The Sperling Center for Jewish Studies is excited to offer the following classes for Fall 2026!
JEWISHST 101-01: ELEMENTARY MODERN HEBREW
MWF 3:05PM - 4:20PM, Professor Sarah Baker
Introduction to speaking, understanding, reading, and writing Modern Hebrew. |
JEWISHST 106CNS Moses: The Philosopher King
TuTh 1:25PM - 2:40PM, Professor Daniel Herskowitz
This course examines the question of the relationship between politics and religion, as well as the roots and limits of political authority, origin of rights, foundation and aims of civil discourse, equality and inequality before the law, and others, by looking at different depictions of the figure of Moses throughout western history and thought. It approaches these questions in order to gain a historically and philosophically informed perspective on the promises and perils of contemporary democratic values and institutions, with special focus on the theoretical foundations of civil discourse. |
JEWISHST 145-01 The Old Testament/Hebrew Bible
MW 11:45AM - 1:00PM, Professor Ilan Benattar
Historical, literary, ethical, and theological investigations of the ancient Near Eastern context of Israelite religion and culture. |
JEWISHST 171CNS - HOLOCAUST MEMORY THROUGH THE AGES: MEMOIRS, MEMORIALS, MOVIES
MW 1:25PM - 2:40PM, Professor Kata Gellen
How and why do we remember the Holocaust? This course explores the changing landscape of Holocaust memory, from first-generation survivor accounts to second- and third-generation reckonings with history, memory, trauma, and loss. Materials include memoirs, novels, graphic novels, films, memorial sites, and museums. Key terms include testimony, witnessing, commemoration, and memory culture. Theories of personal, familial, collective, and national memory will be addressed. May include a class trip to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. |
JEWISHST 190FS-01: WHAT IS JEWISH STUDIES?
TuTh 11:45AM - 1:00PM, Department Staff.
Why and how do we study Jewish religion, history, culture, philosophy, and politics? Introduction to the Jewish scholarly world over three millennia with an emphasis on modern approaches and contemporary problems. Includes ancient texts, medieval philosophy, modern Jewish literature and film, Sephardi/Mizrahi traditions, responses to the Holocaust, American Jewish culture, Israel/Palestine, etc. Several Duke professors and other experts (rabbis, curators, community leaders) lead guest sessions. Includes are least one field trip to a local museum, cultural site, or organization.
JEWISHST 203-01 INTERMED MODERN HEBREW
MWF 10:05AM - 11:20AM, Professor Sarah Baker
Continuation of Hebrew 102. Speaking, understanding, reading, and writing Modern Hebrew at the intermediate level; exploring Israeli culture through texts and other media. Prerequisite: Hebrew 102 or equivalent.
JEWISHST 251-01: The Good Life: Religion, Philosophy, and Life's Ultimate Concerns
TuTh 1:25PM - 2:40PM, Departmental Staff.
What does it look like for a human life to go well? What leads to human flourishing or 'happiness' or 'success'? What is freedom? Love? Justice? What is the basis for ethics? What is our relationship to the natural world? What is the significance of death? How do our beliefs (or lack thereof) about God or the gods shape how we view the world? We will examine how philosophical or religious traditions around the globe have answered life's biggest questions. Traditions may include Confucianism, Islam, Christianity, Stoicism, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, scientific naturalism, expressive individualism, and utilitarianism. Part of the Transformative Ideas Sophomore Program. |
JEWISHST 243-01: Modern European Short Fiction
TuTh 10:05AM - 11:25AM, Professor Saskia Ziolkowski
Comprehensive examination of several important works of modern European short fiction by authors such as Kafka, Woolf, Svevo, Sartre, Joyce, Proust, Mann, Schnitzler, Gogol, and Calvino. While stories will be contextualized historically, culturally, and geographically, course is organized into thematic units, including animals, home, punishment, and love, to facilitate comparative analysis. Students engage critically with concepts such as identity, trauma, genre, and narrative form. |
JEWISHST 361-01: The End of The World: Apocalyptic Arguments from Antiquity to the Present Day
TuTh 3:05PM - 4:20PM, Professor Daniel Herskowitz
Traces end-time arguments, predictions, and prophecies from the second-century BCE until the present day. Why are prophecies of doom so compelling? Why must time come to a stop? What happens after the world's end? Who decides? Close study of the role of apocalyptic eschatology in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam across time and place provides a lens for interpreting more recent apocalyptic movements, texts, claims, and artistic productions.