Online course analyzes Agnon's stories

WebYeshiva.org Jewish studies program brings Nobel laureate's teachings outside of Israel, for first time via internet

Ynetnews|Published: 01.31.11 , 14:57

WebYeshiva.org, the first fully-interactive online Jewish studies program, announced recently a new course entitled "Midrash Agnon" that analyzes Nobel laureate Shmuel Yosef Agnon's short stories in English.

The course will be broadcast live from Agnon's Jerusalem house, bringing the teachings of S.Y. Agnon's works outside of Israel, for the first time via the internet.

"Midrash Agnon" will be given live by Rabbi Jeffrey Saks, founding director of the Academy for Torah Initiatives and Directions (ATID), parent organization of WebYeshiva.org, at the Agnon House in Talpiot, Jerusalem.

The five-part series begins Sunday, February 6, and can be joined live in Jerusalem or via the simultaneous online broadcast at WebYeshiva.org. The course will focus on analyzing Agnon's short stories from a literary perspective while unraveling the undertones of classical Jewish sources present in his writings.

In addition, the class will discuss many theological, cultural and spiritual questions of that time including the viability of Judaism in the Diaspora, the continuity of tradition in the face of modernity, and the meaning of the return to the Land of Israel.

'Virtually' entering Agnon's home

"Lecturing in the very home of S.Y. Agnon creates a very powerful and natural environment to analyze and understand his literary pieces and their roots in classical Jewish sources," says Rabbi Jeffrey Saks. "We are also excited to make his works available to the wider public, outside of Israel, who would like to explore the writing and life of the greatest Hebrew author, and the wealth of Jewish ideas and sources echoed in his literature."

"We are delighted to partner with WebYeshiva.org to invite visitors from far and wide, both in person and via online broadcast to enter Agnon's home," says Nicole Goldstein Strassman, director of English Programs at the Agnon House.

"Agnon once remarked, 'My home is small but there is space in my home for a man like me who does not seek grandeur.' We now have the space Agnon dreamed of to invite participants from all over the world to 'virtually' enter Agnon's home."

Writer S.Y. Agnon (1888-1970) was a Nobel Prize laureate and a major contributor to modern Hebrew literature, primarily exploring the conflict between traditional Jewish life and modernity.

The course "Midrash Agnon" will involve discussions and readings in English translation analyzing the collection of short stories, "A Book That Was Lost: Thirty-Five Stories by S.Y. Agnon".