Syllabus

Short Course Description

Believing and Belonging: A Field Seminar in Medieval Encounters

Course Description and Objectives
This field seminar complements the MA seminar Believing and Belonging: Jewish Life in Medieval Germany by exploring questions of identity, belonging, majority?minority relations, and intercultural encounters through three intensive field-study days in Israel.

While the classroom seminar focuses on Jewish life in medieval Germany, the field seminar broadens the discussion through direct engagement with historical sites, communities, cultural institutions, and specialists working on questions of coexistence, memory, heritage, and public history in both medieval and contemporary contexts.

Drawing on principles of Place-Based Learning, the seminar combines site visits, encounters with community representatives and scholars, engagement with primary sources, and reflective discussions.

The seminar will focus on three major case studies:

Ramla (24 January 2026)
Ramla serves as a multi-religious and multicultural case study for examining majority?minority relations, boundaries of belonging, and encounters among Muslim, Christian, and Jewish communities. The visit will include the Great Mosque, the Karaite Heritage Center, the Pool of Arches, and additional sites from the Islamic and Crusader periods, as well as meetings with representatives of local communities.

Jerusalem (26 January 2026)
This study day will focus on memory, heritage, and the presentation of the past to diverse audiences. Students will visit the National Library of Israel and the Israel Museum, meet with scholars and educators, work with manuscripts, rare books, and primary sources, and discuss the ways cultural institutions interpret and communicate history to different communities.

Acre (31 January 2026)
Acre was one of the most important cities of the medieval eastern Mediterranean and a major center of interaction among cultures, religions, and communities. The visit will include the Crusader Knights? Halls and the Old City and will examine Acre?s role as an international port city shaped by trade, migration, and intercultural exchange. Students will also meet members of local communities, including representatives of the Bah??? community, and explore questions of identity, belonging, and minority status in both historical and contemporary contexts.

Course Requirements
Active participation in all three field-study days.
Completion of assigned readings prior to each visit.
Submission of short written assignments following the field trips.
Final referat/seminar paper.