This course examines the significance of the visual arts for the study of contemporary Jewish culture, for the construction of Jewish identities, and as an example of Jewish secularization. It does so through a survey of contemporary Jewish artistic production and visual expression with numerous and comparative examples drawn from producers in North America, Europe, and Israel. In addition, the course is attuned to the social and political dimensions and implications of contemporary Jewish art making. It will be organized thematically and cover a range of topics from the challenges faced by visual artists grappling with the Second Commandment and its prohibition of images to the continuing impact of the idea of diaspora on contemporary Jewish artists. The course will also situate its subject matter in relation to larger debates about the emergence of postmodern subjectivities and the place (or displacement) of religion and religious themes in contemporary art in general.