2008 Spring Semester

Description: The course will combine outline language principles with some historical context. Via learning aleif beiz, vocabulary and studying grammatical structure basis students will get familiar with derivation of Yiddish, history of the language, its dialects and expressivity. The chosen texts from Yiddish college textbooks and grammar exercises will help students to understand and learn the main grammatical forms of the Yiddish nouns, verbs, adjectives, prepositions and adverbs. The materials are organized around several themes like “greetings and introductions”, “time and seasons”, “home and relatives”, “holidays and meals”, “university and friends” will introduce students with the daily Jewish life and history in Lithuania as well as Yiddish songs and audio texts.

Theories of Nationalism and Ethnicity (in Lithuanian)
Dr. Egle Bendikaite (Vilnius Yiddish Institute, History Institute of Lithuania)

History of Vilnius as a Jewish Cultural Center (in English)
Prof. David Fishman (Jewish Theological Seminary of America, Fulbright Grant of Lecturing/Research at Vilnius University, 2008)

Description: The course focuses primarily on following phenomena:
(1) Rabbinic culture in Hebrew and Aramaic: The city’s rapid 17th century rise to fame as a center for sharp rabbinic commentary and textual reconstruction is followed through the Gaon’s time in the 18th century, and the Litvish yeshiva movement in the 19th and 20th. Effects of the Hasidic-Misnagdic conflict on its ethos.
(2) The rise of modern Hebrew poetry and culture in the 19th century. The city as center of the Hebrew language revival movement.
(3) The rise of modern Yiddish culture and literature from the early twentieth century, with emphasis on the interwar period.
(4) The Haskalah - its literature and institutions.
(5) The Bund/Jewish socialism.

Introduction to the Old Testament Studies (in English)
Prof. Dovid Katz (Vilnius University, Vilnius Yiddish Institute)

Description: The course is meant to be an introduction, for students with little or no background, to the historical, theological, literary, linguistic, intellectual, and folkloristic dimensions of the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible). Occasional reference will be made to the evidence of archaeology. In all these spheres, the survey will adopt two tracks: discussing what is in the text per se. vs. later (esp. Jewish, Christian and Muslim) interpretations and beliefs (with present-day referencing included). The basic text for the course will be the Old Testament itself, with students able to complete weekly biblical reading assignments in the language of their choice. Scholarly readings assigned will be in English. Course requirements comprise weekly readings, class participation, a midterm essay and a research paper due (on a topic agreed with the instructor) at the end of term. 

Introduction to Jewish Folklore (in Lithuanian)
Dr. Marija Krupoves-Berg (Vilnius University, Vilnius Yiddish Institute)

Comparative Folklore of the Lithuanian National Minorities (in Lithuanian)
Dr. Marija Krupoves-Berg (Vilnius University, Vilnius Yiddish Institute)