One of the most fascinating
lenses through which to understand Jewish history, culture, ethnography and
folklore is the study of diaries written by Jewish travelers. These exotic
ninth to nineteenth centuries accounts of the countries they visited and the
events they experienced will offer new perspectives of Jewish life in the
Land of Israel as well as Europe, Asia and Africa. We'll study the
firsthand chronicles of Eldad the Danite , Benjamin of Tudela, Petachya of
Ratisbon, Ovadia of Bartenura, messianic pretender David Reuveni, and Lady
Judith Montefiore, among others. Adventurers and armchair travelers
welcome!