Teaching About Jewishness in the Heartland

Abstract

Cultural anthropologist Misha Klein reflects on a Jewish Studies course, entitled Anthropology of Jews and Jewishness, taught at the University of Oklahoma. The recent explosion of interest in the anthropological study of Jews and Jewish cultures has occurred in large part because of the ways Jews provide a lens through which to examine core concepts and concerns within anthropology. As Klein conceives it, the course is an exploration of these core issues, including race, ethnicity, identity, kinship, migra- tion, diaspora and transnationalism, gender and sexuality, religion and ritual, foodways, language, national identity, and globalization. A sample syllabus is provided.