI; 2 semesters; 6 credits
Wednesday, 6:30–9:15 p.m., begins the week of October 15
HEBRW-GC 302
Prerequisite: Students considering this course must complete the Hebrew language placement evaluation form.
This course is the third year of the Understanding Hebrew Texts sequence. After completing volume 3 of the Shlabim textbook series, students will read selections from classical texts. Students will apply and extend their knowledge of Hebrew grammar to these texts and build their vocabulary, with the goal of enhancing their ability to independently read and understand Jewish texts in Hebrew. Wherever possible, connections will be made to Hebrew passages with which students are familiar from other contexts. The pace of the course will be brisk and a significant investment of time outside the classroom will be expected.
Sources: Readings in Hebrew
Davis
MGI; 2 semesters; 6 credits
Wednesday, 3:00–5:45 p.m., begins the week of October 15
HEBRW-GC 402
Prerequisite: Understanding Hebrew Texts: Fundamentals for Beginners III
or equivalent background.
This course will focus on the reading of Hebrew texts from a selection of sources including the Bible, Mishnah, Midrash, Hasidic tales and modern Hebrew short stories. The anthology of readings will be drawn from the Book of Genesis, Ethics of the Fathers, works of Maimonides, Martin Buber’s
Tales of the Hasidim, and the writings of the modern Hebrew renaissance. Grammatical concepts will be fully integrated into this literature-oriented course.
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HISTORY
Jewish History and Memory: Rabbinic and Medieval Periods
Satlow
Framework
Monday, 11:15 a.m.–1:15 p.m.
HIST 536
This course represents the second in a three-course sequence designed to orient the student to the ebb and flow, major transitions and defining moments in Jewish history. Postbiblical Judaism, which begins with questions of interpretation and survival, develops strategies to preserve the past and to creatively respond to the present. Rabbinical literature and the institutions fostered by rabbinical Judaism developed and thrived during the Middle Ages. Concentrating on major historical events and developments from the Rabbinic period until the end of the Middle Ages in the seventeenth century, students will consider how the themes of Jewish identity, belonging, spirituality and memory have undergone profound changes. Students will explore how the past has been recalled, studied and understood by scholars, Jewish religious leaders, Jewish communities and individuals throughout history. To appreciate the dynamics of historical narrative, readings draw upon primary historical documents (in translation) and critical historical scholarship.
History of Zionism
Starr
Tuesday, 11:15 a.m.–1:15 p.m.
HIST 510
This course will explore the history of Zionism and selected issues relating to the State of Israel. Topics to be studied include traditional Jewish conceptions of nationalism and the role of the land of Israel; the emergence of modern Jewish nationalism in the nineteenth century; the founding of the Love of Zion movement; the varieties of Zionist thought including centrist, socialist, right-wing, religious and anti-religious; and the cultural politics of Zionism.
Jews of Christian Iberia CANCELLED
Gitlitz
MGI
Thursday, 7:00–9:15 p.m., begins the week of October 15
HIST-GC 123
This course will deal with Spain's Jews and their saga, and will focus on their fate under Christian sovereignty. Discussion will include the Roman and Visigoth experience; the Golden Age under Islam; the shift of power to the Christian north and the growth of anti-Semitism; pogroms, expulsions, willing and forced conversions; the coming of the Inquisition, its procedures, and some case studies; the Portuguese experience and the shrinking remnant crypto-Jewish community.
Jews and Christians in the Second Century
Cohen
MGI
Monday, 7:00–9:45 p.m., begins the week of October 15
HIST-GC 124
Note: Non-credit registrations only.
The second century CE was the great age of self-definition for both Jews and Christians. On the Jewish side, the second century witnessed the emergence of the Rabbis and of Rabbinic Judaism; the Mishnah, the first Rabbinic book, was composed in the land of Israel in the second century, thus setting the agenda for the Talmudim and all rabbinical literature to follow. On the Christian side, the second century witnessed the separation of Christians from Jews and the emergence of Christian institutions and society; it also witnessed the first great struggle in Christianity between "orthodoxy" and "heresy," a struggle that resulted in the formation of the Christian canon (the New Testament). In this course students will look at texts that derive from the Jewish-Christian debates of this period and that shed light on the process of Jewish and Christian self-definition. Main texts to be considered include
Epistle of Barnabas; Justin Martyr,
Dialogue with Trypho; Melito of Sardis,
On Pascha; and various rabbinical texts.
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INTERDISCIPLINARY
Jewish Life and Practice
Anisfeld
2 semesters; 6 credits
Monday, 2:15–4:15 p.m., begins September 24
INTD 017
Students will be introduced to the patterns and essential terminology of Jewish religious life, the year cycle, the life cycle and other basic Jewish practices, including kashrut.
Introduction to Islam CANCELLED
Girdner
MGI
Wednesday, 9:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m., begins the week of October 15
INTD-GC 105
How do Muslims understand Muhammad and the Qur'an? What are their relationships to other traditions,
jihad, women's rights and religious politics? Islam not only figures prominently in contemporary geopolitics, but also in the religious and cultural history of Judaism. For a fifth of the world's population, Islam is both a religion and a complete way of life. The relationships of Jews and Muslims have run the gamut from the golden age of Spain to war in the Middle East. With the goal of informed engagement of such questions, this course will introduce Islam. Students will study its major beliefs, practices, divisions and institutions. Through a survey of select theological, philosophical, mystical and other traditions, students will gain literacy in both the historical and the contemporary manifestations of Islam.
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JEWISH THOUGHT
In Search of an American Jewish Philosophy: Mordecai Kaplan and the Pragmatic Tradition
Bernstein
MGI
Thursday, 9:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m., begins October 11
JTHT-GC 106
This course goes in search of a contemporary American Jewish philosophy in the pragmatic tradition of Ralph Waldo Emerson and John Dewey. In this context, students will plumb the depths of several works by American Jewish thinker, Mordecai Kaplan (1881–1983)—including his 1937 classic,
The Meaning of God in Modern Jewish Religion—and pursue a fateful question: Did Kaplan, a singularly “pragmatic” figure among twentieth-century Jewish philosophers, provide a new, viable and democratic approach to being Jewish
and American?
The Book of Job and the Problem of Evil: Jewish and Christian Perspectives
Mobley and Rose
Wednesday, 4:30–6:30 p.m. begins September 19
JTHT 575
Why do bad things happen to good people? Does God reward the righteous and punish the wicked? Is there redemptive value in suffering? Students will explore these and other related questions through an in-depth examination of the Book of Job, as well as Jewish and Christian commentators on this biblical text and various Western writers—religious and secular, ancient and modern—on questions of evil, suffering and theodicy.
Kabbalah and Hasidism: Texts, Ideas and Experiences
Polen
Wednesday, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
JTHT 586
A survey of core Jewish mystical texts from all periods, examining the interrelationship of text, ideas and experiences. The course begins with
Sefer Yetzirah, the oldest work of Jewish esoteric thought, which introduces the important term
sefirah into the lexicon of Hebrew. Students will then focus on medieval Kabbalah and Zohar, attending to the multilayered, gendered symbol system, followed by Luria and the notions of
partzufim and worlds. The course concludes with an examination of Hasidism and more recent trends, up to the contemporary search for spirituality. Throughout, discussion will be attentive to historical and social context, as well as the relationship of conceptual systems to inner experience.
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LITURGY
Liturgy of the Synagogue Service
Sokol
Friday, 11:15 a.m.–1:15 p.m.
LITGY 590
Prerequisite: Students must have Hebrew IV
, its equivalent or permission of the instructor.
An introduction to the structure and content of Jewish prayer, this course examines the historic development of the synagogue and the siddur. The course begins with an exploration of the three daily services and proceeds to Shabbat and
hagim (holidays). Conceptual, as well as literary, forms will be considered.
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MUSIC
Jewish Art Song
Osborne
Thursday, 2:15–4:15 p.m.
MUSIC 510
An introduction to the genre of musical literature known as Jewish art song. Exemplary selections from Hebrew, Yiddish and Ladino will be taught and coached, leading to a final performance at the end of the term.
Vocal Performance
Torgove
1 credit
Tuesday, 2:15–3:15 p.m.
MUSIC 201
This vocal performance class concentrates on building basic vocal skills—breath, resonance, posture and mechanics—and integrates those skills into students’ repertoires. Students will bring their own vocal selections from their private library and cantorial class work; these will provide the vehicle for their vocal work with the instructor.
Keva and Kavanah: The Dialectic Challenge of Prayer-Leading
Mayer
Friday, 11:15 a.m.–1:15 p.m.
MUSIC 523
Prerequisite: Students must have Hebrew VI
, its equivalent or permission of the instructor.
Those responsible for leading prayer in synagogues have a sacred responsibility to be true to the received traditions while at the same time inspiring their fellow daveners by making the moment of prayer unique. This tension is expressed in the dialectic of
keva and
kavanah. This course will explore these concepts from the perspectives of halakhah, liturgy,
nusach, and spirituality. The broader issues of
shlichut (prayer leading), including relevant laws and guidelines, will likewise be included.
Music in the Diaspora
Ness
Wednesday, 9:00–11:00 a.m.
MUSIC 508
Prerequisite: Ability to read music well.
Jewish music history comprises a rich tapestry that has simultaneously influenced and been influenced by a wide variety of cultural forms. This course will explore Western music and its development, paying close attention to the modal and stylistic relationships between the general musical culture and the specific religious and secular musical forms of the Jewish subculture.
Topics in Jewish Music Education
Klepper
Thursday, 2:15–4:15 p.m.
MUSIC 502
Prerequisite: Ability to read music and a facility on either guitar or keyboard.
This course offers a hands-on approach to the teaching of Jewish music in educational settings. Three specific areas are covered: tapping music’s power to create community and to reinforce Jewish identity, teaching liturgical melodies and leading services, and using music within the school curriculum to teach Jewish knowledge and values. A basic repertoire of songs in these areas (from preschool through high school) will be shared, and students will practice song teaching and leading skills at each class session. Students should be able to read and understand basic Hebrew prayers, to sing comfortably and on pitch.
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RABBINICS
Introduction to Rabbinic Texts I
Leader
Gateway; 4 credits
Tuesday and Thursday, 2:15–4:15 p.m.
RAB 010
Through guided reading of primary sources, this preparatory course familiarizes students with the structure, idiom, vocabulary and thought of classical rabbinic texts. Sources include midrash, Mishnah and Talmud. Secondary readings introduce traditional and critical approaches to the study of these sources.
Midrash Sifre to Deuteronomy
Polen
Thursday, 2:15–4:15 p.m. begins Tuesday, October 2 (designated day for Thursday classes to meet)
RAB 539
Prerequisite: Hebrew V and VI.
Sifre is an early Rabbinic commentary to Deuteronomy, a gem of the genre called
Midrash Halakhah. Its themes include revelation, the love between God and Israel, and the afterlife. But the main theme is Torah study itself, the process of transmission, and the bond between masters and disciples. Students will read key passages of
Sifre in the original, paying attention to midrashic techniques of interpretation, and will also explore
Sifre's relationship to other early midrash collections and the rabbinical corpus as a whole.
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ONLINE COURSES
Online Orientation
Mekhina (Preparation) for Hebrew Language
Hebrew I Online
Hebrew II Online
Hebrew III Online
Hebrew IV Online
Hebrew V Online
Bible: Text and Context
Readings in Aggadic Literature
Literary and Philosophic Explorations of Classical Jewish Texts CANCELLED
Using Midrash Aggadah to Teach Ethics
Early Childhood Institute: Teaching Jewish Values to Young Children
Early Childhood Institute: Families, School and Community
