Jewish Myth Research Articles

In Memoriam: Kenneth McMillan Newton (1941–2021)

In Memoriam: Kenneth McMillan Newton (1941–2021)

In Memoriam: Kenneth McMillan Newton (1941–2021)

In Memoriam: Kenneth McMillan Newton (1941–2021)

Reflections on a wounded and bleeding temenos.

COVID-19, Black Lives Matter, and financial and political turmoil have uprooted our sense of personal and collective safety and predictability. Analysts are faced with professional and personal challenges, as well as a charge to help make sense of this new normal. This reflective piece focuses on the author's thoughts on a wounded and bleeding temenos. She grapples with the new reality of analysis carried out via technology (e.g. Zoom or telehealth). The article interweaves personal experiences with theoretical and professional reflections on two Jewish myths that relate to creating temenos or sacred space in the face of ancient disasters. Specifically, she discusses Choni HaMagel, a first-century BCE Jewish scholar and miracle-maker who prays for relief from a drought from inside a sacred circle. She also tells the tale of four Chassidic Rebbes who face crisis from a sacred space in the forest. The author frames this piece with two personal and numinous dreams dreamt during the pandemic; one offering scenes of destruction and one offering hope for a future transformation.

«Еврейские мифы» в отечественной истории: евреи в Древней Руси

This article is devoted to the consideration, formation and development of two historical myths in Russian Jewish studies: the "Khazar myth" and the "Kenaanites myth." The key works of A.Ya. Garkavi devoted to the statement of "Jewish myths" in Jewish studies have been discussed in the article. The author reveals the background of this problem appearance in Jewish studies and prerequisites which determined its father’s interest in this topic. The need to turn to the consideration of "Jewish myths" in the historiography of the problem "the history of Jews of Ancient Russia" is dictated primarily by the actualization of scientific interest in the beginning of the history of Jewish diasporas in Russia. Discussions between historians and researchers of Jewish studies have obtained the characteristic of the "modern historical paradox," as far modern researchers turn to the long-forgotten hypotheses of historians of the 19th century with the aim of proving them today on the basis of relevant material. The purpose of this article is to consider two forms of historical representation on the example of studies of two Jewish myths (the Khazar myth and the later Kenaanites myth). We pose a problem to analyze the process of myth formation, its interpretation during this formation and the growth of its thematic content. The theoretical basis of the article is P. Ricoeur's ideas about the "historiographic process." Although the philosopher recognizes strict methodological operations and methods he nevertheless attributes the decisive importance to the historical intentionality of the researcher and the skill of representing the historical narrative. At the end of the article the author makes a conclusion about the difference between the forms of representation of the Khazar myth and the myth of Kenaanites in the works of modern Russian researchers in Jewish studies.

Dis/Possessing the Polish Past in Marcin Wrona’s Demon

The article examines how Marcin Wrona’s Demon (2015) reworks the Jewish myth of a dybbuk in order to discuss how and to what extent a spectral haunting may disrupt acts of collective forgetting, which are in turn fueled by repression, repudiation, and ritualized violence. A part of a revisionist trend in Polish cinema, Demon upsets the contours of national affiliations, and in doing so comments on the problematic nature of memory work concerning pre- and postwar Polish–Jewish relations. Because the body possessed by a female dybbuk is foreign and male, the film also underlines gendered aspects of possession, silencing, and story-telling. The article draws on Gothic Studies and horror cinema studies as well as Polish–Jewish studies in order to show how by deploying typical possession horror tropes Wrona is able to reveal the true horror—an effective erasure of the Jewish community, an act that needs to be repeated in order for the state of historical oblivion to be maintained.

From Kings to Monsters: Jewish Perspectives on the Hellenistic and Roman Empires in Sibylline Oracles 3 and 5

Abstract Both the third and fifth books of the Sibylline Oracles engage with the threat and challenges of the political powers of their day, the Hellenistic and Roman respectively (Sib. Or. 3:657-714; 5:28-34, 155-161, 342-359). Both books also construe these powers as part of the reason for the arrival of God as Divine Warrior to execute judgement. In contrast to Alexandria Frisch, who argued that the Hellenistic Empire was the cause of greater Jewish critique, this article demonstrates that within the Sibylline tradition, the development in use of Jewish combat myth of the Divine Warrior across the two books actually shows the reverse. The texts from Sibylline Oracles 5 escalate the threat of the political enemy, not only depicting the Roman Empire and emperor within the cosmic drama, but as a force of chaos and agent of evil.

Racismo, gênero e mito atualizado no arco-íris de "Ponciá Vicêncio"

Neste artigo, propomos a leitura do romance Ponciá Vicêncio (2003) a partir da simbologia do que por ora denominamos mito atualizado do arco-íris. Na obra em questão, apontamos o modo como os mitos bantu, iorubá, nórdico, romeno, irlandês, greco-romano, judaico, bem como a simbologia do arco-íris das bandeiras whipala andina e do movimento LGBTQI+, podem ser vistos na trama poética da narrativa de Conceição Evaristo. Ribeiro (2018), Daibert (2015), Dionísio (2013) e Ford (1999) são alguns dos autores que fundamentam a perspectiva presente no texto analisado. Justificamos este estudo porque, sabedora do conhecimento ancestral africano e conhecedora das culturas do mundo que a circundam, Conceição Evaristo de Brito é porto seguro no debate do feminismo negro. Escritora responsável pela abertura de oportunidades para as mulheres negras na literatura, Conceição fez o seu percurso na raça. Considerada internacionalmente e nacionalmente como detentora de uma escrita cuidada e potente, e também como Yabá querida e respeitada na comunidade negra, Evaristo é leitura recomendada e obrigatória a todas e todos.

A PROJECT OF CONSTRUCTING A CONTEMPORARY JEWISH IDENTITY IN RABINOVICI’S NOVEL SUCHE NACH M

Attitude to the Nazi past turns to its new phase in the 1980s, after the time of repressing, silent and mourning brings the new discourse in talking about the Holocaust. It was a tendency of "denying" the Holocaust and new anti-semitism movement. In the 90s, Jewish authors confirm their position as „self-determined agents' in the literary and political area. One of them is Doron Rabinovici, an Austrian Jewish author who wrote the novel Suche Nach M in engaging on the project of constructing a contemporary Jewish identity. In this article, the question of how Robinovici proposes the construction of contemporary Jewish identity will be answered through critical reading on Jewish myth and identity formation theory. The result shows two major strategies that he proposes in his novel: “deconstructs” the Jewish myth (by playing other possibilities to interpret them and unveil the truth) and suggests the self-referential concept (find oneself based on 'the self' instead of immersing self in 'the Other‟). These two strategies can be seen as an active engagement with one own traumatic past. It is a historical- and self-awareness approach to construct a problematic contemporary Jewish identity.

Hidden Allusion in the Finale of Middlemarch: George Eliot and the Jewish Myth of the Lamed Vov

Abstract This article argues that the famous concluding paragraph of George Eliot's Middlemarch contains a hitherto unrecognized cryptic allusion to a Jewish myth newly popular in her time: lamed vov, a specific “number” of “hidden” righteous persons believed to “channel” flows of divine compassion, thereby preserving and slowly improving the human world. Once recognized, this cryptic allusion has implications for the interpretation of the novel, casts new light upon the philosophical problems with which Eliot wrestled and upon her ideal of Realism, as well as upon her changing relationship to Jews and Jewish tradition. Eliot's treatment of Jewish material is commonly exclusively identified with her last works, especially Daniel Deronda. But Middlemarch marks an earlier, discreetly veiled phase of that relationship, before Eliot came publicly “out” with her philo-Semitism and determination to serve as a culture-broker. This article offers an account of Eliot's sources, of turning points in her relationship to Jews and Jewish tradition, and of the important place of Middlemarch in that development.

From the Golem's Jewish Myth to IBM's responsive Watson: where are we going?

Since data mining uses notions from areas such as cybernetics and artificial intelligence, it is worth evoking here ages-old fears elicited by the idea of automatons created to help humans, but which eventually turned against their creators. Examples might range from the Jewish myth of the Golem to the more famous Frankenstein, Hal from Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), and the more recent Her, by Spike Jonze (2013). In this discussion we pay special attention to the fact that in the 21st-century it seems to be less a matter of creating an individual cybernetic creature, than of the rise of social networks, which are alluded by many as collective intelligence. Such collective intelligence might involve, for instance, the responsive ability of IBM’s Watson.

An accidental Galut? A critical reappraisal of Irish Jewish foundation myths

ABSTRACT The marginality of Irish Jews within both Irish and Jewish worlds and their consequent lack of interest to scholars, has meant that the traditional narratives of Irish Jewish history have only begun to be interrogated relatively recently. This paper demonstrates how new approaches, informed by ongoing developments in Jewish Studies, can revolutionise our understanding of key aspects of Irish Jewish history such as migration to and settlement in Ireland. This allows us to progress beyond the realm of anecdote and foundation myth towards constructing a more sound, objective and inclusive historiography of Irish Jewry.

About the Contribution of Modern Theories to Myth Research in Jewish Studies

Analysis of Biblical texts using methods of literature, folk literature, anthropology, psychoanalysis, Myth studies, religious studies, and genre aspects, illuminates the ancient texts in a new light, and in the same time gives an opportunity to examine the validity of Modern methods in analyzing these texts. Reviewing the development of Jewish Myth Study in the transition from the twentieth century to the twenty-first century, is giving attention to the influence of the general methods which deal with the concept of Myth on the research of Myth in Jewish studies. This review is leading to the discussion about the complicated relationship between both main research schools were active in the second half of the twentieth century: Structuralism and Post-Structuralism. According to contemporary approaches which see Structuralism and Post-Structuralism as two sides of the Modernity, this article comes to examine the question if there is a sequence between those theories in the context of biblical texts analysis.

<br>(About the Contribution of Modern Theories to Study of Myth in Jewish Studies)

This article reviews the development of Jewish Myth Study in the transition from the twentieth century to the twenty-first century, includes reference to the complicated relationship between both main research schools active in the second half of the twentieth century: Structuralism and Post-Structuralism.The analysis of ancient texts as the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, Second Temple literature, and rabbinic literature by using Modern theories' methods, illuminate these texts in a new light, and in the same time gives opportunity to reexamine the contribution of Modern method in Jewish studies.Post-Structuralism comes out against its previous: the 'Structuralism', but not clean from criticism. For example the criticism against Deconstruction is that it does not define itself, it has no goal and it acts without intention, it just destroys concepts which are carrier the western rationality, runs radical skepticism, culminating in kind of relativism and paving the way to generalized nihilism. Although the criticism is mutual, because of the consolidation and the critical impact of the Post-Structuralist theories, it is necessary to examine the attitude of contemporary myth research in Jewish studies to the Structuralist theories from the perspective of fifty years late, and their relevance facing the theoretical development.

“ARAB ANTI-SEMITISM DEBATE”: THE BIRTH OF NEW ANTI-SEMITISM IN PUBLIC AND ACADEMIC DISCOURSE IN ISRAEL

This paper aims to identify the emergence of the concept “new anti-Semitism” in both public discourse and academic research in Israel. Our main argument is that the new anti-Semitism has emerged in tandem with changing values within Israeli society, primarily the adoption of a mythic-traditional perspective. This historical review focuses on description of a key event: United Nations Resolution 3379 equating Zionism with racism. We argue that increasing adherence to Jewish tradition goes hand in hand with the assimilation of Jewish myths regarding anti-Semitism. Scholarly discourse about new anti-Semitism is presented through critical study of Shmuel Almog's anthology Sin'at Yisrael ledoroteiha (A History of Hatred of Israel). This study is the first to be published that discusses an updated view of anti-Semitism in Israeli public discourse and academic research, emphasizing how the State of Israel has become its object.

The Myth of the Messianic Mother in Jewish and Christian Traditions: Psychoanalytic and Gender Perspectives

In this article, I argue that the “Mother of the Messiah” occupies a prominent place in Jewish myth and embodies a female archetype whose qualities are rooted in biblical narratives about the Davidic dynasty. While tracing the continuous development of this figure from Antiquity to the Middle Ages, I discuss the similarities and differences between Mary the mother of Jesus and the Mothers of the House of David. By using gender and psychoanalytical perspectives, my analysis revolves around issues concerning sexuality, virginity, and motherhood in Jewish and Christian messianic sources.

The fraternal complex between psychoanalysis and myth A literary example: Strange Shores

The field of siblings relationship, initially considered in psychoanalysis mostly in its interaction with the oedipal dynamics, knows today important developments so that the has achieved its own independence. The paper aims to investigate the “fraternal complex” both in psychoanalytic area , from the Freudian perspective to contemporary authors, and in myth and literature. It is traced the birth and development of this concept showing how its different facets had been largely anticipated by the myth, especially Jewish myth. The second part of the article focuses on a literary example, “ Strange Shores by A. Indriðason, that offers many ideas to explore some of the dynamics of the fraternal complex in its intersection with fundamental issues in the field of psychoanalysis as the symbol, the double, the shadow, the guilt and the mourning.

Living Values: Maternal Corporal Subjectivity and the Value of Life and Death

The article offers a reading of the Jewish myth of Samson as presenting a set of relations among masculinity, collectivity, and death. Concentrating on the role of women in Samson's life I attempt to decipher some ways in which these relations develop and to explore the role that women and mothers may play in challenging them. Building on Luce Irigaray, what I highlight in my reading of Samson's story is the process whereby attachment to life appears as a possible guiding principle but is at the same time negated and cancelled. I present attachment to life not only as a form of desire but also as a specific kind of ethicality inherent in life itself.

Ghazal: Jerusalem

Ghazal:Jerusalem Valerie Wohlfeld (bio) In the cracks of the Wailing Wall is the love of Jerusalem.Saffron in the souks' stalls, the love of Jerusalem. Baal and Aphrodite survive in the shattered rocks.In the kippah and the monk's cowl is the love of Jerusalem. City divided like the flanks of a cow the butcher quarters:Jew, Muslim, Christian and Armenian call home their love of Jerusalem. Horizon of gold haze and gold dome:the hookah hastens the nightfall for the love of Jerusalem. Chalk and limestone and the clay of Adam,Eden's fall also for the love of Jerusalem. Who will bring flowers where Caliph and Turk once warred?—When will a child's footfalls echo the love of Jerusalem? [End Page 9] Valerie Wohlfeld Through reading texts of Jewish myth and ritual, Valerie Wohlfeld, who was brought up in an assimilated environment, found her own way to explore her ancestral religion in her poetry. Her first collection, Thinking the World Visible, won the Yale Younger Poets Prize. Her poetry book, Woman With Wing Removed, is being published in October 2010 by Truman State University Press. She holds an MFA from Vermont College. Copyright © 2010 Bridges Association

Israel's Future: The Time Factor

A Debate between Efraim Inbar and Ian S. LustickTime is on Israel's Side Efraim InbarFrom a realpolitik perspective, the balance of power between Israel and its neighbors is the critical variable in the quest for survival in a bad neighborhood. If Israel’s position is improving over time and the power differential between the Jewish State and its foes is growing, then its capacity to overcome regional security challenges is assured. Moreover, under such circumstances there is less need to make concessions to weaker parties that are in no position to exact a high price from Israel for holding on to important security and national assets such as the Golan Heights, the settlement blocs close to the “Green Line,” the Jordan Rift, and particularly Jerusalem.With a Bang or a Whimper, Time Is Running Out Ian S. Lustick Israel’s existence in the Middle East is fundamentally precarious. Twentieth- century Zionism and Israeli statehood is but a brief moment in Jewish history. There is nothing more regular in Jewish history and myth than Jews “returning” to the Land of Israel to build a collective life—nothing more regular, that is, except, for Jews leaving the country and abandoning the project. Abraham came from Mesopotamia, then left for Egypt. Jacob left for Hauran, then returned, then left with his sons for Egypt. The Israelites subsequently left Egypt with Moses and Joshua, and “returned” to the Land. Upper class Jews who did not leave with the Assyrians left with Jeremiah for Babylon, then returned with Ezra and Nehemiah.

The encyclopedia of Jewish myth, magic and mysticism

The encyclopedia of Jewish myth, magic and mysticism