About This Course
Ok, so we’re the ‘People of the Book’, but what exactly is: ‘The Book’?
The Jewish Bible is both cornerstone of the Jewish religion and crowning glory of the Jewish people. Whether seen as the direct product of the divine hand, divinely inspired text, or the result of centuries of multiple, very human, authors and editors, the Tanakh is the alpha and the omega.
In this course we will gain insight into both the content and the structure of this great work, as well as placing the narrative into its wider historical context.
In Tanakh 01 we will focus predominantly on the books of the Torah. In Tanakh 02 the focus will shift to the Nevi’im and the Ketuvim (the Prophets and the Writings).
This course is part survey course, part Beit Midrash. Each week students will both learn about the nature of the Biblical work and study directly from the texts themselves.
Please review and complete the Introduction to the Course before the first week of the course.
Course Objectives
To familiarize the student with the entire corpus of the Tanakh. Students of this course will cover the narrative from the universalistic opening chapters to the narratives of the patriarchs and matriarchs, through the formation of the people in the crucible of slavery, the liberation and revelation and the journey to the border of the Land of Canaan. Students will learn about the content and structure of each the books of the Torah, gain an understanding of the way in which the Torah is structured, and come to appreciate the way in which the individual components work to create a composite work.
Students will also study in depth representative texts from each part of the Torah and come to understand different literary techniques at work in the Biblical text.
Course Pacing and Assignment
Each week’s lesson is made available on Mondays.
The homework assignment each week is due on Sundays.
Your homework should be posted on Slack so that you can all read and comment on each other’s work. Commenting on your colleagues’ work is part of the course expectation.
In addition, ALSO send a copy of your work to me by email, as this is easier for me to receive and respond to.
Meet Your Instructor
Daniel Mond is a lecturer and teacher in Jewish studies and in film, and has taught and lectured on 4 continents, in 5 countries. He has a Master of Hebrew and Jewish Studies with Distinction from the University of London, a Master of Education from OISE in Toronto, both a First Class Honours degree and a Diploma of Education from Monash University in Australia, and he read for a Doctorate in Philosophy, at King's College, Cambridge. Daniel also was a recipient of the prestigious Jerusalem Fellowship from 1989-1991; where he specialized in media for Jewish education. He came to the US from Israel to do a Master of Fine Arts in Film at Columbia University, and has lectured in film at both NYU and Baruch College and was a film reviewer for the Ma’ariv newspaper in Israel. Daniel currently teaches Tanakh in New York.
Fun facts: Daniel represented Australia twice in the International Bible competition, and, as a recipient of the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust Award, he met and joked with Prince Charles.
MA, Hebrew and Jewish Studies, University of London
MFA, Film, Columbia University
MEd, Curriculum Development, University of Toronto
Ratings and Reviews
Paula BaruchI've been in education for decades and Danny Mond is the best teacher I have ever encountered. His depth of knowledge and enthusiasm for his material is unparalleled! I absolutely loved this class! Highly recommended!
Cristina Ramirezsuch an in indepth dive into the text and the professor knows so much and has such a great way of teaching the material.
Such a rich class with an instructor who clearly loves the material AND loves teaching. I was pushed to do my best work and learned so much. I only wish it had been a live class.