Overseas Student Program Courses
Below is a listing of courses which have been offered by the School.
Please check Schedule of courses
for the updated offering for this Year/Semester.
- Jewish Studies
- Israel Studies
- Management and Economics
- Middle Eastern Studies
- Art Studies
- Life Sciences
- Hebrew Language Studies
- The Essence of Judaism (Only Fall Semester)
- Contemporary Jewish Issues (Only Spring Semester)
- Modern Jewish History
- Jewish Identity in Israel and The Diaspora
- Jewish Education: The Reality and the Vision (Only Spring )
- The Jews and the "Passion" From the Gospels to Gibson
- "After Auschwitz": Images of the Holocaust in Contemporary Culture
- The Zionist Movement: From a Vision to a State 1870-1967
- Israeli Politics
- The Israeli Economy
- Israeli Companies: From Local to Global
- Business Ethics
- The struggle for Palestine: The roots of the Arab Israeli Conflict
- Introduction to the Religion of Islam
- Ideologies and Intellectual Movement in The Modern Middle East
- Islam Politics and Terror in the Middle East (Only Spring Semester, the course is limited to Juniors and Seniors and only 40 students in a class)
- State and Society in the Middle East (Only Spring Semester)
- Contemporary Jewish Issues (Only Spring Semester)
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- Twentieth Century Israeli Art
- Creative Writing
- Love and War - Israeli Society on Stage: an Introduction to Israeli Drama
- Israel and the Environment
Please note that courses that have less than 5 students will be cancelled
THE ABOVE LIST OF COURSES IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
- Hebrew Courses & Levels Description (click to enter)
* Hebrew Language studies are offered on all levels, from complete beginners (level 1) to advanced students wishing to enroll in regular university courses conducted in Hebrew (level 12). Hebrew language studies are given as follows:
* Ulpan(Intensive pre-semester program), taught prior to the fall and spring semesters on all levels. The Ulpan is mandatory for all students in the one-year or one-semester program. Only students who demonstrate proficiency in the Hebrew language based upon the results of a written exam administered by the Office of Academic Affairs, or who graduated from high school in Israel are exempt from participation.
- * Semester Program, taught throughout the year at all levels except Level 1&2.
*Please Note: Hebrew Studies during the Semester for levels 6,8,10, can also be held on Sundays and Fridays in addition to week days.
Course Description
JEWISH STUDIES
The Essence of Judaism
Dr. Moshe Gresser
The goal of this course is two-fold: first, to acquire some knowledge of the major ideas, ethics, laws, rituals, and texts that constitute Judaism as the living religious civilization of the Jewish people; and secondly, on the basis of our study of fundamental elements of Jewish tradition, to engage and explore a series of issues that engage and concern contemporary Jews. The tension between tradition and modernity, as well as that between Israel and the Diaspora, especially America, will serve as the backdrop for many of these issues, so vital to the Jewish future. Class discussion will attempt to develop the skill of articulating the intelligence of opposing views while struggling to discern the truth, the classic Jewish procedure in an "argument for the sake of Heaven."
Required Reading: Articles and texts in the Reader for Contemporary Jewish Issues, available in the OSP Office. Occasional handouts.
Contemporary Jewish Issues
Dr. Moshe Gresser
Modern Jewish History
Prof. R. Rockaway
The course is designed so that students can study the past as historians do. The historian works with primary sources- official government policy statements, documents defining the ideologies of political and religious groups, letters, interviews, pictures. Even memoirs and fiction can provide facts and clues that help the historian make the conclusions that are the basis of the story he/she wishes to tell. As historians, we will use a range of materials to provide context as well as facts, motives as well as acts.
Jewish Identity in Israel and the Diaspora
Dr. Y. Bar Shalom
This course will investigate the historical and sociological foundations of the Jewish family through the use of primary and secondary sources. The course will give the student the opportunity to apply the tools and methods of current research to a topic of interest in the world today. The course will be in the lecture format.
The course will be in the lecture format.
Jewish Education: The Reality and the Vision
Mr. L. Pearlman (Only taught in the Spring)
This course will provide an introduction to Jewish education in North America; its history, current state and future possibilities. It examines the development of Jewish education over the centuries, and the impact of modernity upon it. The course explores the four commonplaces of educational teacher, student, community and resources in both formal and informal Jewish educational settings. The class will also examine several educational philosophies and approaches through the examples of teaching Israel and teaching text. While this is not a methodology course, a variety of techniques and approaches will be modeled each session.
The Jews and the "Passion", From the Gospels to Gibson
Prof. Jeremy Cohen
"After Auschwitz": Images of the Holocaust in Contemporary Culture
Dr. Rachel E. Perry
This course offers a critical analysis of different attempts to render and come to terms with the Shoah in contemporary culture: in the paintings of Anselm Kiefer, David Olere, Gerhardt Richter, Judy Chicago and Zoran Music; in the multimedia installations of Christian Boltanski, Ram Katzir, Hans Haacke; the comic books of Art Spiegelman; the sculptural monuments (or counter-monuments) of Rachel Whiteread and Jochen Gerz; the photographs of David Levinthal, Susanna Pieratski and Shimon Attie; and the Holocaust museum architecture of Moshe Saftie's Yad Vashem, Daniel Liebeskind's Berlin Jewish Museum and James Freed's Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. We will analyze some of the many strategies used to represent the Shoah - what artists include and ignore, their methods of presentation, what each defines as acceptable--and examine how these have varied across generational lines, between the survivors and subsequent generations.
In addition to developing visual skills, throughout the semester we will encounter and debate ethical, pedagogical, theological and philosophical dilemmas such as: what is the role of memory (as opposed to institutionalized history) in our relationship to and representations of the Shoah? What is the relationship between the historical event and representations of it, between what happened and how it is passed down to us? How has memory and awareness of the Shoah been produced and transmitted through representational practices and cultural forms? What is -or should be - the primary role of art about the Shoah: didactic, redemptive, cathartic? Are some media or genres more, or less, suitable to the task? What strategies have been and are being used to represent the Shoah in the visual arts? How do these differ across generational lines, between the survivors and the second, Post-Holocaust generation for whom the Shoah constitutes a “vicarious past.” What place does comedy or parody have? Can a representation of the Shoah be beautiful, sublime or enjoyable? Does aesthetic pleasure trivialize or exploit the pain of others? When does representation fall prey to sentimentality or melodrama, and at what costs?
ISRAEL STUDIES
The Zionist Movement: From a Vision to a State
Mr. N. Barak
"Those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it," warned the philosopher George Santayana. And, indeed, one of the reasons we study the past is to help us to better understand the present.
This course will trace the evolution of the Zionist "idea" from its emergence in the 19th century to its implementation via the creation of the State of Israel, in 1948. Its aim is to give you an informed "historical lens" to help you understand more clearly the day-to-day events you will be experiencing during your stay in Israel.
During the first part of the semester we will discuss the main ideas on which the Zionist movement is based ¬ political Zionism, labor Zionism, cultural Zionism, religious Zionism and American Zionism. Later we will trace the impact of these ideas on the building of a "Yishuv" (settlement) in Palestine and on its relationship, until the establishment of the State, with the Palestinian Arabs and the British Mandatory power.
Israeli Politics
Dr. D. Korn
Israel is a highly politicized country, its security and citizens' daily life closely affected by government decisions. Stark choices make for sharp debates among parties and ideas. This course will explore the leaders, parties, ideologies, issues, and debates in Israeli politics. The course will provide historical background and focus on current problems of war and peace, the electoral system, economy, immigration, and foreign policy.
MANAGEMENT AND ECONOMIC STUDIES
The Israeli Economy
Dr. Paul Rivlin
Homepage: http://www.dayan.org/research.htm
The history of the Israeli economy, a comparison between its development and that of other countries. Problems of growth, inflation, balance of payments, income distribution and poverty. The main sectors of the economy; industry, agriculture and services; the public and private sectors. Role of Histadrut, defense spending, economics of the peace process and Israel's integration in world economy.
Israeli Companies: from Local to Global
Mr. N. Konforty
One of the major changes happening in the last decade is the accelerated globalization process. The Israeli companies, which some of them were active abroad mainly as exporters, joined it as the main way to grow. A web of subsidiaries and partnerships was parallel foreign MCN which recognized the Israeli managerial and technological skills established similar entities in Israel.
Working in global entity expose the future manager to many issues, which are not related directly to the traditional way business in managed. Cultural diversity, new ethical dilemmas, different legal and labor law systems, etc are some of them. The purpose of the course is to acquaint the student with the complexity of this new environment. Pre-Requisite: Basic Course in Economics
Business Ethics
Dr. M. Weinman
How ought corporations, and the individuals who run them, work for them, and consume the products, goods, and services offered by them act? Do corporations contribute best and most to the common good simply by pursuing profitability and the best possible return on investment for their stakeholders? Or are there specific requirements on how they go about their business? If so, ought these requirements be self-regulated or government-enforced? These are the questions toward which we are directed. To narrow this daunting task, we focus on two aspects of such questions. First, what does the classical tradition of political philosophy have to teach us about this question? Second, how are our answers to such questions influenced by the globalization of the economy? In the first half of our class, we will investigate selections from the Hebrew, Christian, and Islamic scripture, as well as works by such thinkers as Plato, Aquinas, Smith and Marx. The second half focuses on the debate about globalization today, and will feature contemporary discussions of both the theory and practice of corporate responsibility.
MIDDLE EAST STUDIES
The Struggle for Palestine: The Roots of the Arab-Israeli Conflict
Dr. D. Zissenwine
The course is an historical, in-depth examination of the main processes and events according to which the history of the region has been shaped. Our discussion begins with introductory remarks regarding the legacy of Islam, the emergence of Arab Nationalism and the creation of a new political order in the Middle East following the First World War. The course will cover the main development in the region in the course of the twentieth century including the rise and fall of Pan-Arabism, The growing importance of the Persian gulf, and the challenge of Islamic fundamentalism. Special emphasis will be placed on the Arab-Israeli conflict, more specifically the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, covering its growth through the twentieth century, until the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and beyond.
Introduction to Islam
Dr. A. Hakim
This course provides a survey of the origins and development of Islam, from the 7th to the 14th century. The course will address various aspects regarding the history of Islam such as the development of theology, the practice of rituals, the links between the development of Islamic law and existing social systems, mystical orders and political culture.
Ideologies and Intellectual Movement in the Modern Middle East
Prof. I. Gershoni
The seminar will deal with the formation, evolution and diffusion of intellectual views and ideologies in the Modern Middle East, in particular during the years 1880 - 1950. It will focus on individual thinkers and intellectuals as well as intellectual movements and ideological bodies. It will trace the processes of the emergence of new intellectual discourses, their formation, dissemination and transmission; their changes and their social reception in the different levels of Middle Eastern cultures and societies. Special attention will be given to interaction between ideas and their socio-political contexts.
Islam, Politics and Terror in the Middle East
Dr. M. Litvak
The course will examine the emergence of radical Islamic movements as a major political force in the modern Middle East, and will discuss their oppositionary role in various countries ranging from parliamentary activities to terrorism. It will explore the various ideological trends among these movements. In particular, it will pay attention to their views of the crisis of Islam in the modern period; the desired type of Islamic government; the meaning of Jihad in the modern period; the compatibility between Islam and democracy; women’s rights and their integration in politics, and attitudes toward the Arab-Israeli conflict. The course will look at movements such as the Palestinian Hamas, the Lebanese Hizballah, the Iranian revolutionary regime, and Ben Laden’s al-Qaida.
State and Society in the Middle East
Dr. Uzi Rabi
The course deals with an in-depth examination of the main processes and events according to which the history of the modern Middle East has been shaped. Our discussion begins with introductory remarks regarding the legacy of Islam, the emergence of Arab nationalism and the creation of a new political order in the Middle East following the First World War.
The course will cover the main developments in the region in the course of the twentieth century including the rise and fall of Pan-Arabism, The growing importance of the Persian Gulf, and the challenge of Islamic fundamentalism. Special emphasis will be placed on states such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Syria where tensions arising from clash of traditionalism and modernity are being witnessed.
ART STUDIES
Twentieth Century Israeli Art
Dr. R. Shusterman
Survey of the development of twentieth century Israeli art since 1906, trends, techniques, theories and styles in Israeli art are analyzed against the background of a relevant European and American movements. The course is complemented by visits to museums and art centers.
Creative Writing
Mr. C. Zeldis
A free-wheeling, open-ended workshop with novelist and poet Chayym Zeldis, aimed at stimulating literary creativity. Through analysis of selected excerpts from world literature and the students' own work, the course will examine the unconscious sources and conscious aspects of the creative process. Students may engage in any form/s of literary expression: poetry, vignette, short-story, novel, script-writing (film and theater) and essay. Emphasis will be placed on removing fears and inhibitions, and on the "wedding of heart and mind."
Love and War - Israeli Society on stage
An introduction to Israeli Drama
Dr. Peter Harris
Israeli Drama reflects the evolution of the State of Israel from Pre- State years to the 21st century.
Leading Israeli play writes present a unique way of looking at the turbulent events and trends that have shaped Israeli Society, such as The Holocaust, War, relations between Arabs and Jews, Religious and secular society and more. As viewed through the stage-lives of living, breathing, suffering and passionate stage characters.
The course bring to life the characters and their conflicts, students will be able to understand the complexities by getting into the situations, reading and acting out and analyzing the lives of the characters.
The lessons will combine theoretical study with performing choice scenes in order to understand characters and conflicts, visits to the theatre and meetings with playwrights.
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LIFE SCIENCES
Israel and the Environment
Dr. Stuart Fleischer
This course studies the relationship between people and the environment, and the effects of Israeli societies and industries have on the environment. Plant and animal community structure, renewable and nonrenewable resources and environmental degradation will be studied along with regional cooperation and problems between Israel and her neighbors. This course provides an introduction for non-biology majors into current problems that Israel faces in maintaining the stability, productivity, and sustainability of it's environment. This class will identify relevant environmental issues, explore root causes underlying the problems, and examine how national and international agencies are addressing and assessing potential solutions to these issues.
The objectives of this course are for students to acquire a better understanding of environmental issues. Specifically:
- to acquire a knowledge of ecological concepts as they pertain to environmental problems.
- to gain an awareness and understanding of environmental problems and their causes.
- to learn about the possible solutions to these problems.
- and, to recognize the importance of the interactions of the political, social, and economic aspects of environmental issues.
- Ecology food webs and interactions
- Ecosystems in Israel § Human Impact on Ecosystems from 1st Aliya towards statehood and beyond
- The role of the J.N.F and Israel Nature Authority § Environmental impact on Israel's ecosystems through Industry
- Alternative energy sources and resources
- Environmental cooperation between Israel and its neighbors
- Israel and environmental legislation
Problem solving paper and presentation.
You will also be required to write a short paper (approx 7-10 pages) on an environmental problem for this course.
This will be a group project. Your group will identify and select an environmental problem and address possible or actual solutions.
The paper should describe the problem in sound ecological terms; present possible solutions in an unbiased fashion; and it must include the social, political and economic interactions that are part of this problem.
Your group will also prepare a 10-15 minute presentation to share your findings with classmates.
A rubric for the guidelines and expectations for the paper and presentation will be given in class.
This project is worth 40%. EXAMS Two exams will be given: a midterm and final. The final will only cover material covered after the midterm. Each exam will be worth 30% .
Field TripsThere will be two optional and voluntary field trips during the course:
- half day trip to Ganei HaTevah Wildlife Hospital in Tel Aviv
- Negev Desert 4X4 Jeep Trek (Saturday, date TBA)
