85521 - Jewish Culture in The Modern Period

Academic Year 2018/2019

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Ravenna
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in International Cooperation on Human Rights and Intercultural Heritage (cod. 9237)

Learning outcomes

The course aims, by studying specific historical moments as indicated in the syllabus and in the bibliography, at offering an essential knowledge on Jewish modern and contemporary history, with peculiar reference to Jewish emancipation, the persecution of the Jews in the 20th century, to the establishment of the State of Israel and the problems connected with the permanent re-definition of Jewish identity between religion, culture and statehood. As an ideal outcome, the student will dispose of the necessary comptence for discerning the peculiarity of Jewish experience in the modern and contemporary world; will be able to pursue specific research interests in the field; will be able to define with methodological rigour and with a critical attitude the Jewish contribution to the wake and the crisis of modernity; he will have at his disposal analytic instruments for examining the conflictual dynamics and the possible paths of convergence and dialogue between different religious and secular cultures on the contemporary world stage.

Course contents

The course aims, by studying specific historical moments as indicated in the programme and in the bibliography, at offering an essential knowledge on Jewish modern and contemporary history, with peculiar reference to Jewish emancipation, the persecution of the Jews in the 20th century, to the establishment of the State of Israel and the problems connected with the permanent re-definition of Jewish identity between religion, culture and statehood. As an ideal outcome, the student will dispose of the necessary competence for discerning the peculiarity of Jewish experience in the modern and contemporary world; will be able to pursue specific research interests in the field; will be able to define with methodological rigour and with a critical attitude the Jewish contribution to the wake and the crisis of modernity; he/she will have at his/her disposal analytic instruments for examining the conflictual dynamics and the possible paths of convergence and dialogue between different religious and secular cultures on the contemporary world stage.

Readings/Bibliography

- Walter Laqueur, A History of Zionism: From the French Revolution to the Establishment of the State of Israel, New York 2003

- Gershom Scholem, The Messianic Idea in Judaism and other Essays on Jewish Spirituality, New York 1976 (it. tr. L'idea messianica nell'ebraismo e altri saggi sulla spiritualità ebraica, Adelphi, Milano 2008).

-Patrizia Reinach Sabbadini (a cura di), La cultura ebraica, Einaudi, Torino 2000.

- Gershom Scholem, From Berlin to Jerusalem, New York 2012 (it. tr. Da Berlino a Gerusalemme, Einaudi, Torino 2018).

- Gershom Scholem, La stella di David, Giuntina, Firenze 2013.

- Gershom Scholem, Le tre vite di Moses Dobrushka, Adelphi, Milano 2014.

- Sergio della Pergola, Israele e Palestina: la forza dei numeri. Il conflitto mediorientale fra demografia e politica, Il Mulino, Bologna 2007.

Teaching methods

Traditional

Seminarial discussion

Assessment methods

Oral exam.

Non-attending students must contact prof. Campanini in order to prepare a personalized reading list.

Teaching tools

Further bibliographic suggestions and research pathways will be offered during the course

Office hours

See the website of Saverio Campanini