Facing the Other: Moral Dilemmas in Israeli Literature

By :  Barbara Mann Former Chana Kekst Professor of ñ Literature Posted On Mar 1, 2021 / 5781 | Monday Webinar The Other in ñ Text and Tradition

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Part of the series “The ‘Other’ in ñ Text and Tradition”

This session is generously sponsored by Dr. Carmen Arick in loving memory of Joyce Arick; and by Marian Rothenberg, in memory of her husband Frank Rothenberg (”l) who admired JTS from his teenage years onward.

Lyric poetry, with its unique voice and vivid imagery, offers a brief but intense opportunity to enter into the intimate space of another. Through texts by canonical Israeli authors (Dan Pagis, Yehuda Amichai, and Dalia Ravikovitch), we will trace a series of poetic encounters between Self and Other: survivor and perpetrator; mother and child; victim and hero; Jew and Palestinian.   

ABOUT THE SERIES

We live in a time of such polarization—political, racial, economic, religious—that the gaps between us sometimes feel insurmountable. But this is not a new condition for Jews, either within or outside of the ñ community. This webinar series will explore those gaps between “us” and “the other”: Israelites and other ancient peoples; men and women in the Bible and Talmud; Jews by birth and Jews by choice; the founders of Hasidim and their opponents; Israelis and Palestinians; and more. 

From the ancient Near East to the American civil rights movement; from medieval philosophers to contemporary ñ educators: how have Jews related to those we define as “other,” and how have we marginalized sub-groups within the ñ community? What is our obligation to those we perceive as different? How have Jews challenged communal norms from within? JTS scholars guide us in an intellectual journey through ñ history and text to understand how these gaps have been understood and, at times, bridged.

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At JTS, we are committed to providing the ñ community with outstanding classes in Judaic studies. We hope you will partner with us so that we can continue to do so. Did you know that you can sponsor a learning session to honor a loved one, celebrate an occasion, or commemorate a yahrzeit? To learn more visit the  or email learninglives@jtsa.edu.