Topics: The Jewish Experience in Italy

3 units

This course will examine the social and political history of the Jews of Italy from the period of Italian unification through the end of the Second World War. We will look through two different prisms: first, the constant of Jews' minority status in a Catholic country at a time when Church doctrine was hostile to them and second, their changing status during significant moments in the brief history of the Italian monarchy. Under the latter rubric we will study the rehabilitation of the Jews under liberal political philosophies, their problematic relationship with Fascism, and finally the arrival of the Holocaust in Italy and efforts to defend Jews against Nazi genocide. We will approach these topics wherever possible through primary texts, including essays, memoirs, and novels. Reading knowledge of Italian is not required. Readings in English; some readings in Italian for Italian majors. Discussion in English.