ASIA/JWST 357/PWAD 362: The Arab-Jews: Culture, Community, and Co-existence

The Israeli (Zionist)-Arab conflict, which has lasted for over 100 years, has instilled in the minds of many the notion of the incompatibility of the terms “Arabs” and “Jews.”  The presence of Jews in Arab lands and the often peaceful co-existence between the Jews and their neighbors render “Arab-Jews” not an oxymoron, but a historical reality.  This course is designed to examine Jewish life in Arab lands in the last century by examining culture, language, and the communal life the Arab-Jews shared with their neighbors of other faiths.  The course explores the transformations in Arab-Jewish relations in light of two pivotal developments: the emergence of Arab nationalism and the rise of Zionism which culminated in the creation of the State of Israel and the Jewish mass departure from Arab lands.  In addition to assigned scholarly readings on these themes, literary works, films, and music are also incorporated into the class curriculum. BN, GL.