The Jewish community of Rome is the oldest one in all of Europe, dating back to 200 BCE, but it is only a part of a complex and fascinating mosaic that is Italian Jewry. In this course we will examine the long Jewish presence in the Italian peninsula through the work of some of Italy's most eminent modern Jewish writers, filmmakers, social scientists and historians of Jewish Italy. We will focus on the historical events that have shaped the past hundred and fifty years: the role of Italian Jews in the unification of Italy and state-building, two world wars and different social movements of the pre- and post-WWII eras, and the plurality of Jewish Italian voices today, especially in their relationship to Israel and the diaspora. The course material will include several lectures by Italian scholars and writers, as well as virtual visits to Italian cultural and political institutions relevant to our topic.

Catalog Distribution: (ALC-AS, HST-AS) (CA-AG, HA-AG, LA-AG)

Full details for JWST 2720 - The World of Italian Jewry

This seminar examines the history of the United States' involvement with Middle East beginning with evangelical efforts in the 19th century and President Wilson's engagement with the colonial powers in the early 20th century during and after WWI. The discovery of vast Middle Eastern oil reserves and the retreat of the colonial powers from the region following WWII drew successive US administrations ever deeper into Middle Eastern politics. In due course the US became entrenched in the post-colonial political imagination as heir to the British and the French especially as it challenged the Soviet Union for influence in the region during the Cold War. And that only takes the story to the mid-1950s and the Eisenhower administration. Our discussions will be based on secondary readings and primary sources as we interrogate the tension between realist and idealist policies toward the Middle East and trace how these tensions play out in subsequent developments including the origins and trajectory of the US strategic alliances with Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and Turkey and conflict with Iran after the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the two Gulf Wars.

Catalog Distribution: (HST-AS) (HA-AG)

Full details for JWST 3687 - The US and the Middle East

What explains authoritarian resilience in the Middle East? What are the causes and consequences of Islamist political attitudes and behavior? What is the historical legacy of colonialism and empire in the Middle East? This course will offer students the opportunity to discuss these and other questions related to the political, social, and economic development of the Middle East and North Africa.

Catalog Distribution: (SCD-AS, SSC-AS) (D-AG, SBA-AG)

Full details for JWST 3850 - Comparative Politics of the Middle East