All posts by Andreas Lehnertz

About Andreas Lehnertz

As a Juniorprofessor of Medieval History specializing in Jewish History at Trier University, I delve into the intricate tapestry of social, cultural, and religious European history. My academic pursuits are centered around the nuanced dynamics of daily Christian-Jewish relations, the exploration of marginal Hebrew and Yiddish charter notes, the study of Jewish as well as general sealing practices, and the profound examination of Jewish craftspeople. I wrote a book about "Jewish Seals in the Medieval German Empire: The Authentication and Self-Representation of Jewish Men and Women" (in German). My expertise has been further honed through my roles as a postdoctoral fellow in the ERC project "Beyond the Elite – Jewish Daily Life in Medieval Europe" at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and as a member of the Martin Buber Society in the Humanities and Social Sciences, also at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Currently, I am writing book that delves into the intriguing world of "Jewish Craftspeople in Medieval Ashkenaz." Through my research and publications, I aim to contribute meaningfully to the academic discourse surrounding medieval history, providing valuable insights into the rich tapestry of European history during this pivotal period.

Studentship – Pirqei de-Rabbi Eliezer (chapters 6-8), Baraita de-Shemuel, and other Hebrew and Aramaic early medieval astronomical works, UCL London

Call for Applications

According to their webpage, “This PhD studentship is part of a research project on ‘Astronomy, calendar, and related sciences in Near Eastern cultures, third-eighth centuries CE’ (NEAstr). The project is funded by a UKRI Frontier Research grant (ERC Advanced Grant funded by UKRI). The Principal Investigator and first supervisor of the PhD student is Professor Sacha Stern (UCL Department of Hebrew and Jewish Studies). The project runs for five years from 1 February 2025 to 31 January 2030.”

Deadline: 27 September 2024.

Read more and apply

New Book: Ram Ben-Shalom, “The Jews of Provence and Languedoc”

Publications

Read now Ram Ben-Shalom’s The Jews of Provence and Languedoc (Liverpool University Press, 2024). The publisher writes: “The Hebrew edition of The Jews of Provence and Languedoc, published in 2017, was awarded the Ben Zvi Institute Prize (2018) and the Am Olam Prize of the Historical Society of Israel (2019). This exhaustive history of Provençal Jewry examines the key aspects of Jewish life in Provence—cultural, religious, political, economic, and literary—over some 1,500 years. The Jewish response to the Albigensian Crusade, the annexation of Languedoc by the Kingdom of France, and other historical events was an unprecedented cultural florescence that was to have far-reaching and enduring consequences. Crucially, it was in Provence that philosophical and scientific works were first translated from Arabic to Hebrew, allowing the Jews of Christian Europe to absorb and assimilate the achievements of the Jews of Muslim Spain. The emergence in Provence of the Maimonidean-Aristotelian philosophical school sent spiritual shock waves throughout the Jewish world, and it was also in Provence that the first esoteric teachings of kabbalah emerged. But cultural innovations went beyond the religious and philosophical: secular Hebrew poetry written by Jewish troubadors offered a glimpse of Jewish merrymaking, romanticism, and eroticism that drew criticism from the rabbis, and even allowed women’s voices to be assertively raised in the public sphere. First published in Hebrew in 2017 to scholarly acclaim, this is a seminal examination of the crucial role of the Jews of Provence in shaping medieval Jewish culture in the Mediterranean basin.”

Have a look

Webinar on the Index of Jewish Art

Digital Humanities, Events

The Center for Jewish Art “is offering a free introductory webinar on the Index of Jewish Art. This webinar is designed to help you effectively navigate the Index and utilize its diverse tools. It can also be integrated into course curricula and other group activities with students. For additional information, please reach out to Dr. Anna Berezin, Head of the Ritual and Ceremonial Section at the Center for Jewish Art, at anna.berezin@mail.huji.ac.il.”

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