Judaism and Literature from the Haskalah to the Present Day

Interdisciplinary online course

April 12 – June 14, 2026

Reading the fundamental texts of Judaism, understanding the interpretative methods characteristic of the rabbinic tradition, and knowledge of the main events in the history of the European diaspora are essential prerequisites for anyone wishing to approach the most important literary works written by authors of Jewish ancestry, active both in Central Europe and in Israel, in the modern age. The collection of tales contained in the Tanakh, in fact, along with the immense heritage of halakhic and aggadic wisdom preserved in the Talmudic corpus and in midrashic texts, have constituted a constant and essential substratum for most of them, both explicitly and, more often, implicitly.
In light of these considerations, this course is divided into four short modules: the first, introductory in nature, prepares for the subsequent modules, dedicated to the analysis of some of the greatest literary masterpieces in Yiddish, German, and Hebrew.
The objective is threefold: 1. to provide basic knowledge to introduce students, if interested, to Jewish Studies or other related fields of research (Hebraic, Biblical, history of religions, etc.); 2. to offer a first-hand understanding of the fundamental texts of Judaism and, at the same time, the historical-cultural and interpretative tools for a possible independent study of them; 3. to highlight the inseparable connection with tradition, expressed by writers of yesterday and today through the composition of highly layered works, in which Biblical-Midrashic and Hasidic-Kabbalistic imagery are reworked to foster a new and more informed sense of identity.
For further information, please write to sara.kaminski@unito.it or mattia.ditaranto@unito.it
The course is available.

The course poster is available