Rashi: Writing a Jewish Bible Commentary in a Christian World

AN ONLINE MINI-COURSE WITH JTS

Three Wednesdays
August 12, August 19, August 26
1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET

For nearly two thousand years, Jews and Christians have argued about the meaning of Hebrew Scripture.  Historical context—and our understanding of it—can transform how we see this debate play out in medieval Jewish biblical interpretation. We will focus in particular on situating Rashi in his world: in a Jewish community facing the theological challenges of being a religious minority under Christian rule. We will also explore the changes in Christian attitudes toward Jews during this period; and the difficulty of identifying anti-Christian sentiment in medieval Jewish biblical commentary with any certainty.

About the instructor: Dr. Yedida Eisenstat is adjunct assistant professor of Bible at JTS and an affiliated fellow at Emory University’s Center for the Study of Law and Religion where she researches the role of law in Rashi’s Torah commentary. Prior to serving as a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Religion at Colgate University, she taught at Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Studies at York University. She holds a doctorate in the history of scriptural interpretation from JTS and was in the first cohort of JTS fellows.

Cost: $60

Recordings will be available for those unable to attend live. Registration required.

Regjster Here