Knowledge about Judaism 3600-HE-WJ-OG

Basic subject:
1) The Jews (Who are the Jews? Facts and figures, Natives or immigrants?)
2) The Jews throughout the world (North America, Israel, Former Soviet Bloc countries, The European Union, Latin America)
3) The Jewish people and its past (The Jewish nation, Universalism, Assimilation, Dispersion, Genocide)
4) Jewish books (The Bible, The prayer book, The Talmud, The Shulhan Arukh, The Zohar, The Guide of the Perplexed,)
5) The Jewish religion (Traditional Judaism , The modernist reform, Radical alternatives)
6) The family (The family as a unit, The Jewish home, Rites of passage)
7) The community (The Jewish community, The synagogue, The worship of the synagogue)
8) Religious services (The cycle of the year, Moments of life)
9) Other communal institutions
10) Sources of Jewish theology (The Bible, Midrash and Haggadah, the liturgy, Mystical approaches Jewish philosophers)
11) God in the twentieth century (Hermann Cohen and his legacy, American Jewish theology, God and the Shoah, New issues)
12) Theological developments (Holiness, Obedience, Righteousness, Faith, Fear and Love, Bringing the Messiah, Repairing the world, Making peace, After life)
13) Judaism and its future (Demographic trends, Political and social aspects , Religious pluralism)

Type of course

elective courses
general courses

Course coordinators

Marek Baraniak

Learning outcomes

. Knowledge:
- knows and understands basic philosophical trends and terms as well as the role of philosophical reflection in culture shaping processes [K_W03]
- has detailed and organized knowledge of Jewish philosophy and religion [K_W07]
- can name and characterize basic cultural phenomena of Judaism and Israel [K_W10]
- knows and understands basic analysis and interpretation methods of various products of culture characteristic of chosen theories and schools of research within the scope of cultural and literary studies, linguistics, philosophy and religion studies and history [K_W18]
- knows and understands basic analysis and interpretation methods of various products of culture characteristic of local traditions in Israel and among Jews in the diaspora [K_W19]

Skills:
- can indicate sources of cultural differences in Israel and the Jews in the diaspora [K_U02]
- can use the basic terminology from the domain of Jewish philosophy and religion [K_U03]
- can indicate most important intellectual problems, dilemmas, aesthetic preferences taking shape inside the culture in Israel and among the Jews in the diaspora [K_U10].

Social competences:
- has awareness of the cultural distinctness and its religious, philosophical, traditional and historical roots and its significance for understanding modern world [K_K05]
- sees the need of dialogue between cultures [K_K06]
- is aware of significance the culture of Israel and Judaism has for the culture of the world [K_K07]
- perceives the positive socio-cultural values of Israel and possibility to use them in own personal development and effective intercultural communication [K_K09]

Assessment criteria

The final evaluation is an average of results from the final examination, from smaller tests conducted throughout the year as well as from attendance and activity during the class

Bibliography

Nicholas de Lange, An Introduction to Judaism, Cambridge 2000.
Jacob Neusner , Judaism: the basics , Abingdon 2006.
Judaizm, praca zbiorowa, Biblioteka Pisma Literacko-Artystycznego, Kraków 1989.
Ninel Kameraz-Kos, Święta i obyczaje żydowskie, Cyklady, Żydwoski Instytut Historyczny, Warszawa 1997.
Alan Unterman, Żydzi Wiara i życie, Wydawnictwo Łódzkie, Łódź 1989.
Rabin Simon Philip de Vries Mzn., Obrzędy i symbole Żydów, Wydawnictwo WAM, Kraków 2000.
Słowniki i encyklopedie:
Encyklopedia Judaica (26 tomów), Keter, Jerusalem 1972.
Polski słownik Judaistyczny: dzieje, kultura, religia, ludzie (2 tomy), Prószyński I S-ka, Warszawa 2003.
Nowy leksykon judaistyczny, Cyklady, Warszawa 2007.

Additional information

Information on level of this course, year of study and semester when the course unit is delivered, types and amount of class hours - can be found in course structure diagrams of apropriate study programmes. This course is related to the following study programmes:

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 3600-HE-WJ-OG in USOSweb