Social Movements in Modern Jewish Life

Over the last half century, social movements have challenged, shaken up, and transformed American Jewish life. In this course we will consider the influence of civil rights, feminism, environmentalism, the Soviet Jewry campaign, and struggles over Israel. More recent cases will include Occupy Wall Street, Black Lives Matter, and gender identity movements. Throughout, our focus will be on the reciprocal influence of political and religious movements, and on the changing character of American Jewish life.