Fall 2025

JDS 103: “Intro to Judaism”
Alexandra Zirkle
MWF 10:00am-10:50pm
Clemens 708
Class #16565
Survey of Judaism and the rich Jewish legacy: basic philosophical, theological, social, and political values and practices of Judaism as they developed over time in a variety of social and political environments. This course is the same as RSP 104 and course repeat rules will apply.  Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements

JDS 115: “Genocide, Testimony, Truth”
Noam Pines, David Johnson, Shaun Irlam
TR 5:00pm-6:20pm
NSC 220
Class # 23896
The term genocide emerged in the aftermath of World War II to designate criminal acts carried out with the intent to destroy national, ethnic, racial or religious groups. In this context, genocide has often been considered the paradigmatic crime against humanity and the crime of crimes. The term continues to be relevant for international law today. Focusing on the legacy of the concept, the course addresses the historical parameters of genocide by examining the Nazi genocide of the European Jewish population and the Rwandan genocide of 1994. At the heart of the course, however, is the tension between historical truth and testimony, on the one hand, that the relation of both to fictional accounts. Fulfills SUNY GE in Humanities and World History and Global Awareness. This course is the same as COL 115 and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

JDS 199: “Modern Revolutions”
Richard Cohen
MWF 1:00pm-1:50pm
Alumni 88
Class # 21446
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 – conditions and inspirations for all subsequent political revolutions, pro and con. 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”
Richard Cohen
MWF 2:00pm-2:50pm
Alumni 90
Class #22009
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 – conditions and inspirations for all subsequent political revolutions, pro and con. This course examines the American, French, Russian and Fascist revolutions to better understand how we have become who we are today.

JDS 199: “Justice”
Sergey Dolgopolski
TR 9:30am-10:50am
Room TBD
Class #16196
“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.

JDS 199: “Origins of Good and Evil”
Sergey Dolgopolski
TR 12:30pm-1:50pm
Alumni 90
Class #21917
In this course, we will consider how our understanding of right and wrong, good and evil originate in two archetypes for how to think about ethical questions: Plato’s Republic and the Hebrew Bible. The existence of good and evil has been strongly challenged in the modern era by contemporary philosophy and science. We will read examples of such critiques in the writings of Friedrich Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud, and Hannah Arendt suggesting that one should view good and evil through the prism of power, sexuality, and bureaucracy

JDS 313: “World Religions”
Alexandra Zirkle
MWF 11:00am-11:50am
Clemens 708
Class #22010
In what ways are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam religions--or something else? In this course, we will trace the histories, narratives, temporalities, and practices unique to these three religions. With an eye to global varieties of religious experience, we will examine Judaism from Brooklyn to Iraq, Christianity from Japan to Palestine, and Islam from Tehran to Berlin. Students will develop a deeper understanding of these movements by delving into a wide range of sources including sacred texts, travel journals, literature, and films. This course is the same as RSP 313 and course repeat rules will apply.

HEB 101: Elementary Hebrew I
Lilia Dolgopolskaia
MWF 10:00am-11:25am
Blady 125
Class # 13472
The beginning course of Modern Israeli Hebrew.  Essentials of grammar, syntax and conversational practice; elementary reading and writing, common expressions used in daily life, along with introductory knowledge about Israeli culture.

HEB 201: Intermediate
Lilia Dolgopolskaia
MWF 12:00pm-12:50pm
Blady 126
Hebrew 201 is a continuation of Elementary Hebrew at UB. 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. Involved further work with authentic reading and listening materials.