S1012 The Jews of Renaissance Venice

Venice is unique in late-medieval and early-Renaissance Western Europe in that Jews resided there from the late thirteenth century, when other European countries—notably England in 1290—had already expelled or enacted harsh measures against Jews. In Venice, the Jews\' commercial connections and intellectual endeavors enabled them to function as cultural middlemen between the Christian and Muslim worlds. Although confined to the Ghetto Nuovo in 1516, the Venetian Jewish community continued to grow despite periods of intense economic deprivation and religious hostility. During the sixteenth century, Spanish and Portuguese Jews and conversos immigrated to Italy, including Venice, and established important cross-cultural centers. While some earlier historians have eagerly sought to portray this period as a sort of Golden Age for Venetian Jewry, it is important to place this growth and cultural efflorescence within the context of concomitant political and Inquisitorial threats. Indeed, portions of this course will be devoted to stereotypical literary and artistic representations of Jews. And no course on Venetian Jewry would be complete with an examination of the complex interplay between the Ghetto and the Holy See. Consideration will be given to prominent Venetian Jews; especially Leone da Modena (the notorious polymath rabbi), Daniel Bomberg (famous in the realm of Hebrew printing) and Meir Magino (renowned for his work in glasswork and material culture). This course will examine the founding and development of Venetian Jewry to the present day, and will include field trips to the Ghetto itself, including visits to various synagogues and communal centers.\r\n

Teaching and evaluation methods

\r\nThe class will be conducted along the lines of an interactive seminar designed to foster cooperation and shared learning. Students will be expected to prepare their readings for discussion, and the professor will initiate each discussion by asking a series of questions related to both the specific and general topics of the class. Occasionally, students will be asked to prepare questions in writing ahead of time. Each student will be expected to lead one class discussion, although this can also occur by forming a team of two .