Teaching
New Course: JUS 301 / MLL 321 / SPA 322 / HIS 396 / LAS 350 /ENG 364
New Course: JUS 301 / MLL 321 / SPA 322 / HIS 396 / LAS 350 /ENG 364
New Course SPRING 2025
Sephardi & ChatGPT: Preservation of Cultural Heritage and AI
MLL 321 / JUS 301 / SPA 322 / HIS 396 / LAS 350 / ENG 364 / REL 405
This 3-credit interdisciplinary course delves into the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Sephardic Heritage in Miami, a city known for its diverse cultural landscape and technological innovation. The course introduces students to how AI can preserve, analyze, and disseminate Sephardic cultural and historical studies, emphasizing Miami as a dynamic center for cultural exchange.
Incorporating civic and community engagement, the course offers students opportunities to interact with local organizations that promote Sephardi culture. Through lectures, hands-on projects, and discussions, students will explore AI applications in cultural heritage preservation, digital humanities, migration identities, and linguistic analysis, with a focus on the Sephardic Jewish community.
This course embarks on a comprehensive exploration of Identity, Culture, and Migration, focusing on the dynamic journey of Judeo-Spanish communities. Our journey spans from the historical "Golden Age" of Spain to the contemporary landscape of America. Within the context of this course, we define "Sephardic" as encompassing all Jewish or clandestinely Jewish groups that have either inhabited the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) or conscientiously trace their roots to this geographical region.
This course provides a unique blend of technology and cultural studies, ideal for students interested in how innovative technologies can enhance historical and cultural understanding in a metropolitan setting. Engaging with community leaders and stakeholders, students will gain practical insights into the application of their studies in cultural preservation.
New Course SPRING 2024
Sephardic Literature
JUS 301 / HIS 396 / LAS 350 / REL 405
This course will explore the Sephardic Jewish identity, cultural history, and the impact of immigration on the Sephardic mindset, through close readings of selected texts. Our aim is to analyze the diverse facets of Sephardic culture and the experiences of diaspora that have shaped Sephardic perspectives over time. The course format emphasizes engaged classroom discussion and interactive activities focused on interpreting the course texts, to contextualize our analysis and provide insights. The Sephardic people experience continuities and changes across different eras, so the idea is that by semester's end, you will have developed an enriched understanding of the complexity of Sephardic culture across geography and time.
JEWS AND JUDAISM IN THE IBERIAN PENINSULA
JUS 301 / HIS 396 / LAS 350 / REL 405
University of Miami
3-credit course will explore the vital connection of the Jewish presence to the Iberian Peninsula and its intricate history. We will investigate when and where the first Jewish settlements were established and for what reasons and follow the rise of Christendom in parallel to the Jewish peninsular presence and the beginning of a long rivalry between Church and Synagogue. After a brief overview of the Visigoth period, we will encounter one of the most interesting periods in Judaism, when Jews lived under Islamic rule in the Iberian Peninsula.
Sephardic Literature (3 USCTS)
Jews and Judaism in the Iberian Peninsula (3 USCTS).
Spanish Language & Culture, levels beginners to superior (4 USCTS each). SPA 102, SPA 105, SPA 201, SPA 202
Hebrew Language & Culture, levels beginners to superior (4 USCTS each). HEB 101, HEB 102, HEB 201
Spanish Language & Culture, levels beginners to superior (30 ECTS).
Lexical aspects in Spanish Language & Culture, Postgraduate (30 ECTS).
Literature, Understanding Don Quijote, Postgraduate (9 ECTS).
Literature, From Golden Age Theatre to Romanticism, Postgraduate (9 ECTS).
Metodologías para la investigación científica en el ámbito de las Humanidades Digitales (18 ECTS).
Courses: Hebrew 101, 201, 301. Language & Culture, levels beginners to superior (24 credits ECTS).
3 Courses (12 credits): Spanish Language and Culture, ELE. undergraduate. Levels A1-B2.
Courses (8 ECTS): Marketing, Culture and Psychology course, undergraduate.
Courses (8 ECTS): Spanish Culture and Civilization, undergraduate.
Courses (12 ECTS): Hebrew for Beginners. Hebrew Language & Culture for adults.
Courses (12 ECTS): Spanish Language and Culture, A1-A2 European level, undergraduate.
Courses (12 ECTS): Classic Characters in English and American Literature.
Course (12 ECTS): Basic Linguistics, difficulties in the Spanish language.
What Students Are Saying
“Shai is the best! I've learned more in this one semester than the four years of Spanish I took in high school. He uses multiple teaching strategies like reading from the texbook, partner activities, games, and powerpoints. The homework load is very manageable and he prepares you well for exams. He's funny, caring, and wants his students to succeed!”
— Spanish language student
“This professor was great! Super helpful and made the class fun! There is a lot of homework, but it helps your grade in the end.”
— Spanish language student
“Professor Cohen is the best Spanish teacher ever! Get the textbook, read through it, take notes, do the homework on time, participate in class, and you will succeed. He is very understanding and doesn’t get mad if someone doesn't understand what he is talking about. He is always available for office hours and is an overall easy grader.”
— Spanish language student
“Not only have I learned about some of the most important literature but also about life. ”
— Literature student