In partnership with the Jewish Community Library and Yale University Press' Jewish Lives Series

Jews in the ancient world were everywhere a subordinate people, a footnote or afterthought in the grand sweep of history featured by the empires of Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Persia, Greece, and Rome. How did Jews conceive of their own place in this larger world? And how were they perceived by the greater powers? Did Jews see themselves as a distinctive people apart or as somehow participants in a broader society and culture? This class consists of four lectures tha... Read more

This course tracks the historical development of antisemitism in Western civilization from the Greco-Roman period to its present resurgence throughout the West. We will discuss the nature of antisemitic prejudice, constructions, and concepts of race, the relationship between antisemitism and anti-Zionism, and the ongoing reality of Jew-hatred as a recurring phenomenon. Together, we will work to understand the sources of antisemitism’s post-Holocaust resurgence, paying close attention to cur... Read more

In partnership with Magnes Museum and the Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA)

Tricksters in the Hebrew Bible break the rules. Sometimes they're outsiders or underdogs trying to gain an advantage. Sometimes they try to right a wrong. And on occasion, the trickster may be God. Our class will explore this theme, starting with the trickster motif in neighboring ancient cultures.  Then we'll move on to some of the most famo... Read more

This three-semester sequence gives you the essential knowledge and skills to read, understand, and appreciate prayerbook texts and the Hebrew Bible. It starts at the beginning, teaching the alphabet and sight-reading skills, then moves on to build both vocabulary and grammar knowledge using the text Prayerbook Hebrew the Easy Way. And alon... Read more

Make amends in an unapologetic world. Learn how to engage in repair work—intentional and interpersonal, whether or not you go to shul (synagogue). Find your own path into a meaningful engagement with the High Holidays, through shared study and reflection.