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Unit of study_

JCTC3602: Contemporary Jewish Identities

Contemporary Jewish identity is commonly refracted through the prism of two seminal historical events: the Holocaust, and the establishment of the State of Israel. However, at the dawn of the 21st century, closer examination reveals that Jewish identity is today an increasingly diverse and ever changing entity. This unit will probe and explore the reasons for this heterogeneity, identifying and interrogating the intersections between the religious, cultural and political currents shaping today's Jewish identities in diverse communal and state settings.

Code JCTC3602
Academic unit Hebrew, Biblical and Jewish Studies
Credit points 6
Prerequisites:
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12 credit points at 2000 level in Jewish Civilisation, Thought and Culture or European Studies or History or Government or Modern Hebrew or Biblical Studies and Classical Hebrew
Corequisites:
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None
Prohibitions:
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None

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. demonstrate an advanced understanding of the complexity of Jewish identities in diverse contemporary contexts
  • LO2. explain the significance of religious, political and cultural factors with regard to contemporary Jewish identities
  • LO3. identify central themes in current scholarly debates pertaining to contemporary Jewish life
  • LO4. critically evaluate ongoing debates about the relationship between religious and political power in contemporary Jewish communities
  • LO5. identify and understand the role of variables such as gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation and collective identity in the development of contemporary Jewish identities and communities
  • LO6. analyze the intersection between Jewish and non-Jewish identities communities in relation to the broad, overarching themes and concerns of the unit.

Unit outlines

Unit outlines will be available 2 weeks before the first day of teaching for the relevant session.