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Quentin Tarantino declared that Inglourious Basterds [sic], his 2009 film about violent (and entirely fictional) Jewish resistance in WWII, was his masterpiece. In fact, it is his masterpiece — indeed, it's one of the most important pieces of art about Jewishness in recent memory — but perhaps not for the reasons Tarantino intended. It was also the film that, with its Israeli premiere, launched the auteur's ongoing and deep relationship to the State of Israel, where he lives for much of the year with his Israeli wife, Daniella Pick — and where he recently gave a pep talk to IDF soldiers on their way to Gaza. This class will explore the way Inglourious Basterds both predicted and contributed to shifts in global Jewish politics.

Abraham Josephine Riesman is a longtime journalist and author based in Rhode Island. Her first book, True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee, was a Hugo finalist; her second book, Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America, was an instant New York Times bestseller. She has written about Jewish issues for outlets such as New York Magazine, Jewish Currents, and The Daily Beast.