Conduct independent research on your selected turning point using available resources (books, articles,
interviews, Internet, etc.). If your topic is discussed in Marc Rosenstein’s Turning Points in Jewish History, be
sure to do significant additional research beyond what Rosenstein writes and what we discuss in class.
- Write a 6-7-page paper that has a clear thesis and addresses these issues and any others that are relevant
to the turning point you have selected:
· Date(s) of event
· Streams of Jewish thought represented (e.g. Orthodox/Reform)
· Principal books/documents/proclamations of the turning point
· Individuals, institutions, and organizations that played key roles
· What are the historical, cultural, and religious backgrounds of the key “actors” in the turning point?
· What issues sparked this particular event?
· What questions of faith and reason are raised by this turning point?
· What is the legacy of the event in Jewish history?
· What broader lessons for Jewish life and thought can we learn from this turning point?
Sample Solution