Censoring the Holocaust: How Books Shape Our View of a Painful Past

Dec 5, 2022 By Edna Friedberg | Public Event video | Video Lecture

Ever since the 1940s, books about the Holocaust have proven flashpoints. From early editions ofThe Diary of Anne Frankthat omitted controversial passages to more recent attempts to ban the graphic memoirMausfrom some classrooms, what we read about this difficult history often amplifies broader societal debates. In this session we look back at Holocaust literature (both fiction and non-fiction) and how its popularity shifts depending on time and place.

How Should a Jewish Philosopher Read the Bible? Hermann Cohen鈥檚 Problem with Spinoza

Nov 28, 2022 By Shira Billet | Public Event video | Video Lecture

When the famous German Jewish philosopher Hermann Cohen died in 1918, he was described in Jewish periodicals as 鈥渢he greatest philosopher the Jews have produced since Spinoza.鈥� But in 1915, at a time when Jews had reclaimed the 17th-century philosopher as their own, Hermann Cohen had argued that theherem(ban) on Spinoza had been justified. Cohen鈥檚 reasons for banning Spinoza were different from those articulated in the original ban. He agreed with Spinoza far more than we might expect, but he also thought Spinoza鈥檚 book on the Bible was misleading and dangerous. Cohen disagreed with central parts ofSpinoza鈥檚 method of reading the Bible, and for Cohen, the stakes of getting the method right were very high with academic, religious, and political implications.

Intra-Jewish Censorship: The Case of Spinoza

Nov 21, 2022 By Jonathan Ray | Public Event video | Video Lecture

In July 1656, Baruch Spinoza was excommunicated from the Jewish community of Amsterdam for his 鈥渁bominable heresies鈥� and 鈥渕onstrous deeds.鈥� He was 23 years old. This class explore some of the key writings of Spinoza, as well as the social and political context of 17th-century Holland to try to understand the reasons behind Spinoza鈥檚 harsh, and historic, banishment.

The Danger of Spreading the Word: Book Censorship in 16th-Century Venice

Nov 14, 2022 By David C. Kraemer | Public Event video | Video Lecture

In the 16th century, as the new technology of the printing press hit its stride, the church began to realize the danger that the dissemination of knowledge could represent. Instituting a regime of censorship in Venice (the center of the print industry) and elsewhere, all new books鈥擟hristian and Jewish鈥攈ad to pass muster before appearing. But the church was not alone in this effort. Rabbinic authorities recognized the same dangers, and they too sought to outlaw certain 鈥渄angerous鈥� books.

Persecuting Ideas: The Case of Maimonides

Nov 7, 2022 By Alan Mittleman | Public Event video | Video Lecture

Maimonides, the greatest Jewish figure of the Middle Ages, incorporated philosophy into his work. Both during his lifetime and afterwards, especially in Europe, Maimonides鈥� embrace of philosophy aroused opposition. A great controversy, lasting more than a century after his death, broke out in four distinct waves. The most philosophical sections of his work were banned, as was the study of philosophy and teaching of it to youth.

(Not So) Hidden Anti-Gospels: Suppressed Talmudic and Medieval Polemics Against Jesus

Oct 31, 2022 By Eliezer B. Diamond z”l | Public Event video | Video Lecture

Jews always viewed Jesus as one of their own, and they felt the need to account for the power he had in converting millions to a new religion that they viewed as a perverse usurpation of their own. They responded by writing parodic versions of the Gospels narratives, which are found both in the Talmud and in an early medieval work called Toledot Yeshu (The Jesus Chronicle). Eventually Christians became aware of these 鈥渁nti-Gospels鈥� and Jews had to engage in both self-censorship and apologetics. We will look at these texts and their history, concluding with a look at a very different approach to Jesus in the 20th century by Rabbi Stephen Wise.

Written in Stone? Writing and Rewriting the Bible

Oct 24, 2022 By Benjamin D. Sommer | Public Event video | Video Lecture

Examine the way biblical scribes updated texts, sometimes replaced (and thus in a way censored) the older text, but sometimes kept the older text intact even as they added to it. In several cases, a text was updated with the intention of replacing the older one, but then the canon of the Bible ended up including the older version as well as the newer one.

Dangerous Ideas: Censorship Through a Jewish Lens

By 91快播 | Public Event video | Video Lecture

Throughout Jewish history, certain texts and ideas have been deemed too dangerous to circulate鈥攚hether by outsiders who banned Jewish writings, or Jewish leaders who suppressed ideas considered heretical or beyond the pale. In this series, 91快播 scholars will examine efforts to control knowledge from ancient to contemporary times, exploring the ways in which censorship both reflectsand shapes broader ideological struggles.They will discuss the varying motivations for controlling or revising narratives, and consider whether and under what circumstances it might make sense to suppress certain ideas. These discussions will illuminate past struggles and help us understand the battles over censorship and free expression playing out today.

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