Tough grader and too hardcore a Zionist to encourage rational discussions.

This was a good professor and a good class. I really engaged in the first half of the class and found it easy and then I quit going to lecture and reading and I still did good so only attend for the first month or 2.

Very dense lectures, so take good notes, and the reading material is a huge portion of the outside-of-class work and is very important to read, as both inform the papers you have to write. Due to being a Jewish history course you get a few extra days off for Jewish holidays, which is nice.

History 219 was a great overview of Jewish experience in America. I had never had a class dedicated to Jewish history, so I learned a lot. The lectures were really engaging and involved student participation. There was about 75 pages of reading a week, but I was fine skimming most of it if I was short on time.

Lectures were great, I enjoyed coming to class. However, so much reading (~150 pages per week on top of other class things). Grading on the midterm seemed unfairly harsh. Attendance "wasn't mandatory" but was still a part of our grade. He has something against technology which was more trouble than it was worth. Overall good class but a lot of work

There are two papers, a midterm, and a final which are all really easy to do well on. Weekly assignments are readings (and its a lot of reading), but you don't have to do them. The papers are all based on the readings so I would just skim them when the paper was assigned. Did not attend lecture for the last two months and was worth it.

Prof Michels is a truly gifted orator that has amazing knowledge and passion for what he does. Lectures were always engaging and very helpful for the papers. The class was just 2 papers, a final, and a midterm so the overall workload was manageable. The readings were a lot, but totally skimable to get participation credit for. Solid choice!

Professor Michels is one of the best lecturers on the campus. He is extremely knowledgable in the subject and makes history interesting. There is a lot of required reading every week but as long as you understand the gist of it and go to lecture, you should do just fine.

Michels knows everything you would ever want to know about American Jewish history. If you even remotely care about this subject you'll do fine in this class.

Michels doesn't allow any tech in class (computers, phones, etc.) Lectures were usually pretty engaging, he clearly knows a lot about the subject matter and doesn't read from notes. There was one midterm exam, one paper, and a final exam. Lots of assigned reading every week (at least fifty pages a week), but easily skippable.

Lectures were most interesting and helpful, but still pretty average I thought. Readings outside of class were bland and ultimately unhelpful so definitely go to lecture as much as possible. Tests and papers are not too bad, overall a pretty mediocre and doable class.

Going to lecture is the best way to be successful in this class. To get an A you dont need to read the extremely long reading assignments. The TAs do all the grading and it is really important to get on their good side and participate in discussion even if you have to bs topics.

Prof. Michels is a marvelous orator. His lectures are interesting and pleasant. The reading is kind of dense and dry, however if you pay attention to key words in class you will do great overall.

Fabulous professor! Loved his lectures, he paints a clear view of American Jewish history and his lectures are both easy to follow and interesting. There is an excessive amount of reading assigned, but reading everything is not necessary in order to obtain a good grade. Exams are very fair and based mostly off class lectures.

The reading assignments are very long, but most of the information is important. The lectures are interesting (more so than the readings!) and well-done. The tests are essay format, so really understanding the information is important. Taking good notes from book and lecture, and talking to your TA can help.

Yes, there's a lot of reading, but most of it is very good (the book he wrote is the best, in my opinion!). This is a great class taught by a great professor. I highly recommend it for the ethnic requirement, even if you're not Jewish (I'm not). Lectures are interesting. We had no papers, but three essay tests: do the work and they're not too hard.

Guides discussions well & is very knowledgeable. Generous grader. Very helpful IF you ask the right question. Cancels & rearranges classes (blame UW?) Provides little to NO guidance&criteria for biggest paper of degree. Office hours help is a must JUST to understand what you have to do. Sometimes slow email responses. Nice enough guy, bad at admin.

Professor Michele always had very interesting lectures, but the readings outside of class were long and boring. There is a lot of memorization needed for the tests which are quite difficult. However, I would definitely take the class again.

The 2 books required for class (1 written by Professor Michels), are rather dry in comparison to lectures and the course reader. He presents the material in an interesting way and the 3 exams aren't too tough. Definitely A LOT of reading. TAs grade exams so write what they expect to grade and participate in discussion.

really nice guy, gives really clear lectures and doesn't go too fast. interesting material. he will call you out for talking/being on your phone but he doesn't take attendance even though attendance is mandatory. not hard at all, 3 essays and no exams, but a lot of reading. highly recommended - plus the TA is awesome (rivka)

Great teacher, very clear and interesting lectures and he has the best style in madison. Not a had class, a lot of reading but you don't need to do all of it. Discussions aren't my favorite but not too bad

He is awesome and I'm happy I took the class. There are several pages to read per week but they are not too bad. My frustration was in the paper we had to write. My TA (Leah) absolutely confused me, she ignored Professor Michel's prompt and spent almost two discussion session shoving her interpretion down on us. She also has terrible handwriting.

Professor Michels not only knows what he's talking about, but he's incredibly interested in teaching it in an engaging and lucid lecture style.

Lectures were very interesting. Professor Michels has clearly studied this material inside and out. Ultimately, though, your grade will be determined by your TA, so make sure to get on his or her good side.

Topic is interesting but the amount of assigned reading is ridiculous (200+ pages a week). Need to read to know what's going on, need to get on a TA's good side, if you ask a question he gives you a long answer that doesn't really answer what you're asking. They grade the exams super harsh (fail people) but base your grade off of "improvement"

good lecturer and not very hard, good for ethnic studies

Awesome.

The class was fine but there is a lot of reading and you NEED to get on the TAs good side.

Professor Michels was awesome! His lectures were interesting. He assigned tons and tons of reading but you can get by without doing it all. His exams ARE the study guide, so if you prepare, you will do well!

Pretty standard history lecture, though you have to sign in. Pay attention in class and make nice with your TA most importantly. Considering it's an Ethnic Studies filler it could have been much worse.

One of the best lecturers I've ever had! Very interesting and super easy to take notes from! Tons of reading, but you can get away with skipping some of it. Do Not let him see cell phones/computers in class~he hates them. Kind of a tough grader, but I blame the TA (who knew nothing about the subject) for my minimal complaints about the class.

I liked this class for the most part, it was interesting and the tests were pretty easy. there was a ton of reading for it though. i would suggest turning off your cell phone avoid doing other work in plain sight.

The class was really really interesting, but it wasn't set up well. Professor Michels is extremely knowledgeble and is willing to talk with you outside of class, but his lack of communication with the TA and unclear guidelines for exams and papers made the logistics of the class extremely frusturating. Take if if you like the subject!

yeah he calls students out for being bored or whatever but I don't think he takes personal offense, and hes a really good teacher - hes very helpful if you ask questions and the reading is the normal amount for a history class. Hes a fairly tough grader but definitely fair. If you're interested in American jewish history this is a really good class

TON of reading. Lectures are decent, sometimes boring and unorganized. Personality wise the guy is a ****bag. He talks down to his students and discourages questions. Very quick to call you out if you aren't paying attention as if he takes personal offense if you are bored as hell.

Class material was interesting, but the reading load was unnacceptably large. Obvious lack of communication/coherence with TA in discussion and lecture syllabi. Very hard grader. He taught with enthusiasm, but also had an attitude. I reccomend only to those very interested in subject.

I really enjoyed this class. Although there was SO much reading, the lectures were very informative and I learned so much. If you are interested in the topic, I highly recommend this class.

Was told by a friend that this class rocks; let me tell you it doesn't. the material would be interesting if the professor wasn't so condescending to his students. he acts like he's there to hear himself, not help students learn history. i'd say take the course if he's not teaching it...

don't ask him a question unless you're sure you need to ask him. if you ask him something he thinks you should have known, he'll make you feel and look stupid. that sums him up: arrogant and pompous, with a TON of course readings with slightly unfair exams.

Professor knows his stuff, but his lecture material is boring, and he is not always open to questions. Course is a lot of reading (150-200 pages a week), but the midterms are easy.

416 was a great class, but this guy is arrogant as all hell, don't bother asking him a question or giving any feedback cos he'll find some way to make you feel like a first class idiot.

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