Assignment - April 6-May 1, 20094/6 Human responsibilityRead: 1. Segal, 226-228. 2. Louis Newman, “The Contours of Jewish Moral Life: Justice,” pp. 84-94 (scroll down to the bottom of this page and download the PDF). Notes on this chapter are available at this page: Introduction to Justice and Morality in Judaism. 4/8 Passover: Viewing Passover: Festival of Freedom in class The purpose of today’s class is a) to learn about Passover practices, especially how the seder (the Passover ritual meal) is celebrated; b) to be exposed to the ways in which people from different Jewish communities celebrate the seder and; c) to think about the ethical lessons of Passover. Read: 1. Segal, pp. 280-283. 2. Read the account of the Exodus at http://sites.google.com/a/ithaca.edu/judaism-2009/Home/jewish-daily-life/passover. There’s a link there to the Facebook Haggadah – http://9a4440c5.fb.joyent.us/haggadah/ultraModern2.php. 3. For a complete version of the story, read Exodus 1-15. 4/10 No class – second day of Passover 4/13 Human justice in daily life: Kashrut and Eco-Kashrut Read: 1. Segal, 269-272. 2. Leviticus 11, 17, and Deuteronomy 14. 3. On Eco-Kashrut: A. Arthur Waskow, “What is Eco-Kosher?" B. Melissa Crawley, “Eco-kashrut? A New Way of Eating Jewishly.” 4/15 No class – seventh day of Passover 4/17 Kashrut and business ethics: the case of Agriprocessors Read: 1. Articles at Rubashkin and AgriProcessors on the history of the company, the plant in Postville, Iowa, and labor and kashrut issues there. A specific guide to which articles to read will be posted there. 2. Heksher Tzedek - http://hekhshertzedek.org/ and Magen Tzedek - blog written by Rabbi Morris Allen of Beth Jacob Congregation in Mendota, Minneapolis, who has worked extensively on the issue of fair treatment of workers at kosher meat-packing plants. 4/20 Human justice in daily life: business ethics in traditional sources Read: 1. Segal, 228-229. 2. Relevant biblical and Talmudic passages on honesty in business, which will be available at Jewish business ethics. 4/22 Human justice in daily life: contemporary issues in business ethics Read: 1. Articles on contemporary Jewish business ethics and the Madoff case will be available at: Jewish business ethics. A more specific guide to the readings will be available there. 4/24 War and Peace – traditional sources Read: 1. Deuteronomy 20: What are the rules for war outlined here? What should be done to the Hittites, Amorites, etc., who live in the land of Canaan? 2. Joshua 9 – What did the Gibeonites do to trick the Israelites into not exterminating them? 3. Maimonides on the laws of war – will be posted on the wiki site at http://sites.google.com/a/ithaca.edu/judaism-2009/Home/war-in-gaza-2008-2009/war-in-the-jewish-tradition. What are the different types of war that Maimonides derives from the biblical laws and stories about war? How should they be fought? Is what he says relevant to our time? 4. Read this if you have time: Reform Responsum on war (available as an attachment at http://sites.google.com/a/ithaca.edu/judaism-2009/Home/war-in-gaza-2008-2009/war-in-the-jewish-tradition). Questions on this responsum are also available as an attachment to that page. 4/27 War and Peace in the contemporary world – modern Jewish thinkers Read: 1. Segal, 232-234. 2. Louis Newman, “Three Case Studies: War,” pp. 169-176 (available at http://sites.google.com/a/ithaca.edu/judaism-2009/Home/introduction-to-jewish-ethics - scroll down to the bottom and download the file). 3. My Jewish Learning has a number of good articles by contemporary Jewish thinkers on war – see http://www.myjewishlearning.com/beliefs/Issues/War_and_Peace.shtml?BFIS. One article in particular, by Michael Walzer, entitled “Ethics of Jewish War,” is particularly relevant to contemporary wars as fought by Israel in Gaza or by the United States in Iraq or Afghanistan. (http://www.myjewishlearning.com/beliefs/Issues/War_and_Peace/Combat_and_Conflict/Ethics_of_Jewish_War.shtml?BFIS) 4/29 & 5/1 Israel in Gaza history and ethical issues: readings will be available at http://sites.google.com/a/ithaca.edu/judaism-2009/Home/war-in-gaza-2008-2009 and the pages that are linked to it. 5/4 Review session for Final Exam. 5/6 Final Exam (for 11:00 a.m. class); 7:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m., Williams 219 5/7 Final Exam (for 1:00 p.m. class); 7:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m., Friends 306 Links to pages on Jewish ethicsJewish law and interpersonal ethicsJewish Business Ethics Rubashkin and Agriprocessors War and ethics - Gaza War |