THE JEWS OF SPAIN PROGRAM - 90 hours, 9 ECTS

 The Jews in Medieval Spain (20 hours)

This is a historically oriented survey course that introduces students to the culture, literature, history, philosophy, and religious customs of the Jewish people in medieval Spain. Special emphasis will be placed on the construction of Jewish identity in contact with other cultures. The readings and class discussions will be divided into ten parts corresponding to different historical moments or cultural issues crucial to the formation and development of medieval Judaism in Spain, from the rise of rabbinic culture to the challenge of the expulsion from Iberian soil. The course will be taught primarily by lecture and discussion of readings, and students are strongly encouraged to participate by asking and answering questions in class. No prior systematic study of Judaism is required.

 The Sephardic Diaspora (10 hours)

Diaspora, which means dispersion, refers to the Jewish communities living outside Israel. The Jewish Diaspora began when the Jews were exiled to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC. The dispersion continued over the centuries, and under the domain of Islam, the Jews of North Africa moved to the west, reaching the Iberian Peninsula. In this course we will see what happened to those Spanish Jews, known as Sephardic Jews, who managed to reach foreign lands after being expelled from Spain by the Spanish Catholic Kings in the fifteenth century.

 The Jews of Catalonia and Girona (10 hours)

Throughout its history, and even nowadays, Catalonia has had a significant relationship with the Jewish culture. The legacy of the Jewish people is part of the Catalan cultural roots, in religion as well as in science, literature, customs and worldview. Figures such as Nahmanides, Shlomo ben Adret, Abraham Cresques and many other scholars, philosophers, doctors, cartographers and poets who have played important roles in Jewish history spoke Catalan because they were born in Catalonia and lived there most of their lives. This course deals with the relations between the Jewish and Catalan worlds in the distant past and the recent past, a story with episodes of all colors, including some splendid and fruitful years, but also times of persecution, extermination and forced conversions.

 Mystical Interpretation of the Bible in Medieval Spain: the Zohar and Nachmanides (10 hores)

The ideas of Nahmanides (1194-1270), who spent much of his life in Girona, are thought to have influenced the work of Moses de Leon (c. 1250-1305), who lived in Castile and is widely considered to be the author of the Zohar. In any case, the Zohar and Nachmanides’s commentary on the Pentateuch may justifiably be regarded as representing complementary trends in Jewish mystical (kabbalistic) thinking in the Middle Ages. On each day of this course we will examine a different biblical text (one from each of the five books of the Pentateuch) according to its interpretation by Nahmanides and by the Zohar, comparing their interpretations not only with one another but also with the standard commentary by Rashi (1040-1105), observations on the biblical passage to be found in the Talmud, and the conclusions of modern scholarly biblical analysis.

 Historical Jewish Sites in Catalonia (10 hours)

In the past, Catalonia was a country with a significant Jewish presence. This is seen through place names such as Montjuïc or Vilajuïga. The village of Besalú preserves the only miqveh (Jewish ritual baths) in Catalonia from the Middle Ages; in fact, it is one of the few that still exists in the world. The city of Girona retains the only medieval Call (Jewish quarter) and a collection of Hebrew documents that appeared inside the covers of notary books in the Historical Archive of Girona. This course explores the rich Jewish past in Girona and its surrounding area.

Half-day trip – Girona

Half-day trip – Barcelona

Half-day trip – Besalú

 Spanish Language and Culture (20 hours)

This is an intensive Spanish course that enables students to strengthen their knowledge of grammar and to learn about new areas of communication as well as improving their reading, listening, speaking and writing skills. Students will improve their ability to (1) deal with most everyday situations, even difficult ones, (2) write simple and cohesive texts on a range of everyday topics within their field of interest or specialty, (3) understand the main ideas of clear, standard-language speech on familiar topics and (4) to read and understand standard-level argumentative and descriptive texts. In addition, using specific materials and activities, students will learn about the Catalan and Spanish cultures.

 From Gaudí to Dalí: The Catalan Culture (10 hours)

Throughout its history, Catalonia has hosted different cultures and civilizations, each of which has left a rich legacy of art. Each historical period had its own particular, definable characteristics that evolved over time. In this course we will visit some of these treasures, from the Romanesque monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes to the masterwork of the genius Dalí and Gaudí's Modernist buildings in Barcelona.

Half-day trip - Modernism (Barcelona)

Half-day trip - Dalí and Romanesque architecture (Figueres, Sant Pere de Rodes)

 HISPANIC STUDIES PROGRAM - 90 hours, 9 ECTS

Through activities and explanations, this course enables students to assimilate Spanish grammar rules. The course is approached from a communicative perspective that combines functional content with reflection on the grammatical content. The result is a practical consolidation of Spanish grammar through the use of the language in concrete situations. The course contents include syntax, morphology, lexicon, semantics and pronunciation.

This course is designed to improve listening and reading comprehension. Practical activities will enable the student to: (1) understand the main ideas of clear, standard-language speech on familiar topics; (2) read clearly written texts about subjects of their own interest and additionally scheduled subjects and (3) understand clearly written argumentative texts (including journalistic, scientific and short texts).

  Spanish Language: Speaking and Writing (15 hours)

This practical course aims to improve Spanish speaking and writing skills. As speakers, students will learn to deal with most situations likely to arise in everyday life. They will also learn to write simple and cohesive texts on a range of topics that are familiar or of personal interest (letters, narratives, assessments, etc.).

  The Spanish Civil War (10 hours)

 The last unsettled period in Spanish political history generated a large amount of written and photographic material due to the media boom of the time as well as political interests before, during and after the war. This course aims to uncover some of these elements and will allow the students to recreate some of those experiences for themselves by following the routes taken during the exile to France, or walking in some of the places where significant events happened at the end of the war.

Half-day trip - Salamis Route (Banyoles)

Day-trip - Exile to France Route (La Jonquera, Collioure, etc.).

  The Reality of Contemporary Spain: Challenges and Dilemmas (10 hours)

This course presents an overview of life in Spain since the death of Franco, through the socialist period and Spain’s entry into the European Union until today. Contemporary narrative will serve as the basis for lectures and discussions of some of Spain’s current challenges and achievements, namely, unemployment and the recent recession, immigration, language and identity, terrorism, and the impact of the Euro on the economy and on everyday life.

  From Gaudí to Dalí: The Catalan Culture (10 hours)

Throughout its history, Catalonia has hosted different cultures and civilizations, each of which has left a rich legacy of art. Each historical period had its own particular, definable characteristics that evolved over time. In this course we will visit some of these treasures, from the Romanesque monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes to the masterwork of the genius Dalí and Gaudí's Modernist buildings in Barcelona.

Half-day trip - Modernism in Barcelona

Half-day trip - Dalí and Romanesque architecture (Figueres, Sant Pere Rodes)