Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation (ACJC)

This unit examines the phenomenon of genocide and mass killing in history. The twentieth century has been called ‘the century of genocide’ but genocidal violence has continued unabated into the new millennium. This unit will ask why genocide takes place and how people come to participate in mass violence. It will focus on case studies ... Read more

This unit examines the emergent histories of post-genocide and post-conflict societies. It explores the negotiation of perpetrator, victim and bystander identities after genocide through histories of return and diaspora; and considers the local initiatives that rebuild post-conflict societies, including strategies of genocide prevention. It recognizes the different experiences of women, children and men in conflict ... Read more

This unit will trace the changing contours of Holocaust memory from its inception to the present day. Topics include witnessing, survivor testimony, second-generation memoirs, representations of the Holocaust in cinema, photography, museums, literature and online, the practices of ‘death camp tourism’, the memory debates of Germany and Poland and the globalising of Holocaust memory, the ... Read more

This unit will provide an historical analysis of the changing dimensions of the Arab-Israeli conflict from its origins to the present day. Themes to be studied include Jewish-Arab relations under the Ottoman Empire and British Mandate, the emergence of Jewish and Palestinian nationalism, Zionist ideology, the impact of the Holocaust, the birth of Israel in ... Read more

Yiddish 3A is a continuation of second year level Yiddish. The central feature of Yiddish 3 will be the more advanced teaching of Yiddish as a living language, as a tool for both written and spoken communication. The course is designed for students who wish to improve their knowledge of the subject both in its ... Read more

The central feature of Yiddish 1 will be the teaching of Yiddish as a living language, as a tool for both written and spoken communication. The course is designed for students who wish to improve their knowledge of the subject both in its literary and colloquial form. The course will include use of non-literary texts ... Read more

Yiddish 2A is a continuation of first year level Yiddish. The central feature of both Yiddish 2A and 2B will be the more advanced teaching of Yiddish as a living language, as a tool for both written and spoken communication. The course is designed for students who wish to improve their knowledge of the subject ... Read more

This unit explores the ways God is imagined literature of mysticism in a variety of religious and mystical traditions, Jewish (as in the Kabbalah), Islamic (Sufism) and in Christian teaching, the Kabbalah. It will consider how mystical literature and teaching relates to any religious practice, its social function within any religion, and the extent to ... Read more

This unit is a general introduction to the study of religions, spirituality, and belief and non-belief, in the contemporary world. In particular, it introduces a range of theoretical and methodological approaches, and examines some of the pressing intellectual questions that are raised by (and for) religions, spirituality, belief and non-belief. Issues canvassed include: religion and colonisation; ... Read more

This unit introduces students to the history, core teachings and central practices of many of the world’s religions: indigenous Australian traditions, Indian religions (Hinduism, Sikhism), Buddhism, Chinese and Japanese religions (Taoism, Confucianism, Shintoism), Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and new religious movements. The unit looks at religions as dynamic, ongoing forces that given meaning and direction to human ... Read more

This unit will examine how Communism transformed everyday life for East European populations by reshaping social structures and communal ties. Through literature, films, photography, and other primary sources, students will study and analyse the impact of politics on popular culture, religion, rituals of work, family life, the environment, education, humour, architecture, and living spaces. Readings, ... Read more

The unit examines the history, politics and society of modern Israel from the early days of the Zionist movement to the beginning of the 21st century. Main topics include the varieties of Zionist ideology and practice, pre-independence Jewish society, the history of Jewish-Arab conflicts, constitutional and legal history of the State of Israel, and the ... Read more

This unit explores the nature of film as history, using Nazi Germany and the Jewish Holocaust as case studies. It will consider temporary newsreels, photographs and feature films, as well as historical documentaries and feature films, in the course of examining the role of film in past times, the influence of these upon historical understanding ... Read more

This unit spans some two thousand years, from the period Abraham to the beginnings of early Christianity. Whilst the approach is chronological, events will be examined through the lens of various themes which have influenced Jewish civilisation throughout the centuries. For much of the period under study, our only source of information is the Bible. ... Read more

This unit deals with the social, cultural, political and economic interactions of Jews with Christians and Muslims from antiquity to the present. In a contemporary world that frames these relations as a ‘clash of civilisations’, the course retraces the shifting relationships between the three monotheistic traditions, emphasising Jewish life in the medieval period under Christian ... Read more

This unit examines the Holocaust and its place in the broader phenomenon of genocide and mass killing in history. Major topics covered include antisemitism, the Nazi state, ghettos and death camps, and the responses of victims, perpetrators and bystanders. The course will reflect on the Holocaust as a symbol of the modern condition, its uniqueness ... Read more

This unit examines aspects of contemporary Middle Eastern politics encompassing both the Arab and the non-Arab worlds. The political culture, development and processes of key countries will be analysed. Regional relationships and conflicts will be examined, including the ongoing Gulf Conflict, the Lebanon War, and the Arab-Israel conflict. The implications for wider international politics will ... Read more