Sokol Hebrew High School
Jews in Europe
Joyce Witt
Fall 5768/History

This core course will span Jewish history from the French revolution through the series of emigrations of Jews to the United States before World War I. Never before in the millennia of Jewish history has so much been transformed in such a short period of time. The nature of Jewish history in this period is that of upheaval and change. Through the opening of the ghetto gates under Napoleon to the persecution under the pogroms of the czars, Jewish life in Europe in the 19th century was very difficult. But under the persecution a Jewish culture continues to thrive and develop. Furthermore it lays the foundation for our students of a rich Jewish experience that is brought to the New World. The conflict between tradition, change and assimilation will be explored as the study of the past guides our decisions of today.

Essential core questions that this class will address:
· What was the Spanish Inquisition ? What impact did it have on Jewish life in Spain and then in the New World?
· What was the role of the Jewish community during the French Revolution?
· What was the significance of the calling of the Sanhedrin by Napoleon. What effect did it have on the Jewish community in France, and how does it still affect us today?
· What was life like for the Jews under the Russian Tsars?
· What was life like in the Shtetl ?
· How was the Pale of the Settlement created and what affect did it have on all of European Jewry?
· What was the role of the Jews in the Russian Revolution?
· How did the life of Jews in Russia lead to immigration to America?
· What was the importance of the Dreyfus case in France to the development of anti-Semitism in Europe?

The primary text for this course will be handouts and readings, many of which will be taken from Scattered Among the Nations edited by Alexis P. Rubin. Relevant selections from “Yentl” and from “The Fixer” will be viewed to enrich the lessons.

Through the examination of historical events, political and sociological conditions and prominent figures, students will develop a basic understanding of major events in modern Jewish history. By the end of the semester they will come to appreciate the status and lives of Jews in 19th century Europe. They will develop a knowledge and understanding of Jewish life in the shtetl and ghetto. We will identify significant Jewish personalities of this period. We will be able to understand how the events of 19th century Europe affected the lives of the Jewish community. From that we will gain an understanding of the circumstances and reason for Jewish emigration to the United States. Our ultimate goal is to appreciate the rich tradition of European Jewry that has been given to the Jewish community as the basis for our own Jewish lives today.

There are basis expectations of the students in this class. Nothing can duplicate their presence in class on a consistent weekly basis. Although I can give them makeup work and projects this cannot replicate the classroom experience. After a third absence, students can expect an assignment, in addition to completing missed work, which will involve writing and research. Teaching is a team effort. I cannot teach without a class of students, and I expect that each of them will consistently participate in the dialogue within this class. That means that they are not only actively speaking, but actively listening to each other as well.