This intriguing course reveals how a collection of worn-out scraps, fragments of texts and other manuscripts and documents more than 1,000 years old can shed light an otherwise hidden era of history. Participants will learn the story of the discovery of the Cairo Genizah, and examine a selected collection of its contexts, representative of its numerous historical and literary treasures. 

Enjoy a front-row seat to the drama, gossip, legal transactions, and other daily intrigues of Jewish life—in the Middle Ages. This 10-session course brings to life an exotic era in Jewish history, revealing the inner thoughts of real-life characters through the Cairo Genizah, a collection of 400,000 worn-out scraps, text fragments, and documents buried for centuries. Interpreting textual evidence yields new insights into the daily interactions and behaviors of Jewish men, women and families living along the Mediterranean more than 1,000 years ago – and at root, how similar they are to our own family dynamics, business ventures and communal concerns today. Join us for a historical journey of intrigue and adventure! 

Dates: Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28; Mar. 6, 13, 20, 27; April 3, 10