HIS 210 Early Ashkenazim
Final Exam and Transcript Provided by Davar Academy
HIS 210 is a self-study course whose grade is based solely on the final examination. The course of study that is necessary to be prepared for the final examination consists of lessons based on the readings noted in this syllabus. Students should read the entire text of all the reading assignments. There are no formal assignments, but students are encouraged to take the practice quizzes associated with the readings to ensure that they have gleaned the appropriate knowledge to fulfill the course objectives and are well prepared for the final exam.
This course explores historical events and personalities involving or affecting the Jewish people in medieval Europe through the eleventh century. The course will also focus on how historical figures made an impact on Jewish life through their major works and communal interaction. Significant figures include the Kalonymus family, R’ Gershom Me’or HaGolah, the Chasidei Ashkanaz, and R Yaakov b. Yakar. Students will also demonstrate an understanding of how the Jews living in Medieval Europe interacted with their host countries and how major political and cultural events such as the crusades had an impact on the Jewish communities. Major topics that will be covered include Jewish emigration to France and Germany, Jewish economic life in France and Germany, the importance of customs, rabbinical decrees, the origins aftermath and outcomes of the first crusades and “The People’s Crusade”.
Learning Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- Illustrate and discuss what Jewish society and culture was like during the early medieval period in Europe.
- Describe the major historical events in early Medieval Europe that affected the Jewish population and explain the impact these events had on Ashkenazi Jewish life.
- Identify the major historical personalities in Medieval Europe whose actions affected the Jewish population and explain how they impacted the Jewish population.
- Describe the contributions of Jewish historical figures and explain the impact they had on Jewish life.
- Describe and assess how the interactions between Jewish and Christian cultures influenced Christian attitudes towards Jews and in turn influenced Jewish life and society.
- Describe the important decisions and decrees Jewish leaders made during this period and discuss what may have influenced their decisions and how Jewish culture was affected.
Sendler, Rabbi Binyamin. The Chosen Path: Medieval Jewry, Their Communities and Their Leaders. Dartmouth Oak Park, MI: History Works, 2007. Chapter III, sections 1 – 5.
Wein, Rabbi Berel. Herald of Destiny: The Story of the Jews in the Medieval Era. Brooklyn, NY: Shaar Press, 1993. Section II, chapter 4; section III, chapter 7 (Ashkenazic Poets); section V, chapter 11 (The First Crusade)
Marcus, Jacob R. The Jew in the Medieval World. Hebrew Union College Press, 1999. Pgs. 128-135; 270-274; 340; 407 -412
Articles:
Chazan, Robert. “The First Crusade Narrative of R. Eliezer bar Nathan,” in Ephraim Kanarfogel and Moshe Sokolow, eds., Between Rashi and Maimonides: Themes in Medieval Jewish Thought, Literature and Exegesis (New York: Yeshiva University Press, 2010), 191–203
Grossman. Avraham.“The Cultural and Social Background in Jewish Martyrdom in Germany in 1096,” in Alfred Haverkamp, ed., Juden und Christen zur Zeit der Kreuzzüge (Sigmaringen: Thorbecke, 1999), 73-86
Grossman, Avraham. “Ashkenazim to 1300,” in Neil S. Hecht, et al., eds., An Introduction to the History and Sources of Jewish Law (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996), 299-322
Nirenberg, David. “The Rhineland Massacres of Jews in the First Crusade: Memories Medieval and Modern,” in Gerd Althoff, et al., eds., Imagination, Ritual, Memory, Historiography: Concepts of the Past (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001), 279-310
Malkiel, David. “Destruction or Conversion Intention and reaction, Crusaders and Jews, in 1096,” Jewish History. (The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers 2001), 257–280
The student’s final grade will be based on a final examination. Examination questions will cover all topics covered in the readings. Students will have two hours to complete the final examination. Students will be assigned a number grade from 0-100. A letter grade will also be issued in accordance with the following scale:
90-100 – A
80-89 – B
70-79 – C
0-69 – non passing
