Todd Hasak-Lowy
African and Asian Studies and Languages, Jewish Studies, English
Introduction to Modern Jewish Literature
“Introduction to Modern Jewish Literature” will provide an overview of Jewish literature since the end of the eighteenth century. Emphasis will be placed on the highly distinct character of Jewish literary production in the modern period, in comparison to both pre-modern Jewish writing and non-Jewish modern literature. Particular attention will be paid to this literature’s historical, social, and political context, and as such readings will also include material on the Jewish Enlightenment, immigration, assimilation, Zionism, and other relevant topics. The multilingual (Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino, German, Russian, Judeo-Arabic, English, etc.) and transnational (from Russia to South America) character of this literature will provide students with the opportunity to question the standard definition of a modern literature as necessarily written in a single language and within a geographically limited area. In addition, by focusing on issues of ethnicity and gender within modern Jewish society, students will be encouraged to think critically about the contours of the modern Jewish canon as it is typically drawn.