Resources for 2024
Messengers to Themselves: Private Letters from Jerusalem
This study highlights a unique phenomenon in 16th and 17th-century Jerusalem: "Messengers to Themselves" (שלוחים לעצמם), individuals who sought alms for personal survival. Unlike traditional emissaries who solicited funds for communal needs, these individuals carried letters from Jerusalem's leaders addressing personal crises such as poverty, dowry funds, or captivity. The letters reveal the precarious circumstances of Jerusalem's Jewish population during the Ottoman period and the community's reliance on diaspora networks.
Pinkas Jerusalem and the Ashkenazi Jews of Ottoman Palestine
This study explores the 'Pinkas Jerusalem,' a segment of MS 3541 housed at the Jewish Theological Seminary, which provides unique insights into the Ashkenazi communities of Safed and Jerusalem between 1611 and 1628. Authored by Rabbi Jacob Philip, the records delve into financial transactions, diasporic networks, and the maintenance of Torah scholars. This session examines the challenges and dynamics of Ashkenazi Jewish life in Ottoman Palestine and their interaction with local Jewish and Muslim communities.
Rome in the Galilee, the Galilee in Rome
This presentation explores the interplay between Rome and the Galilee in early modern Jewish thought, focusing on Abraham ben Eliezer Halevi’s _Meshare Katarin_ and Shlomo Molcho’s writings. It examines messianic symbolism and geographical associations that shaped Jewish perceptions of exile and redemption.
The Representation of the Land of Israel in Joseph Karo’s Shulhan ‘Arukh
This workshop presentation explores the representation of the Land of Israel in Joseph Karo’s *Shulhan ‘Arukh*. It delves into Karo’s literary interventions, thematic patterns, and the Safedian context of his legal work, examining its influence on Jewish law and modern identity formation.