This course explores the landscape of modern Hebrew poetry through the lens of theological and spiritual inquiry. Students will encounter some of the most significant Hebrew poets of the 20th and 21st centuries—including Yehuda Amichai, Zelda, Yona Wallach, Nathan Zach, Haviva Pedaya, and Almog Behar—through close readings of poems that deal with questions of faith, doubt, and spiritual seeking in the modern era.The course examines how Hebrew poets have navigated the profound theological challenges of their time: the aftermath of the Holocaust, the tension between secular and religious identity in modern Israel, the revival of Hebrew as a living language, and the ongoing dialogue between tradition and innovation.Course Units:* The Relation to God* Mystical Experiences* Dialogue with Biblical Stories* Alternative PrayersPoems will be read in Hebrew with extensive discussion of linguistic choices and poetic techniques. Class discussions will be conducted in English or Hebrew depending on students' language proficiency.
Poems by: Yehuda Amichai, Natan Zach, Dan Pagis, Zelda, Yona Wallach, Dahlia Ravikovitch, Haviva Pedaya, Almog Behar, Eli Eliahu, Odeya Rosenak. An exact list will be given at the beginning of the course.
Completion of Hebrew 3 courses or level Gimel.
Final essay (10.000characters) and presentation
Students analyze major Hebrew poems from 1960-2025 that engage with theological themes, examining how modern poets negotiate questions of faith, tradition, and spirituality through innovative poetic language.
