Instructor: Dr. Jacob Meskin

Class Schedule Note: December 12 and 19 are additional Snow/sick days, if needed.

Cost: $350. Financial aid is available; please contact meah@hebrewcollege.edu for details.

Registration: Registration for this class is through chaverweb.  Register Here. Please note that when registering via chaverweb, Temple Emunah members may use their login; all others may create a guest account. Then go to “events sign-up” and look for “Me’ah Select.”

Course Description: The advent of the Enlightenment in Europe led to legal Emancipation that freed Jews from their centuries-long separate existence. As nationalism led to the establishment of culturally distinct nation-states, Jews found themselves “officially” invited to become citizens. But this new legal status did not by itself alter the religious and cultural otherness of the Jews. The Jews’ new status was challenging and often entailed adverse and even tragic consequences.

How did Jews — and some non-Jews — respond to this situation?

In this course we will begin with the background of nineteenth and twentieth century nationalism, and will then focus on to the two most important responses to this challenging situation: Zionism and the creation of American Jewish life. Both endeavored to make it possible for Jews to fit into a society and to call it “home.” Modern Jewish life is a direct consequence of these two responses.

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Jacob Meskin, Ph.D., is an instructor and faculty adviser at Me’ah, Hebrew College’s signature adult-learning program. He also teaches in the Tzion program and is a co-author of the Parenting Through a Jewish Lens curriculum. Meskin teaches a variety of adult Jewish education classes in Greater Boston and works as a consultant on adult Jewish education and teacher training. He has also taught at Princeton University, Rutgers University, the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Yeshiva University, Williams College and Lehigh University.