Compulsory Courses

 

  • Israel Studies: an Interdisciplinary Perspective
    016-2-2000
    Dr. Avi Bareli Fall semester [ 2] Tuesday 08:30-10:00

    Israel Studies are a multi-disciplinary practice. Intensive Academic discourse on Israel is been conducted involving various disciplines: History, Sociology, Political science, Philosophy, Cultural Studies, Geography, literature and more. The course will explore this multi-disciplinary character of the academic discourse on Israel by focusing on four lines of debate: understanding Israel as either a national phenomenon or a colonialist one; idea and power in the history of the Zionist movement, the pre-state Yishuv and Israel; the 'oriental question' in Israel's first decade; Israel's self definition as both Jewish and democratic republic. These debates will be addressed by general lectures and by reading and presenting selective texts. Bareli _Israel from a Multi-disciplinary Perspective_Fall_2011_syllabus (1)[1].pdfsyllabus
  • Jews, Judaism and Jewish Nationalism in Modern Times
    016-2-2002
    Dr. Avi Bareli     Fall semester [ 2] Tuesday 08:30-10:00

    The primary focus of the course is Jewish thought on Jewish nationality. We will read
    Spinoza's notes on the Jewish state and study the anti-Zionist view of Dubnov, and explore
    articles written by Zionist thinkers (A. D. Gordon, Ahad Haam) and Israeli intellectuals.
  • Israel in the Jewish World - Past, Present and Future Trends
    016-2-2003
    Dr. Ofer Shiff     Fall semester [ 2] Tuesday 12:30-14:00
    The course will examine the changing perceptions and images of Israel from 1948 to date, as seen from the perspective of various Jewish diasporas. The course will explore the complex dialogue between Israel's developing history and the changing status of Diaspora Jews within their non-Jewish surroundings. Focusing on American Jewry as the largest Diaspora community, the course will nevertheless discuss other Jewish diasporas, including those in Russia, Western Europe, and South America. Shiff_Israel in the Jewish World - Past, Present and Future Trends[1].pdfsyllabus
  • The Poetics and Politics of History and Anthropology in Middle Eastern Societies
    016-2-2001
    Dr. Kobi Peled Spring Semester [ 4] Tuesday 14:30-18:00

    In the first part of this course, we will read classic anthropological studies that are highly relevant to understanding Middle Eastern societies. In the second part, we will read historical masterpieces and examine their contribution to our understanding of the Middle East. We will discuss the methods, theories, and problems of both disciplines (anthropology and history), and examine their border lines and points of intersection. Peled_Poetics and Politics of History and Anthropology - Syllabus (2011-2012) (Paula)[1].pdfsyllabus
  • The Sde Boker Research Seminar and Colloquia
    016-2-3000/3001
    Dr. Ofer Shiff     Fall Semester [2] Tuesday 10:30-12:00; 13:00-14:30
    Dr. Ofer Shiff Spring Semester [2] Tuesday 10:30-12:00; 13:00-14:30

    The Program's Colloquium is an interdisciplinary workshop designed to provide ISIP students with an opportunity to present their own research and discuss it in a peer review format. The students will take part in the research colloquium every second week, and in addition will participate in the Institute staff Seminar on a weekly basis.Shiff Sylabus Colloquium[1].pdfsyllabus

 

 
Complementary Courses

 

  • The Israeli Mosaic: An Introduction to Israeli History, Politics, Society and Culture
    013-5-4011
    Dr. Paula Kabalo Fall Semester [4] Thursday 08:30-12:00
    The years preceding and following the founding of Israel were dominated by intense events, which have impacted all spheres of life. The course follows the history of Israel from the 1930s until the late 1960s, through the observation of its complex reality. It will lean on Ben Gurion's Archives as a major source of historical records for those crucial years. The students will be engaged in broad discussion and will experience individual archive inquiry on specific case studies. Ben Gurion's dominance as a leading politician and statesman as well as his personal engagement with various strata of society offer his archives as a natural setting for such and introductory course that serves as a primary stage for any further exploration of Israel's history politics, society and culture.
    Kabalo_Israeli_Mosaic_Fall_2011_syllabus (1).pdfsyllabus

 

Electives
  • Jews in Islamic countries: Zionism, Arab nationalism and Colonialism
    016-2-2004
    Dr. Esther Meir Spring Semester [ 4] Thursday 08:30-12:00

    The course addresses the coping strategies of the Jewish communities in Islamic countries
    with conflicts and dilemmas in the 20th century. We will discuss social and cultural conflicts
    between tradition and modernity, religion and secularism, including women's status. In the
    political field, we will discuss the Jewish reaction to colonialism, Arab nationalism, and
    Zionism. We will focus on Zionist education, legal and illegal immigration to Israel, and the
    activity of defense organizations. Finally, we will discuss the connection between Zionism and
    aliya. Esther Meir syllabus_IM.pdfsyllabus
     
  • The Struggle for Israeli Identity
    016-2-2005
    Dr. Nahum Karlinsky Spring Semester [ 4] Thursday 12:30-16:00

    The object of this course is to examine this vague notion of Israeliness. The concepts of personal and collective identities will stand at the heart of our discussion. A broad array of genres and modes of expression, among them literature, popular music, film (including documentaries), and art will be employed. Students are expected to actively participate in classroom discussions and to present a research topic to the class Karlinsky -- 2012 Syllabus -- Israeli Identity.pdfsyllabus
  • 1948: History, Historiography and Memory
    Dr. Paula Kabalo

    The Israeli War of Independence (the 1948 Arab Israeli War) has attracted public and academic interest throughout the years. The growing literature on the War includes historiography, autobiographies, and fiction that reflect diverse interpretations and aspects of the events that took place during 1948 and in its aftermath. This MA research seminar will reveal and discuss the various layers of historiography and will investigate the personal literature and the cultural artifacts that evolved from this foundational experience.
  • Science, Politics and Society in Zionism and in Israel
    Dr. Ari Barell

    The Israeli War of Independence (the 1948 Arab Israeli War) has attracted public and academic interest throughout the years. The growing literature on the War includes historiography, autobiographies, and fiction that reflect diverse interpretations and aspects of the events that took place during 1948 and in its aftermath. This MA research seminar will reveal and discuss the various layers of historiography and will investigate the personal literature and the cultural artifacts that evolved from this foundational experience.
  • The Development of Israel's Foreign Policy in a Changing World
    Prof. Zaki Shalom SHALOM_the development of Israels foreign policy in a changing world.pdfsyllabus
  • Women and Men/Femininity and Masculinity in the Israeli Labor Market – Empirical, Theoretical and Methodological issues
    Prof. Deborah Bernstein (Bloc Seminar) deborah-sylabus final.pdfsyllabus
  • Non-Jewish Minorities and the Question of Military Service in the Israel Defense Forces, 1948-1958
    Dr. Randall Geller (Bloc Seminar)
 
Courses at The Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies In Sde-Boker

 

  • Studying Negev Bedouin: New Paradigm
    001-2-6044
    Dr. Sarab Abu-Rabia Queder Fall Semester [2] Thursday 10:00-12:00

    This course provides an intensive new look at a changing Bedouin society and proposes a critical analysis–from sociological and feminist perspectives–of political/economic/social processes taking place at different levels of Bedouin society in the Negev. Basing our discussions on such contemporary sociological theories as postmodernism, postcolonialism, cultural relativism, multiculturalism, and Middle Eastern feminism, we will explore issues of identity, gender relations, development, leadership, activism, religion, law, education and custom. Analysis of Bedouin society in the Negev will be conducted in the political, historical, and social contexts of Israeli society and the surrounding Middle Eastern society, with comparisons to native societies and other minorities in the region. The course will be conducted in a discussion format and will include tours to relevant sites.
  • Critical Perspective on Development
    001-2-6014
    Dr. Pnina Mutzafi-Haller Fall Semester [ 2] Monday 15:00-17:00
  • Communities and Landscapes of the Negev: Contradictions, Frictions, and Connections
    001-2-6045
    Dr. Yaakov Garb & Dr. Alexander Koensler

    The Negev, a complex biophysical landscape with a deep history of human habitation, is currently one of the regions with the most remarkable socio-cultural mixes in the world. In this course, we consider the Negev and its remarkable heterogeneity as a prism to understand the intertwining of places and peoples in a globalized world. The Negev region's internal dynamics are, also, strongly tied to broader Israeli national aspirations and forces, while participating within larger crossborder
    and international currents. The Middle East's largest and most sophisticated nuclear reactor sits alongside the hub of an ancient caravan trade route that linked the Arabian peninsula to the Mediterranean, Africa and southern India. Bedouin families whose access to land and livelihood is highly contested, live adjacent to a new generation of single family ranches offering wine and cheese to well to do weekend visitors from Israel's geographical center. Each of these groups draw on the material and symbolic resources of the Negev landscape, and each projects their and the region's future in a different way. syllabus