The Jewish communities of the South-East Mediterranean (mid-19th-mid 20th century)

winter semester 2017-2018

Description

This course examines the history of Jewish communities in the area of the south-eastern Mediterranean from the mid-19th century to the dawn of the Second World War. We explore the concepts of Jewish Enlightenment and the idea of Jewish emancipation, through the establishment of Alliance Israélite Universelle and its network of schools in the South East Mediterranean. More particular, we will refer extensively in the Jewish communities of Istanbul, Smyrna, Thessaloniki, and the Jewish communities in Greece, (Epirus, Macedonia, Thrace, Peloponnese and Thessaly). Moreover, we will study the persecution of Jews (pogroms) in the Mediterranean and the anti-semitism during the interwar period.

Syllabus
  1. Introductory Lesson: The Southeast Mediterranean Area, 19th. The Jews in the Mediterranean
  2. "Port-Jews", Jewish Enlightenment and the idea of Jewish emancipation
  3. The establishment of Alliance Israélite Universelle and its network of schools in the South East Mediterranean
  4. Istanbul, Smyrna, Thessaloniki, Larissa, Volos
  5. Pogrom and persecution of Jews in the Mediterranean
  6. The Jewish communities in Greece in the 19th century. Peloponnese and Thessaly
  7. The Jewish communities in Greece in the 19th century. Epirus, Macedonia, Thrace
  8. Thessaloniki: inter-communal relations and cohabitation
  9. Thessaloniki after incorporation
  10. Assimilation and discrimination: the Greek Jews
  11. Anti-semitism during the interwar period
  12. The Jews in literature: representations and stereotypes