Continued study of the basics of the Hebrew language, with equal emphasis on developing reading, listening comprehension, speaking and writing skills. Continued discussion of Hebrew as an expression of Jewish culture in Israel and the United States. For students with one semester study of Hebrew or the equivalent as determined through consultation with the instructor.

JST 383-0001 LEC (46054), History of the Holy Lands, MWF 3:00-3:50, Stevens Hall 370, Joshua Walton, joshua.t.walton@maine.edu

This course will challenge students to evaluate the cultural phenomena that are the Hebrew Bible and
Quran in their historical and cultural context by studying a broad range of historical documents and
archaeological cultures in the periods during which the Bible and Quran came to be written texts. The course introduces the history of Middle Eastern cultures 3500 BCE-700 CE in the Holy Land and its neighbors. Along the way, students will analyze and interpret the Biblical accounts of ancient cultures through contemporary historical and archaeological data. They will evaluate how the Bible, and in its wake, Jewish and Christian identities, have influenced the perception of the past. The archaeological record of a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic society throughout the history of the Holy Land provides an important framework to interpret the creation of these canonical texts.

Registration
To register for courses as a non-degree student see /dlladvising/non-degree-student-information/.
Courses are FREE for Maine residents 65 and older (/dlladvising/senior-citizen-tuition-waiver/).

A systematic study of the basics of the Hebrew language. Equal emphasis is placed on developing reading, listening comprehension, speaking and writing skills. For students with minimal or no previous knowledge of Modern Hebrew. General Education: Cultural Diversity & International Perspectives. Instructor: Shellie Batuski, shellie.batuski@maine.edu

JST  200 – 0001  Introduction to Judaism, On-campus, Williams Hall 219, 2:00-3:15, TTh

This course presents students with a survey of the developments in Jewish belief, practice, institutions and self-understanding from the Biblical period through the present day. Through the study of both primary and secondary sources, students will become familiar with the major canonical texts of Judaism, religious law, liturgy, rites of passage, the Sabbath and festivals.  Students will learn how Jewish values, beliefs, philosophies, rituals and institutions developed within a variety of historical and cultural settings. Students will learn of the unique way in which Jews and Judaism engage with themselves, with G-d, and with humanity. General Education: Western Cultural Tradition. Instructor: Bill Seimers, william.siemers@maine.edu

Registration

To register for courses as a non-degree student see /dlladvising/non-degree-student-information/.

Courses are FREE for Maine residents 65 and older (/dlladvising/senior-citizen-tuition-waiver/).  

JST 205 – 0001 Jewish History and Antisemitism from Antiquity to the Founding of the State of Israel, On-campus, Merrill Hall 114, 12:30-1:45, TTh
This course is a history of antisemitism, describing its manifestations from pre-Christian Alexandria to the founding of the State of Israel. Students will be exposed to several academic and popular theories of antisemitism, exploring debates about its proper scope and development, and integrate these ideas with a study of the arc of Jewish history, read closely together in primary sources. General Education: Ethics, Cultural Diversity & International Perspectives. Instructor: Rabbi Bill Siemers, william.siemers@maine.edu

Registration

To register for courses as a non-degree student see /dlladvising/non-degree-student-information/.

Courses are FREE for Maine residents 65 and older (/dlladvising/senior-citizen-tuition-waiver/).

To help bring community attention to issues of current debate in Jewish life, culture, and experience, 91±¬ÁĎ Judaic Studies invites you to join a special  starting in October. We will study and discuss Dara Horn’s

 (W W Norton, 2021).

This bestselling and critically acclaimed book explores the startling and controversial thesis that Jewish history is exploited to comfort the living. Echoing Chomanada Ngozi Adichie’s “,” Horn’s book raises important questions about how the narrative is framed and how we might move beyond the Holocaust as the “single story” of modern Jewish life.

With the generous support of the JCEA and the McGillicuddy Humanities Center, we can provide complimentary copies of Horn’s book to those who are willing to commit to reading and discussing it together. To register, fill out the form here: .

When we receive copies of the book, you will receive an email letting you know it’s time to pick up your copy. Included in that email will be a full schedule of our discussion meetings, which will be in The Maples building on campus at 91±¬ÁĎ and via ZOOM. See the registration form for a tentative schedule. When registering, please select a meeting day/time preference so we can coordinate the best options for the group. There’s no need to commit to attending ±đ±ą±đ°ů˛âĚýmeeting, but we’re not just giving away books here, either!

Priority will be given to 91±¬ÁĎ students and members of the local Jewish community. Still, registration will be open to all who agree to read and discuss the book diligently and respectfully.

Again, to register, fill out the form here: .

Best wishes, Derek A. Michaud

A systematic study of the basics of the Hebrew language. Equal emphasis is placed on developing reading, listening comprehension, speaking and writing skills. For students with minimal or no previous knowledge of Modern Hebrew. No Prerequisites. General Education: Cultural Diversity & International Perspectives. Instructor: Shellie Batuski, shellie.batuski@maine.edu

HTY 411 – 0001 The Holocaust – Stevens Hall 375, 11:00-12:15, TTh

The Nazi persecution and extermination of European Jews (1933-1945) including the exploration of modern anti-Semitism, Nazi ideology, the persecution of German Jews after 1933, and the extermination of six million European Jews in Nazi occupied Europe during the Second World War. Prerequisites: Three credits in History or instructor permission. General Education: Cultural Diversity & International Perspectives, and Western Cultural Tradition Instructor: Anne Knowles, anne.knowles@maine.edu

JST  200 – 0001 Introduction to Judaism – Williams Hall 206, 2:00-3:15, TTh

This course presents students with a survey of the developments in Jewish belief, practice, institutions and self-understanding from the Biblical period through the present day.  Through the study of both primary and secondary sources, students will become familiar with the major canonical texts of Judaism, religious law, liturgy, rites of passage, the Sabbath and festivals.  Students will learn how Jewish values, beliefs, philosophies, rituals and institutions developed within a variety of historical and cultural settings.  Students will learn of the unique way in which Jews and Judaism engage with themselves, with G-d, and with humanity. No prerequisites. General Education: Western Cultural Tradition Instructor: Rabbi Samuel Weiss, samuel.weiss@maine.edu

PHI  105 – 0001   Introduction to Religious Studies – Stevens Hall 355, 9:00-9:50, MWF

An analysis of religion as an expression of human culture past and present.  Considers institutional and non-institutional manifestations of religion as conveyed through myth and symbol, religious experience, struggle for societal change, mysticism, and quests for the articulation of human values.  Inquiry by various disciplines will be considered, e.g., anthropology, psychology, sociology, history, philosophy, and theology. No prerequisites. General Education: Social Contexts & Institutions and Western Cultural Tradition Instructor: Derek A. Michaud, derek.a.michaud@maine.edu

Registration

To register for courses as a non-degree student see /dlladvising/non-degree-student-information/. Courses are FREE for Maine residents 65 and older (/dlladvising/senior-citizen-tuition-waiver/).

Weiss holds a B.A. in Rhetoric from the University of California, Berkeley, and was ordained as a graduate of the New York Campus of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.

Rabbi Weiss will be teaching JST 200 – Introduction to Judaism in his first semester at 91±¬ÁĎ.

Please join us in giving Rabbi Weiss and hearty Maine Hello!