JWSS/HUM/HIST 111: Jews and Popular Culture (Donny Inbar, Ph.D.)

Jews and Popular Culture

Time: Mondays 6-8:45 PM

Location: DMH 167

Description

What is modern Jewish identity? “Religion or ethnicity? Theology or ethics? Culture or ideology? Brooklyn or Tel Aviv?” (A. O. Scott, “Jewish History, Popcorn Included,” The New York Times, 10/4/09). How does popular Jewish culture redefine Judaism, and how did the arts serve as a powerful agent of secularization and acculturation in the modern era? Once people began to see that "Jewishness" was not necessarily determined by the fulfillment of the 613 biblical commandments or by tribal orientation, it began to be seen as an evolving culture. In this course we will explore the trend of secularization through the arts, studying cultural and national Judaism as they are manifested in the United States and Israel. The course will include film screenings, music, and reading of literature, history and theory, from “good old” modern Judaism to cutting-edge “rebooted” Jewishness. Instructor: Professor Donny Inbar

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