Confronting the Jewish Past: A Tale of Two Cities In this course we explore Jewish life in Berlin and Warsaw, its flourishing between the World Wars, its destruction in the Holocaust, and its revival in our times, focusing first on the history of Berlin and Warsaw Jewry: were Polish-Jewish immigrants to Berlin welcomed warmly as brothers or warily as strangers? Among German Jews, was their purported symbiosis with other Germans real or merely wishful thinking? Under Nazi rule how did the fate of the Jews of Berlin and Warsaw differ? In a two-week study tour of Berlin and Warsaw, we will focus on history and memory. How do these two cities commemorate the annihilation of the Jews and reckon with their distinct share of responsibility? We will seek to understand the “memory-work” reflected in monuments and museums, and in the cityscape itself. Back in Vermont for the last week, we will reflect on contested memory and apply what we have learned to contemporary issues: how does the memory of the Jewish past in central Europe figure in the current politics of these two societies? How can it help us understand other societies struggling to cope with shameful histories of oppression, exploitation, and genocide? By instructor approval only. Students who applied during the admissions process in October and were accepted to take this course may register.

Jewish Traditions “Traditions” are not static, but a constant interplay between continuity and creativity.  What do classical Jewish texts (Bible, Rabbinic literature) tell us about Judaism’s origins?  How have the core concepts and practices of Judaism morphed into a cluster of traditions that has endured over two millennia? With these questions in mind, we will study central ideas in Jewish thought, rituals, and their transformations, culminating in individual projects involving the investigation a contemporary movement, congregation or trend in contemporary Jewish life, e.g. Reform, Reconstructionism, mystical (neo-Kabbalistic) revivals, or “secular” Judaism.

Martin Buber's World Martin Buber (1878-1965) wrote in periods of political upheaval: in Europe at the turn of the century and after the trauma of WW I, during the Nazi dictatorship, and later in Palestine. Buber—a Zionist leader—was a proponent of a Jewish-Arab bi-national state. Settled in Jerusalem, he never ceased to work toward Arab-Jewish rapprochement. In Europe, Buber had sketched a vision of a “new society,” with a romantic suspicion of “institutions.” In his celebrated book I and Thou (1923), he argues that all “real life” is “relation,” dialogue with the “other.” In his Zionist politics, he abandoned his earlier utopianism for a politics of the possible. He also undertook a new translation of the Bible, concerned to preserve its Hebrew feel and cadence.  Readings will include selections from his writings on philosophy, education, Bible translation, Hasidism, and politics.

Reading the Book of Job Why evil? Why do the innocent suffer? Why would God allow it? The Book of Job asked these questions millennia ago, giving not an answer, but at least a response. Framed by a prose tale on the patient Job, the book is mainly a debate between an impatient Job and his “friends” that has continued to our day, in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic thought. We will study the debate on the meaning of the book of Job in philosophy and religion, reading ancient, medieval and modern commentary (e.g. Maimonides, Kant, Voltaire) and literary responses to Job (e.g. Kafka, Robert Frost), Some familiarity with Biblical studies or philosophy of religion is helpful, but not required.

Spinoza's Critique of Religion What is the role of religion in a modern state?  When religious freedoms collide with state interests, which should prevail? Spinoza rejected the authority of religion and the divine origin of Scripture, laying the groundwork for modern Biblical criticism and championing the separation of religion and state. A contemporary denounced the Treatise as “a book forged in hell.”  We begin with a close reading of the Treatise, followed by selections from his Ethics and correspondence, and consider Spinoza’s long legacy: the rise of secularism, the origins of Biblical criticism, and the reasons why Spinoza has been called “the first modern Jew.”

Spinoza's Critique of Religion What is the role of religion in a modern state?  When religious freedoms collide with state interests, which should prevail? Spinoza rejected the authority of religion and the divine origin of Scripture, laying the groundwork for modern Biblical criticism and championing the separation of religion and state. A contemporary denounced the Theological-Political Treatise as “a book forged in hell.”  We begin with a close reading of the Treatise, followed by selections from his Ethics and correspondence, and consider Spinoza’s long legacy: the rise of secularism, the origins of Biblical criticism, and the reasons why Spinoza has been called “the first modern Jew.”

Introduction to Religion Why is religion a significant element in human life and affairs? What roles does religion play in the lives of individuals and communities? And what is religion anyway? Drawing on Western and Asian traditions, we will take a comparative approach to these questions,  examining how religious traditions can differ and converge. Throughout the course, we will introduce the basic vocabulary and analytical tools of the academic study of religion. We will also consider how both scholars and practitioners make sense of religion and debate its role in societies past and present.

Jews and Christians: Conflict and Identity “Urging a Jew to convert to Christianity is like advising a person to move upstairs while demolishing the ground floor.” This quip by Moses Mendelssohn (1729-1786) epitomizes Christianity’s conflicted attitude to its Jewish origin, affirming it while rejecting it. Yet the relationship is not symmetrical, for the very reason that Judaism precedes Christianity. In this course we examine the fraught relationship between Christians and Jews from antiquity to the present. Readings include Church Fathers, rabbinic texts, polemics, theologians, as well as the Catholic declarations of Vatican II and modern interfaith dialogue.

Jewish Thought and Culture: The Modern Era Contemporary Jewish life poses many questions: why do many Jews say they are “Jewish, but not religious”? What is distinct about Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and Ultra-Orthodox Judaism? What do the terms “Zionist” and “anti-Zionist Jew” mean? What is the place of the State of Israel in Jewish life? To answer these questions we will study the history of Jewish culture in the modern era: the Enlightenment critique of religion, Jewish-Christian relations, changes in Jewish practice, the revival of Hebrew, concepts of nationalism, assimilation and the problem of “Jewish politics.” Sources will include classical and modern texts, literature and art.

The Book of Job and the Problem of Evil Why do the innocent suffer? The Book of Job asked this question millennia ago, giving not an explicit answer, but at least a response. Framed by a prose tale on the patient Job, the book is mainly a debate in poetry between an impatient Job and his “friends” that has continued to our day, in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic thought, and in philosophy. We will study the debate on the meaning of Job in philosophy and religion through the works of Maimonides, Kant, Hume, Voltaire, William Blake, Jung, and others. Familiarity with Biblical studies or philosophy of religion is helpful, but not required.

Prophets and Politics The prophets of ancient Israel cared less about predicting the future than about shaping it. Political pests, radicals, pacifists and protesters, they were diverse, agitating against the abuse of power, against poverty, economic inequality, and war crimes, long before these abuses were the rallying cries of modern political movements. We will read selections from the prophetic books (Amos, Isaiah, Jeremiah, I-II Samuel), as well as the writings of activists whom the prophets inspired: Martin Luther King, Abraham Joshua Heschel and Dorothy Day. Students will be challenged to write on the meaning of prophetic ethics for our own times.

Robert Schine

Reviews and ratings for Robert Schine at Middlebury College.Robert Schine teaches Confronting the Jewish Past, The Jewish Tradition, Jewish Traditions and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Robert Schine good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

New teacher, but engaging and fun. We read a variety of different readings that span from the old testament to modern day narratives. We really only have grades in the midterm and final, not sure how hard he grades yet. Not too much work and kind at office hours. 

Prof Schine is very passionate and knowledgeable about course material, though he can often drag on lectures and discussions which can become boring. His expectations on assignments also tend to be unclear

It's a real shame that Prof. Schine retired because his classes are always wonderful. This was a very unique class, with the two weeks in Europe allowing for a deeper level of engagement with the material.