AHIST/AREL 253 AJST 343

Medieval and Early Modern Jews among Muslims and Christians

Prof. Lucia Finotto

Dear Class,

I hope this finds you all well and positive that we can overcome this
unprecedented (at least in our lifetime) situation, while continuing to learn and
grow as human beings.
What follows is not a “new course” online, but just an adaptation of the old
one, to help us get through this semester, and you to succeed.
Based on the inputs that you gave me the last time we met, I am not holding
real-time classes or discussions. Using Blackboard as a primary means of
instruction, I will be posting materials that you can access on your own time,
whenever you have a computer with a reliable connection, a space where you
can focus and some quiet time. You will continue to have deadlines for
assignments, discussion forums and papers.

In Blackboard, you will find a different folder for every one of the six remaining
weeks of this semester. For now, I have posted materials only for the first week,
as I want to evaluate how we are doing and be able to make changes, if needed.

In each folder, you will find two modules corresponding, in almost all cases, to
the subject matters listed in the syllabus for each of our scheduled class
meetings. I have made a few changes, eliminating materials and topics which
are too difficult for distance learning, sometimes replacing them with others
which I consider more relevant.

Your task is to open each module and work following the instructions under
each folder.
Here is what you can expect:

1 There will be recorded lectures every week, although not necessarily at each
session, either by me or by other scholars, on the subject matters of our
course.

2 There will be two weekly discussion forums on the topics and materials of
each module, posted on Blackboard with some guiding questions. You are
required to post at least one comment or reaction and respond to two of your
classmates’ postings for each forum in order to receive a participation grade for
that week. Also, you will need to post a comment before you can respond to
others. I will grade your responses taking depth, engagement with the material,
and analysis into consideration. Postings should be 150 words each or more. I
will only grade responses submitted by every Thursday 11:59 pm. After this
time, you are free to post or read other people’s postings, but I will not grade
your responses. Because too many of you don’t have a great participation grade
so far, this is a good opportunity to boost it and show me your engagement.

3 You are required to keep a weekly reading journal and to submit it by

Thursday 11:59 pm. I expect to read at least two-three pages of you critical
analysis of the week’s material. Instructions on how to keep an academic
reading journal are on Blackboard under Course Content.

4 All the papers and final will stay in the same format originally described in
the syllabus. Your second paper is due on March 25, at 11:59 pm. Please e-
mail it to me.

5 There will probably be more videos than I originally thought, to make up for
some of the content that we cannot discuss in person - you will receive
instructions on what to do with them.

6 You can always e-mail me with questions about the course materials, even
though I may not respond to you personally but as a group. I will however
respond personally to personal questions. There is also a “Ask a Question”
Forum where you can post your questions and both I and the class can
answer.

7 I am available to meet you on Skype, Zoom or similar, for any question you
may have of an academic or personal nature. I am here even if you need
somebody to talk to. I don’t do Facebook, Twitter or What’s App though.

Lastly, on a human side:

I encourage you to be in touch with each other and with me, and to talk about
your health and/or academic issues. I believe we should support each other
even more during this difficult time. I also would like you to know that I care
about every single one of you as people, and that I will do my best to support
you and help you succeed.
On a personal note: I will appreciate you saying Hello from time to time, even if
you don’t have any issue to discuss. As some of you may know, I am in the US
alone, I don’t know people in Albany, and my (American) husband and my
family are in Italy, where things are even more difficult than here. If you don’t
know how solitary confinement looks like, ask me !

The best of luck to everybody. Stay healthy first and foremost.

Lucia Finotto