NEW Course–RELG/JWST 215–Jewish Feminism

How did feminism impact Judaism? This class will examine Jewish feminism in the United States from the early 1970s through the present.

How did feminism impact Judaism? This class will examine Jewish feminism in the United States from the early 1970s through the present. By “Jewish feminism,” I refer specifically to the movement by Jewish women to name and theorize injustice toward women in the Jewish tradition. This course will also address the wider historical developments that informed the intellectual trends, including Christian feminist influences. Students will emerge from the course with an appreciation of the vocabulary of Jewish feminism, its central questions, and its historic evolution. Students will also come to appreciate how Jewish feminism has impacted Jewish life in the present day, how it has transformed the study of Jewish texts. Attention will also be paid to LGBT Jewish ideas and activism and the extent to which they relate to, and are influenced by, Jewish feminist concerns. No prior knowledge of the Jewish tradition is expected. This course also counts for credit with WMGS. W 1:15pm – 3:55pm. Prof. Ben Steiner.