JIME 400 Issues in Jewish, Islamic and Middle East Studies

This course aims to bring the minors from all three tracks housed by JIMES (Jewish Studies; Islamic and Middle East Studies; Jewish, Islamic and Middle East Studies) together into one capstone seminar. We look at issues that all tracks face (such as Islamophobia and anti-Judaism, colonialism and orientalism, and misconceptions of law); before we turn to the central, methodological issues in the different fields: from race and supersessionism in Jewish studies, to the mystery of what exactly comprises 'the Middle East;' to what is Islam. Through reflection papers, movies, and exposure to central issues that are shared, unique, or different but related students are asked to reflect on the central challenges and issues in their minor fields. The goal of the course is that this reflection is enriched by the presence of the other minors, reflecting on related, and sometimes diverging or overlapping issues, in their minor tracks.