Eyal Levinson
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, History, Department Member
- Gender, Queer Theory, Masculinities, History of Sexuality, Medieval Jewish History, Sexuality, and 11 moreGender Studies, History, Medieval History, History of Religion, Social History, Caroline Walker Bynum, Medieval Studies, Medieval Art, Jewish - Christian Relations, Jewish History, and Jewish Studiesedit
- Dr. Eyal Levinson is currently a researcher at Contending with Crisis: The Jews in IXth Century Europe. In the past s... moreDr. Eyal Levinson is currently a researcher at Contending with Crisis: The Jews in IXth Century Europe. In the past six years he was a postdoctoral research fellow at Beyond the Elite: Jewish Daily Life in Medieval Europe. He researches youth, men, fatherhood and masculinities in medieval Ashkenaz. His book, Gender and Sexuality in Ashkenaz in the Middle Ages (in Hebrew) was recently published by the Zalman Shazar Center and the Leo Baeck Jerusalem Institute. He also co-authored with Tzafrir Barzilay and Elisheva Baumgarten Jewish Life in Medieval Northern Europe, 1080‐1350: A Sourcebook (Western Michigan Press, forthcoming). Eyal is also the author of several articles among them: “Situated Fathering in Medieval Ashkenaz” published in JSQ; “Male Friendship in Medieval Ashkenaz”, in Friendship in Jewish Culture, History, and Religion; “Eternal love I conceive for you: Traveling Jewish Men and Covenantal Bromances”, in Mittelalter. Interdis- ziplinäre Forschung und Rezeptionsgeschichte 3; and “Masculinities”, in Encyclopedia of Jewish-Christian Relations.edit
A vivid depiction of a jousting scene in an illuminated Hebrew prayerbook allows a unique pictorial representation of a custom common among Jewish young men in Northwestern Europe during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries:... more
A vivid depiction of a jousting scene in an illuminated Hebrew prayerbook allows a unique pictorial representation of a custom common among Jewish young men in Northwestern Europe during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries: joustinglike tournaments at Jewish weddings. The article contextualizes this image more broadly with contemporaneous sources originating in different genres, including rabbinic literature, vernacular documents, illuminated Hebrew manuscripts, frescos that decorated affluent Jewish homes, epitaphs, and archaeological findings, to describe the lives, self-image, and social expectations of medieval Ashkenazic men. Moreover, the article sheds light on the influences of the surrounding culture on medieval rabbinic gender constructs and on the constructions of gendered identities among these young men, and particularly on two indicators of identity: daily conduct and clothing. The article argues that these Jewish young men were navigating two masculinities, and that they internalized complex identities, which enabled them to identify as Jews and at the same time to feel that they were part of mainstream urban culture to some degree.
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The Israel Science Foundation sponsored research project Contending with Crises: The Jews in XIV th Century Europe at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem under the direction of Prof. Elisheva Baumgarten is offering up to 2 Post-Doctoral... more
The Israel Science Foundation sponsored research project Contending with Crises: The Jews in XIV th Century Europe at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem under the direction of Prof. Elisheva Baumgarten is offering up to 2 Post-Doctoral scholarships beginning in the 2023-2024 academic year. Scholars who have
Fatherhood in medieval Ashkenaz was a complex sociological phenomenon, manifesting both st and a!ectionate attitudes towards children. Fathers were expected to treat misbehaving childre harshly, but this disciplinary attitude was... more
Fatherhood in medieval Ashkenaz was a complex sociological phenomenon, manifesting both st and a!ectionate attitudes towards children. Fathers were expected to treat misbehaving childre harshly, but this disciplinary attitude was inseparable from paternal love and physical contact between fathers and children. Spaces in"uenced paternal behavior: appropriate fatherly behavi the synagogue di!ered from how fathers were expected to treat their children at home. This art focuses on two internal domestic loci: the cellar and the family table. The study of the cellar demonstrates not only harsh paternal behavior, but also the limitations of fatherhood: expelling children from home was a last resort for fathers who could not otherwise exert their paternal authority when paternal attempts to motivate children to internalize normative behavior were n successful. The study of the family table sheds light on the nurturing and educative aspects of domestic fatherhood; it manifests its a!ectionate characteristics and reveals gender constructions
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Traveling Jewish Men and Covenantal Bromances Zusammenfassung: In diesem Artikel werden mittelalterlich-jüdische „Bromances“ diskutiert, die jüdische Männer vor dem Aufbruch auf eine längere Reise vertraglich vereinbarten. Einige jüdische... more
Traveling Jewish Men and Covenantal Bromances Zusammenfassung: In diesem Artikel werden mittelalterlich-jüdische „Bromances“ diskutiert, die jüdische Männer vor dem Aufbruch auf eine längere Reise vertraglich vereinbarten. Einige jüdische Männer des Mittelalters hielten solche nicht-sexuellen homosozialen Verbindungen für notwendig, um rabbinische Männlichkeitsideale zu stärken. Zwei spätmittelalterliche hebräische Quellen, eine des 14. Jahrhunderts aus Spanien und eine aus dem Deutschland de..
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We are excited to inform you about a new blog we recently launched called medievalJewishStudiesNow! (MJSNow!). As scholars in the field of medieval Jewish Studies, we felt it is time to have a platform that would connect all the relevant... more
We are excited to inform you about a new blog we recently launched called medievalJewishStudiesNow! (MJSNow!). As scholars in the field of medieval Jewish Studies, we felt it is time to have a platform that would connect all the relevant news and information related to the field in a form that is easily accessible for everyone from enthusiasts and students to established scholars-historians, archeologists, archivists, codicologists, scholars of literature, paleographers, art historians, historians of architecture, musicologists, scholars in the digital humanities, etc.
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Abstract: This paper discusses medieval Jewish covenantal bromances, formed by Jewish men prior to embarking on an extended journey. For some medieval Jewish men, long distance trav-eling necessitated forming non-sexual homosocial... more
Abstract: This paper discusses medieval Jewish covenantal bromances, formed by Jewish men prior to embarking on an extended journey. For some medieval Jewish men, long distance trav-eling necessitated forming non-sexual homosocial bonding, which reinforced rabbinic masculinity. Two late medieval Hebrew sources, one from 14 th century Spain and the other from 15 th century Germany, reveal that entering a covenant before a long-distance journey was a known practice among medieval European Jewish men. Although these are the only two examples of covenantal bromances I found thus far, reading them carefully and contextualizing them with other contemporary sources, we may conclude that this type of male bonding was a recognized social institution in medieval European Jewish communities. What was the content of these relationships? Which rituals were employed to seal these pacts? And how did these covenantal bromances reinforce the boundaries of normative masculinity? These are the questions I discuss in this paper. 1
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Two disparate worldviews, the rabbinical and the chivalric, helped shape young Jewish men’s gender identities in medieval Germany. Alongside traditional rabbinical ideals of masculinity to which Jewish youngsters were exposed from an... more
Two disparate worldviews, the rabbinical and the chivalric, helped shape young Jewish men’s gender identities in medieval Germany. Alongside traditional rabbinical ideals of masculinity to which Jewish youngsters were exposed from an early age, they encountered the values rooted in chivalric culture that were central to the formation of gender identity among young Christian men in Europe during the Middle Ages.
Some young Jewish men embraced chivalric codes of masculinity to varying degrees, from dressing like their af uent Christian counterparts, to joining armies of local lords and actually adopting the chivalric way of life. Some also engaged in activities associated with the life of a knight, such as participation in tournaments, hunting, and falconry. The ideal of masculinity espoused by the Ashkenazi rabbis was sometimes at odds with chivalric culture and its values, prompting the rabbis to attempt to infuse values such as courage, pride, respect, love, and loyalty with content more in line with the ideals they sought to impart to the younger generation.
Some young Jewish men embraced chivalric codes of masculinity to varying degrees, from dressing like their af uent Christian counterparts, to joining armies of local lords and actually adopting the chivalric way of life. Some also engaged in activities associated with the life of a knight, such as participation in tournaments, hunting, and falconry. The ideal of masculinity espoused by the Ashkenazi rabbis was sometimes at odds with chivalric culture and its values, prompting the rabbis to attempt to infuse values such as courage, pride, respect, love, and loyalty with content more in line with the ideals they sought to impart to the younger generation.
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The article explores the various ways in which a social elite perceives the “intra- communal Other” and examines their social implications. The test case is that of the rabbinic elite of medieval Ashkenaz and the different ways in which... more
The article explores the various ways in which a social elite perceives the “intra- communal Other” and examines their social implications. The test case is that of the rabbinic elite of medieval Ashkenaz and the different ways in which it conceptualized and perpetuated the social category of the unlearned man or am ha’aretz. The process took place on three parallel and simultaneous tracks that interacted and helped buttress the social status of the Ashkenazi rabbinic elite: the construction of a negative image of the “intra-communal Other,” in this case the am ha’aretz; the abasement of the am ha’aretz and his exclusion from the centers of social power; and the arrogation of privileges by the members of the rabbinic elite at the expense of the am ha’aretz.
Gender constructions played a major role in consolidating the rabbis’ position at the top of the social hierarchy. Prominent among these was the ideal of masculinity crystallized by the Ashkenazi rabbis on the basis of their reading of the talmudic literature, a gender construction that they successfully instilled in their communities. The Ashkenazi rabbis described the am ha’aretz as coarse and uneducated, wicked, an informer, and violent, whose sexual behavior deviates from the rabbinic norm. This violent, bestial, and depraved masculinity was contrasted with the rabbinic ideal of manliness—a scholar immersed in the Torah, with a capacity for self-control, firm but also compassionate and willing to compromise. In light of this picture of how the elite constructed and treated their “intra-communal Other,” this article rejects Yehuda Brandes’s proposal to renew the social category of the am ha’aretz, as a social and halakhic concept, to replace the notion of “secular” that has taken root in Israeli society.
Gender constructions played a major role in consolidating the rabbis’ position at the top of the social hierarchy. Prominent among these was the ideal of masculinity crystallized by the Ashkenazi rabbis on the basis of their reading of the talmudic literature, a gender construction that they successfully instilled in their communities. The Ashkenazi rabbis described the am ha’aretz as coarse and uneducated, wicked, an informer, and violent, whose sexual behavior deviates from the rabbinic norm. This violent, bestial, and depraved masculinity was contrasted with the rabbinic ideal of manliness—a scholar immersed in the Torah, with a capacity for self-control, firm but also compassionate and willing to compromise. In light of this picture of how the elite constructed and treated their “intra-communal Other,” this article rejects Yehuda Brandes’s proposal to renew the social category of the am ha’aretz, as a social and halakhic concept, to replace the notion of “secular” that has taken root in Israeli society.
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This conference is set to take place in person, but we will remain attentive to current circumstances and open to hosting this event virtually. The final decision will be made two weeks prior to the conference.
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there is evidence of public expressions of grief among Ashkenazi fathers during the high and late Middle Ages and this emphasized the tender and loving aspect of medieval Jewish fatherhood. By encouraging fathers to seek support and... more
there is evidence of public expressions of grief among Ashkenazi fathers during the high and late Middle Ages and this emphasized the tender and loving aspect of medieval Jewish fatherhood. By encouraging fathers to seek support and comfort among community members and its rabbinic leaders, this type of fatherhood also contributed to strengthening familial and communal bonding.
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Rituals were at the core of Jewish quotidian life during the high and late Middle Ages, and they were often inseparable from conceptualizations of masculinities and fatherhood. Within medieval urban Jew-ish households, the table often... more
Rituals were at the core of Jewish quotidian life during the high and late Middle Ages, and they were often inseparable from conceptualizations of masculinities and fatherhood. Within medieval urban Jew-ish households, the table often became the central locus of the home, a place for gathering and eating, studying, praying and conversing. It was also a place where business transactions were conducted and marriage contracts were negotiated. The table, therefore, was a domestic location saturated with meanings , regulations, rituals and etiquette. Even though, in many medieval urban homes the table and the dining area were not architecturally separated from other parts of the house, it nonetheless became the heart of the domestic sphere. Among the daily rituals conducted around the table were the blessings after meals. Weekly rituals included the Kiddush, the sanctification of the sabbath over a cup of wine, and once a year, during the Passover Seder, it was around the dining table where fathers imparted to their children the unfolding story of the Jewish people. Thus, the table was one place where identities were shaped, where gender hierarchies and masculinities were manifested, and where fathers performed fatherhood. Moreover, in this lecture I will argue that within medieval Jewish culture, the dining table often represented, not only the alter that once stood at the Temple in Jerusalem, but it was also a symbol of fatherhood itself. The proposed lecture will discuss the table as a locus where rituals and fatherhood often intersected and what such social interactions teach about the constructions of fatherhood amongst Ashkenazi Jews during the high and late Middle Ages.
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ERC Material Culture Conference
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We are pleased to present the second issue of our newsletter describing some of the highlights of our recent activities, publications, and achievements.
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Die Ausstellung und der Katalog, In and Out, Between and Beyond: Jüdisches Alltagsleben im mittelalterlichen Europa (Eröffnung Juni 2021) ist das Gemeinschaftswerk eines internationalen Teams von MittelalterhistorikerInnen unter der... more
Die Ausstellung und der Katalog, In and Out, Between and Beyond: Jüdisches Alltagsleben im
mittelalterlichen Europa (Eröffnung Juni 2021) ist das Gemeinschaftswerk eines internationalen
Teams von MittelalterhistorikerInnen unter der Leitung von Prof. Elisheva Baumgarten von der
Hebräischen Universität von Jerusalem und zeitgenössischen Künstlern aus Israel. Gemeinsam
haben wir modernste Technologien und digitale Werkzeuge eingesetzt, um unsere Forschungen
zum mittelalterlichen Stadtleben greifbar zu machen. Die Ergebnisse können sowohl virtuell
als auch vor Ort besichtigt werden.
Die Forschungsgruppe Beyond the Elite: Jewish Daily Life in Medieval Europe, die vom Europäischen
Forschungsrat finanziert wird, versucht zu verstehen, wie das Leben von Jüdinnen und Juden
in den mittelalterlichen städtischen Zentren West- und Nordeuropas aussah. In Anbetracht
der Tatsache, dass Juden sowohl Teil ihrer lokalen Gemeinschaften als auch eine oft verfolgte
religiöse Minderheit waren, stellen wir die Frage, wie sie alltägliche Räume und Erfahrungen mit
ihren christlichen Nachbarn teilten und sich dennoch abgrenzten. Wie wurden sie gleichzeitig
in ihre Gemeinden integriert und von ihnen ausgegrenzt?
Nach mehreren Jahren konzentrierter Arbeit wollten wir die Ergebnisse unseres Projekts mit der
Öffentlichkeit teilen. Um ein breites Publikum anzusprechen, haben wir uns entschieden, die
mittelalterliche Realität nicht nur anhand von Texten oder originalen Funden zu beschreiben,
sondern einen kreativeren Ansatz zu verfolgen, indem wir in zeitgenössischer künstlerischer
Form vielfältige Perspektiven des mittelalterlichen jüdischen Lebens aufzeigen – “innerhalb und
außerhalb”, “zwischen” und “jenseits” des täglichen Lebens in ihrer christlichen städtischen
Umgebung.
Dr. Ido Noy, Kunsthistoriker und Mitglied des Beyond the Elite-Teams, kuratierte und gestaltete
die Ausstellung, und wir begannen die Zusammenarbeit mit einem Team zeitgenössischer
Künstler, die wie wir auf ein breites Spektrum von Disziplinen zurückgreifen konnten, von Kunst
und Kalligrafie über Grafikdesign bis hin zu Animation, Klangkunst sowie 3D-Modellierung und
Druck. Unsere Strategie war mehrstufig: Zunächst schrieb jede/r HistorikerIn einen kurzen
Artikel, der sich auf eine Primärquelle konzentrierte und seine/ihre Forschungen beleuchtete.
Diese Artikel bildeten den Hauptteil des Katalogs. Zweitens wurde jeder Artikel den sieben
KünstlerInnen vorgestellt, und wir bildeten Gruppen von HistorikerInnen und KünstlerInnen,
die sich gegenseitig in ihren Fähigkeiten ergänzten. Drittens trafen sich diese Teams, um zu entscheiden, wie die historischen Details durch zeitgenössische Kunst vermittelt werden sollten.
Nach zwei langen Jahren Arbeit wurde die Ausstellung im Juni 2021 in der Max and Iris Stern
Gallery auf dem Mount Scopus Campus der Hebräischen Universität von Jerusalem eröffnet
und war auch für Online-Besucher über eine virtuelle Ausstellung zugänglich.
Es war unser Traum, dass die Ausstellung auch an anderen Orten und in anderen Gemeinschaften
zu sehen sein würde, nicht nur virtuell, sondern auch physisch. Wir haben uns daher sehr gefreut,
als unsere Kollegin und Freundin Dr. Maria Stürzebecher vom Museum Alte Synagoge in Erfurt
auf uns zukam und uns bat, die Ausstellung in Erfurt zu zeigen. Einer der Hauptunterschiede
zwischen der Erfurter Ausstellung und der in Jerusalem ist die Präsenz der mittelalterlichen
Juden in Erfurt und die Präsentation der Ausstellung in der mittelalterlichen Synagoge
zusammen mit originalen Artefakten.
Durch die Reise der Ausstellung nach Erfurt konnten wir das Beste aus allen Welten nutzen.
Die Ausstellung in der Alten Synagoge zeigt die modernen künstlerischen Darstellungen der
mittelalterlichen Kultur neben Originalen. Erstere wurden neu angeordnet, um sich besser
in die Dauerausstellung einzufügen und das multisensorische Erlebnis in der Ausstellung zu
verbessern. Diese Neupositionierung ermöglicht ein neues Verständnis und unterstreicht die
Verwobenheit der Juden mit der christlichen Kultur des Mittelalters sowie die Art und Weise,
wie Juden gleichzeitig “innerhalb und außerhalb”, “zwischen” und “jenseits” der städtischen
Milieus waren, in denen sie lebten. Darüber hinaus haben wir beim Künstler Kalman Gavriel
Delmoor, dessen monumentale Kalligrafie das Rückgrat der Ausstellung bildet, ein Originalwerk
in Auftrag gegeben, um diesen neuen Bedeutungsebenen Ausdruck zu verleihen. Der Katalog
zu dieser Ausstellung enthält nicht nur neue Einführungen, sondern auch Fotos der Galerien
an beiden Standorten, so dass die Leser beide Versionen der Ausstellung genießen können. Wir
hoffen, dass die Ausstellung in den kommenden Jahren an weiteren Orten zu sehen sein wird
und mit jeder Station neue Interpretationen hinzukommen.
Die Zusammenarbeit zwischen unserem Forschungsteam in Jerusalem und unseren KollegInnen
in Erfurt begann bereits Jahre vor dieser gemeinsamen Unternehmung, hat sich aber im Rahmen
dieses Projekts intensiviert. Wir sind Dr. Stürzebecher und ihren KollegInnen sehr dankbar
und freuen uns auf zukünftige Kooperationen zwischen der Hebräischen Universität von
Jerusalem und der Alten Synagoge. Unser Dank gilt auch den Wissenschaftlern und vor allem
den KünstlerInnen, die mit den Kuratoren zusammengearbeitet haben, um ihre Kunstwerke für
den neuen Raum umzugestalten.
mittelalterlichen Europa (Eröffnung Juni 2021) ist das Gemeinschaftswerk eines internationalen
Teams von MittelalterhistorikerInnen unter der Leitung von Prof. Elisheva Baumgarten von der
Hebräischen Universität von Jerusalem und zeitgenössischen Künstlern aus Israel. Gemeinsam
haben wir modernste Technologien und digitale Werkzeuge eingesetzt, um unsere Forschungen
zum mittelalterlichen Stadtleben greifbar zu machen. Die Ergebnisse können sowohl virtuell
als auch vor Ort besichtigt werden.
Die Forschungsgruppe Beyond the Elite: Jewish Daily Life in Medieval Europe, die vom Europäischen
Forschungsrat finanziert wird, versucht zu verstehen, wie das Leben von Jüdinnen und Juden
in den mittelalterlichen städtischen Zentren West- und Nordeuropas aussah. In Anbetracht
der Tatsache, dass Juden sowohl Teil ihrer lokalen Gemeinschaften als auch eine oft verfolgte
religiöse Minderheit waren, stellen wir die Frage, wie sie alltägliche Räume und Erfahrungen mit
ihren christlichen Nachbarn teilten und sich dennoch abgrenzten. Wie wurden sie gleichzeitig
in ihre Gemeinden integriert und von ihnen ausgegrenzt?
Nach mehreren Jahren konzentrierter Arbeit wollten wir die Ergebnisse unseres Projekts mit der
Öffentlichkeit teilen. Um ein breites Publikum anzusprechen, haben wir uns entschieden, die
mittelalterliche Realität nicht nur anhand von Texten oder originalen Funden zu beschreiben,
sondern einen kreativeren Ansatz zu verfolgen, indem wir in zeitgenössischer künstlerischer
Form vielfältige Perspektiven des mittelalterlichen jüdischen Lebens aufzeigen – “innerhalb und
außerhalb”, “zwischen” und “jenseits” des täglichen Lebens in ihrer christlichen städtischen
Umgebung.
Dr. Ido Noy, Kunsthistoriker und Mitglied des Beyond the Elite-Teams, kuratierte und gestaltete
die Ausstellung, und wir begannen die Zusammenarbeit mit einem Team zeitgenössischer
Künstler, die wie wir auf ein breites Spektrum von Disziplinen zurückgreifen konnten, von Kunst
und Kalligrafie über Grafikdesign bis hin zu Animation, Klangkunst sowie 3D-Modellierung und
Druck. Unsere Strategie war mehrstufig: Zunächst schrieb jede/r HistorikerIn einen kurzen
Artikel, der sich auf eine Primärquelle konzentrierte und seine/ihre Forschungen beleuchtete.
Diese Artikel bildeten den Hauptteil des Katalogs. Zweitens wurde jeder Artikel den sieben
KünstlerInnen vorgestellt, und wir bildeten Gruppen von HistorikerInnen und KünstlerInnen,
die sich gegenseitig in ihren Fähigkeiten ergänzten. Drittens trafen sich diese Teams, um zu entscheiden, wie die historischen Details durch zeitgenössische Kunst vermittelt werden sollten.
Nach zwei langen Jahren Arbeit wurde die Ausstellung im Juni 2021 in der Max and Iris Stern
Gallery auf dem Mount Scopus Campus der Hebräischen Universität von Jerusalem eröffnet
und war auch für Online-Besucher über eine virtuelle Ausstellung zugänglich.
Es war unser Traum, dass die Ausstellung auch an anderen Orten und in anderen Gemeinschaften
zu sehen sein würde, nicht nur virtuell, sondern auch physisch. Wir haben uns daher sehr gefreut,
als unsere Kollegin und Freundin Dr. Maria Stürzebecher vom Museum Alte Synagoge in Erfurt
auf uns zukam und uns bat, die Ausstellung in Erfurt zu zeigen. Einer der Hauptunterschiede
zwischen der Erfurter Ausstellung und der in Jerusalem ist die Präsenz der mittelalterlichen
Juden in Erfurt und die Präsentation der Ausstellung in der mittelalterlichen Synagoge
zusammen mit originalen Artefakten.
Durch die Reise der Ausstellung nach Erfurt konnten wir das Beste aus allen Welten nutzen.
Die Ausstellung in der Alten Synagoge zeigt die modernen künstlerischen Darstellungen der
mittelalterlichen Kultur neben Originalen. Erstere wurden neu angeordnet, um sich besser
in die Dauerausstellung einzufügen und das multisensorische Erlebnis in der Ausstellung zu
verbessern. Diese Neupositionierung ermöglicht ein neues Verständnis und unterstreicht die
Verwobenheit der Juden mit der christlichen Kultur des Mittelalters sowie die Art und Weise,
wie Juden gleichzeitig “innerhalb und außerhalb”, “zwischen” und “jenseits” der städtischen
Milieus waren, in denen sie lebten. Darüber hinaus haben wir beim Künstler Kalman Gavriel
Delmoor, dessen monumentale Kalligrafie das Rückgrat der Ausstellung bildet, ein Originalwerk
in Auftrag gegeben, um diesen neuen Bedeutungsebenen Ausdruck zu verleihen. Der Katalog
zu dieser Ausstellung enthält nicht nur neue Einführungen, sondern auch Fotos der Galerien
an beiden Standorten, so dass die Leser beide Versionen der Ausstellung genießen können. Wir
hoffen, dass die Ausstellung in den kommenden Jahren an weiteren Orten zu sehen sein wird
und mit jeder Station neue Interpretationen hinzukommen.
Die Zusammenarbeit zwischen unserem Forschungsteam in Jerusalem und unseren KollegInnen
in Erfurt begann bereits Jahre vor dieser gemeinsamen Unternehmung, hat sich aber im Rahmen
dieses Projekts intensiviert. Wir sind Dr. Stürzebecher und ihren KollegInnen sehr dankbar
und freuen uns auf zukünftige Kooperationen zwischen der Hebräischen Universität von
Jerusalem und der Alten Synagoge. Unser Dank gilt auch den Wissenschaftlern und vor allem
den KünstlerInnen, die mit den Kuratoren zusammengearbeitet haben, um ihre Kunstwerke für
den neuen Raum umzugestalten.
Research Interests:
Designed to introduce students to the everyday lives of the Jews who lived in the German Empire, northern France, and England from the 11th to the mid-14th centuries, the volume consists of translations of primary sources written by or... more
Designed to introduce students to the everyday lives of the Jews who lived in the German Empire, northern France, and England from the 11th to the mid-14th centuries, the volume consists of translations of primary sources written by or about medieval Jews. Each source is accompanied by an introduction that provides historical context. Through the sources, students can become familiar with the spaces that Jews frequented, their daily practices and rituals, and their thinking. The subject matter ranges from culinary preferences and even details of sexual lives, to garments, objects, and communal buildings. The documents testify to how Jews enacted their Sabbath and holidays, celebrated their weddings, births and other lifecycle events, and mourned their dead. Some of the sources focus on the relationships they had with their Christian neighbors, the local authorities, and the Church, while others shed light on their economic activities and professions.
With introduction by Tzafrir Barzilay, Eyal Levinson and Elisheva Baumgarten. Entries by the editors and also by Neta Bodner, Adi Namia-Cohen, Nureet Dermer, Aviya Doron, Miri Fenton, Etelle Kalaora, Albert Kohn, Andreas Lehnertz, Hannah Teddy Schachter, Amit Shafran.
With introduction by Tzafrir Barzilay, Eyal Levinson and Elisheva Baumgarten. Entries by the editors and also by Neta Bodner, Adi Namia-Cohen, Nureet Dermer, Aviya Doron, Miri Fenton, Etelle Kalaora, Albert Kohn, Andreas Lehnertz, Hannah Teddy Schachter, Amit Shafran.
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Link to a lecture series: "Plagues in Historical Perspective: The Jews and The Black Death". The current COVID-19 pandemic recalls past epidemics, and most vividly the plague known as the Black Death in medieval Europe (1348-1350). Then,... more
Link to a lecture series: "Plagues in Historical Perspective: The Jews and The Black Death". The current COVID-19 pandemic recalls past epidemics, and most vividly the plague known as the Black Death in medieval Europe (1348-1350). Then, like today, the outbreak of disease had social, financial and cultural implications alongside medical ones. For Jews in medieval Europe, the Black Death was a moment of persecution and expulsion, one in which existing local and religious tensions played out in a variety of ways.
This four-part mini-series features the work of the “Beyond the Elite: Jewish Daily Life in Medieval Europe” project of the Hebrew University, providing historical context and insight to current events
This four-part mini-series features the work of the “Beyond the Elite: Jewish Daily Life in Medieval Europe” project of the Hebrew University, providing historical context and insight to current events
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The Israel Science Foundation sponsored research project Contending with Crises: The Jews in XIV th Century Europe at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem under the direction of Prof. Elisheva Baumgarten is offering up to 2 Post-Doctoral... more
The Israel Science Foundation sponsored research project Contending with Crises: The Jews in XIV th Century Europe at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem under the direction of Prof. Elisheva Baumgarten is offering up to 2 Post-Doctoral scholarships beginning in the 2023-2024 academic year. Scholars who have
The Israel Science Foundation sponsored research project Contending with Crises: The Jews in XIV th Century Europe at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem under the direction of Prof. Elisheva Baumgarten is offering up to 2 visiting... more
The Israel Science Foundation sponsored research project Contending with Crises: The Jews in XIV th Century Europe at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem under the direction of Prof. Elisheva Baumgarten is offering up to 2 visiting fellowships for Ph.D. students in the fields of History, Jewish Studies, Religious Studies, Literature, or Art History starting in October 2023. Successful candidates will receive a monthly stipend of ca. 7,500 NIS. They will be given offices at the Hebrew University (Mount Scopus campus), and will expected to be present at least two days a week. They will take part in a group enterprise of creating a history of Jewish life in Europe during the XIV th century with an emphasis on challenges Jews faced as part of the centuries' crises including expulsion, migration, persecution, and plague but also return to previous homes after displacement, cultural production, changing and continuing social structures. Work on any geographic area in Europe is relevant for this project. They will participate in the project's seminar, research trips, conferences and its other activities and will confirm to the requirements of Ph.D. students at the Hebrew University. For more information see: http://www.research-students.huji.ac.il/en
In and Out, Between and Beyond: Jewish Daily Life in Medieval Europe The exhibition In and Out, Between and Beyond: Jewish Daily Life in Medieval Europe is among the final fruits of the European Research Council research group Beyond the... more
In and Out, Between and Beyond: Jewish Daily Life in Medieval Europe
The exhibition In and Out, Between and Beyond: Jewish Daily Life in
Medieval Europe is among the final fruits of the European Research Council research group Beyond the Elite: Jewish Daily Life in Medieval Europe, headed by Prof. Elisheva Baumgarten that studies daily life in the Jewish communities of medieval Ashkenaz. The team has worked to construct a history which includes those who were not part of the learned elite alongside those who were learned, about whom we know more. Rather than spotlighting the dramatic events of this period, we have trained our sights on its everyday moments. In addition, we have investigated a complex historical reality: the integration of Ashkenazic Jews within their Christian surroundings, alongside their maintenance of a distinct religious identity.
Reflecting its textual origins, the exhibition is comprised of sixteen units, at the heart of each of which stands a primary source from a particular literary genre. The curator, Dr. Ido Noy, orchestrated a fruitful exchange between the research team and seven Israeli artists, who then produced contemporary expressions of the historic ideas under discussion. The display includes several installations based on medieval artifacts, as well as original works created especially for the exhibition by contemporary artists. Rather than being constructed along a specific linear narrative, the space is divided by pillars into three distinct spaces, reflecting our three guiding themes: In and Out, Between and Beyond. Visitors may begin by reading the historical sources and continue by viewing the objects, or vice versa. We envision viewers making their own way among the displays at the exhibition and experiencing these connections between past and present.
The exhibition In and Out, Between and Beyond: Jewish Daily Life in
Medieval Europe is among the final fruits of the European Research Council research group Beyond the Elite: Jewish Daily Life in Medieval Europe, headed by Prof. Elisheva Baumgarten that studies daily life in the Jewish communities of medieval Ashkenaz. The team has worked to construct a history which includes those who were not part of the learned elite alongside those who were learned, about whom we know more. Rather than spotlighting the dramatic events of this period, we have trained our sights on its everyday moments. In addition, we have investigated a complex historical reality: the integration of Ashkenazic Jews within their Christian surroundings, alongside their maintenance of a distinct religious identity.
Reflecting its textual origins, the exhibition is comprised of sixteen units, at the heart of each of which stands a primary source from a particular literary genre. The curator, Dr. Ido Noy, orchestrated a fruitful exchange between the research team and seven Israeli artists, who then produced contemporary expressions of the historic ideas under discussion. The display includes several installations based on medieval artifacts, as well as original works created especially for the exhibition by contemporary artists. Rather than being constructed along a specific linear narrative, the space is divided by pillars into three distinct spaces, reflecting our three guiding themes: In and Out, Between and Beyond. Visitors may begin by reading the historical sources and continue by viewing the objects, or vice versa. We envision viewers making their own way among the displays at the exhibition and experiencing these connections between past and present.
Research Interests:
New Book by Eyal Levinson: ויגדלו הנערים: מגדר ומיניות באשכנז בימי הביניים Gender and Sexuality in Ashkenaz in the Middle Ages This book examines youth culture in Ashkenaz, mainly in northern France and Germany, during the eleventh to... more
New Book by Eyal Levinson:
ויגדלו הנערים: מגדר ומיניות באשכנז בימי הביניים
Gender and Sexuality in Ashkenaz in the Middle Ages
This book examines youth culture in Ashkenaz, mainly in northern France and Germany, during the eleventh to fifteenth centuries, within the context of mainstream Christian majority culture. By examining adolescence and youth culture in medieval Ashkenaz and the values that shaped the Jewish young men’s gendered identities, this book is an initial attempt to fill a lacuna that the historian Michael Satlow recently pointed at, the absence of critical studies on medieval Jewish masculinities.
The book surveys sources from different genres, which allows for a complex and wide-ranging examination of Jewish adolescence, the social ideals that adults tried to impart to young people, the cultural images in which adults described the youth of their communities, and the daily lives of young men and women. These sources include responsa and halakhic literature, moral treatises, biblical and talmudic commentaries, custom books, folk tales and legends, Crusade chronicles, epitaphs, illustrations in medieval Hebrew books, archaeological findings, and frescoes.
The vibrant youth culture of medieval Ashkenaz that this book brings to light, features young men and women who enjoyed drinking together in taverns, who loved dancing in mixed company at weddings, dressed in their finest clothes for the occasion. There were Ashkenazic young men who participated in pseudo–tournaments at weddings, some joined real tournaments, and many protected their cities alongside their Christian neighbors.
The book argues that the lives of Jewish adolescents were not so different from those of their Christian peers. Jewish and Christian youth interacted with one another as part of their daily lives, shared values related to gender, dressed in similar fashions, danced to the same melodies, and knew the same stories and legends. Like their Christian neighbors, young Jewish men liked to run wild, behave violently, enjoyed competitions, and demonstrated their physical strength and fighting skills. And like their Christian neighbors these young Jewish men held masculine knightly ideals and were influenced by chivalric culture, esthetics, and values. Concurrently, these same men were shaped by halakhic norms and the values of rabbinic masculinity.
All in all, this study allows a path to better understanding of not only medieval Jewish culture and everyday life during this period, but also medieval urban culture at large. Readers interested in the history of childhood, adolescence, sexualities, and formations of gendered identities will also benefit from this study.
ויגדלו הנערים: מגדר ומיניות באשכנז בימי הביניים מספר את סיפורם של בחורים ובחורות שחיו בקהילות היהודיות באשכנז, במאות ה-11 עד ה-15. הסיפורים המופיעים בספר גדושים במידע היסטורי שמאיר באור חדש את חברה יהודית זו. הם מעידים, למשל, על האינטראקציה המגדרית היום-יומית שהייתה מקובלת בין צעירים וצעירות ועל תרבות הנעורים שבה הם נטלו חלק, ושהתנהלה בבתי המשתה ובבתי המחולות וגם בחצרות בתי הכנסת, בבתים פרטיים וברחובות הערים. הצעירים והצעירות אהבו לרקוד יחדיו כשהם מקושטים במיטב בגדיהם, הם שיחקו במשחקים שונים, וביניהם משחקי כדור שאפשרו מגע גופני, ומתקבל גם הרושם, שאף תופעת ההימורים לא הייתה זניחה בין הבחורים. היו בין הבחורים שבאו להשתתף בחתונות וביניהם כאלה שלא היססו לגנוב תרנגולות מתושבי המקום. כמו כן היו בחורים שנהגו לערוך כחלק מחגיגות הנישואים מעין טורנירים כמקובל אצל שכניהם האצילים. תקופת הבחרות נחשבה כפרק חיים שבו הצעירים נמצאו בשיא כוחם הפיזי ואונם המיני, וללא יכולת רבה לרסן את תשוקותיהם המיניות, שלעיתים חרגו מגבולות המיניות המותרת. אינטראקציות מגדריות פנים-קהילתית היו חלק מחיי היום יום כמו גם קשרים חברתיים בין צעירים יהודים ונוצרים, שהתרחשו במרחבים העירוניים הצפופים של צפון-מערב אירופה.
הספר חושף את קהל הקוראים והקוראות ליחסים המורכבים שהיו בין המבוגרים ובין הדור הצעיר, בין הורים לילדיהם, בין רבנים לתלמידיהם, בין בעלים צעירים לנשותיהם המבוגרות והעשירות, בין בחורים עשירים למשרתות, ובין בנות עשירים לתלמידי חכמים. עדויות היסטוריות אלו מלמדות גם על מתחים פנים-קהילתיים שצצו מפעם לפעם ודרשו את התערבות הרבנים. המקורות עליהם מתבסס הספר נבחנו באמצעות הקטגוריה האנליטית ״גבריות״, מהלך שפתח פתח להבנת המורכבות המגדרית שכוננה חברה יהודית זו. ערכי הגבריות האבירית תרמו לעיצוב זהותם המגדרית של בחורים רבים בתקופה הנדונה, יהודים ונוצרים כאחד. את הנערים היהודים לא חינכו להפנים את ערכי הגבריות האבירית; ערכים אלו הם ניכסו במרחבים התרבותיים, וערכים אלו עמדו לעיתים קרובות בסתירה לתפיסות הגבריות הרבנית. הספר מראה שבחורי אשכנז פיתחו זהויות מגדריות ויהודיות מורכבות, ושזהויות אלו אפשרו להם להרגיש שייכות מסוימת לתרבות הרוב שבה הם חיו, ובד בבד לפתח שייכות ייחודית לקהילה היהודית שבה הם גדלו, פעלו, הקימו את משפחותיהם וגידלו את ילדיהם, ובה הם סיימו את חייהם.
ויגדלו הנערים: מגדר ומיניות באשכנז בימי הביניים
Gender and Sexuality in Ashkenaz in the Middle Ages
This book examines youth culture in Ashkenaz, mainly in northern France and Germany, during the eleventh to fifteenth centuries, within the context of mainstream Christian majority culture. By examining adolescence and youth culture in medieval Ashkenaz and the values that shaped the Jewish young men’s gendered identities, this book is an initial attempt to fill a lacuna that the historian Michael Satlow recently pointed at, the absence of critical studies on medieval Jewish masculinities.
The book surveys sources from different genres, which allows for a complex and wide-ranging examination of Jewish adolescence, the social ideals that adults tried to impart to young people, the cultural images in which adults described the youth of their communities, and the daily lives of young men and women. These sources include responsa and halakhic literature, moral treatises, biblical and talmudic commentaries, custom books, folk tales and legends, Crusade chronicles, epitaphs, illustrations in medieval Hebrew books, archaeological findings, and frescoes.
The vibrant youth culture of medieval Ashkenaz that this book brings to light, features young men and women who enjoyed drinking together in taverns, who loved dancing in mixed company at weddings, dressed in their finest clothes for the occasion. There were Ashkenazic young men who participated in pseudo–tournaments at weddings, some joined real tournaments, and many protected their cities alongside their Christian neighbors.
The book argues that the lives of Jewish adolescents were not so different from those of their Christian peers. Jewish and Christian youth interacted with one another as part of their daily lives, shared values related to gender, dressed in similar fashions, danced to the same melodies, and knew the same stories and legends. Like their Christian neighbors, young Jewish men liked to run wild, behave violently, enjoyed competitions, and demonstrated their physical strength and fighting skills. And like their Christian neighbors these young Jewish men held masculine knightly ideals and were influenced by chivalric culture, esthetics, and values. Concurrently, these same men were shaped by halakhic norms and the values of rabbinic masculinity.
All in all, this study allows a path to better understanding of not only medieval Jewish culture and everyday life during this period, but also medieval urban culture at large. Readers interested in the history of childhood, adolescence, sexualities, and formations of gendered identities will also benefit from this study.
ויגדלו הנערים: מגדר ומיניות באשכנז בימי הביניים מספר את סיפורם של בחורים ובחורות שחיו בקהילות היהודיות באשכנז, במאות ה-11 עד ה-15. הסיפורים המופיעים בספר גדושים במידע היסטורי שמאיר באור חדש את חברה יהודית זו. הם מעידים, למשל, על האינטראקציה המגדרית היום-יומית שהייתה מקובלת בין צעירים וצעירות ועל תרבות הנעורים שבה הם נטלו חלק, ושהתנהלה בבתי המשתה ובבתי המחולות וגם בחצרות בתי הכנסת, בבתים פרטיים וברחובות הערים. הצעירים והצעירות אהבו לרקוד יחדיו כשהם מקושטים במיטב בגדיהם, הם שיחקו במשחקים שונים, וביניהם משחקי כדור שאפשרו מגע גופני, ומתקבל גם הרושם, שאף תופעת ההימורים לא הייתה זניחה בין הבחורים. היו בין הבחורים שבאו להשתתף בחתונות וביניהם כאלה שלא היססו לגנוב תרנגולות מתושבי המקום. כמו כן היו בחורים שנהגו לערוך כחלק מחגיגות הנישואים מעין טורנירים כמקובל אצל שכניהם האצילים. תקופת הבחרות נחשבה כפרק חיים שבו הצעירים נמצאו בשיא כוחם הפיזי ואונם המיני, וללא יכולת רבה לרסן את תשוקותיהם המיניות, שלעיתים חרגו מגבולות המיניות המותרת. אינטראקציות מגדריות פנים-קהילתית היו חלק מחיי היום יום כמו גם קשרים חברתיים בין צעירים יהודים ונוצרים, שהתרחשו במרחבים העירוניים הצפופים של צפון-מערב אירופה.
הספר חושף את קהל הקוראים והקוראות ליחסים המורכבים שהיו בין המבוגרים ובין הדור הצעיר, בין הורים לילדיהם, בין רבנים לתלמידיהם, בין בעלים צעירים לנשותיהם המבוגרות והעשירות, בין בחורים עשירים למשרתות, ובין בנות עשירים לתלמידי חכמים. עדויות היסטוריות אלו מלמדות גם על מתחים פנים-קהילתיים שצצו מפעם לפעם ודרשו את התערבות הרבנים. המקורות עליהם מתבסס הספר נבחנו באמצעות הקטגוריה האנליטית ״גבריות״, מהלך שפתח פתח להבנת המורכבות המגדרית שכוננה חברה יהודית זו. ערכי הגבריות האבירית תרמו לעיצוב זהותם המגדרית של בחורים רבים בתקופה הנדונה, יהודים ונוצרים כאחד. את הנערים היהודים לא חינכו להפנים את ערכי הגבריות האבירית; ערכים אלו הם ניכסו במרחבים התרבותיים, וערכים אלו עמדו לעיתים קרובות בסתירה לתפיסות הגבריות הרבנית. הספר מראה שבחורי אשכנז פיתחו זהויות מגדריות ויהודיות מורכבות, ושזהויות אלו אפשרו להם להרגיש שייכות מסוימת לתרבות הרוב שבה הם חיו, ובד בבד לפתח שייכות ייחודית לקהילה היהודית שבה הם גדלו, פעלו, הקימו את משפחותיהם וגידלו את ילדיהם, ובה הם סיימו את חייהם.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The exhibition was conceived by the research group Beyond the Elite: Jewish Daily Life in Medieval Europe at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, led by Prof. Elisheva Baumgarten. Based on the group‘s research results, seven Israeli... more
The exhibition was conceived by the research group Beyond
the Elite: Jewish Daily Life in Medieval Europe at the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem, led by Prof. Elisheva Baumgarten.
Based on the group‘s research results, seven Israeli artists
created contemporary works that address the various aspects
regarding the daily life of Jewish communities in medieval
Ashkenaz. Curated by Dr. Ido Noy, the exhibition is on view
for the first time outside Jerusalem - at the Old Synagogue
Erfurt, where it will enter into dialogue with the authentic
evidence of medieval Jewish everyday life in the permanent
exhibition.
the Elite: Jewish Daily Life in Medieval Europe at the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem, led by Prof. Elisheva Baumgarten.
Based on the group‘s research results, seven Israeli artists
created contemporary works that address the various aspects
regarding the daily life of Jewish communities in medieval
Ashkenaz. Curated by Dr. Ido Noy, the exhibition is on view
for the first time outside Jerusalem - at the Old Synagogue
Erfurt, where it will enter into dialogue with the authentic
evidence of medieval Jewish everyday life in the permanent
exhibition.