Abstract
This course, “Jewish Views on Zion” is designed for senior undergraduates and graduates majoring in Humanities or Social Sciences with some background in Jewish Studies, History and/or Religious Studies. The course provides an examination of major episodes in Jewish intellectual history from the Biblical period through the present. We will read several primary sources ranging from the Book of Joshua to Herzl’s Jewish State, from medieval rabbinical disputes to contemporary Israeli scholarly debates about the role of Zion as Jerusalem, Zion as Holy Land and Zion and State of Israel. We will look at Zionist, non-Zionist, anti-Zionist and post-Zionist Jewish narratives, both in historical and contemporary, religious and secular contexts. To create an understanding for the social and cultural contexts of the primary sources, secondary sources will be provided. Our goal is to understand the key features and contexts of these intellectual positions and their continuing relevance to contemporary society.