RELGST 1240 - JEWS AND THE CITY

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
Comedian Lenny Bruce riffed in 1963 that "If you live in New York or any other big city, you are Jewish. It doesn't matter even if you're Catholic; if you live in New York you're Jewish." In this course, we will discover why Lenny Bruce -- and so many other observers of Jewish life -- came to understand urbanity as a core component of the Jewish experience. We will begin our study of the Jewish encounter with urban life in the 19th century, as millions of Eastern European Jews migrated from the small villages of their birth to cities across the globe. This course will trace this Eastern European Jewish diaspora to urban destinations around the world, before training its lens on the Jewish encounter with American cities. We will pay close attention to how patterns of Jewish urbanization changed regionally and over time; how urbanization affected Jews' home-life, leisure time, religious practices and occupational choices; how differences in gender and class affected Jews' experiences in urban spaces; and how Jews interacted with other ethnic groups in diverse, urban environments. Delving into the history, built environment, and archival sources pertaining to the Jewish experience in Pittsburgh will provide us with a dynamic case study for this crucial relationship between Jews and the city.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: Letter Grade
Course Attributes: DSAS Global Issues General Ed. Requirement, DSAS Historical Analysis General Ed. Requirement, SCI Polymathic Contexts: Global&Cross Cul GE. Req., SCI Polymathic Contexts: Soc/Behav. GE. Req.

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