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Rabbi Harry A Manhoff
hmanhoff@stmarys-ca.edu
Core Curriculum Designation Proposal
Theological Understanding: Theological Explorations
TRS 151 - Introduction to Judaism
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Name of Proposer: Harry A Manhoff
Email address: hmanhoff@stmarys-ca.edu
Department/Program of Proposer: Theology & Religious Studies
Name of Department/Program housing the course: Theology & Religious Studies
Name(s) of Program Director/Department Chair (if not the proposer): Michael Barram
Course Acronym, Number and Title: TRS 151, “Introduction to Judaism”
Semester(s) in which course will be offered: fall and spring
How often is this course taught? every semester
Course Prerequisites (if any): TRS 097, “The Bible & Its Interpretation”
Unit Value of Course: 1.0
Proper Audience for the course (delete those that don’t apply):
Juniors
Seniors
12. The Learning Goals for which the course is being submitted: Theological Understanding: Theological
Explorations
Teaching: A brief narrative that explains how this course will guide students to achieve the learning
outcomes.
In TRS 151outcome #1a (i.e. understanding of a religious tradition) through the following specific course
outcomes:
1. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the history and correlated literature of the Jewish
people from the time of the Bible until modern times.
2. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the praxis of the Jewish tradition as exemplified by
the celebration of the annual holiday cycle and the life cycle.
3. Students will demonstrate understanding of the Jewish perspective on social justice
practices in individual community service projects.
In this context, students will be required to research the literature of each time period and write
short essays incorporating texts into descriptions of their community service. Readings, class
lectures and class discussion will incorporate the phenomenological study of interactions
between Jewish literature and the surrounding cultures and historical events. Students will also
be required to individually present to the class to a Jewish holiday or life cycle event and the
historical development of praxis and belief.
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In TRS 151 outcome #1b (i.e., focused study in a subfield of religious studies) through the following
specific course outcome:
4. Students will demonstrate an ability to employ the methods and tools of the phenomenology
of religion in analyzing the interpretation and reinterpretation of the living body of Jewish
literature as experienced by the Jewish people during its historical wanderings.
In this context students will spend the semester explore ten different genre of Jewish literature
in a historical and philosophical context. Readings, class lectures and class discussions will
emphasize the on-going and continual growth and interpretation of Jewish literature with
special significance given to the interaction of new literature with all previous writing.
In TRS 151 outcome #2 through the following specific course outcomes:
5. Students will demonstrate understanding of the epistemological approach to the Jewish
experience, history and literature. Students will demonstrate the ability to articulate multiple
understandings and different interpretations to theological and practical questions.
In this context class lectures and discussions will examine the Jewish experience which grounds
belief implied by Jewish ritual, worship and literary interpretation in constantly reinterpreted
belief and praxis. Jewish literature will then be studied for evidence of further belief and
practice. Students will keep a journal of issues in which rabbinic authorities have accepted
multiple and radically different solutions to theological, ritual and ethical questions.
Learning: A brief explanation of how coursework (e.g. papers, exams, community service) will be used
to measure students learning outcomes.
Course outcomes #1 - 3 (= core outcome #1a) will be accessed by a mid-term and final exam, containing
short answer and essay questions. Knowledge of the literature and history of the Jewish people will also
be assessed through examinations and short unannounced quizzes. The integration of praxis and
literature in the Jewish context will be assessed through a research paper connected to a community
service project. The understanding of phenomenology will accessed in a short essay on Jewish religious
values applied to the resolution of the Middle East Conflict. Course outcome #4 (= core outcome #1b)
will be accessed by a mid-term and final exam. Course outcome #5 (= core outcome #2) will be assessed
by journal entries and a final research paper connected to a community service project.
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TRS 151-01: Introduction to Judaism: A Survey of Jewish Literature
Rabbi Harry A. Manhoff, PHD, Dante 332 - hmanhoff@stmarys-ca.edu, urgent emails to
hmanhoff@aol.com. Office hours: Mondays 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM, or by appointment.
The objective of TRS 151
The intention of this survey of Jewish literature and Jewish history is to introduce the students to the
conceptual definition of the religion of Judaism is the binding of the individual to the community
(through deeds and mitzvoth/commandments) and the binding of the individual to God (through ritual,
celebration of holy days and by means of holy literature).
Learning Outcomes
1. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the history and correlated literature of the Jewish
people from the time of the Bible until modern times.
Major genre of Jewish literature include TaNaKh (Hebrew Scripture), Talmud (Mishna and
Gemara), Midrash (halakhic/legal and aggadic/legendary), Codes, Commentaries and Modern
Jewish literature.
To be assessed by short essays and bi-weekly journal entries.
2. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the praxis of the Jewish tradition as exemplified by
the celebration of the annual holiday cycle and the life cycle.
Student presentations will introduce classmates to the Jewish holidays, Rosh haShanah, Yom
Kipppur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Hanukkah, Tu b’Shevat, Purim, Passover, Yom haSho’ah, Yom
haAtzmaut and Shavuot. Students will also be called upon to make presentations to introduce the
class to conduct of the Jewish life-cycle from birth to death, including education, marriage,
divorce and family life.
To be assessed by mid-term and final exams.
3. Students will demonstrate understanding of the Jewish perspective on social justice practices
in individual community service projects.
An essential component of performing mitzvot is how an individual behaves outside of the
synagogue, home and classroom. Core values to be discussed are Chinuch/Education, Bal
Tashchit/Ecology, V’ahavta l’rayacha/loving one’s neighbor, Hiddur p’nai zaken/Respect for the
elderly and Rachamim/Compassion. To apply the concepts of these Jewish values as found in
Jewish literature throughout the ages, students will be required to complete a minimum of 10
hours of community service. The students will then demonstrate their understanding of the
connection between their community service project and the ethics and values that are defined in
the primary texts of the varied ages and genre of Jewish literature.
To be assessed by mid-term and final exams.
4. Students will demonstrate an ability to employ the methods and tools of the phenomenology of
religion in analyzing the interpretation and reinterpretation of the living body of Jewish literature
as experienced by the Jewish people during its historical wanderings. There will be an emphasis
upon the distinguishing elements of Judaism being the primacy of study and the performance of
mitzvot/commandments/good deeds.
To be assessed with exam essays.
5. Students will demonstrate understanding of the epistemological approach to the Jewish
experience, history and literature. Students will demonstrate the ability to articulate multiple
understandings and different interpretations to theological and practical questions.
To be assessed by short essays and journal entries.
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Required Reading:
Dimont, Max I., Jews, God and History, Signet, New York, NY.
Isaacs, Ronald H., Exploring Jewish Ethics and Values, Ktav, Hoboken, NJ.
Optional but highly recommended resource:
Baron, Joseph L., Treasury of Jewish Quotations, Jason Aronson, New York, NY.
Course Requirements:
1. Midterm Exam, Monday, October 15, 2012. (20% of grade)
2. Final Exam, Wednesday, December 12, 2012 (2:00 – 4:00 PM). (30% of grade)
3. Minimum of 10 hours of community service in a project approved by the professor. The purpose
of the community service is to identify and serve people in need and then to relate the service to
the Jewish values presented in class.
4. Two term papers.
a. Term Paper 1 - Community Service Essay
b. Term Paper 2 - Middle East Peace Proposal
5. Each student will present either a holiday, life cycle event, or current event about Israel or
contemporary Jewish life to the class. Class presentations must include a one page handout that
identifies the essential elements of the presentation with quotes from Jewish literature that
exemplify these elements. The presentation is to be concluded with an exam question concerning
the material presented. (5% of the grade)
6. Attendance quizzes on the previous lecture or class presentation will be given randomly. Quizzes
and class participation (5% of the grade).
7. Extra credit may be awarded at the professor’s discretion.
Week #1 – Introduction
How this class works (sign ups). What is Judaism? What is Torah?
Introduction to the Middle East and Current Events
Week #2 – TaNaKh
Dimont: Chapter I – The Portable God, pp. 13 – 66.
Torah - Five Books of Moses and Documentary Hypothesis
NaKh – Prophets and Writings
Life Cycle presentation: Birth
Using a quote from the TaNaKh write a paragraph describing your service learning project.
Week #3 – Extra Canonical Writings
Dimont: Chapter II – Age of Apikorsim, pp. 67 – 122
Apocrypha & Pseudopigrapha
Dead Sea Scrolls
Current Events
Holiday presentation: Rosh HaShanah
Life cycle presentation: Bar/Bat Mitzvah
Week #4 –Christian Origins and the New Testament
Dimont: Chapter III –– Moses, Christ and Caesar, pp. 123 – 156
Synoptic Gospels and Jesus the Jew
Paul’s Epistles and Jewish Law
Life cycle presentation: Gerut (Conversion)
Holiday presentation: Yom Kippur
Week #5 – Midrash
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Dimont: Chapter IV Invisible World of the Talmud, pp. 157 – 184
Aggadic Midrash - legends, poetic understandings and filling in the gaps
Halakhic Midrashim - legal derivations
Current Events:
Holiday presentation: Sukkot
Using a quote from the Midrash write a paragraph describing your service learning project.
Week #6 – Rabbinic Literature, Mishna& Gemara = Talmud
Mishna - applying biblical law
Gemara; Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmuds
Current Events:
Holiday presentation: Simchat Torah
Life cycle presentation: Weddings
Using a quote from the Mishna write a paragraph describing your service learning project.
Week #7 – Geonic Literature
Geonic Prayerbooks: An Accident of History
Holiday presentation: Shabbat/Sabbath:
Midterm Review
Week #8 - Midterm
Midterm
No class: Midterm Break
Week #9 – Golden Age of Jews in the Islamic Empire
Dimont: Chapt. V – Muhammud, Allah and Jehovah (sic!), pp. 185 – 210
Mohammud and the Rise of Islam – Jews and Muslims
Golden Age of Islamic Spain: Grammar, Translation & History
Current Events:
Holiday presentation: Hanukkah
Life cycle presentation: (Hetero) sexuality
Using a quote from the Talmud write a paragraph describing your service learning project.
Week #10 – Age of Commentary
Commentaries on the TaNaKh: RaSHI, Ibn Ezra, RaMBaN
Commentaries on the Talmud: RaSHI (again), Tosaphot and notes
Current Events:
Holiday presentation: Tu B’Shevat
Life cycle presentation: Homosexuality & Abortion
Week #11 – Legal Codes
Dimont: Chapt VI (part 1) Prince and the Yellow Star, pp. 211 – 251
RaMBaM: Mishneh Torah
Joseph Karo: Shulchan Arukh
Jewish tradition presentation: Kashrut (keeping Kosher)
Holiday presentation: Purim
Life cycle presentation: Divorce
Using a quote from the Legal Codes write a paragraph describing your service learning project.
Week # 12 – Mysticism and Hasidism
Dimont: Chapt VI (part 2) Prince and the Yellow Star, pp. 252 – 294
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Zohar, Isaac Luria and Jewish Mysticism
Baal Shem Tov and Hasidism
Holiday presentation: Pesach/Passover
Holiday presentation: Yom haShoah
Life cycle presentation: Death
PAPER #1 – SERVICE LEARNING PAPER DUE
Explain how your community service is an example of Jewish social concern as quoted
in the Mishnah, Talmud, Midrash, Commentaries, Codes and other primary sources
of the Jewish tradition.
i. This essay is to be 10 pages, including an annotated bibliography AND works
cited, and footnotes or in-text bibliographical notation.
ii. In the annotated bibliography, you are to identify the primary sources and their
approximate date of composition. You are also to try to identify and date the sage,
rabbi or scholar who is quoted.
iii. You must use Isaacs and Barons, plus other sources noted in the bibliography or
works cited. You may use the internet to find quotations, but you may not quote
contemporary commentaries (Isaacs’ or any other modern scholar or source).
Week #14 – Holocaust
Dimont: Chapt VII (part 1) On the Horns of Modern – Isms, pp. 295 – 368
History and Causes of the Holocaust
Literature of the Holocaust
Holiday presentation: Yom haShoah
Current Events:
Week #15 – Birth of the State of Israel and the Modern Middle East
Dimont: Chapt VII (part 2) On the Horns of Modern –isms, pp. 369 – 450
History of the Modern State of Israel
The Modern Middle East
Holiday presentation: Shavuot/[Pentecost]
Current Events:
Week #16 – American Jewish Experience
American Jewish Experience
PAPER #2 – PEACE PAPER DUE
Based on class discussion of current events, describe how you would resolve the IsraeliPalestinian or Israeli-Arab conflict.
i. This essay is to be 5 pages.
ii. If I win the Noble Peace Prize with your idea, I promise to acknowledge your
contribution, but I do not intend to share any of the financial prize.
Final Review
FINAL EXAM