This course surveys the history, traditions, and practice of Judaism from biblical times to today, with explanations of the major aspects of Jewish culture. The focus is on Judaism from within—how it is understood by its adherents, past and present.
Among the topics covered are the sacred books of Judaism, modes of worship, the calendar and holidays, and rites of passage such as bar and bat mitzva and marriage.
The course illustrates how Judaism reinvented itself by embracing the rabbinical tradition after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E. and considers the thinking of philosophers such as Maimonides. The final lecture turns to the issue of how Judaism deals with the outside world.