Judaism's folk magic, medicine, and healers.
ONLINE
THURSDAYS, 10-11:30 am (ET), Nov. 19; Dec. 3, 10, 17
"Exorcism techniques, as eclectic as they were extensive, were found among Jews for centuries...This legacy was inherited generation after generation of magical practitioners, many of whom were also leading rabbinic figures.”
-- Yossi Chajes, Between Worlds
Course Description:
Jewish healers, rabbinic sages, and mystical practitioners dot the pages of history from antiquity to the twentieth century. How are their lives and contributions to science, arts, and culture remembered? And what can we take away from their wisdom in the present day? This course brings together stories of medieval sages, ancient midwives, and modern community leaders in the study of Jewish folk remedies and magical customs from around the world.
THURSDAYS, 10-11:30 am (ET)
Dr. Jaimie Luria earned her PhD in Anthropology from Cornell University. Her research focuses on Jewish heritage sites in Iberia and Israel-Palestine, specifically studying the history, cultural meaning, and modern politics of traditional Jewish ritual baths (mikva'ot). Her broader work explores the ritual and ecological importance of water, physical purification practices, and how historical sites are preserved in politically complex areas.
Her specific areas of expertise include folklore, heritage studies, historic cemetery preservation and repatriation, Jewish studies, memory, museums, and Native North American studies
