Jewish Studies (JST) 60: Modern Israel
This course will explore the people, cultures, social systems, social institutions, and social relations of the State of Israel. The course’s emphasis will be on the contours of life in Israel and on the factors that have shaped their lives; conflict has a role in these, but will not be this course’s focus.
This is an introductory course, thus there will be a great deal of information to assimilate. You may be surprised (positively as well as negatively) by some of the things that you learn—many of them rarely make it into the news. As a university course, you will be asked to approach the subject matter with the same respect for critical inquiry that you would bring to any academic forum.
This is a course about all Israeli citizens, roughly one-quarter of whom are not Jewish; about different kinds of Israeli Jews; about different kinds of Arab Israelis; and about Israelis with widely varying perspectives on religion.
A fundamental aim of the course is to facilitate critical thinking; that is, to encourage students to learn to focus, to refine and develop priorities that are based upon systematic, evidence-based, and rational analyses, and to gain a healthy skepticism toward perspectives that demand complete agreement. My hope is that students will leave each of my courses a bit more “hard-nosed” about any narrative, history, conclusion, or perspective and that, based on such an attitude, they will develop a clearer sense of their own goals, how to achieve them, and how to convey them to others.
What will I learn in this course?
At the conclusion of this course, you should be able to:
- Understand the geographic and social-historical context in which Israelis live
- Understand Israeli cultural diversity
This course meets the General Education Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS) requirements, and the International Cultures (IL) requirements. It is cross-listed with Anthropology (ANTH) and Political Science (PLSC). See your advisor if you have questions about how this course can be used in your program of study.
Are there any prerequisites for this course?
No specific classes are required before taking J ST 060.
I've never taken an online course before. What is it like?
This course is taught completely online. We'll use Penn State's course management system, ANGEL, for JST 060, and you will be able to communicate with the professor and your classmates through chat, e-mail, and threaded discussions within ANGEL.
You do not need to come to campus at any time, and you do not need a proctor or remote testing site.
However, an online course is not easier than on-campus course. In fact, it takes a lot more self-discipline. You must be willing and able to commit the same amount of time as you would for attending class and studying for a traditional course. You must also be a motivated, organized student who feels confident about reading to learn and who is comfortable working independently. If you're wondering whether an online course is right for you, take this short survey to find out more about how online learning is different.
What are the technological requirements for this course?
To complete this course, you must have the following equipment or capabilities:
- have access to a computer that meets the ANGEL technological requirements.
- have Quicktime installed on your computer to watch streamed video files
- be comfortable navigating the Internet
How is the course structured?
This course runs for 15 weeks, in the fall and spring semesters or 6 weeks in the summer, and is made up of 9 lessons plus an Introduction to the Second Part of the course. See a sample lesson. You will be expected to read and think about the materials in each of the lessons. These materials will include the lesson pages that may be accessed from ANGEL, as well as, a variety of required readings (in external web sites, texts, online journals, and in the library's Electronic Reserves). See the course calendar and the syllabus for the schedule for this semester.
Some of the lessons include video clips and pdf files. Some lessons include maps located in public web sites that you should make a point to visit.
You will be required to take at least six short quizzes (out of eight), complete three projects that you will post for other students to see, critique three projects posted by other students (using a “discussion forum”—a message board), and submit two papers (through a drop box in ANGEL).
Where can I get more information?
For more information about J ST 060 Online, see a recent course syllabus. To register, visit the Office of the University Registrar. At the beginning of each semester, all enrolled students should access J ST 060 at the site of Penn State's course management system, ANGEL.
The Wall is the holiest site in Judaism, and Jewish pilgrims have been traveling for centuries from all over the world to the holy-city,to offer prayers and lament the destruction of the Temple.
Wikipedia images
American Colony Photographers
Israeli flag with the Mediterranean sea in the background.
Wikimedia Commons
GNU General Public License
The Sea of Galilee
Palestinian bazaar, Old City Jerusalem, Israel.
Frances Klein, Pics4Learning