THE JEWISH PARABLE (MASHAL): A WORLD OF WISDOM AND MORAL GUIDANCE (REMOTE)

From ancient times to the present day, Jewish thinkers have used parables to provide moral guidance, spiritual teaching, and practical direction. A parable— mashal in Hebrew—teaches indirectly, through a short, simple tale that engages the imagination and invites us to seek out its wisdom. Tracing the use of the mashal across Jewish literature, we will read short texts from the Bible, Midrash, and Hasidic tradition; from post–Holocaust literature; and by writers such as Franz Kafka, S.Y. Agnon, Philip Roth, and Etgar Keret. Join us to explore this engaging and thought– provoking source of cultural wisdom!