A Jew’s Best Friend? The Image of the Dog throughout Jewish History
A presentation by Phillip I. Ackerman-Lieberman
- When
- Tue Apr 24, 2012
- Where
- Jewish Community Library
- Time
- 7:00 pm
- Tags
- Literary Arts, Literary Arts Lectures, Education, Libraries
Description
The dog has captured the Jewish imagination from antiquity to the contemporary period, with the image of the dog often used to characterize and demean Jewish populations in medieval Christendom. In the early 20th century, dogs were still largely considered goyishe nakhes (“a gentile pleasure”) and virtually unheard of in the Jewish homes of the shtetl. Yet one needs to look no further than “Azit the Paratrooping Dog” of modern Israeli cinema—one of many examples of dogs as heroes of the Zionist narrative—to see that the dog has captured the contemporary Jewish imagination.Professor Ackerman-Lieberman, the co-editor of the new book A Jew’s Best Friend?The Image of the Dog throughout Jewish History, will show the coexistence of contradictory attitudes about the relationship of Jews and dogs, moving from the antipathy towards dogs that is found in classical texts through the recent American Jewish ritual of the “bark mitzvah.” He will also examine the tension between domination and partnership which underpins the relationship of humans to animals, as well as the connection between Jewish societies and their broader host cultures.
More Info
- Link
- http://www.bjesf.org/library_progsevents.htm
- Call
- 415-567-3327
- Contact Form (account required)
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