ARBC 101: Elementary Arabic

This course sequence introduces non-Arabic speakers to the sounds, script, and basic grammar of Arabic-the language of 200 million speakers in the Arab world and the liturgical language of over a billion Muslims. Students will develop basic listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in Modern Standard Arabic. Classes will incorporate readings and audio-visual material from contemporary Arabic media, as well as popular music. 6 credit; Does not fulfill a distribution requirement, NE; offered Fall 2011 -- Y. Klein, S. Bayadsy

HEBR 101: Elementary Modern Hebrew

Think beyond the Bible! Modern Hebrew is a vital language in several fields from religion and history to international relations and the sciences. This course is for students with no previous knowledge of Modern Hebrew or whose test scores indicate that this is an appropriate level of placement. We continually integrate listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Hebrew, incorporating materials from the Israeli internet and films into level appropriate class activities and assignments. 6 credit; Does not fulfill a distribution requirement, NE; offered Winter 2012 -- S. Bayadsy

ARBC 102: Elementary Arabic

This course sequence introduces non-Arabic speakers to the sounds, script, and basic grammar of Arabic--the language of 200 million speakers in the Arab world and the liturgical language of over a billion Muslims. Students will develop basic listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in Modern Standard Arabic. Classes will incorporate readings and audio-visual material from contemporary Arabic media, as well as popular music. Prerequisites: Arabic 101 or equivalent 6 credit; Does not fulfill a distribution requirement, NE; offered Winter 2012 -- S. Bayadsy

HEBR 102: Elementary Modern Hebrew

This course is for students who have completed Hebrew 101 or whose test scores indicate that this is an appropriate level of placement. We continue expanding our vocabulary and grammar knowledge, integrating listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Hebrew. We also continue working with Israeli films and internet, particularly for a Karaoke in Hebrew group project which involves learning and performing an Israeli pop song and researching the artists' background and messages for a class presentation. Prerequisites: Hebrew 101 or equivalent 6 credit; Does not fulfill a distribution requirement, NE; offered Spring 2012 -- S. Bayadsy

HEBR 103: Elementary Modern Hebrew

This course is for students who have completed Hebrew 102 or whose test scores indicate that this is an appropriate level of placement. We continue expanding our vocabulary and grammar knowledge, integrating listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Hebrew. We also continue working with Israeli films and internet, particularly to publish in-class magazines in Hebrew on topics related to Israel, the Middle East, and Judaic Studies. Prerequisites: Hebrew 102 or equivalent 6 credit; Does not fulfill a distribution requirement, NE; offered Fall 2011 -- S. Beckwith, S. Bayadsy

ARBC 103: Elementary Arabic

This course sequence introduces non-Arabic speakers to the sounds, script, and basic grammar of Arabic--the language of 200 million speakers in the Arab world and the liturgical language of over a billion Muslims. Students will develop basic listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in Modern Standard Arabic. Classes will incorporate readings and audio-visual material from contemporary Arabic media, as well as popular music. Prerequisites: Arabic 102 or equivalent 6 credit; Does not fulfill a distribution requirement, NE; offered Spring 2012 -- S. Bayadsy

ARBC 185: The Creation of Classical Arabic Literature

In this course we will explore the emergence of Arabic literature in one of the most exciting and important periods in the history of the Islamic and Arab world; a time in which pre-Islamic Arabian lore was combined with translated Persian wisdom literature and Greek scientific and philosophical writings. We will explore some of the different literary genres that emerged in the New Arab courts and urban centers: from wine and love poetry, historical and humorous anecdotes, to the Thousand and One Nights, and discuss the socio-historical forces and institutions that shaped them. All readings are in English. No Arabic knowledge required. 6 credit; Arts and Literature, Recognition and Affirmation of Difference Requirement, LA, IS; offered Winter 2012 -- Y. Klein

HEBR 204: Intermediate Modern Hebrew

In this course students will strengthen their command of modern conversational, literary and newspaper Hebrew. As in the elementary sequence, we will continually integrate listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Hebrew. Popular Israeli music, broadcasts, internet sources, and films will complement the course’s goals. Class projects include a term long research paper on a topic related to Israel, the Middle East, or Judaic Studies. Students will create a poster in Hebrew to illustrate their research. They will discuss this with other Hebrew speakers on campus at a class poster session toward the end of the course. 6 credit; Does not fulfill a distribution requirement, NE; offered Winter 2012 -- S. Beckwith

ARBC 204: Intermediate Arabic

In this course sequence students will continue to develop their reading, writing, listening and speaking skills, while building a solid foundation of Arabic grammar (morphology and syntax). Students will develop their ability to express ideas in Modern Standard Arabic by writing essays and preparing oral presentations. Classes will incorporate readings and audio-visual material from contemporary Arabic media, as well as popular music. Prerequisites: Arabic 103 or placement test indication. 6 credit; Does not fulfill a distribution requirement, NE; offered Fall 2011 -- Y. Klein

ARBC 205: Intermediate Arabic

In this course sequence students will continue to develop their reading, writing, listening and speaking skills, while building a solid foundation of Arabic grammar (morphology and syntax). Students will develop their ability to express ideas in Modern Standard Arabic by writing essays and preparing oral presentations. Classes will incorporate readings and audio-visual material from contemporary Arabic media, as well as popular music. Prerequisites: Arabic 204 or placement test indication. 6 credit; Does not fulfill a distribution requirement, NE; offered Winter 2012 -- Y. Klein

ARBC 215: Readings in Medieval Arabic Anthologies

The concept of adab as the "liberal arts education" of the medieval Arab world presents itself most vividly in the "Adab anthology." In this genre, medieval Arab authors collected and classified the knowledge of their time, representing a variety of disciplines: literature (poetry, proverbs, historical-anecdotal material), Religion (Quran, hadith, jurisprudence, theology), linguistics, as well as philosophy and the sciences. In the class we will read excerpts from the works of some of the major medieval anthology writers: Ibn Abd Rabbihi, Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani, al-Nuwayri and al-Ibshihi. All readings are in Arabic. Prerequisites: Arabic 205 or equivalent 6 credit; Arts and Literature, Recognition and Affirmation of Difference Requirement, LA, IS; not offered 2011-2012 -- Y. Klein

HEBR 221: Israeli Literature in the Middle East

Since it began to develop in the early twentieth century, Israeli literature has encompassed diverse reflections of Middle Eastern landscapes and lifestyles. Such images range from typecast to groundbreaking, depending on authors’ personal experiences, socio-cultural inclinations, and attitudes toward what makes Israel a nation. We will examine tensions and synergies between Western and Eastern elements in Hebrew fiction by authors of European and Middle Eastern Jewish backgrounds circa Israeli independence in 1948, and by diverse second and third generation writers since then. We will also include some Israeli-Palestinian fiction. In translation; some coursework in Hebrew for advanced students. 6 credit; Arts and Literature, Recognition and Affirmation of Difference Requirement, WR, LA, WR2, IS; not offered 2011-2012

HEBR 222: Discovering Literary Tel Aviv and Jerusalem

This course delves into Israel’s two major cities, comparing their history and character. How are Tel Aviv’s founding Zionist ideals and the Middle Eastern realities that challenged them portrayed in Hebrew literature? Our literary and cultural studies engagement with Tel Aviv will prepare students for our similar exploration of Jerusalem with its much longer multicultural history. How have places in both cities inspired literary reflections on national identity and memory? How have Israeli authors reciprocally influenced people’s views of these urban spaces and their national resonance? This course is part of the OCS Winter Break program, which involves two linked classes in fall and winter terms; this class is the first class in the sequence. In translation. 6 credit; Arts and Literature, WR, LA, WR2, IS; offered Fall 2011 -- S. Beckwith

ARBC 222: Contemporary Music in the Middle East: From Umm Kulthum to Nancy Ajrami

The Middle East is the home of a great number of musical styles, genres and traditions. Regional, ideological, and cultural diversity, national identity, as well as cross-cultural encounters--all express themselves in music. In this class we will explore some of the various musical traditions in the Arab world, Turkey and Iran, from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present. Class discussions will involve readings (in English) and guided listening. No prior music knowledge is required. 6 credit; Arts and Literature, Recognition and Affirmation of Difference Requirement, LA, IS; not offered 2011-2012

HEBR 223: Faith and Fiction: Exploring Israeli National Identity

This course is the second part of a two-term sequence begining with Hebrew 222. Israel research on-site in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem during winter break. It is anticipated that research projects will be shared in a public symposium at the end of the term. Prerequisite: Hebrew 222 or Religion 222. 6 credit; Arts and Literature, LA, IS; offered Winter 2012 -- S. Beckwith

MELA 230: Jewish Collective Memory

Judaism emphasizes transmitting memory from one generation to the next. How have pivotal events and experiences in Jewish history lived on in Jewish collective memory? How do they continue to speak through artistic/literary composition and museum/memorial design? How does Jewish collective memory compare with recorded Jewish history? We will study turning points in Jewish history including the Exodus from Egypt, Jewish expulsion from medieval Spain, the Holocaust, and Israeli independence, as Jews in different times and places have interpreted them with lasting influence. Research includes work with print, film, and other visual/ performative media. 6 credit; Humanities, Recognition and Affirmation of Difference Requirement, HI, IS; offered Spring 2012 -- S. Beckwith

MELA 240: Turkey Today: An Introduction

We will explore contemporary cultural and political issues in Turkey through investigating their historical context. Current topics as Turkey’s bid to the European Union, the banning of the headscarf in public institutions, and the assertion of minority rights raise questions that we can explore more fully through historical understanding. How do we define 'Europe,' and what is the nature of historical interchange between Europe and the Ottoman empire and Turkey? What is the historical legal basis for disallowing the headscarf in Turkish and French public schools? From current issues we will work backwards toward fuller historical understanding of the present. 6 credit; Humanities, Recognition and Affirmation of Difference Requirement, HI, IS; offered Fall 2011 -- M. Jackson

HEBR 241: Israel in A. B. Yehoshua's Literature

Since 1962 A.B. Yehoshua has been one of Israel’s most prolific, politically engaged, and internationally significant authors. A combination of Middle Eastern and Sephardic (medieval Spanish) Jewish family roots and a Western Zionist education has fueled provocative literary interpretations of the Jewish State’s historical origins and many internal fault lines. We will examine Yehoshua’s portrayals of Jewish ethnic and religious diversity and of Zionist national consciousness in medieval through modern Mediterranean and European contexts pre-1948. We will then view Israel’s domestic East/ West, Jewish/ Palestinian, and religious/ secular divides through an artistic lens of exceptional, debatable historical scope. In English translation. 6 credit; Arts and Literature, Recognition and Affirmation of Difference Requirement, WR, LA, WR2, IS; not offered 2011-2012

MELA 241: Ottoman-Turkish History Through Music

Through exploring music in the Ottoman empire and Turkey we can learn about multiethnic diversity and social relations, imperial court culture, leisure activity, European interchange, and twentieth c. nation-building. In this class we will engage with the intersection between musical and historical studies in order to probe such topics as palace patronage of the arts, the Mevlevi ("whirling dervishes") and their place in court and urban life, minority and women composers of the palace; and artistic cross-currents between Ottomans and Europeans. Topics in Turkish musical culture include the impact of new technologies and debates about appropriate national arts. 6 credit; Humanities, Recognition and Affirmation of Difference Requirement, HI, IS; offered Spring 2012 -- M. Jackson

MELA 242: Ethnographies of Turkey

This course will focus on anthropological perspectives on Turkey, aiming to expand our interdisciplinary understanding of the region. We will learn about the history of anthropological research in general and in Turkey in particular, as well as the changing concept of "culture." Diverse ethnographic themes include gender, religion, labor, and the arts. Historical ethnographies will assist us in understanding the past in the present, as well as communities such as religious (Muslim and non-Muslim) minorities who may be less visible in the textual historical record. Ethnographic scholarship from other parts of the Middle East will provide comparative perspectives. 6 credit; Humanities, Recognition and Affirmation of Difference Requirement, HI, IS; not offered 2011-2012

MELA 243: Jews in a Multiethnic Empire

This course will follow Sephardic Jewry after their expulsion from Spain in 1492 to their settlement in the Ottoman empire and Turkey. We will engage with issues of establishing urban Jewish communities, state-society relations, cultural confluences with surrounding peoples, European education and enculturation, and Ladino language and literature. We will explore Jews as a minority in twentieth and twenty-first century Turkey, as well as diaspora communities and how absent Jews are remembered together with other post-Ottoman minorities. 6 credit; Humanities, HI, IS; offered Spring 2012 -- M. Jackson

ARBC 310: Advanced Media Arabic

Readings of excerpts from the Arabic press and listening to news editions, commentaries and other radio and TV programs from across the Arab world. Emphasis is on vocabulary expansion, text comprehension strategies, and further development of reading and listening comprehension. Class includes oral discussions and regular written assignments in Arabic. Prerequisites: Arabic 205 or equivalent 6 credit; Arts and Literature, Recognition and Affirmation of Difference Requirement, LA, IS; offered Spring 2012