The history of the Jewish people is defined by movement: temporary or permanent, by choice or by force, to find community or to escape it. This course will explore migration in Jewish history from ancient times to the present day, considering how Jewish life was shaped by the experience of migration, and how Jewish migrants shaped the places they settled. Taking a transnational approach to the story of Jewish migration, this course will consider Jewish migration beginning with the biblical Exodus and ending with twenty-first century Jewish migrants in Germany and Israel. In between, we’ll explore exile, diaspora and flight across continents, taking in the Medieval Mediterranean, the era of mass migration to Europe and the Americas, the development of Zionism, and the Holocaust. Throughout, this course will explore the international networks of people, goods and ideas which animated the Jewish historical experience and continue to shape our world today.
This course is offered as a 4.5-unit seminar during the 2022-2023 year.
