In English. Cross listed with Jewish Studies 563:397:01. May count toward the interdisciplinary German Studies major or minor. (Be sure to consult in advance with the Undergraduate Director).

The course will examine the German Jewish experience both in Europe and in America. The historical span of the course is from the time of Emancipation in the late 18 th century until the destruction of German Jewry during the Holocaust. We will discuss the social, legal, economic, religious, cultural, and even philosophical issues that helped shape and define the German Jewish community. We then will seek to explain why a large portion of the community chose emigration, particularly to the United States, in the 19 th century; and naturally we will also look at the German Jewish migration to American in the 1930s and 1940s. Included in the discussion will be a look at the many important Jewish institutions founded by German Jews, both in Germany and in America, including the Centralverein, B’nai B’rith, the American Jewish Committee, and the Leo Baeck Institute.