About This Course
This is a two part course for one credit.
How did the State of Israel come to be? How is it that an idea, introduced in 19th century Europe, became a reality? And how does that reality prevail in the harsh complexities of the Middle East?
Presented by Professor Eyal Naveh, with additional units from Professor Asher Sussers’ “The Emergence of the Modern Middle East” course, This course will take you on a journey through the history of Modern Israel.
Part I: From an Idea to a State
- How did the State of Israel come to be?
- How is it that an idea, introduced in 19th century Europe, became a reality?
- And how does that reality prevail in the harsh complexities of the Middle East?
Part II: Challenges of Israel as a sovereign state
Part II deals with the Israeli politics, economy, society and culture, since its creation in 1948 till today. It analyzes the construction of the Israeli historical narrative as an identity-building narrative, intending to inculcate a collective memory to a diverse society. We will focus on key events and essential components that shaped the Israeli society from the fifties till the present. We will also discuss the changes that the Israeli society experiences in its almost seventy years of existence and how it affects its politics and culture. Among the topics we will discuss issues such as immigration, economic transformation, political upheaval, religious Zionism and post-Zionism, privatization and Americanization, Holocaust increasing role in shaping Israel’s identity, diversity and multiculturalism, as well as the enduring conflict with the Palestinians and the Arab world.
This course is provided through Coursera and Tel Aviv University.
How to receive credit
After completing both courses, you can receive credit by uploading either
- Your official certificate of completion for BOTH courses
- A compilation of the work you did or quizzes you passed (depending on what the course requires) for BOTH courses
Combine all documentation into 1 pdf and upload
Meet Your Instructor
Tel Aviv University (TAU) is Israel's largest institution of higher learning – with over 30,000 students and more than 125 schools and departments in nine faculties. Global in outlook and impact, it is consistently ranked among the world's top 100 universities, as well as the top 20 institutions in terms of scientific citations. A spirit of openness and innovation is evident in all of TAU's teaching and research activities, breaking down barriers between disciplines, and boldly striving to address the twenty-first century's most pressing challenges.
Everyone should have to take this! Balanced, thoughtful, and technologically smooth!