This course focuses on the development of Judaism from the biblical period to the present, exploring the historical evolution of Jewish holidays, life-cycle rituals and Jewish law. Students will read materials from the Hebrew Bible, rabbinic writings such as the Talmud and contemporary Judaic scholars. Discussion topics include American Jewry, Zionism, anti-Semitism and the Holocaust, and the emergence of the State of Israel. Students will also have the opportunity to cook and eat Jewish food, experience Jewish arts and culture, meet a rabbi, and examine the Phillips Exeter Academy Torah scrolls.