EXC 2060 C3-6 - Polemic, criticism of society and religion in Talmud parodies of the 19th to 21st century

In Jewish culture, parodies of the Babylonian Talmud form a complex and sophisticated genre dating back to the Middle Ages. The development of this genre reflects in a significant manner the vital dynamics of tradition and innovation in Jewish religion.

From the 19th century onward, the authors of Talmud parodies dealt with various conditions of life that prevailed in or influenced upon the various, multifaceted Jewish communities of the world, in particular in Europe, North America, in the Yishuv and later in the State of Israel. The genre was employed to entertain learned Jewish readers and, at the same time, to express often in a very harsh manner criticism of society and religion.

The polemics that can be found in these parodies were often directed against specific social and religious groups within Judaism, e.g. against Reform Judaism and Hasidism. The main focus of the project is to investigate the social function and cultural role of these parodies, their relationship to the rabbinic tradition and the connection between polemics, criticism of society and religion in Talmud parodies of the period from the 19th to 21st century, which originated in various geographic and cultural areas.