JEWISHST 203 / HDS 1653 – Jewish Boundaries and Identities

JEWISHST 203 – Jewish Boundaries and Identities

Semester: Fall
Offered: 2021
Instructor: Shaye Cohen
Meeting Time: M 9:00am-11:45am

This course is about Jewish self-perception of Jewish difference. Jews have long seen themselves, and have long been seen by others, as “different” or distinctive. Whether this is good or bad, advantageous or disadvantageous, is often a point of debate among the Jews themselves and between the Jews and their non-Jewish neighbors. In this course we will study some aspects of this theme, concentrating on the repercussions of the biblical commandment “not to walk in their ways” (Leviticus 18:3, 20:23). All texts read in translation; if there is interest and demand we can also set up a time for reading texts in Hebrew.

Offered jointly with Harvard Divinity School as HDS 1653

For more details please visit the Harvard Course Catalog.