This presentation, on March 3rd 2021, under the auspices of the Bible Lands Museum (Jerusalem), s... more This presentation, on March 3rd 2021, under the auspices of the Bible Lands Museum (Jerusalem), summarizes the findings of my book, "Strangers in Yemen."
This is a lecture about the forthcoming volume, "Isaac's Fear," about the Hebrew encyclopedia of ... more This is a lecture about the forthcoming volume, "Isaac's Fear," about the Hebrew encyclopedia of Judaism by that title, by Rabbi Isaac Lampronti of Ferrara. The lecture was sponsored by Centro di Studi Ebraici at the Universita` di Pisa on 22.12.2020
April 19, 2021, under the auspices of the Centro Primo Levi (New York), with Emily Michelson and ... more April 19, 2021, under the auspices of the Centro Primo Levi (New York), with Emily Michelson and the author.
This is a recording of a book launch event held on June 10th, 2021 under the auspices of the Open... more This is a recording of a book launch event held on June 10th, 2021 under the auspices of the Open University of Israel and the Ben-Zvi Institute.
lecture delivered at the Second International Conference of the Center for the Study of Yemenite ... more lecture delivered at the Second International Conference of the Center for the Study of Yemenite Jewry (Jerusalem, 2018)
During the Middle Ages people identifying themselves as Danites, that is, members of the tribe of... more During the Middle Ages people identifying themselves as Danites, that is, members of the tribe of Dan, periodically appeared in the Jewish diaspora, mainly in the Mediterranean basin. An examination of the sources excavates the circumstances of these cases, suggesting a scenario that explains how these individuals came to emerge from the obscurity of their brethren. This scenario is then situated in a broader historical context. The discussion concludes by addressing the implications of these experiences for our understanding of history.
During the First Crusade, as bands of Crusaders made their way through the Rhine valley, they sla... more During the First Crusade, as bands of Crusaders made their way through the Rhine valley, they slaughtered almost all of the Jews who fell into their clutches. The dead numbered in the thousands, while an unknown number of Jews escaped death by converting to Christianity. The story of 1096, as told by medieval chroniclers and modern historians, has focused on those who suffered martyrdom, at the hands of the Crusaders, by their own hands or at the hands of fellow Jews. This mass martyrdom came to epitomize the ideal of Kiddush Hashem, the Jews' willingness to die for their faith. Against the backdrop of the apostasy of tens of thousands of Spanish Jews in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the self-sacrifice of the German Jews stood out in bold relief, as an example of steadfastness and of the refusal to capitulate. The martyrdom of Ashkenaz signified that even the vanquished enjoy freedom of choice and can achieve moral victory in death. Why not leave it at that? Because 1096 is not only the story of the final act of self-immolation; it is also the story of the terror and conflict that must have preceded it. Medieval chroniclers and modern historians have glossed over that painful stage, out of zeal for the memory of the martyrs' heroism. Yet while this has elevated the heroes to the plane of sainthood, it has also robbed them of their humanity. Restoring the authentic pallor of those final days, hours and moments of agony enriches rather than tarnishes the memory of 1096, because it makes it possible not only to admire the protagonists, but also to identify with them. The chronicles and history books have also emphasized the heroism of the martyrs by homogenizing them into a mass of religious zealots.
This presentation, on March 3rd 2021, under the auspices of the Bible Lands Museum (Jerusalem), s... more This presentation, on March 3rd 2021, under the auspices of the Bible Lands Museum (Jerusalem), summarizes the findings of my book, "Strangers in Yemen."
This is a lecture about the forthcoming volume, "Isaac's Fear," about the Hebrew encyclopedia of ... more This is a lecture about the forthcoming volume, "Isaac's Fear," about the Hebrew encyclopedia of Judaism by that title, by Rabbi Isaac Lampronti of Ferrara. The lecture was sponsored by Centro di Studi Ebraici at the Universita` di Pisa on 22.12.2020
April 19, 2021, under the auspices of the Centro Primo Levi (New York), with Emily Michelson and ... more April 19, 2021, under the auspices of the Centro Primo Levi (New York), with Emily Michelson and the author.
This is a recording of a book launch event held on June 10th, 2021 under the auspices of the Open... more This is a recording of a book launch event held on June 10th, 2021 under the auspices of the Open University of Israel and the Ben-Zvi Institute.
lecture delivered at the Second International Conference of the Center for the Study of Yemenite ... more lecture delivered at the Second International Conference of the Center for the Study of Yemenite Jewry (Jerusalem, 2018)
During the Middle Ages people identifying themselves as Danites, that is, members of the tribe of... more During the Middle Ages people identifying themselves as Danites, that is, members of the tribe of Dan, periodically appeared in the Jewish diaspora, mainly in the Mediterranean basin. An examination of the sources excavates the circumstances of these cases, suggesting a scenario that explains how these individuals came to emerge from the obscurity of their brethren. This scenario is then situated in a broader historical context. The discussion concludes by addressing the implications of these experiences for our understanding of history.
During the First Crusade, as bands of Crusaders made their way through the Rhine valley, they sla... more During the First Crusade, as bands of Crusaders made their way through the Rhine valley, they slaughtered almost all of the Jews who fell into their clutches. The dead numbered in the thousands, while an unknown number of Jews escaped death by converting to Christianity. The story of 1096, as told by medieval chroniclers and modern historians, has focused on those who suffered martyrdom, at the hands of the Crusaders, by their own hands or at the hands of fellow Jews. This mass martyrdom came to epitomize the ideal of Kiddush Hashem, the Jews' willingness to die for their faith. Against the backdrop of the apostasy of tens of thousands of Spanish Jews in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the self-sacrifice of the German Jews stood out in bold relief, as an example of steadfastness and of the refusal to capitulate. The martyrdom of Ashkenaz signified that even the vanquished enjoy freedom of choice and can achieve moral victory in death. Why not leave it at that? Because 1096 is not only the story of the final act of self-immolation; it is also the story of the terror and conflict that must have preceded it. Medieval chroniclers and modern historians have glossed over that painful stage, out of zeal for the memory of the martyrs' heroism. Yet while this has elevated the heroes to the plane of sainthood, it has also robbed them of their humanity. Restoring the authentic pallor of those final days, hours and moments of agony enriches rather than tarnishes the memory of 1096, because it makes it possible not only to admire the protagonists, but also to identify with them. The chronicles and history books have also emphasized the heroism of the martyrs by homogenizing them into a mass of religious zealots.
... David Malkiel, Reconstructing Ashkenaz: The Human Face of Franco-German Jewry, 10001250. ...... more ... David Malkiel, Reconstructing Ashkenaz: The Human Face of Franco-German Jewry, 10001250. ... He examines the work of historians such as Heinrich Graetz, Salo Baron, Yitzhak Baer, and Jacob Katz to show how they are responsible for creating the im-age of medieval ...
... 33 As Alfred Haverkamp notes, what matters here is the linkage of voluntary and coerced apost... more ... 33 As Alfred Haverkamp notes, what matters here is the linkage of voluntary and coerced apostasy: succumbing to coercion is seen as a sin, for which one pays with the voluntary apostasy of one's children, particularly if one also causes others to sin. ...
online interview and seminar regarding the forthcoming publication of "Isaac's Fear," a volume of... more online interview and seminar regarding the forthcoming publication of "Isaac's Fear," a volume of essays on Isaac Lampronti's encyclopedia of Judaism
Primo Levi Center in New York
April 19, 2021: 1130 EDT
Presentation of Serena Di Nepi’s new book:... more Primo Levi Center in New York April 19, 2021: 1130 EDT Presentation of Serena Di Nepi’s new book: Surviving the Ghetto (Brill, 2021) Serena Di Nepi (University of Rome) in conversation with Emily Michelson (University of St. Andrews). Introduced and moderated by David Malkiel (Bar-Ilan University).
Uploads
Videos by David Malkiel
Papers by David Malkiel
April 19, 2021: 1130 EDT
Presentation of Serena Di Nepi’s new book: Surviving the Ghetto (Brill, 2021)
Serena Di Nepi (University of Rome) in conversation with Emily Michelson (University of St. Andrews). Introduced and moderated by David Malkiel (Bar-Ilan University).
Registration to the event: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_TTtOSR-bT46dVc--t4gQ2w