Description
Book SynopsisChallenging the notion that Jewish mysticism ceased to exist in the Hassidic enclaves of early nineteenth century Europe, Hamutal Bar-Yosef delves into the mystical elements of 20th century Israeli literature. Exploring themes such as unity, death, and sex, Bar-Yosef traces the influence and the trends towards secular mysticism found in Russian, Yiddish, and early Hebrew writers, and examines the impact of Zionism in creating a modern, living mystical literature. This is an exciting new text for anyone studying modern Hebrew literature.
Trade Review“Grounded in excellent scholarship,
Mysticism in Twentieth Century Hebrew Literature is a wide-ranging and comprehensive work. Bar-Yosef is very familiar with the Hebrew literary field and draws rich portraits of 20th-century poetic circles. . . . [T]his work is a gift to the field of Jewish and Hebrew literary studies, offering as well a fruitful perspective for the study of Israeli culture through and beyond secularism.” — Galili Shahar, Tel Aviv University, Studies in Contemporary Jewry, vol. 29
