Articles by Albert Evan Kohn
Viator, 2023
The present article documents and discusses the most common musical encounters between Jews and C... more The present article documents and discusses the most common musical encounters between Jews and Christians in medieval France, England, and the Holy Roman Empire. It argues that, as two simple everyday activities that span not only the religious and mundane but also the merry and macabre aspects of everyday life, singing and dancing serve as an effective case study to address how Jews and Christians both culturally shared and distinguished themselves in the European Middle Ages. By illuminating how song and dance were fluid across the various arenas of Jewish and Christian life, the following will demonstrate how a focus on these and other everyday activities can reveal the range of relations that existed between Jews and Christians in both thought and practice. It aims to enrich the field of medieval musical culture by synthesizing Latin and vernacular texts with rabbinic, Hebrew sources, a corpus that has not yet been brought into the discussion of medieval song and dance.
AJS Review: The Journal of the Association for Jewish Studies, 2023
This essay traces the development of the custom of singing table songs known as Shabbat zemirot d... more This essay traces the development of the custom of singing table songs known as Shabbat zemirot during Shabbat meals in medieval Europe. Though a popular custom, its medieval formation has yet to receive scholarly attention. Informal Shabbat table singing was likely common for centuries, yet the earliest extant instructions to sing specific songs were written in thirteenth-century northern France and appeared shortly thereafter in Ashkenaz and Italy. The many manuscripts containing Shabbat zemirot reveal the custom's spread, growth, and popularity in these regions. Though preserved in writing, Shabbat zemirot and their tunes were primarily disseminated orally by families singing within their homes. Such orality encouraged flexibility and diversity in how the custom was performed. Once the songs were printed in the sixteenth century, a more rigid construction of the practice and its repertoire took shape. Included as appendices are lists of manuscripts containing Shabbat zemirot and tables of the most common songs.
In and Out, Between and Beyond Jewish Daily Life in Medieval Europe, 2021
This short article explores the place of singing in the communal, religious and daily lives of me... more This short article explores the place of singing in the communal, religious and daily lives of medieval Jews in northern France and German-speaking lands. This article was included in the exhibition catalog for "In and Out, Between and Beyond: Jewish Daily Life in Medieval Europe," which was housed at the Hebrew University and is now on display in Erfurt, Germany. Included here are descriptions of the art by Kalman Gavriel Delmoor and music by Alla Franscesca that accompanied this topic's place in the exhibition.
For a virtual tour of the exhibition, see here: https://beyond-the-elite.huji.ac.il/virtual-exhibition
Religions, 2019
In recent years, pre-modern beds have generated extensive scholarly interest. Their social, relig... more In recent years, pre-modern beds have generated extensive scholarly interest. Their social, religious, and economic importance has been rightfully highlighted in the study of domestic piety. Yet, concern has primarily focused on beds in late medieval English homes. This essay uses Hebrew texts from thirteenth-century Southern Germany, primarily Sefer Hasidim, to further this analysis of the role of the bed in shaping medieval domestic devotion. Jewish notions about the social, moral, and sexual significance of the bed reflect those identified in late medieval Christian culture. These ideas inspired numerous rituals practiced in Jewish homes. Yet, the bed and the remnants of sex assumed to be found in it also frustrated Jewish attempts to perform domestic devotion. These findings highlight the complicated nature of the home and how medieval people had to navigate both its opportunities and challenges in order to foster a rich culture of domestic devotion.
Translations by Albert Evan Kohn
Jewish Daily Life in Medieval Northern Europe, 1080-1350, 2022
Designed to introduce students to the everyday lives of the Jews who lived in the German Empire, ... more Designed to introduce students to the everyday lives of the Jews who lived in the German Empire, northern France, and England from the 11th to the mid-14th centuries, the volume consists of translations of primary sources written by or about medieval Jews. Each source is accompanied by an introduction that provides historical context. Through the sources, students can become familiar with the spaces that Jews frequented, their daily practices and rituals, and their thinking. The subject matter ranges from culinary preferences and even details of sexual lives, to garments, objects, and communal buildings. The documents testify to how Jews enacted their Sabbath and holidays, celebrated their weddings, births and other lifecycle events, and mourned their dead. Some of the sources focus on the relationships they had with their Christian neighbors, the local authorities, and the Church, while others shed light on their economic activities and professions.
Theses by Albert Evan Kohn
Columbia University , 2018
Chapter one discusses the most consistent theme in Voragine’s Jewish stories: conversion via... more Chapter one discusses the most consistent theme in Voragine’s Jewish stories: conversion via miracles. Instead of yielding to philosophical or scriptural argumentation, Jews in the Golden Legend only convert after witnessing a miracle. While the role of the miraculous is central to Voragine’s entire work, it is highlighted repeatedly as the only method capable of changing the hearts of Jews. Such a view, most likely culled from the writings of the Paul and Augustine, runs counter to the disputation culture which was raging across Europe during the thirteenth century.
Chapter two considers the embeddedness of the Jew in Christian culture. Instead of being the object of the miracles described in chapter one, Jews are present amongst Christians to witness them. This is a general theme that runs through Voragine’s stories in which Jews have intimate relationships with Christians and frequently make use of Christian ritual items. Instead of being outsiders separated from their Christian neighbors as many thirteenth-century papal decrees instructed, Jews are active members of Christian society in these stories. Even in the accounts in which Jews are designated as others, the target is either biblical Jews or the vitriol is heavily tamed.
Chapter three attempts to position these themes and the views they represent within the wider intellectual culture of medieval Europe. Both major themes expressed in the Jewish stories reflect official ideological stances about the Jews found in the Christian tradition. It is with empathy for these views that Voragine—either consciously or unconsciously—chose his Jewish stories. As such, I argue that Voragine is not a mere storyteller, but an important medieval thinker reflecting deeply on the place of the Jews in medieval Europe.
Group Projects by Albert Evan Kohn
Jewish Daily Life in Medieval Northern Europe 1080-1350: A Sourcebook, 2022
Designed to introduce students to the everyday lives of the Jews who lived in the German Empire, ... more Designed to introduce students to the everyday lives of the Jews who lived in the German Empire, northern France, and England from the 11th to the mid-14th centuries, the volume consists of translations of primary sources written by or about medieval Jews. Each source is accompanied by an introduction that provides historical context. Through the sources, students can become familiar with the spaces that Jews frequented, their daily practices and rituals, and their thinking. The subject matter ranges from culinary preferences and even details of sexual lives, to garments, objects, and communal buildings. The documents testify to how Jews enacted their Sabbath and holidays, celebrated their weddings, births and other lifecycle events, and mourned their dead. Some of the sources focus on the relationships they had with their Christian neighbors, the local authorities, and the Church, while others shed light on their economic activities and professions.
With introduction by Tzafrir Barzilay, Eyal Levinson and Elisheva Baumgarten. Entries by the editors and also by Neta Bodner, Adi Namia-Cohen, Nureet Dermer, Aviya Doron, Miri Fenton, Etelle Kalaora, Albert Kohn, Andreas Lehnertz, Hannah Teddy Schachter, Amit Shafran.
In and Out, Between and Beyond: Jewish Daily Life in Medieval Europe
The exhibition In and Out, B... more In and Out, Between and Beyond: Jewish Daily Life in Medieval Europe
The exhibition In and Out, Between and Beyond: Jewish Daily Life in
Medieval Europe is among the final fruits of the European Research Council research group Beyond the Elite: Jewish Daily Life in Medieval Europe, headed by Prof. Elisheva Baumgarten that studies daily life in the Jewish communities of medieval Ashkenaz. The team has worked to construct a history which includes those who were not part of the learned elite alongside those who were learned, about whom we know more. Rather than spotlighting the dramatic events of this period, we have trained our sights on its everyday moments. In addition, we have investigated a complex historical reality: the integration of Ashkenazic Jews within their Christian surroundings, alongside their maintenance of a distinct religious identity.
Reflecting its textual origins, the exhibition is comprised of sixteen units, at the heart of each of which stands a primary source from a particular literary genre. The curator, Dr. Ido Noy, orchestrated a fruitful exchange between the research team and seven Israeli artists, who then produced contemporary expressions of the historic ideas under discussion. The display includes several installations based on medieval artifacts, as well as original works created especially for the exhibition by contemporary artists. Rather than being constructed along a specific linear narrative, the space is divided by pillars into three distinct spaces, reflecting our three guiding themes: In and Out, Between and Beyond. Visitors may begin by reading the historical sources and continue by viewing the objects, or vice versa. We envision viewers making their own way among the displays at the exhibition and experiencing these connections between past and present.
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Articles by Albert Evan Kohn
For a virtual tour of the exhibition, see here: https://beyond-the-elite.huji.ac.il/virtual-exhibition
Translations by Albert Evan Kohn
Theses by Albert Evan Kohn
Chapter two considers the embeddedness of the Jew in Christian culture. Instead of being the object of the miracles described in chapter one, Jews are present amongst Christians to witness them. This is a general theme that runs through Voragine’s stories in which Jews have intimate relationships with Christians and frequently make use of Christian ritual items. Instead of being outsiders separated from their Christian neighbors as many thirteenth-century papal decrees instructed, Jews are active members of Christian society in these stories. Even in the accounts in which Jews are designated as others, the target is either biblical Jews or the vitriol is heavily tamed.
Chapter three attempts to position these themes and the views they represent within the wider intellectual culture of medieval Europe. Both major themes expressed in the Jewish stories reflect official ideological stances about the Jews found in the Christian tradition. It is with empathy for these views that Voragine—either consciously or unconsciously—chose his Jewish stories. As such, I argue that Voragine is not a mere storyteller, but an important medieval thinker reflecting deeply on the place of the Jews in medieval Europe.
Group Projects by Albert Evan Kohn
With introduction by Tzafrir Barzilay, Eyal Levinson and Elisheva Baumgarten. Entries by the editors and also by Neta Bodner, Adi Namia-Cohen, Nureet Dermer, Aviya Doron, Miri Fenton, Etelle Kalaora, Albert Kohn, Andreas Lehnertz, Hannah Teddy Schachter, Amit Shafran.
The exhibition In and Out, Between and Beyond: Jewish Daily Life in
Medieval Europe is among the final fruits of the European Research Council research group Beyond the Elite: Jewish Daily Life in Medieval Europe, headed by Prof. Elisheva Baumgarten that studies daily life in the Jewish communities of medieval Ashkenaz. The team has worked to construct a history which includes those who were not part of the learned elite alongside those who were learned, about whom we know more. Rather than spotlighting the dramatic events of this period, we have trained our sights on its everyday moments. In addition, we have investigated a complex historical reality: the integration of Ashkenazic Jews within their Christian surroundings, alongside their maintenance of a distinct religious identity.
Reflecting its textual origins, the exhibition is comprised of sixteen units, at the heart of each of which stands a primary source from a particular literary genre. The curator, Dr. Ido Noy, orchestrated a fruitful exchange between the research team and seven Israeli artists, who then produced contemporary expressions of the historic ideas under discussion. The display includes several installations based on medieval artifacts, as well as original works created especially for the exhibition by contemporary artists. Rather than being constructed along a specific linear narrative, the space is divided by pillars into three distinct spaces, reflecting our three guiding themes: In and Out, Between and Beyond. Visitors may begin by reading the historical sources and continue by viewing the objects, or vice versa. We envision viewers making their own way among the displays at the exhibition and experiencing these connections between past and present.
For a virtual tour of the exhibition, see here: https://beyond-the-elite.huji.ac.il/virtual-exhibition
Chapter two considers the embeddedness of the Jew in Christian culture. Instead of being the object of the miracles described in chapter one, Jews are present amongst Christians to witness them. This is a general theme that runs through Voragine’s stories in which Jews have intimate relationships with Christians and frequently make use of Christian ritual items. Instead of being outsiders separated from their Christian neighbors as many thirteenth-century papal decrees instructed, Jews are active members of Christian society in these stories. Even in the accounts in which Jews are designated as others, the target is either biblical Jews or the vitriol is heavily tamed.
Chapter three attempts to position these themes and the views they represent within the wider intellectual culture of medieval Europe. Both major themes expressed in the Jewish stories reflect official ideological stances about the Jews found in the Christian tradition. It is with empathy for these views that Voragine—either consciously or unconsciously—chose his Jewish stories. As such, I argue that Voragine is not a mere storyteller, but an important medieval thinker reflecting deeply on the place of the Jews in medieval Europe.
With introduction by Tzafrir Barzilay, Eyal Levinson and Elisheva Baumgarten. Entries by the editors and also by Neta Bodner, Adi Namia-Cohen, Nureet Dermer, Aviya Doron, Miri Fenton, Etelle Kalaora, Albert Kohn, Andreas Lehnertz, Hannah Teddy Schachter, Amit Shafran.
The exhibition In and Out, Between and Beyond: Jewish Daily Life in
Medieval Europe is among the final fruits of the European Research Council research group Beyond the Elite: Jewish Daily Life in Medieval Europe, headed by Prof. Elisheva Baumgarten that studies daily life in the Jewish communities of medieval Ashkenaz. The team has worked to construct a history which includes those who were not part of the learned elite alongside those who were learned, about whom we know more. Rather than spotlighting the dramatic events of this period, we have trained our sights on its everyday moments. In addition, we have investigated a complex historical reality: the integration of Ashkenazic Jews within their Christian surroundings, alongside their maintenance of a distinct religious identity.
Reflecting its textual origins, the exhibition is comprised of sixteen units, at the heart of each of which stands a primary source from a particular literary genre. The curator, Dr. Ido Noy, orchestrated a fruitful exchange between the research team and seven Israeli artists, who then produced contemporary expressions of the historic ideas under discussion. The display includes several installations based on medieval artifacts, as well as original works created especially for the exhibition by contemporary artists. Rather than being constructed along a specific linear narrative, the space is divided by pillars into three distinct spaces, reflecting our three guiding themes: In and Out, Between and Beyond. Visitors may begin by reading the historical sources and continue by viewing the objects, or vice versa. We envision viewers making their own way among the displays at the exhibition and experiencing these connections between past and present.