Before Your Register

Please note that room locations and courses are subject to change. Please see the Class Schedules for updates. 

Jump To:

Fall 2024 Undergraduate Courses

JDS 199: Myth and Law                 
Professor Catlin                        
Tues/Thurs         
9:30am-10:50am
Clemens 708
Class #16332
Law and myth are key components of many human societies. Laws tell us what to do; myths tell us who we are and where we come from. But what gives them their peculiar power? Why can laws compel us to act against our will? What, for instance, gives a document from the 18th century, the United States Constitution, its authority over the country? How do myths continue to determine our identities as members of communities¿national, ethnic, religious¿even when we understand them to be fictions? Why, for example, do people continue to believe in debunked narratives about racial hierarchy or unprovable claims about group origins? Furthermore, how do law and myth relate to each other? Is there an element of myth in the law? What happens when law and myth come into conflict? Can law be used to challenge myth, or myth to criticize the law? In this 3-credit UB Seminar, we¿ll consider these and similar political, social, and ethical questions through the collaborative reading, discussion, and performance of selections from texts such as Greek tragedy, modern fiction, political philosophy, the Bible and biblical interpretation, and contemporary social thought. Students who take this UB Seminar will be well-prepared for future coursework in the humanities, social sciences, and arts, including (for example): Jewish Studies, Law, Legal Studies, English, Philosophy, Global Gender and Sexuality Studies, Political Science, Anthropology, Theatre, and foreign languages.

JDS 199: Modern Revolutions : Industrial, Political, Social 
Professor Cohen
Mon/Weds/Fri
1:00pm-1:50pm
Cooke 248
Class # 22901
What are political revolutions?  How have they changed our world?  Evolution occurs by gradual small changes, revolution by radical changes.  The Industrial Revolution wiped out the medieval world and its traditions, established standardization and commodification, accelerated time and compressed space through machines and technology.  In its wake comes the prospect of widespread prosperity, political freedoms and democracy, and cultural enlightenment, which have inspired for all subsequent political revolutions, for and against.  This course examines the American, French, Russian and Fascist revolutions to better understand how we have become who we are today

JDS 199: Modern Revolutions : Industrial, Political, Social 
Professor Cohen
Mon/Weds/Fri
2:00pm-2:50pm
Room TBD
Class # 23651
What are political revolutions?  How have they changed our world?  Evolution occurs by gradual small changes, revolution by radical changes.  The Industrial Revolution wiped out the medieval world and its traditions, established standardization and commodification, accelerated time and compressed space through machines and technology.  In its wake comes the prospect of widespread prosperity, political freedoms and democracy, and cultural enlightenment, which have inspired for all subsequent political revolutions, for and against.  This course examines the American, French, Russian and Fascist revolutions to better understand how we have become who we are today

JDS199: Justice
Priofessor Dolgopolski
Tues/Thurs
11:00-12:20pm
Clemens 708
Class # 16583
"A law that is not just is not law" said recently a protester against racial discrimination. This argument exemplifies a problem we will address in this course through reading, discussing, theatrically staging, and critically applying the work of the best writers and thinkers, both ancient and contemporary, who addressed the problem of justice in relationship to equality, law, and freedom. In that way, we will conduct a comparative study of the relationship between justice, law, and society in pagan, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Thought.

JDS199: Orgins of Good and Evil
Priofessor Dolgopolski
Tues/Thurs
Clemens 708
Class # 23519
Determining the origin of our moral beliefs and values is one of the central debates that has animated Western philosophers and theologians across time. One culture may consider a certain action morally correct and another culture may consider the same action morally incorrect. Why is that? How do we know what is good and evil, right and wrong? Is there one standard that unites different value systems or are all systems equally correct and variable? This course will not directly tackle the specific beliefs themselves (whether it be the ethics of war and peace, euthanasia, suicide, abortion or any such issue), but will seek to examine the different reasons that groups may arrive at diverse answers. We will read selections of classical works such as Platos Republic, Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Hebrew Bible, Aquinas, Summa Theologicae, Nietzsche’s Genealogy of Morals, Martin Buber’s I and Thou, and view a movie: Woody Allen’s Crimes and Misdemeanors.

JDS 199: Violence and Religion 
Professor Zirkle  
Tues/Thur
2:00-3:20 pm
Clemens 708
Class# 22902
From the Crusades to current warring in the Middle East, tremendous violence has been committed in the name of religion. But what is the relationship if any between religious beliefs and practices and violent acts carried out in the name of religion? Has religion contributed to greater peace or to greater violence in society? To answer these questions, we will examine religious sources, films, political texts, and historical documents from a variety of religious traditions and geographical contexts. Through our exploration of the interrelationships between violence, religion, and peace, students interested in international politics, history, religion, and gender and sexuality will gain critical insight into dynamics which continue to shape twenty-first century societies and cultures.

JDS 275: History of Antisemitism              
Professor Pines                            
Mon/Weds/Fri         
11:00-11:50am
Room TBD
Class #20831
The course examines the history of antisemitism from antiquity to the present by focusing on central questions such as: What is the definition of antisemitism and what are its historical origins? How did anti-Jewish attitudes develop over time in non-Jewish societies? What are the main historical events associated with antisemitism? And what role does antisemitism play in the world today? The course will examine antisemitism as a central phenomenon of Western history and survey its different manifestations in the pagan world of antiquity, medieval Christian society, as well as in modern Europe and North America.

JDS313: World Religions 
Professor Zirkle
Mon/Wed/Fri
9:00-9:50am
Room TBD
Class #23652
In what ways are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam religions—or something else? In this course, we will examine Judaism from Ethiopia to Iraq, Christianity from Nagasaki to Palestine, and Islam from Tehran to Los Angeles. Students will become familiar with the narratives, practices, and beliefs unique to these three religions. We will also explore the status and contributions of women within Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and compare Jewish, Christian, and Muslim accounts of the end of times (eschatology). Students will develop a deeper understanding of these movements by delving into a wide range of sources including sacred texts, literature, travel journals, and films.

Fall 2024 Hebrew Courses

HEB 101 Elementary Modern Hebrew 1
Lilia Dolgopolskaia
Monday Wednesday Friday
10:00-11:25am
Clemens 219
Class #13679

The beginning course of Modern Israeli Hebrew. Essentials of grammar, syntax and conversational practice; elementary reading, writing, common expressions used in daily life, along with introductory knowledge about Israeli culture. 

HEB 201 Inermediate Hebrew 1
Lilia Dolgopolskaia
Monday Wednesday Friday
12:00-12:50pm
Clemens 219
Class #22905
Further development of language skills: listening comprehension, oral efficiency, intermediate grammar and syntax, reading and writing. Topics include phone conversations, movies, dating, and free time. Involves further work with authentic reading and listening materials

Course Archive