Jewishness and Animals
Sponsoring Organization(s)
Special Session
Organizer Name
Annegret Oehme
Organizer Affiliation
Univ. of Washington-Seattle
Presider Name
Annegret Oehme
Paper Title 1
The Dog-Men of Early Yiddish Literature
Presenter 1 Name
Margot B. Valles
Presenter 1 Affiliation
Michigan State Univ.
Paper Title 2
Animal Migrations: Berechiah ha-Nakdan and Medieval Jewish Literary Borrowing
Presenter 2 Name
Caroline Gruenbaum
Presenter 2 Affiliation
New York Univ.
Paper Title 3
"Why Do the Goyim Call Us Dogs?": Animals, Angels, and Jewish Identity in Medieval Europe
Presenter 3 Name
David Shyovitz
Presenter 3 Affiliation
Northwestern Univ.
Start Date
10-5-2018 10:00 AM
Session Location
Schneider 1355
Description
Traditionally, animals in fables hold up a mirror to the human audience of these tales. These animals are employed to explore what it really means to be human, what qualities are desirable and what dangers failures and vanities may create. Texts such as the 12th century Hebrew collection by the Jewish philosopher Berechiah ben Natronai ha-Nakdan show that Jews did not just consume these tales, but actively reproduced stories about anthropomorphic animals in order to grasp the human condition. And not just in fables; one of the first Yiddish “best sellers,” the Bove Bukh (approx. 1500) puts a dog-like figure at the center of the story, displaying essential features and skills that a hero and a loyal friend should possess. This panel explores how animals are used in discourses about Jewishness. We want to explore the specifics in which animals have been employed within a Jewish context. Often, the first image that comes to mind when discussing animals in the context of Jewishness is the anti-Jewish “Judensau.” This image of Jews suckling a pig, was widespread in the Middle Ages and even found in churches. Yet, this panel wants to go beyond this non-Jewish discourse and rather explore the multitude of ways in which animals are employed in Jewish literature and culture in order to examine what it means to be human.
Annegret Oehme
Jewishness and Animals
Schneider 1355
Traditionally, animals in fables hold up a mirror to the human audience of these tales. These animals are employed to explore what it really means to be human, what qualities are desirable and what dangers failures and vanities may create. Texts such as the 12th century Hebrew collection by the Jewish philosopher Berechiah ben Natronai ha-Nakdan show that Jews did not just consume these tales, but actively reproduced stories about anthropomorphic animals in order to grasp the human condition. And not just in fables; one of the first Yiddish “best sellers,” the Bove Bukh (approx. 1500) puts a dog-like figure at the center of the story, displaying essential features and skills that a hero and a loyal friend should possess. This panel explores how animals are used in discourses about Jewishness. We want to explore the specifics in which animals have been employed within a Jewish context. Often, the first image that comes to mind when discussing animals in the context of Jewishness is the anti-Jewish “Judensau.” This image of Jews suckling a pig, was widespread in the Middle Ages and even found in churches. Yet, this panel wants to go beyond this non-Jewish discourse and rather explore the multitude of ways in which animals are employed in Jewish literature and culture in order to examine what it means to be human.
Annegret Oehme