Jewish Messianism in its Historical Contexts

 

DIRECTOR:

David B. Ruderman (University of Pennsylvania)

ORGANIZER:

Isaiah Gafni (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem)

 

The 9th Summer School will examine the historical contexts and impulses that nurtured and at the same time frequently reshaped the concept of messianism in Jewish life. The sessions will address the definitive stages and at times diverse parallel strains of Jewish messianic fervor from post-biblical times to the present, at all times noting contemporaneous representations of messianism in Christian and Moslem societies. The role of messianism as a political catalyst during crucial stages of Jewish history, as well as its place in the emergence and subsequent development of such movements as Hasidism, secular as well as religious Zionism, and indeed even its contribution to the formulation of radical expressions of utopian social restructuring will all be examined in a variety of formats: lectures, text-oriented seminars and dialogues among members of the faculty with student participation.

 

SPEAKERS:

Ada Rapoport-Albert, University College London
Israel Bartal, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Cornell Fleischer, University of Chicago
Moshe Idel, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Israel Knohl, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Bernard McGinn, University of Chicago
Ronit Meroz, Tel Aviv University
Avi Ravitzky, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem