Welcome to the Spring 2009 course on Judaism at Ithaca College. This website provides articles and links on topics in the study of Judaism. The pages have been written by Rebecca Lesses, who is teaching the course, with student contributions to the Jewish Daily Life Project.
The assignment on the ethics of war is now available at Ethics and War.
Readings and Assignment for April 13 and 17 on kashrut and the ethics of kashrut can now be read at Kashrut - Introduction.
Schedule of readings and links for the rest of the semester are available at http://sites.google.com/a/ithaca.edu/judaism-2009/Home/introduction-to-jewish-ethics.
Revised schedule of readings for the Lifecycle section of the course is now available at Revised Lifecycle Readings.
The Midterm Exam Key is now available as an attachment below.
The first wiki assignment is now available at Jewish Daily Life.
The date of the Midterm exam has been changed - it will now be given on Friday, February 27, in class.
The Study Sheet for the Midterm exam is now available as an attachment (see below) and at http://sites.google.com/a/ithaca.edu/judaism-2009/Home/study-sheet-for-midterm-exam. The books timeline is also available as an attachment (see below).
The syllabus for the course is now available as an attachment (see below).
The Powerpoints for the lectures of Friday, Feb. 6, on Second Temple Judaism, and Wednesday, Feb. 11, on Rabbinic Judaism, are attached below.
I've added a new page to the website, on the Jewish music we've been listening to this semester - Jewish Music.
Joel Roth and Elliott Dorff published articles in the Conservative movement's magazine in 2004 giving their diametrically opposed views on homosexuality and whether openly gay people should be accepted as rabbis. For Roth's opinion, see, We Can't Legitimate Homosexuality Halakhically. For Dorff's opinion, see Medical and Moral Reasons to Change the Law. Rabbi Greenberg's article is attached to this page as "Greenberg.pdf."
The Shabbat visit assignment due date has been changed to Monday, March 30. The assignment is available as an attachment below with the title "Shabbat paper instructions."
The chevruta assignment for Monday, February 23, is available below as an attachment with the title "02-23-09 chevruta assignment."
The assignment for Wednesday, February 4, can be found below as an attachment with the name "02-04-09 Oneness of God - chevruta"
The assignment for Monday, February 2, is available as an attachment below with the name "02-02-09 Bible assignment." Make sure to bring your Bible to class on Monday, and remember that we're meeting in the Chapel instead of in the classroom.
The assignment for Wednesday, January 28, is available as an attachment below under the name "01-28-09 Sephardic-Mizrahi Jews." See the Sephardic-Mizrahi Jews page for more information on Roya Hakakian.
The assignment for Friday, January 23, is available on the African American Jews page.
Rabbi Steven Greenberg, speaking on "Gayness and God"
7:00 p.m., Clark Lounge
The first openly gay Orthodox rabbi and author of Wrestling with God and Men: Homosexuality in the Jewish Tradition speaks on life as a gay man in a religious tradition that has traditionally condemned homosexuality for both men and women. He will share his radical and pragmatic solutions to the conflict between traditional religion (Judaism in particular) and homosexuality. All are welcome to join him in an honest conversation about what it means to be gay, bisexual, lesbian, or transgender and religious. Attendance is required for members of the Judaism class.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Klezmer Concert by the Cornell University Klezmer Ensemble
7:00 p.m.
The Arts Committee of Temple Beth El proudly presents a lively, family-friendly klezmer concert featuring the Cornell University Klezmer Ensemble with special guests:
Frank London, Master Trumpeter of the famous Klezmatics!
C.J. Glass, Guitarist (alumnus of the IC School of Music), our very own home-grown talent!
Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for children ages 12 and under.
Sunday, March 29, 2009 and Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Announcements
The study for the final exam is available at Study Sheet for Final Exam.The assignment on the ethics of war is now available at Ethics and War.
Readings and Assignment for April 13 and 17 on kashrut and the ethics of kashrut can now be read at Kashrut - Introduction.
Schedule of readings and links for the rest of the semester are available at http://sites.google.com/a/ithaca.edu/judaism-2009/Home/introduction-to-jewish-ethics.
Revised schedule of readings for the Lifecycle section of the course is now available at Revised Lifecycle Readings.
The Midterm Exam Key is now available as an attachment below.
The first wiki assignment is now available at Jewish Daily Life.
The date of the Midterm exam has been changed - it will now be given on Friday, February 27, in class.
The Study Sheet for the Midterm exam is now available as an attachment (see below) and at http://sites.google.com/a/ithaca.edu/judaism-2009/Home/study-sheet-for-midterm-exam. The books timeline is also available as an attachment (see below).
The syllabus for the course is now available as an attachment (see below).
The Powerpoints for the lectures of Friday, Feb. 6, on Second Temple Judaism, and Wednesday, Feb. 11, on Rabbinic Judaism, are attached below.
I've added a new page to the website, on the Jewish music we've been listening to this semester - Jewish Music.
Assignments
Assignment for Wednesday, March 25, on homosexuality and Judaism - read two articles by Conservative rabbis and one by Rabbi Steven Greenberg.Joel Roth and Elliott Dorff published articles in the Conservative movement's magazine in 2004 giving their diametrically opposed views on homosexuality and whether openly gay people should be accepted as rabbis. For Roth's opinion, see, We Can't Legitimate Homosexuality Halakhically. For Dorff's opinion, see Medical and Moral Reasons to Change the Law. Rabbi Greenberg's article is attached to this page as "Greenberg.pdf."
The Shabbat visit assignment due date has been changed to Monday, March 30. The assignment is available as an attachment below with the title "Shabbat paper instructions."
The chevruta assignment for Monday, February 23, is available below as an attachment with the title "02-23-09 chevruta assignment."
The assignment for Wednesday, February 4, can be found below as an attachment with the name "02-04-09 Oneness of God - chevruta"
The assignment for Monday, February 2, is available as an attachment below with the name "02-02-09 Bible assignment." Make sure to bring your Bible to class on Monday, and remember that we're meeting in the Chapel instead of in the classroom.
The assignment for Wednesday, January 28, is available as an attachment below under the name "01-28-09 Sephardic-Mizrahi Jews." See the Sephardic-Mizrahi Jews page for more information on Roya Hakakian.
The assignment for Friday, January 23, is available on the African American Jews page.
Events
Monday, March 23, 2009Rabbi Steven Greenberg, speaking on "Gayness and God"
7:00 p.m., Clark Lounge
The first openly gay Orthodox rabbi and author of Wrestling with God and Men: Homosexuality in the Jewish Tradition speaks on life as a gay man in a religious tradition that has traditionally condemned homosexuality for both men and women. He will share his radical and pragmatic solutions to the conflict between traditional religion (Judaism in particular) and homosexuality. All are welcome to join him in an honest conversation about what it means to be gay, bisexual, lesbian, or transgender and religious. Attendance is required for members of the Judaism class.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Asaf Romirowsky, speaking on "Understanding Sticks and Stones: Rhetoric and the Conflict"
8:00-10:00 p.m.
Williams 323
In the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict weighty language is often thrown around, but what exactly does it mean?
Middle East Scholar Asaf Romirowsky presents a lecture, followed by discussion. This event is being held to help the IC student body better understand the nature and complexity of the conflict through the language that surrounds it. This lecture will do so by examining the role that rhetoric plays in debate or discussion of either side of the conflict and the weight that specific rhetoric holds.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Klezmer Concert by the Cornell University Klezmer Ensemble
7:00 p.m.
The Arts Committee of Temple Beth El proudly presents a lively, family-friendly klezmer concert featuring the Cornell University Klezmer Ensemble with special guests:
Frank London, Master Trumpeter of the famous Klezmatics!
C.J. Glass, Guitarist (alumnus of the IC School of Music), our very own home-grown talent!
Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for children ages 12 and under.
Sunday, March 29, 2009 and Tuesday, March 31, 2009
CORNELL CINEMA JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL: "Waves of Freedom" and "Strawberry Fields"
Sunday March 29, 11 a.m., and Tues March 31 at 7 p.m., at Willard Straight Hall on the Cornell campus
"Waves" documents Americans who ran the British blockade to smuggle Holocaust survivors into Israel. "Strawberry Fields" is about the Gazan strawberry and those who produce it. Sunday morning screening with free bagels and coffee!
Sunday March 29, 11 a.m., and Tues March 31 at 7 p.m., at Willard Straight Hall on the Cornell campus
"Waves" documents Americans who ran the British blockade to smuggle Holocaust survivors into Israel. "Strawberry Fields" is about the Gazan strawberry and those who produce it. Sunday morning screening with free bagels and coffee!