Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are that of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the Union for Traditional Judaism, unless otherwise indicated.
In his article in the Long Island Jewish World, Rabbi Bruce Ginsburg discusses the lack of attention to Modern Jewish narrative literature, introducing his forthcoming course on the subject to be held at Congregation Sons of Israel, 111 Irving Place, Woodmere. New York on Tuesday evenings, November 5 and 12 and December 10 and 17 at 8:30 p.m.
I believe the reason narrative literature flourished when Jews were sovereign in their own land and languished when they were in Exile is that a people must be in a position to shape its own story figuratively in order to write it literally. National sovereignty provides a culture with a sense of control over its future, a practical stake in the issues, and a burden of responsibility for its actions. It bestows upon it an awareness that human beings are too complex to be easily typed and that competing ideals vie for favor. It grants a people humility and an appreciation of ambiguity. All of these are essential ingredients in the mix of sophisticated plot, theme, and character so necessary for good storytelling. When Jews exercised sovereignty over the ancient Land of Israel, they were capable of writing the Bible. Once they lost it, literary inspiration accompanied them into Exile, but, like the Shekhinah, it was largely confined to the four cubits of halakhah.
The full article is embedded below with permission of the Long Island Jewish World. You can also view the article here.
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Bruce Ginsburg is the Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Sons of Israel in Woodmere, NY. A product of Boston University, New York’s Jewish Theological Seminary, and Jerusalem’s Hebrew University, he holds a doctorate in Hebrew literature. Known for his decades-old activism on behalf of Israel, Soviet Jewry, and intra/interfaith cooperation, he has served both as president of the Long Island Board of Rabbis and as president of the Union for Traditional Judaism. His essays have appeared in Newsday, the Christian Science Monitor, the Jerusalem Report, and other publications. He and his wife, Rachel, moved to Israel in the summer of 2022.