In this course, we will study modern Hebrew literature in order to discover the State of Israel anew: its landscape, its history, its animating principles and ideals, and how each interrelate. Each week we will read and analyze select short works of poetry and fiction. In evaluating these texts, we will pay attention to certain recurring themes: the opportunities and challenges of Jewish nationalism, the role traditional Judaism should play in modern Israeli identity, and the way in which Hebrew literature, in particular, plays an important role in advancing the goals of Zionism. We will seek to understand how Hebrew literature forms a unique meeting point for the spiritual and cultural heritage of Judaism and the physical reemergence of the Jewish people onto the stage of history.