Date: Wed, 29 Mar, 1989 17:00 IST From: Yechiel Greenbaum Subject: Ninth issue of newsletter To: 29 Mar 89 JUDAIC STUDIES #9 22 AdarII 49 BS"D Connecting geographically & otherwise disparate groups with a common interest in the study of Judaica. Edited by Y. Greenbaum CONTENTS 1) Events 2) German Jewry 3) The Advent of the Messianic Age 1) Events 4 Apr Bar Ilan University JS Faculty / Institute for the Study of Post- Talmudic Halacha / Mr. A. M. and Mrs. Hasia (nee Yaffe) Neftal Center for the Study of the Oral Law and its Transmission / Talmud Dept. 7th Annual Gathering for the Contemporary Talmud Research which will be devoted to the Jerusalem Talmud, in the 700th Year of Ms. Leiden Mintz Auditorium (formerly Argentina), University Campus 13:45 Afternoon Services 14:00 First Session Chair: Prof. D. Sperber, Dean Greetings: Prof. Y. A. Krauss, Rector Prof. Y. Sussman The Leiden Manuscript- Before and After Prof. J. Feliks The Jerusalem Talmud's Approach in the Identification of Flora Subject to the Laws of Leaven and Blessings (oats, legumes and mushrooms) Prof. M. D. Har Towards the Characterization of the Order and Literary Style of the Jerusalem Talmud Prof. M. Sokoloff The New Dictionary for Israeli Jewish Aramaic 17:00 Intermission and light refreshments 17:30 Second Session Chair: Z. A. Steinfeld, Head of Dept. Distribution of Awards in Honor of Hanoch Albeck Prof. Saul & Dr. Judith Lieberman Baruch & Sarah Blum Esther & Ephraim Palmer Prof. S. Z. Havlin R' Solomon Sirillo and His Work: Tractate Eduyot (Jerusalem Talmud and Babylonian Talmud) Prof. D. Boyarin The Jerusalem Talmud as "Hava Amina" to the Topic of the Talmud Prof. D. Sperber Book of Yerushalmi 19:45 Evening Services 4 Apr 20:00 Cathedra- for Scholars in the History of the Land of Israel and Its Settlement Safed as a Center for the Return of Morranos in the Sixteenth Century Lecturer: Dr. Abraham David Chair: Prof. Haim Beinart Discussants: Prof. Yoseph Kaplan, Dr. Yaakov Barnai Covener of the Cathedra: Dr. Israel Bartal Yad Ben Zvi Auditorium Building, enter from Abrabanel Street 5-6 Apr Ben Zvi Institute Conversion and Forced Conversion of Jews in Islamic Countries Two days of study marking the 150th anniversary of the forced conversion of the community of Meshed (Nisan 1839) Yad Ben Zvi Building, Abrabanel Street, Rehavia, Jerusalem Program: 5 Apr 10:00 First Session Chair: Prof. Pessah Shinar (Hebrew U) Prof. Nehemia Levzion (President, the Open University) Conversion to Islam: The Difference Between Jews and Christians Dr. Yaakov Lev (Haifa U) Proselytes and Apostates in Medieval Islam Dr. Seth Ward (Haifa) The Apostate and the Mufti: Problems of Conversion According to the Islamic Legal Literature of the Medieval Period 11:30 Intermission 12:00 Second Session Chair: Prof. Pessah Shinar (Hebrew U) Prof. Hava Lazarus-Yafeh (Hebrew U) The Role of Jewish Apostates in Islamic Polemics Against Judaism Dr. Sarah Stroumsa Conversion Among Jewish Intellectuals in the Early Medieval Period Dr. Menahem ben Sasson The Jewish Identity of the Forced Converts of the Muhdon 13:30 Afternoon Recess 16:00 Third Session Chair: Prof. Michael Abitbol (Ben Zvi Institute) Prof. Jane Gerber (CUNY) Conversion of Jews in North Africa in the Seventeenth Century Prof. Yosef Shetreet (Haifa U) Islam and Conversion to Islam in the Poetry of Morrocan Jewry Prof. Shmuel Moreh The Jewish Journalist and Playwright Yaqub Sanu` and the Claims Concerning his Conversion to Islam 6 Apr 9:30 Fourth Session Chair: Prof. Jacob Landau (Hebrew U) Ilan Carmi (U of Wisconsin) Conversion in Turkey in the Seventeenth Century Dr. Yosef Tobi (Haifa U) Conversion to Islam Among Yemenite Jews Under Zaydian Rule Dr. Shalom Bar Asher (Hebrew U) The Turn in the Relationship of the Religions in the Debate of R' Pethahiah Berdugo and a Muslim Sage 11:00 Intermission 11:30 Fifth Session Chair: Prof. Jacob Landau (Hebrew U) Dr. Rafi Yisraeli Conversion to Islam Among Chinese Jews Prof. Michael Zand (Hebrew U) Chala: The Forcibly Converted of Central Asia Dr. Sarah S. Soroudi The Influence of the Forced Conversion on the Customs and Daily Life of the Jews of Meshed 13:00 Afternoon Recess 17:00 Sixth Session Conversion in the History of Israel (symposium) Chair and Opening Remarks: Prof. Haim Beinart (Hebrew U) Participants: Prof. Michael Graetz (Hebrew U) Prof. Yosef Kaplan (Hebrew U) Prof. Shaul Shaked (Hebrew U) 18:00 Intermission 19:00 Seventh Session Chair: Prof. Shaul Shaked (Hebrew U) Prof. Amnon Netzer (Hebrew U) Jacob Delmanian's "History of the Jews of Meshed" as a Historical Source Azariah Levi (Jerusalem) The Forced Converts of Meshed: The Relationship of Muslim Society and the Jews Towards Them Ben Zion Yehoshua (Jerusalem) The Forced Converts of Meshed: The Return to Full Judaism in Afghanistan Reuben Kashani (Jerusalem) On Secretly Retaining Jewish Values Among the Forced Converts of Meshed 2) German Jewry My report of this conference will be favorably influenced by my fondness for the subject, and adversely effected by my hectic schedule these days- I arrived late, had to leave early, and slept thru more than one lecture. Prof. Grossman singled out the writing of commentaries as a uniquely Ashkenazic phenomenon, and emphasized "open academic atmosphere" as the most important of three factors which enabled it to occur. Dr. Spitzer defined two periods of writing collections of customs: until the mid-thirteenth century, emphasizing differences; thereafter, a more complete attempt to record custom lest it be forgotten. He discussed the Maharil (of whose work he has recently issued a new edition) as a central figure active in ascertaining and preserving customs. Dr. Hildesheimer gave an erudite and precise discussion of history of the debate concerning the ethical will of R' Moses Sofer. He added that, in the facsimile which he inspected, it is clear that R' Sofer did not object to the works of R' Moses Dessau, but, with a 'het', to the general idea of reading for pleasure. (After the lecture, I heard that a new edition of Mendelssohn is in preparation.) Dr. Tsur gave an overview of the various underlying ideas which were taken up by different segments of German Orthodoxy at many levels. I was most interested in Isaac Breuer and his relationship to the youth movement Ezra. In the symposium, Prof. Salmon dealt with East European Orthodoxy (and its relationship to Western, especially the meeting of R' Reines and R' Israel Salanter), Dr. Silver with Central European (noting that Hungary created a unique "Ultra-Orthodoxy" as a reaction against "Neo-Orthodoxy") and Dr. Berkovitz with French (as a lone example of compromise to maintain unity). 3) The Advent of the Messianic Age We hope to begin setting up LISTSERV at the beginning of the coming week.