About the Department
In the Department of Literature of the Jewish People, students discover the spiritual and cultural riches of Hebrew and Jewish literature throughout history. They gain a practical foundation rooted in theory and methodology for studying Jewish literature by those in the mainstream and those at the margins.
The program emphasizes the chronological history of Hebrew and Jewish literature as well as the textual dialogue between various historical eras and Jewish languages, viewing these as part of a single cultural tapestry.
The program emphasizes literature from diverse Jewish communities across the globe, in Israel and the Diaspora, and across different historical eras, in Hebrew and in other languages spoken by Jews.
The Department of Hebrew Literature was founded in 1956 by Prof. Baruch Kurzweil, who shaped the department’s scientific-academic approach and served as its chairman until 1972. After Prof. Kurzweil’s death, Prof. Yehuda Friedlander headed the joint Hebrew Literature and World Literature departments. Towards the end of 1974, the Faculty of Jewish Studies was established as a separate entity, distinct from the Faculty of Humanities, and the Department of Hebrew Literature became a part of it. In 1981, under the chairmanship of Prof. Hillel Weiss, the Department of Hebrew Literature became the Department for Literature of the Jewish People, which includes the Rena Costa Center for Yiddish Studies and the Salti Center for Ladino Studies.
Faculty of Jewish Studies Building - 410
03-5318235 ; Phone: 03-5318621
