History 201-206 seminars are open to history majors only during pre-registration. If the course does not reach its enrollment maximum, it will be open to all students beginning with drop/add on a first-come first-serve basis.
HIST 204 Jewish Radicalism in America
Perelman
Taught as schedule allows (consult the Course Directory)
SEM
American Jewish collective memory is filled with images of rallies, strikes, newspapers, and party meetings. Likewise, scholars and surveys, novels and movies, songs and poems have all noted the overrepresentation of Jews in movements dedicated to widespread political and social change like socialism, communism, trade unionism, anarchism, Yiddish culture, feminism, the new left, and even neo-conservatism. What explains the heavy involvement of Jews in such political movements? How does a closer look at this phenomenon shed light on Jewish history? What does it tell us about the American Jewish experience as well as life in the United States? Is it possible to assess the relationship between politics, political expression, and Jewish self-identification as Americans? Using secondary sources, historical documents, and public culture, this seminar will explore the histories, ideologies, and significances of Jewish political radicalism in the United States. In addition, students will engage in a substantial original research project based on primary source materials found in relevant archival institutions.
