The Maharal of Prague in the Literary Work of Rabbi Yudel Rosenberg

Talk by Professor Ira Robinson It is generally acknowledged that the story of Rabbi Judah Loewe (Maharal) of Prague and the Golem in the form that remains in the popular imagination to this day was the work of Rabbi Yehuda Yudel Rosenberg (1860-1935). Rosenberg’s book on the Maharal and the Golem (1909) has been described by the late Yosef Dan as the most important contribution of Hebrew literature to world literature. How and in what context did this work see the light of day? In answering that question, Professor Robinson will begin by explaining the Maharal’s attraction for Hasidic Jews in general and for Rabbi Rosenberg in particular. He will then situate the Maharal in the context of Rosenberg’s publications and briefly discuss his other works that relate to the Maharal. Finally, the lecturer will explain in detail the reasons that Rosenberg’s portrayal of the Maharal and the Golem resonated so strongly among Jews in the early twentieth century so as to make this narrative a classic work. Ira Robinson is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Jewish Studies in the Department of Religions and Cultures at Concordia University, where he taught for 42 years. He received his B.A. at Johns Hopkins University, his B.H.L. at Baltimore Hebrew College, his M.A. at Columbia University and his Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Harvard University. He served as the Chair of the Department of Religion and Director of the Concordia University Institute for Canadian Jewish Studies. The event is organized by the Society for the History of Czechoslovak Jews with support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Consulate General of the Czech Republic in New York and Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association.