Jewish Literature and Yiddish Studies

The Chair teaches Jewish literatures, above all Yiddish, Hebrew, German-Jewish and American-Jewish literature on the basis of central works that are read in translation and/or in the original. Another subject is works from other literatures that deal with Jewish themes.

Traditions and continuities within Jewish literatures open up a unique approach to understanding the particular Jewish existence. The diversity of Jewish life has found and continues to find expression in literature. The mutual "entanglements" (Miron) of Jewish literatures, which differ not only in their choice of language and their objectives, as well as their changing embedding in the literary, aesthetic, cultural and political discourses of the societies surrounding the Jewish community, are an interesting field for comparative, interdisciplinary work that transcends regional and epochal boundaries.

Students are introduced to the widest possible range of literary and cultural studies approaches and methods for the development and interpretation of the works, supported by the teaching of the necessary linguistic-historical and philological foundations.

Yiddish and Yiddish Studies at the Heidelberg University of Jewish Studies

A particular focus of teaching and research at the Chair of Jewish Literatures is on Yiddish culture, language and literature. Language, reading and conversation courses in Modern Standard Yiddish are offered every semester for language acquisition in Yiddish.

In addition to courses on Yiddish literature from all eras, the department also regularly offers seminars, exercises and courses on Yiddish linguistics (e.g. Yiddish language history and dialectology), Yiddish philology and Ashkenazi cultural history and its Yiddish sources, which expand and deepen the background knowledge required for the interpretation of Yiddish literature.

Study program

The courses offered by the Chair of Jewish Literatures generally belong to the module area "Art and Literature", but are also assigned to the module areas "Jewish Lifeworlds" and "Religion and Philosophy", depending on the topic.

It is possible to specialize in the area of Yiddish and/or Hebrew literature within the framework of the existing degree programs.

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