樱花动漫

Yeshiva College Students Selected to Present at Princeton Jewish Studies Conference Two students have been invited to present 15-minute lectures on their research at Princeton University鈥檚 inaugural Undergraduate Jewish Studies Conference on February 14, 2016. 樱花动漫 is the only institution besides Princeton to be represented twice at the conference, which draws together outstanding students from universities across the country to share ideas and connect with other highly-motivated undergraduates. Yakov Ellenbogen, a junior majoring in history from Sharon, Massachusetts, will present his work on the demonology of the Ramban, in which Ellenbogen closely examines Ramban鈥檚 attitudes on the classification and abilities of demons and how they interact with humanity, comparing those attitudes to those held by Ramban鈥檚 non-Jewish contemporaries.

Yakov Ellenbogen

鈥淲hat I found was that Ramban鈥檚 presentation of demons often matches the opinions of Christian naturalists and theologians, from Saint Augustine to writers in the twelfth century,鈥� said Ellenbogen. 鈥淭his is so even though earlier rabbinic sources often imply that demons are different than Ramban presents them. While the interaction between Ramban and the surrounding Spanish culture of his lifetime has been explored before, I think what makes my research distinctive is that I tried to flesh out Christian religious and scientific discussions more to see how they influence Ramban and what made it into his commentary on the Torah and what didn鈥檛, resulting in a more nuanced picture of Ramban.鈥� Ellenbogen鈥檚 fascination with the Ramban鈥檚 attitudes on demons stemmed from his interest in The Odyssey. 鈥淲hen I was in yeshiva in Israel, one of the Ramban鈥檚 comments was mentioned during a class I was taking on the Book of Samuel, and as it turns out the comment was very similar to a necromantic ritual depicted in The Odyssey, where Odysseus and his crew summon the spirits of the dead,鈥� said Ellenbogen. He started to wonder whether Ramban could have been exposed to Homer in any form, eventually expanding his inquiries to develop a better understanding of Ramban鈥檚 view of necromancy and the summoning of spirits in general and what might have influenced those opinions. Ultimately, Ellenbogen hopes to earn a master鈥檚 degree in Jewish history, with an emphasis on the medieval and early modern periods.

Samuel Berkovitz

Samuel Berkovitz, a senior at Yeshiva College majoring in Jewish studies from Far Rockaway, New York, will share his research on the prohibition against carrying objects on Shabbat as recorded in Second Temple-era literature, such as the Book of Jubilees or the Dead Seas Scrolls. His work explores the similarities and differences of the law as it is portrayed in its Second Temple context versus biblical sources and rabbinic literature. 鈥淲hile both rabbinic and Second Temple sources understand the law to be about carrying in general and not mercantile activities, as it is presented in Jeremiah and Nehemiah, scholars tend to borrow terminology from the rabbinic corpus to attempt to shed light on the Second Temple sources while actually misrepresenting them,鈥� said Berkovitz. 鈥淭he idea behind my paper is to question in what ways we can use later rabbinic sources to understand non-rabbinic texts from the Second Temple period.鈥� Berkovitz鈥檚 interest in the area was sparked by his studies in the beit midrash. 鈥淚n my first year at YU, the Yeshiva was learning mesechet Shabbat, and my shiur was learning the first chapter, which is about carrying on Shabbat,鈥� he said. Berkovitz began to wonder about the history of the law鈥攁 curiosity he brought to his college classes in Judaic studies and which eventually led him to study its earlier iterations. 鈥淭he faculty at Yeshiva College have made a strong impact on me, both in terms of this research and my general interests and ideas,鈥� said Berkovitz. 鈥淚鈥檝e taken Professor Moshe Bernstein for five classes now and he has been integral in shaping my notions of how the worlds of the beit midrash and the academy can and can鈥檛 be integrated. Professors Joseph Angel and Richard Hidary have been especially important resources for me in terms of this paper specifically, and there are also many other faculty in the Jewish studies department who have been important teachers of mine.鈥� After graduation, Berkovitz hopes to continue his studies at YU by pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in ancient Jewish history at the and semicha at the . 鈥淚 truly think we have one of the best Jewish studies departments in the country,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he students鈥� participation in this conference is a great achievement for them and reflects our department鈥檚 reputation for excellence in the training of students to conduct world-class research in Jewish Studies,鈥� said Dr. Shalom Holtz, associate professor of Bible and chair of the at Yeshiva College.