Jerusalem am Rhein
The Eshkolot Festival has been made possible with the generous support of Genesis Philanthropy Group and with the kind assistance of the Jewish Agency for Israel - Germany
Jerusalem-am-Rhein: Jews and Christians in Medieval Germany
Eshkolot's Festival of Jewish Texts and Ideas
Mainz, Worms, Speyer, July 1-5, 2018
Three ancient cities on the Rhine, three Royal Cathedrals (Kaiserdome), three most important Jewish communities of Medieval Ashkenaz (SHUM – Shpeyra, Vermiza, Magentza), where great Rabbis built the cathedrals of Torah and the palaces of mystical visions; blood of martyrs and avenging angels, mossy tombstones and gilded manuscripts, minnesingers and Nibelungs, Chagall in churches and cathedral-like synagogues – historical sites of turbulent interaction between Jews and Christians will become the venues of Eshkolot’s next Festival of Jewish Texts and Ideas.
The aim of the Festival is to study classical medieval books in their original urban context with live commentary from university scholars, as well as to re-interpret the city text of Mainz, Worms and Speyer through particular codes of medieval Jewish literature.
The festival program includes lectures, reading workshops, thematic field trips and cultural events.
PRELIMINARY PROGRAM (check for updates)
LECTURES
Rhineland Synagogues - from medieval monuments to contemporary avant-garde
Manuel Herz, architect, professor at ETH Studio (Basel)
Song of the One: synagogue poetry of medieval Ashkenaz
Peter Sh. Lehnardt, scholar of literature (University of Ben-Gurion, Israel)
MINI-COURSES
"A Priest and a Rabbi Met on the Road": Jewish-Christian Polemics in Medieval Germany
Vladislav Slepoy, scholar of religion (TU Berlin)
“Rheingold” of Jewish Illuminated Manuscripts – art and religion in Mahzor Worms and Mahzor Leipzig
Katrin Kogman-Appel, professor of art history at the University of Munster
Heavenly Palaces and Street Piety – mystical teachings of Hasidei Ashkenaz
Naama Ben-Shachar, scholar of religion (University of Ben-Gurion, Israel)
FIELD SEMINARS
Lilies of Worms: texts and images of medieval Jewish tombstones
Boris Haimovich, art historian (Hebrew University in Jerusalem)
Frozen Middle Ages: Imperial Cathedrals of Worms and Speyer
Dilshat Harman, art historian (Moscow)
CULTURAL EVENTS
The Soundscape of Pre-Modern Ashkenaz
Concert and workshop by Avery Gosfield and Ensemble Lucidarium
PRELIMINARY ITINERARY (check for updates)
1 July (Sun) Arrival and registration in Frankfurt, program in Mainz
2 July (Mon) Program in Speyer
3 July (Tue) Program in Worms
4 July (Wed) Program in Mainz
5 July (Thu) Conclusion and departure from Frankfurt
(Accommodation in Speyer)
The principal languages of instruction at the festival are English and Russian (without translation).