Shalom Spiegel Institute for Medieval Hebrew Literature

The Shalom Spiegel Institute was established in 1996 in memory of Shalom Spiegel (1899–1984), one of the greatest scholars of Judaica of his generation and a leading expert in medieval Hebrew literature. Dr. Spiegel taught at JTS from 1944 until his death forty years later. The institute carries on Dr. Spiegel's work in medieval Hebrew literature by providing fellowships to graduate students in the field, by fostering international research projects, and by caring for and providing access to the research materials assembled by Dr. Spiegel during his long and distinguished career.

 

Announcing: 2008 Summer Seminar in Medieval Hebrew Poetry

The Shalom Spiegel Institute of Medieval Hebrew Literature at The Jewish Theological Seminary is pleased to announce that it will again hold a one-week intensive seminar in medieval Hebrew poetry from June 15–20, 2008, at JTS. The curriculum will consist of three minicourses—one on Ibn Gabirol, one on the genre of the maqama, and one in manuscripts and paleography. The courses will meet daily from Sunday through Friday.

This summer seminar will be available without charge and without academic credit to a group of up to twenty graduate students who are working in medieval Jewish studies or Hebrew literature and whose Hebrew is sufficiently advanced to permit them to study medieval Hebrew poetry in the original language.

The program is intended to supplement academic programs that offer medieval Jewish studies and Hebrew literature but do not provide courses in which Hebrew poetry is read in the original. It is also expected to benefit students in programs in which such courses are offered, but whose academic interests make it desirable for them to acquire more intensive training in this area.

Students who participated in the Spiegel Institute Summer Seminar in 2005 may apply again. Arrangements will be made for those students not to duplicate the manuscript and paleography work that they did on the earlier occasion.

Program Details:

After opening with an informal gathering on Sunday, June 15, the program will begin immediately with two, two-hour class sessions. Monday to Thursday there will be three, two-hour class sessions per day, with appropriate coffee breaks. Students and faculty will meet for a group lunch each weekday. On Friday there will be one class session and a panel discussion, followed by a concluding luncheon of a somewhat more ceremonial nature.

The minicourses will be supplemented by evening lectures and entertainment.

Students will be housed in the dormitory of a local institution. Some subvention funds for transportation may be available.

The Faculty:

Dr. Raymond P. Scheindlin, director, is professor of Medieval Hebrew Literature at The Jewish Theological Seminary and director of the Shalom Spiegel Institute. He is the author of Wine, Women, and Death: Medieval Hebrew Poems on the Good Life (1986); The Gazelle: Medieval Hebrew Poems on God, Israel, and the Soul (1991); The Song of the Distant Dove: Pilgrimage Poems by Judah Halevi (2007) and numerous articles and translations. He will teach the course on Ibn Gabirol.

Professor Jonathan Decter, assistant professor and the Edmond J. Safra Chair in Sephardic Studies in the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies at Brandeis University, is a specialist in Hebrew literature in the medieval Judeo-Arabic environment and the author of Out of the Garden: Estrangement and Transition in Iberian Jewish Literature (2007).

Dr. Menahem Schmelzer, former librarian of the The Library of The Jewish Theological Seminary, is both a specialist in medieval Hebrew poetry and a distinguished expert on Hebrew books and manuscripts. He is the author of Isaac Ben Abraham Ibn Ezra: Poems (1980) and Studies in Jewish Bibliography and Medieval Hebrew Poetry (2006).

How to Apply:

To apply, write a letter of no more than two pages covering the following points:

  1. Describe your academic program and interests, explaining how the study of medieval Hebrew poetry relates to your work.
  2. Describe your knowledge of Hebrew, particularly your ability to read academic prose; and your familiarity with such classical texts as the Bible, Talmud, and medieval literature.
  3. Provide the name of an academic mentor who is familiar with your program of study, your language skills, and who can evaluate your academic performance.

Recommendations will only be requested on an individual basis if deemed necessary. Letters should be postmarked by January 31, 2008, and should be addressed to Dr. Raymond P. Scheindlin, The Jewish Theological Seminary, 3080 Broadway, New York, NY 10027. Applicants who are accepted to the program will be notified by February 28, 2008.

For further clarification, write the director at rascheindlin@jtsa.edu.