History
All history courses have a current events component and emphasize the skills
necessary to read a newspaper.
FRESHMAN AND SOPHOMORE YEARS
World/Jewish History
This
course of study is taught for four semesters, beginning with incoming Freshmen
students. The World/Jewish History course makes students aware of the emergence
and development of modern civilization from its ancient roots into the twentieth
century. At the heart of the school's educational mission, World/Jewish History
provides our students with an integrated curriculum geared to understanding
the unique relationship between the Jews and the modern world, with modern
Orthodoxy as its paradigm. The course emphasizes the impact of the Western
world on the Jewish people, as well as the Jewish role in Western civilization.
Non-western civilizations are also studied, particularly the Muslim world
and the Near East. The last half semester of the sequence is devoted to the
struggle to achieve Jewish statehood, the emergence of the state of Israel,
and the evolution of Israel since Independence. Through classroom discussions,
lectures, analysis of primary sources, and the assignment of research papers,
the course imparts an appreciation of political, economic, social, and intellectual
history. Primary sources are selected from various books, and are presented
in Hebrew whenever possible. Pioneered at Ramaz (by former teacher David Bernstein)
this curriculum has been adopted by the Board of Jewish Education for use
in other Jewish day schools.
Texts:
Concise History of the Modern Middle East, Goldschmidt, Westview Press
Historical Atlas of the Jewish People, Barnavi, ed., Schoecken Books
Jewish World in the Middle Ages, Bloomberg, Ktav Publications
Sources of the Western Tradition,, Perry, et. al., Houghton Mifflin
Understanding Jewish History, Bayme, Ktav Publications
Western Civilization, Perry, Houghton Mifflin
Western Civilization: Sources, Images, & Interpretations, vol.
2: to 1700, Sherman, McGraw Hill
World History; Patterns of Interaction, Beck, et al., McDougal Littell
JUNIOR YEAR
American History
The American history course concentrates on the political history of the United
States from the colonial period to the present. This focus is designed to
uncover the origins of American democratic institutions and ideas, while stressing
that these have been challenged by a rapidly evolving domestic economy and
social structures, and an increasingly complex global order. The history of
the emergence and growth of the American Jewish community will receive special
attention throughout the year. These themes are taught through the use of
documentary sources, textbook readings, inquiry based on discussions, lectures,
films, and individual research assignments.
Texts:
America, Past and Present, Divine, Green, et al., Longman
