Discovering the Other and the Self: Jewish Travel Literature and Autobiographical Writing, 1200-1800

3 units

Travel literature usually describes other places and peoples--otherness and the unfamiliar are its major themes. At the same time, travel writers reflect on notions of the Self and the home. Autobiography is a representation of one's self. However, the self can only be explored in relation to others. Reading early Jewish travel accounts and autobiographies from the MIddle Ages to the 18th century, this class will address questions such as: How did premodern Jews perceive themselves in a world dominated by Christians and Muslims? Where did they locate themselves between East and West? Did Jewish travelers giong from the lands of Christendom to those of Islam share certain Western perceptions of the Islamic world? How did a Jew from Renaissance Italy negotiate between Jewish and Italian identities? Were Egyptian Jews to him distant relatives, or ultimately foreigners, Orientals? How did a German Jewish businesswoman view her role within a rapidly changing, yet male-dominated society? All primary sources will be read in translation. In the course of their study, attention will be paid to peculiarities of literary genre and the problem of how to diffeentiate between fact and fiction.Throughout the semester we will devote time to discussing practical questions such as how to use the library's catalogue and (electronic) reference sources, as well as techniques for structuring and writing students' essays.