/talk/ The Maharal of Prague in the Literary Work of Rabbi Yudel Rosenberg
Professor Ira Robinson, a prominent Jewish studies scholar, will discuss the context of a book considered the most important contribution of Hebrew literature to world literature, "The Golem and the Wondrous Deeds of the Maharal of Prague" by Rabbi Yehuda Yudel Rosenber.It is generally acknowledged that the story of
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Rabbi Judah Loewe (Maharal) of Prague and the Golem in the form that remains in the popular imagination to this day was the work of Rabbi Yehuda Yudel Rosenberg (1860-1935). Rosenberg’s book on the Maharal and the Golem (1909) has been described by the late Yosef Dan as the most important contribution of Hebrew literature to world literature. How and in what context did this work see the light of day? To answer that question, Professor Robinson will begin by explaining the Maharal’s attraction for Hasidic Jews in general and for Rabbi Rosenberg in particular. He will then situate the Maharal in the context of Rosenberg’s publications and briefly discuss his other works that relate to the Maharal. Finally, the lecturer will explain in detail the reasons that Rosenberg’s portrayal of the Maharal and the Golem resonated so strongly among Jews in the early twentieth century so as to make this narrative a classic work.For more information, visit www.bohemianbenevolent.org. ---The event is organized by the Society for the History of Czechoslovak Jews with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Czech Center New York, and Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association.