The course describes the life of the Jewish community in Europe since the formation of Jewish settlements around the 10th century until the present time. The historical aspect is enriched by detailed insights into both Jewish spirituality and social life. In-class lectures are combined with the field trips to Prague Jewish monuments.

The course has three foci:

(1) The situation of the Czech Jewry is the natural departure point. However, the course provides meaningful comparisons with related regions, above all, a comparison with the very specific development of Polish Jewry are necessary for understanding of Jews of Central Europe from 16th century onwards.

(2) Emphasis is placed on constantly recurring interference of the Jewish minority and the surrounding society. Development of the minority is thus not viewed in isolation but in its very particular interconnection with the majority society.

(3) The character of the daily life of the Jewish people in the period under scope is studied through an analysis of rites of passage, festivals and customs as well as of social structures and the different social roles of classical Rabbinic Judaism (child, woman, layman, rabbi etc.) are described.

Students will become acquainted with the internal and external problems which the Jewish community has faced on its journey throughout its history. The values central to the Jewish society of the past and present will be defined and their origin indicated. Are these values particular to the Jews? How does a minority present itself to the outside world? How does it reflect its own position in the society? What is the attitude of the Jewish minority towards the processes of its integration, acculturation or even assimilation? These questions will be asked with regard to specific socio-political and cultural environment. The goal of the course is not only to understand the Jewish history as such; it might become helpful for anyone aspiring to get oriented in today’s globalized and still fragmented society.

The following sites will be visited on the field-trips: the Old-New Synagogue, the Maisel Synagogue, the Pinkas Synagogue, the Klausen Synagogue, the Ceremonial Hall of the Burial Society, the Old Jewish Cemetery, the Spanish Synagogue, and the New Jewish Cemetery.

Course requirements: regular active participation; students are expected to read assigned texts prior to each session where they will be discussed; two short quizzes – midterm and final; a paper or project based on students’ own research (min. 3,000 words; the project topic can relate to both the lectures or field trips); a presentation of the project. The course meets for three hours per week in two sessions.

Pavel Sládek

Dr. Sládek belongs to very promising and gifted specialists in Hebrew and Jewish Studies of the youngest generation in the Czech Republic. His main interest focuses on the traditional rabbinical literature starting with the Talmud and comments to it. His Ph.D. thesis was devoted to this topic. He lectures Jewish subjects such as traditional Hebrew literature and culture, history of Hebrew lettering, life and work of prominent Jewish personalities, both to Czech and foreign students at Charles University. He has been proving his high professional and teaching abilities also as an invited special lecturer of guided tours around Jewish sites in the Czech Republic.