Observation ·
An Unusual and Beautiful Hebrew Poem by a 19th-Century Catholic Priest
By PhilologosI can’t think of a single serious Hebrew composition written by a Christian other than “In Praise of the Hebrew Language.”
Hebrew literature
Latest Mosaic Content for Hebrew literature
Observation ·
How the “Jewish National Poet” Revitalized an Ancient Literary Form
By Atar HadariThe great Ḥayyim Naḥman Bialik's "Scroll of Orpah" retells the story of the book of Ruth from another perspective.
Response ·
Bridging the Unbridgeable Divide between Religion and Secular Modernity
By Jeffrey SaksCommitted to developing and supporting the intellectual, religious, and political leaders of the Jewish people and the Jewish state.
Response ·
A Glorious Hebrew Poet—and Her Challenging Rhymes
By Hillel HalkinCommitted to developing and supporting the intellectual, religious, and political leaders of the Jewish people and the Jewish state.
Monthly Essay ·
The Life, Work, and Legacy of Israel’s Most Beloved Poet
By Hillel HalkinRaḥel will be read, sung, and recited long after many excellent Hebrew poets of her age, men and women alike, have been confined within classroom walls.
Observation ·
The Complex Greatness of the Jewish National Poet, Part Three
By Hillel HalkinḤayyim Naḥman Bialik's faith in a Zionist-led Hebrew renaissance never faltered; nor did his labors on its behalf. Yet he also became, so he felt, Zionism’s prisoner.
Observation ·
The Complex Greatness of the Jewish National Poet, Part Two
By Hillel HalkinḤayyim Naḥman Bialik was called upon by his contemporaries to play the role of a prophet. By consenting, he believed he had betrayed both his talent and his true calling.
Observation ·
The Complex Greatness of the Jewish National Poet, Part One
By Hillel HalkinIn December 1903, Ḥayyim Naḥman Bialik burst to fame and notoriety in a storm of rage at Jewish passivity; by 1910, his poetic career had stalled.
Observation ·
Famous Amos
By Michael WeingradThe latest novel by Amos Oz, Israel's best-known writer, is ostensibly an allegory about both the state of Israel and the betrayal of Jesus. What's it actually about?
Observation ·
The Most Tragic Jewish Writer of Modern Times
By Hillel HalkinWhy did the great Micha Yosef Berdichevsky, who called on Jews to take personal responsibility for Zionism, never settle in or even visit Palestine?
Monthly Essay ·
Where Is the Jews’ Homeland?
By Hillel HalkinElsewhere than Zion, said the greatest Hebrew poet of the 19th century—until he changed his mind, paving the way for others.
Observation ·
An Unparalleled Document of Jewish Mourning
By Hillel HalkinThe death of his brother in 1041 moved Shmuel Hanagid, one of Jewish history's most extraordinary figures, to write nineteen piercing poems charting the rise and fall of his grief.
Observation ·
Nothing Like It in 3,000 Years of Jewish Literature
By Hillel HalkinThe second Hebrew novelist was the first to imagine the pageantry and passion of life in ancient Israel—and thereby excited the dreams of emergent Zionists.
Observation ·
Sex, Magic, Bigotry, Corruption—and the First Hebrew Novel
By Hillel HalkinIn 1819, Joseph Perl published Hebrew literature's first novel . A riotous satire of the ḥasidic movement, it remains largely and unjustly forgotten.
Observation ·
The Russians Have Pushkin, the Jews Have Bialik
By Michael WeingradA powerful new film, available online, shows us the man who more than any other shaped the modern Hebrew language.
