Jews and Muslims (RELG 491J)
HU 402 MW 4-5:15 p.m.
Dr. K. Vehlow ([email protected])
324 Rutledge College (above the Chapel), University of South Carolina-Columbia
Office hours are MW 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Please sign up for a time slot at http://vehlow.pbworks.com/. If you
need to make alternative arrangements, email me 3 time blocks during which you are available.
Course description
This course is an introduction to Jewish-Muslim relations through
history. It opens with the foundations of that encounter in sacred
texts, moves on to shared intellectual and religious space, and focuses
on some modern developments. Topics include: Abraham’s families in
Jewish and Muslim traditions; the status of religious minorities in the
early Islamic period; Moses Maimonides; Jewish Sufis; the “false
messiah” Shabbetai Zvi; the Muslim Brotherhood and the JewishMuslim experience in the United States of the twenty-first century.
Learning objectives
On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Talk with competence about key terms and events of the Jewish-Muslim encounter
- Demonstrate a critical awareness of the history of Jewish-Muslim relations
- Explain both in discussion and in writing the nuanced complex interactions of Jewish-Muslim
relations in the past and present
Dates to ponder:
Midterm: Sept 28
All readings are available on Blackboard (BB)
Book review: Oct 19
Paper description: Oct 24
Grade breakdown: Homework, attendance, active participation
Class conference: Nov 9
in class discussion: 10%; book review: 10%; guided discussion:
Paper due: Nov 16
10%; midterm: 20%; 5-page research paper (20%) and
Final: Monday, Dec 5
presentation (10%); Final: 20%. More instructions can be found following
I leadthe
classbibliography.
discussion on
Grading scale: 100-90=A; 86-89=B+; 80-85=B; 76-79=C+; 70-75=C; 66-69=D+; 60-65=D; < 59 =F
Schedule of Readings
* Readings are due on the day under which they are listed*
* Bring the readings to class *
* You are expected to be familiar with the key terms listed below before coming to class *
August 22, 2011 CE/Av 22, 5771/Ramadan 22, 1432 AH
‫ !ברוכים הבאים أهال وسهال‬Welcome!—Jews & Muslims in South Carolina, Elul and Ramadan
August 24/24 Av/24 Ramadan. What is Judaism?
 That’s funny, you don’t look Jewish!
 Cohen, Jews in a Whisper
 What is Judaism?
 BBC on Judaism for more info*
2
And recently, somewhere in the US:*
 Punkjews
 Candlelight--the Maccabeats
Jerusalem--Matisyahu
Key terms: Moses, Torah, Halakha, Rabbi, rabbinic, Pesach/Passover, Yom Kippur/Day of
Atonement
August 29/29 Av/29 Ramadan. What is Islam? Why Study Jewish-Muslim Relations?
 Firestone, Jewish-Muslim Relations
 BBC on Islam for more info
 America's Muslims (PBS)
 An introduction to Islam by Sheikh Hamza Yusuf (Halaltube, 3
hours)*
And recently, somewhere in America:*
 Allah made me funny (2007)
 Little Mosque on the Prairie (Canadian TV series)
 Cat Stevens' transition to Yusuf Islam
Key terms: Muhammad (570-632), Hijra, Sharia, Qur’an/Koran, Ramadan, Hajj, Mecca, Medina
August 30/Av 30/Shawwal 1 End of Ramadan
August 31/ 1 Elul /2 Shawwal. The Prophet Muhammad
 A hadith on Muhammad
 Ernst, Muhammad, the Pole of Existence
 Documentary on Muhammad on youtube*
Key terms: Muhammad, Hijra, Mecca, Medina, Khadija, Aisha
September 7/8 Elul/9 Shawwal. The Prophet Muhammad and the Jews of the Hejaz
 Firestone, Jewish Cultures, 267-302 (skim 274-281)
 Stillman, 3-21, 137-51
 Ernst, Muhammad as the Pole of Existence*
 A eulogy on Shlomo Dov Goitein*
Key terms: Hadith, prophethood, Dhu Nuwas, Abraham Geiger, Shlomo Dov Goitein, three tribes,
Khaybar, Jizya
September 12/13 Elul/14 Shawwal. Early Islam and Judaism
 Firestone, Jewish Cultures, 279-281
 Firestone, Contextualizing Antisemitism in Islam
Key terms: Yom Kippur, Ramadan, Mecca, Medina, tribes, Hijaz,
compulsion
Last day to drop/add without a grade of “W” being recorded
September 14/15 Elul/16 Shawwal. Abraham—the first Jew or the
first Muslim?
 Jewish textual traditions
 Islamic textual traditions traditions
 Firestone, Abraham, the first Jew or the first Muslim?
Jews and Muslims (RELG 491J), Fall 2011, Dr. Vehlow, USC-Columbia
3
 Abraham in Judaism and Christianity*
Key words: Bible, Qur’an, Sura, Aya, Juz
September 19/20 Elul/Shawwal 21. Sara and Hagar
 Genesis 16; 21, Jewish traditions
 Qur’an 14:37, Islamic traditions
 Firestone, Difficulties in keeping a beautiful wife
September 21/Elul 22/Shawwal 23. Isaac and Ishmael: Who’s Abraham’s son?
 Genesis 22, Jewish traditions
 Qur’an 37, Islamic traditions
 Firestone, Jewish Cultures, 274-279
 Firestone, Comparative Studies in Bible and Qur’an
Key terms: Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Ka’ba [the House], midrash
September 26/27 Elul/28 Shawwal. Review session.
 Sacred Text Study as Dialogue between Muslims and Jews
Revise material as covered until now. Make sure you are familiar with all terms listed above.
Formulate and post 3 analytical questions that you think address central aspects of Jewish
history to BB before class. Be prepared to think about how you would respond to them. Bring
these questions to class.
September 28/29 Elul/30 Shawwal. Midterm Exam
October 3/5 Tishrei/5 Dhul-Qi'dah. The Early Islamic Conquests and Their Significance for
Jewish History
 Gil, Political History
 Stillman, 22-28, 152-155
Key terms: Byzantium, Iran, Jizya, Kharaj, Dhimmi, Jerusalem, 638, Umayyads, Umar, Dome of
the Rock, Abbasids
October 5/7 Tishrei/7 Dhul-Qi'dah. The Status of Jews and Christians under Islamic Rule
 Stillman 157-162, 167-8, 180.pdf
 A Twentieth-Century Yemenite Version of the Pact of Umar, 1905.
 Cohen, 52-74.
Key terms: Jizya, Pact of Umar, Dhimmi, Umar
October 10/12 Tishrei/12 Dhul-Qi'dah. The Life of Mūsa ibn Maimūn (a.k.a.
Moses Maimonides)
 Marina Rustow, The Tripartite Community
 Stillman 157-162, 167-8, 180.pdf
 A Twentieth-Century Yemenite Version of the Pact of Umar, 1905.
 Cohen, 52-74.
Key terms: Rambam (d. 1204), Guide for the Perplexed, Mishneh Torah,
Epistle to Yemen, Messiah, Messianism, birth pangs
Jews and Muslims (RELG 491J), Fall 2011, Dr. Vehlow, USC-Columbia
4
October 12/14 Tishrei/14 Dhul-Qi'dah. Jewish Sufis—the Life of Abraham ibn Maimūn (a.k.a.
Abraham Maimonides)
 Goitein, A Perfect Man with a Tragic Fate
 Fenton, Sufism and Judaism
Key terms: Sufi (pl. Sufis), Sufism, Kabbalah, Kabbalist, Pietist, Hasid (plural: Hasidim), Kabbalah,
hagiography, Abraham Maimonides (d. 1237), Duties of the Heart
October 13. Last day to drop a course or withdraw without a grade of “WF” being recorded
October 17/19 Tishrei/19 Dhul-Qi'dah. The Beginnings of Sephardic Cultures
Book review due on BB.
 Bom Judesmo, The Western Sephardic Diaspora
 Dorn, Jewish Women in the Ottoman Empire
Key terms: Sephardim, Amsterdam, Conversos, Marranos, crypto-Judaizers, New Jews, Ladino
October 19/21 Tishrei/21 Dhul-Qi'dah. Shabbetai Zvi
 Lenovitz, Jewish Messiahs
Key terms: Kabbalah, Safed/Zfat, 1492, magic, Joseph Caro (d. 1575),
Isaac Luria (d. 1572), Shabetai Zvi (d. 1676), 1665-1666, Nathan of
Gaza, Shabbetai Zvi, Izmir, Gaza, Jerusalem, Dönme.
October 24/26 Tishrei/26 Dhul-Qi'dah. The Dönme
Final paper topic due on BB.
 Baer, The Double Bind of Race and Religion
 Halpern, In Search of Followers of the False Messiah
Key terms: Dönme, Turkey, Salonika, Istanbul, hybridity, Ottoman
Empire, endogamy
October 26/28 Tishrei/28 Dhul-Qi'dah. The Muslim Brotherhood
 Vidino, The New Muslim Brotherhood in the West
 Profile: Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood (note the tone and the links)
Analyze 2 out of the following sites: scope, approach, goals, and contents. How do they talk
about the Muslim Brothers? Post on BB and be prepared to discuss your observations in detail.
 http://www.ikhwanweb.com
 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/muslim-brotherhood
 http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/258419/fear-muslim-brotherhood-andrew-cmccarthy
 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12313405
Key words: Hassan al-Banna, Tariq Ramadan, Fatah, Islamist, Qur’an, Sunna, Egypt, Mohammad
Badie, Palestine, Syria, Hamas
October 31/3 Cheshvan/3 Dhul-Hijjah. The Muslim Brotherhood and the Jews
 Patterson, How anti-Semitism prevents peace
 Hassan Al Banna’s Centenary...Attitude towards Palestinian cause
 Tariq Ramadan on his grandfather, Hassan al-Banna
November 2/5 Cheshvan/5 Dhul-Hijjah. Jews and Muslims in 21st century America
Jews and Muslims (RELG 491J), Fall 2011, Dr. Vehlow, USC-Columbia
5

Feisal, Evolving from Muslim in America to American
Muslim
Choose one of the following set of websites. What do they tell you
about the self-understanding of these communities? What do you
think they consider to be their respective major challenges? Be
prepared to discuss your observations in detail.
1. Union for Reform Judaism http://urj.org/ and Islamic
Society of North America http://www.isna.net/
2. Zeek. A Jewish Journal of Thought and Culture. http://zeek.forward.com/ and
3. Jay Michaelson http://www.jaymichaelson.net/ and Hamza Yusuf http://sandala.org
 Two shorts on two Brooklyn boys by Joel Fendelman: David and Daud*
November 7/10 Cheshvan/10 Dhul-Hijjah. Jews and Muslims on the American College Campus
 Tapper, The War of Words
 Zaman, Muslims, Jews, and Religious Visibilty
November 9/12 Cheshvan/12 Dhul-Hijjah. Class Conference
Introduce your paper in class in a polished 3-5 minute presentation.
November 14/17 Cheshvan/17 Dhul-Hijjah. Interfaith Relations
Identify a current project run by American Jews and Muslims that you
deem particularly successful. Describe the project, its scope,
participants, and impact. Post to BB and be prepared to talk in class.
Address at the 44th Convention of the Islamic Society of North America
Address at the 69th Conference of the General Assembly of the Union
for Reform Judaism--Ingrid Mattson
November 16/19 Cheshvan/19 Dhul-Hijjah. American Jews & Muslims & the Israeli-Palestinian
Conflict. Research paper due on BB before class.
 J Street http://jstreet.org
 Kristoff: Seeking Balance on the Mideast
 Beinart, Failure of the American Jewish Establishment
 Chait, Reply to Beinart
 Ben Yehuda. False Memory: Misusing History in the Arab-Israeli Conflict
November 21/24 Cheshvan/24 Dhul-Hijjah. Film: Arranged (2007) 90 minutes
November 23/ 26 Cheshva/26 Dhul-Hijjah. TBA
November 28/2 Kislev/Muharram 2, 1433. New Models in Jewish-Muslim Relations
 Cohen, 3-14
 Challenges and Opportunities in Reaching Across the Divide
 Firestone, Civilisations need not clash
 Challenges and Opportunities for Muslim-Jewish Peacemaking in America
Key terms: Golden Age, Dov Goitein, symbiosis, Ottoman Empire, Emancipation, Baron,
Bernard Lewis, Jerusalem School, separation and persecution vs. mobility and fluidity
The final exam is on Monday, December 5, 2:00-5:00 p.m.
Jews and Muslims (RELG 491J), Fall 2011, Dr. Vehlow, USC-Columbia
6
Furthermore….
I take attendance and will, as is USC policy, notify the Student Success Center after 2 absences.
You automatically fail the class with more than 5 absences. Religious observances are exempt,
but you need to notify me within the first two weeks of class.
If you have special needs, make sure you are registered with the Student Disability Services
[http://www.sa.sc.edu/sds/] and notify me early on in the semester. I would like to know what I
can do to help you be successful in this class. If you are an out-of-state student, have
transferred, are a scholarship recipient, a sophomore or a student of color and think you need
assistance, contact the Student Success Center [http://www.sa.sc.edu/ssc/ssp/].
Midterm and Final instructions
Section 1 contains short identifications. You will be asked to identify and explain the
importance of a number of terms and names in 2-3 sentences or sentence fragments. NOTE:
These are not paragraph answers and longer answers do not earn more points.
Section 2 requires you to analyze a number of primary texts (s.b).
Section 3 consists of 1 or 2 essays, culled from questions addressed in class. Here you should
strive to give as full an answer as is possible in the time allotted without flowery prose or
lengthy introductions. Please answer the questions in a full and informative essay and read
the prompt carefully.
How to read a primary text
Primary texts are open windows into the past. Sadly, they are often opaque, their meaning
obscured by sets of norms, expressions, and ways of thinking that are alien to us. In order to
approach them, I suggest to answer the following questions in your mind or, for the brief
analytical papers as well as final and midterm:
•
What’s going on here? A very concise 1-2 sentence summary of the passage.
•
What kind of text is that? This passage comes from the book of xy, written around xy.
•
Why should I care? This book is significant because xyz.. (2 sentences)
•
What does it mean? This passage addresses the following issues/questions:…. The
passage’s goal is… It does so by (narrative technique, genre)… (3-5 sentences)
•
What do I think? Does the passage succeed? Explain! Is its argument convincing? (max.
2 sentences)
Guidelines for the review of a novel (500 words)
You need to find a novel that addresses Jewish-Muslim relations in some way. If the library does
not have the book, order it via Inter Library Loan at Thomas Cooper Library (ask a librarian for
help if you do not know how to do this).
A review should include both summary and evaluation (2/3 summary, 1/3 evaluation). The
summary should give an overview of the book's central thesis and a critical evaluation and the
Jews and Muslims (RELG 491J), Fall 2011, Dr. Vehlow, USC-Columbia
7
critique assesses its strengths and weaknesses. Both should be presented in a measured and
non-judgmental way.
Questions to address in the overview section(s) may include…

What is the book’s central thesis or argument?

What scope does the author choose to cover? What are its major and minor themes?

How does s/he go about it?

What is the authors’ viewpoint, approach, and/or stated methodology? What
assumptions shape his/her work?

How and to what extent is the book relevant for our course?
Further suggestions can be found at
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/bookreview.html
You may be able to find reviews of your books. Feel free to consult them, but if you do so (1)
indicate your use (2) make sure that you form your own opinion [it is often better to read such
reviews AFTER you've read the book and written at least a first draft of your own review]. Since
reviewers are sometimes already wrapped up in debates with reviewees, other reviews are best
for helping to illuminate the *reception* of a book, rather than what you should or should not
think/feel about it.
Leading a Class Discussion with Discussion Questions (10%)
You will sign up and take responsibility for leading the class through discussion questions. Read
the assigned texts closely, do any research to clarify the background, cultural history, setting,
etc., narrow the topic you find most engaging and want to discuss, and locate specific passages
that will allow the class to ponder possible answers to your questions. In a
 brief presentation of 2-3 minutes, explain to the class why you think this is an important and
relevant question, and provide any background info necessary to explore your questions.
 Put some time into constructing appealing, interesting, and discussion-worthy questions,
and think about how you will get the class involved in the discussion.
 You must have 3 examples, lines, paragraphs, etc., from the text that you will direct the
class to enable the class as a group to consider your question in concrete detail. Think through
possible responses from the class ahead of time so that you can respond and keep the
discussion going.
 You will need to bring these texts, and our understanding and experience of them to life
for the class, so be creative and original!
 You must provide either a handout or a Powerpoint so that the class has your questions in
front of them.
 You must come to my office hours before your presentation. If you cannot come, contact
me well ahead of time so we can make an alternative appointment.
While online study questions might prove useful as you try to narrow and focus your questions,
you are expected to write your own original questions. The questions are a means to find out
what you as a cocky think about these texts, so that our discussions can be tailored to our own
interests, difficulties, perspectives and reactions.
Grading Criteria for the presentation
Jews and Muslims (RELG 491J), Fall 2011, Dr. Vehlow, USC-Columbia
8
1. Discussion Questions and Examples used to explore questions: (40 points)
2. Your explanation of question’s relevance and interest to us, any background material,
presented in 2-3 minute introduction (keep to time!): (20 pts.)
3. Presentation style: innovation and creativity, way that you engage the attention of the class
and make the material relevant, smooth delivery. (20 pts.)
4. Handout/Powerpoint with clear presentation of your questions and necessary background
info. – put it into a visually or otherwise engaging format! (20 pts.)
Areas to get you started on
You might focus on the following to get you thinking about the texts:
1) interesting or troublesome points or issues within your text
2) the role of the audience (i.e., how would the understanding of a section of this text vary for
people of different gender, social class, religion, race?, etc.). This may profitably involve
comparing/contrasting the text you chose with other readings from this class, books you have
read, films, life experiences, etc.
3) how you respond to this text as a modern reader. (Are there any modern parallels? How can
you relate the texts etc. to your own life? What about the text grabs, shocks, bores, surprises, or
confuses you? Why?)
4) what the text says about the societies that wrote and listened to or read them.(What sort of
textual community can you imagine for the text? Who might the text be directed at? Does it
provide any models for behavior?)
5) Assorted other questions to consider: What is the text’s tone? Why does it address this
particular topic(s)? Does it react to religious/ cultural/ theological arguments you know or does it
help to establish those?
Research Paper
Students will be expected to formulate, research, and write an individual research project (5-6
pages, 1,200-1,400 words) that examines a particular topic of your choice related to the major
field of our class. All papers must be typed and double-spaced, and use one format of your
choice (APA, MLA, Chicago etc.). You must spell-check, have a bibliography, and footnotes, or
endnotes as necessary.
All papers have to be turned in on time for full credit (if you turn in your paper a day later, an A
will become a B+, a B will be turned into a B-, etc.).
Your grade for the class will be at risk if you hand in late assignments, or an un-typed or
undeveloped paper. Any case of plagiarism will be reported to the Dean and Academic Integrity
Committee, and will result in a zero on the assignment, possible failure of the course, and
suspension or expulsion from the university. It is essential that you give full credit to ALL your
sources, including anonymous web sources, whether you directly quote, loosely paraphrase, or
are even more generally inspired or shaped by an idea or statement made by someone else.
Paper Requirements
 You should use a minimum of 5 articles or books, 4 must originate from outside of our class.
 Your topic should include a research statement, a conclusion, and a bibliography
 5 page research paper excluding bibliography
 double spaced, 12 point Times New Roman, 1” margin
Jews and Muslims (RELG 491J), Fall 2011, Dr. Vehlow, USC-Columbia
9

If you decide to use online sources, s. below for instructions on how to use and cite them.
So how do you go about writing the paper?
Brainstorm possible topic ideas





Consider your personal interests
Think of class topics that grabbed you in a particular way.
Read articles in encyclopedias or dictionaries or review class readings.
Browse recent issues of journals or magazines.
Browse the shelves for books on your subject (see call number guide to know where to
look).
 State your research topic as a question.
 Think about the significant terms, concepts, and keywords that describe your topic. These
terms will become the key for searching for information about your subject in library catalogs,
online databases, and other resources.
 Write a 1-page abstract of your paper THEN begin writing.
Sources
 Any book, book chapter, article, essay, etc., or primary source qualifies. Not more than 1
should come from material covered in class.
 Articles should not be older than 10 years, books not more than 20. (You wouldn’t go to a
physician who used a handbook written in 1920, would you?)
 Internet sources: consider the quality of your source. Wikipedia does not qualify, neither do
its descendants. Consider the author: does s/he have a background in what s/he is writing
about? What is the author’s approach?
Refining a Topic
If your topic seems too broad, consider questions like:




What do you already know about the subject?
Is there a specific time period you want to cover?
Is there a geographic region on which you would like to focus?
Is there a particular aspect of this topic that interests you? For example, historical
influence, sociological aspects, specific groups or individuals involved in the topic.

If your topic is so specific that you can't find sources that specifically address it, consider
questions like:

Could you add elements to your topic for examination?

Could you think more broadly about this topic? Give thought to the wider implications
of your research.

Who are the key players in this topic?

What other issues are involved in this topic?
For assistance
 The library offers an online tutorial for paper writing or look here.
 USC research guides for History
 USC research guides for Religious Studies
Jews and Muslims (RELG 491J), Fall 2011, Dr. Vehlow, USC-Columbia
10

Or speak to a librarian online
How to use web resources
If you decide to use an online source, you will have to include the following in the bibliography
a. The website address
b. One-line description of the website
c. One-line description of the website’s target audience
d. One-paragraph description of the contents of the website
e. Your recommendations of who might benefit from the website
f. The owner of the website
g. Your name and the date you accessed the page
The information for each item should follow these guidelines:
a.
The website address
The website address should be recorded in any of the accepted style manual citation formats
(MLA, APA, etc.). It does not matter which one you choose. What does matter is that you
choose one and use it consistently throughout the journal.
b.
One-line description of the website
The description of the website should include the general topic as well as the form in which the
information is presented (Is the information presented in the form of an academic journal? Is it
a newsletter? Is it a collection of texts from various sources?).
c.
One-line description of the website’s target audience
Different websites will be more accessible to some groups of people than to others. A website
containing technical language may attract an audience that is more specialized than one
containing little or no technical language. You may want to ask questions such as: What level of
education would someone need to benefit from this website? Does the website require that
people obtain a membership name and password? If so, what criteria are used to determine
whether or not someone may obtain access to the website’s contents?
d.
One-paragraph description of the contents of the website
You should explain not only the general topic(s) covered in the website, but also the extent to
which the website engages the topic(s). Does the site offer introductory information on a wide
variety of topics, or does it offer in-depth treatment of one narrowly focused topic?
e.
Your recommendations of who might benefit from the website
Taking many factors under consideration (owner, target audience, content, form, etc.), decide
who would benefit from visiting the website.
f.
The owner of the website
Evaluating an online resource should include finding out who owns the website. This will help
you determine what sort of information the website offers, as well as the motivation behind the
existence of the website (business, education, etc.).
g.
Your name and the date you accessed the website
Note your name along with the date that you accessed/reviewed the website (e.g., “Website
accessed and reviewed by Khadidjah Cohen, 1 September, 2011”).
Letter grades will be assigned on the basis of the following scheme:
 100-90 = A: insightful analysis, creative synthesis, includes and masters some additional
material, raises some new ideas or questions.
Jews and Muslims (RELG 491J), Fall 2011, Dr. Vehlow, USC-Columbia
11





86-89 = B+; 80-85 = B: demonstrable proficiency in control of material, clear, precise,
and well reasoned analysis.
76-79 = C+; 70-75 = C: satisfactory performance of assignments, but inconsistently clear;
little analysis.
66-69 =D+; 60-65= D: satisfactory performance of assignments, inconsistently clear; no
analysis.
< 59 =F: Failed.
Note: For those of you who are taking this course “Pass/Fail,” the minimum grade
required for a Pass is D+.
A rather incomplete bibliography to “Jews and Muslims”
Reference works
Juan Eduardo Campo, Encyclopedia of Islam, 1st ed. (Checkmark Books, 2009). Columbia Cooper
Reference (Library Use Only) - Main Level - DS 35.53 .C36 2009
Jonathan E. Brockopp, The Cambridge Companion to Muhammad (Cambridge University Press,
2010).
Jane Dammens McAuliffe, Encyclopedia of the Quran (Brill Academic Publishers, 2004).
Cyril Glasse, The New Encyclopedia of Islam, 3rd ed. (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2008).
Jen Demmn McAullff, Cambridge Companion to the Qur`an [PB,2006] (Cembrldg UP2006, 2006).
Daniel H. Frank and Oliver Leaman, The Cambridge Companion to Medieval Jewish Philosophy
(Cambridge University Press, 2003).
Fred Skolnik, Encyclopedia Judaica 22 Volume Set, 2nd ed. (Macmillan Reference USA, 2006)
Columbia Cooper Reference (Library Use Only) - Main Level DS 102.8 .E496 2007
Introductions to Judaism and other general works
What is Judaism? http://www.jewfaq.org/judaism.htm
http://myjewishlearning.com
BBC on Judaism http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/ for more info
http://myjewishlearning.com
Center for Online Jewish Studies cojs.org
David Biale, Cultures of the Jews: A New History (Schocken, 2002).
Mark R. Cohen, Under Crescent and Cross: The Jews in the Middle Ages (Princeton University
Press, 2008).
Reuven Firestone, Children of Abraham: An Introduction to Judaism for Muslims (Hoboken, NJ:
KTAV Publishing House, 2001).
Martin Gilbert, Letters to Auntie Fori : The 5,000-Year History of the Jewish People and Their
Faith (Schocken, 2002).
Goitein, S.D. A Mediterranean Society: An Abridgement in One Volume, revised and edited by
Jacob Lassner (Berkeley, Calif., and London: University of California Press, paperback:
2003). D199.3 .G58 1999. Note: You can find the original 6-volume edition of A
Mediterranean Society in our library (D199.3 .G58). This much more detailed study could
be a valuable source for your research paper.
Nicolas de Lange, Modern Judaism, an Oxford Guide. OUP, 2005.
Norman Solomon, Judaism: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, USA, 2000).
Jews and Muslims (RELG 491J), Fall 2011, Dr. Vehlow, USC-Columbia
12
Norman Stillman, The Jews of Arab Lands – A History and Source Book (Philadelphia: Jewish
Publication Society of America: 1989). DS135 A68 J48
Norman Stillman. Jews of Arab lands in modern times. Columbia Cooper - DS135.A68 S75 1991.
Introductions to Islam and other general works.
BBC on Islam http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/ for more info
Islam: Empire of Faith. Part 1: Prophet Muhammad and rise of Islam (full; PBS Documentary),
2009, http://youtu.be/yX3UHNhQ1Zk
Ira M. Lapidus, A History of Islamic Societies, 2nd edition (Cambridge and New York: Cambridge
University Press, 2002). DS35.63 L37 1988
Reuven Firestone, An Introduction to Islam for Jews (Jewish Publication Society of America,
2008).
Fazlur Rahman, Islam, 2nd ed. (University Of Chicago Press, 1979).
Fazlur Rahman, Islam and Modernity: Transformation of an Intellectual Tradition (University Of
Chicago Press, 1984). Columbia Cooper - BP 161.2 .R29 2002
Malise Ruthven, Islam: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, USA, 2000).
Why Study Jewish-Muslim Relations?
Jacob Lassner, Jews and Muslims in the Arab World: Haunted by Pasts Real and Imagined
(Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007).
Reza Aslan and Aaron J. Hahn Tapper, Muslims and Jews in America: Commonalities,
Contentions, and Complexities (Palgrave Macmillan, 2011).
Firestone, Reuven, “Jewish-Muslim Relations,” Modern Judaism; an Oxford Guide (2005) 438449.
Marc B. Shapiro, “Islam and Halakha,” Judaism 1993 42 , 332-343
The Prophet Muhammad and the Jews of the Hejaz
PBS Islam: Empire of Faith http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX3UHNhQ1Zk
Jonathan E. Brockopp, The Cambridge Companion to Muhammad (Cambridge University Press,
2010).
Prophet Muhammad (part 1), 2007, http://youtu.be/yX3UHNhQ1Zk
Firestone, Jewish Cultures, 267-302 (skim 274-281) OFF
Stillman, Vol. 1, 3-21, 137-51 OFF
Reuven Firestone, “Jewish Culture in the Formative Period of Islam,” in Cultures of the Jews: A
New History, ed. David Biale (New York: Schocken Books, 2002), 268-302.
Firestone, Reuven, “Contextualizing antisemitism in Islam : chosenness, choosing, and the
emergence of new religion.” Not Your Father’s Antisemitism (2008) 119-140.
Abraham’s family in Jewish and Islamic Traditions
Kosman, Admiel, “Giving birth between the horizontal and the vertical : the Sarah-Hagar
narrative and its impact on the medieval Jewish attitude to Islam. "Im vollen Licht der
Geschichte" (2008) 257-278
Firestone, Reuven, “Abraham - the first Jew or the first Muslim? Text, tradition, and "truth" in
interreligious dialogue.” CCAR Journal 39,1 (1992) 17-28
Firestone, Reuven, “Abraham’s son as the intended sacrifice (al-Dhabih, Qur’an 37:99-113).
Issues in Qur’anic exegesis.” Journal of Semitic Studies 34,1 (1989) 95-131
Jews and Muslims (RELG 491J), Fall 2011, Dr. Vehlow, USC-Columbia
13
Firestone, Reuven, “Comparative studies in Bible and Qur’an : a fresh look at Genesis 22 in light
of Sura 37.” Judaism and Islam (2000) 169-184
Firestone, Reuven, “Difficulties in keeping a beautiful wife : the legend of Abraham and Sarah in
Jewish and Islamic tradition.” Journal of Jewish Studies 42,2 (1991) 196-214.
Jane Dammen McAuliffe, The Cambridge Companion to the Qur’an, 1st ed. (Cambridge
University Press, 2006).
Millar, Fergus G.B. Hagar, Ishmael, Josephus and the origins of Islam. Journal of Jewish
Studies 44,1 (1993) 23-45
Joseph Witztum, “The Foundations of the House (Q 2: 127),” Bulletin of the School of Oriental
and African Studies 72, no. 1 (2009): 25-40.
Hidayatullah and Plaskow, Sacred Text Study as Dialogue between Muslims and Jews
The Early Islamic Conquests and Their Significance for Jewish History
Moshe Gil, “The Political History of Jerusalem during the Early Muslim Period,” in The History of
Jerusalem: The Early Muslim Period, 638-1099, ed. Joshua Prawer and Haggai BenShammai (Jerusalem: Ben-Zvi Institute, 1996), 1-15.
Stillman, Vol. 1, 22-28, 152-55 OFF
The Status of Jews and Christians under Islamic Rule
Stillman, Vol. 1, 157-62; 167-8; 180
Cohen, Mark R. Under Crescent and Cross: The Jews in the Middle Ages (Princeton, N.J.:
Princeton University Press, 1995). BM535 C6125 1994
The Life of Mūsa ibn Maimūn (a.k.a. Moses Maimonides)
Joel L Kraemer, “Moses Maimonides: An Intellectual Portrait.” In Cambridge Companion to
Maimonides, 10-57.
Marina Rustow, “The Tripartite Community,” in idem, Heresy and the Politics of Community: The
Jews of the Fatimid Caliphate (Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 2008), 3-12.
Stillman, Vol. 1, 233-46
Sarah Stroumsa, Maimonides in His World: Portrait of a Mediterranean Thinker (Princeton
University Press, 2009).
A Maimonides Reader, ed. Isidore Twersky (New York: Behrman House, 1989), 33-53; 86-91;
231-40; 401-23. BM545.A45 T9 1972
Jewish Sufis and the Life of Abraham ibn Maimūn (a.k.a. Abraham Maimonides)
Joseph Dan, Kabbalah: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, USA, 2007).
Moshe Idel et al., Jewish Mystical Leaders and Leadership in the 13th Century (Jason Aronson,
Inc., 1998).
Block, Tom, “Moses Maimonides and the Sufis of Islam,” Sufi 64 (2004-2005) 26-31
Paul Fenton, Cambridge Companion of Jewish Philosophy,
The Beginnings of Sephardic Cultures
Jews, Turks, Ottomans: A Shared History, Fifteenth Through the Twentieth Century, 1st ed.,
Modern Jewish history (Syracuse, N.Y: Syracuse University Press, 2002).
Michelle U Campos, Ottoman Brothers: Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Earlytwentieth-Century
Palestine (Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press, 2011).
Jews and Muslims (RELG 491J), Fall 2011, Dr. Vehlow, USC-Columbia
14
Lehmann, Matthias B. “Rethinking Sephardi identity: Jews and other Jews in Ottoman
Palestine.”
Aron Rodrigue, “The Ottoman Diaspora: The Rise and Fall of Ladino Literary Culture,” in Cultures
of the Jews: a New History, ed. David Biale (New York: Schocken Books, 2002), 863-885.
--, “The Sephardim in the Ottoman Empire,” in Spain and the Jews: The Sephardi Experience,
1492 and After, ed. Elie Kedourie (London and New York: Thames & Hudson, 1992), 16288.
Daniel Schroeter, “From Sephardi to Oriental: The ‘Decline’ Theory of Jewish Civilization in the
Middle East and North Africa,” in The Jewish Contribution to Civilization: Reassessing an
Idea, ed. Richard Cohen and Jeremy Cohen (Oxford: Littman Library of Jewish
Civilization, 2008), 125-48. Columbia Cooper - DS 112 .J583 2008
Sezgin, Paméla J. Dorn. Jewish women in the Ottoman Empire. Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewry
(2005) 216-235
Shabbetai Zvi and the Dönme
Marc David Baer, The Dönme: Jewish Converts, Muslim Revolutionaries, and Secular Turks
(Stanford University Press, 2009).
Marc Baer, “The Double Bind of Race and Religion: The Conversion of the Dönme to Turkish
Secular Nationalism,” Comparative Studies in Society and History 46, no. 4 (2004): 682708.
Orlz Halpern, In Search of Followers of the False Messiah (Haaretz newspaper)
J.H. Laenen, “Messianism after 1492 and the Rise of Safed,” in idem, Jewish Mysticism: an
Introduction (Louisville, Ky.: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001), 157-79.
J. H. Laenen, Jewish Mysticism (Westminster John Knox Press, 2001).
Jacob M Landau, The Dönmes: Crypto-Jews Under Turkish Rule, n.d.
Yehuda Liebes, Sabbatai Zevi’s Religious Faith.
Gershom Gerhard Scholem, Sabbatai Sevi (Princeton University Press, 1976).
The Muslim Brotherhood
Lorenzo Vidino, The New Muslim Brotherhood in the West, First Edition. (Columbia University
Press, 2010).
Tariq Ramadan on Hassan al-Banna http://justjournalism.com/the-wire/tariq-ramadan-onhassan-al-banna/
http://www.ikhwanweb.com
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/muslim-brotherhood
http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/258419/fear-muslim-brotherhood-andrew-c-mccarthy
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12313405
El-Awaisi, Abd al-Fattah , “The conceptual approach of the Egyptian Muslim Brothers towards
the Palestine question, 1928-1949.” Journal of Islamic Studies 2,2 (1991) 225-244 OFF
The Muslim Brotherhood and the Jews
Hassan Al Banna’s Centenary...Attitude towards Palestinian cause
http://www.ikhwanweb.com/article.php?id=820
Israel Gershoni, The Muslim Brothers and the Arab Revolt in Palestine, 1936-39, n.d.
Patterson, David, “How anti-Semitism prevents peace.” Middle East Quarterly 18,3 (2011) 73-83.
OFF
Jews and Muslims (RELG 491J), Fall 2011, Dr. Vehlow, USC-Columbia
15
Lorenzo Vidino, The New Muslim Brotherhood in the West, First Edition. (Columbia University
Press, 2010).
Jews and Muslims in 21st century America
http://myjewishlearning.com
Zeek. A Jewish Journal of Thought and Cutlure. http://zeek.forward.com/
Jay Michaelson http://www.jaymichaelson.net/
Islamic Society of North America http://www.isna.net/
Hamza Yusuf http://sandala.org
Reza Aslan and Aaron J. Hahn Tapper, Muslims and Jews in America: Commonalities,
Contentions, and Complexities (Palgrave Macmillan, 2011).
Gilbert Achcar, The Arabs and the Holocaust: The Arab-Israeli War of Narratives, First Edition.
(Metropolitan Books, 2010).
Kambiz GhaneaBassiri, A History of Islam in America: From the New World to the New World
Order, 1st ed. (Cambridge University Press, 2010).
Firestone, Reuven, “Civilisations need not clash,” Manna 89 (2005) 1-4.
David Patterson, How Anti-Semitism Prevents Peace, n.d.
Hasia R Diner, The Jews of the United States, 1654 to 2000, Jewish communities in the modern
world 4 (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2004).
… and some lighter material:
Movies
The Infidel (2010)
Arranged (2007)
Two shorts on two Brooklyn boys by Joel Fendelman: David and Daud.
Novels
… to be added by YOU!
Robert Rosenstone, Red Star Crescent Moon: A Muslim-Jewish Love Story
Jews and Muslims (RELG 491J), Fall 2011, Dr. Vehlow, USC-Columbia