Write a review of the movie, Forever Pure, directed by Maya Zinshtein, 2016 and adress how it effectively connects to course themes.

Write a review of the movie, Forever Pure, directed by Maya Zinshtein, 2016 and adress how it effectively connects to course themes.

Description of course: This course will focus on tracing how Jewish identities and sports have been tied together in a global context from the 18th century to the present day. In a chronological and thematic organization, the course will examine the Jewish histories of sports such as boxing, baseball, basketball, and soccer that have complicated stereotypes about Jewish athleticism and masculinity. Through the study of monographs, academic and journalistic articles, and documentary films, we will address the significance of sports for Jewish political projects, community building, and the importance of sports in shaping ideas of Zionism in Europe, Israel, and the United States. There will also be extensive discussion about how athletes and other Jewish protagonists have represented Jewish identities. We will also engage in close examination about how the political philosophy of Muscular Judaism emphasized sporting competition to shape Zionism and national identities from its origins in Central Europe to Israel and the contemporary Jewish diaspora.

The course will also study topics such as the history of the tragic 1972 Olympics in Munich and the local and international politics of women’s and men’s soccer in Israel. Throughout the semester, we will also examine the significance of gender relations and masculinity to Jewish athletes in shaping narratives about Jewish belonging and interrogate how sports around the world have helped to contextualize migration, assimilation, local and national identities, print and visual cultures, and the sociopolitical significance of sports business and ownership around the world. As an interdisciplinary course, the overall aim is that critically studying questions about Jews and Sports provides a lens into better understanding modern Jewish history and culture in various urban and national contexts around the world.

Last Completed Projects

topic title academic level Writer delivered