JS 280 ISRAEL: THE IDEA AND THE STATE

With the founding of the State of Israel in 1948, Jews gained political sovereignty for the first time since the Destruction of the Temple in ancient times. This has presented Jews with the opportunity to flourish culturally, politically, and religiously. But the gaining of a political state in modern times has posed specific challenges both to Jews and to traditional normative Jewish self-definition. This course will examine some of these changes and challenges to introduce the dynamic and multi-ethnic nature of Israeli society.