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Papers by Abraham Gross

Research paper thumbnail of Self-Perception of Portuguese Jewry in the Fifteenth Century

Self-Perception of Portuguese Jewry in the Fifteenth Century, 2014

How did Portuguese Jews perceive of their communities vis-a- vis their neighboring, more prominen... more How did Portuguese Jews perceive of their communities vis-a- vis their neighboring, more prominent co-religionist communities in Spain during the 15th century, when Portuguese Jewry came into its own, especially the community.of Lisbon.

Research paper thumbnail of Bukarat, Abraham ben Solomon ha-Levi

Encyclopedia of the Bible Online

Research paper thumbnail of Hebrew Sources

Research paper thumbnail of Zamora El Centro de Estudios judios en el siglo XV

Zamora en el mapa de Sefarad (Jesus Jambrina ed.), 2022

This article examines the cultural stature and standing of Zamora within Judeo-Spanish society in... more This article examines the cultural stature and standing of Zamora within Judeo-Spanish society in the 15th century. It concludes that it was the major learning center in Castile in which the most important intellectual activity took place. Its centrality is manifested far and beyond Iberia and 1492 in the Sefardi diaspora.

Research paper thumbnail of The First Crusade and the Kingdom of Jerusalem in an Unpublished Hebrew Dirge

Research paper thumbnail of דונה גרציה נשיא – הדיוקן היהודי של ״נוצריה חדשה״ לשעבר

Research paper thumbnail of Avraham Fraenkel and Abraham Gross, eds., Hebräische liturgische Poesien zu den Juderverfolgungen während des Ersten Kreuzzugs, with Peter Sh. Lehnardt

Speculum, 2021

power, keen observation of social tensions, and a knack for presenting self-interest as the commo... more power, keen observation of social tensions, and a knack for presenting self-interest as the common good. While of course Forrest is aware of these personal attributes and their impact within groups, his resolutely egalitarian approach allows us to see the "social church" (his term for how he approaches institutional church history) in a whole new light. That his argument invites this observation is a reflection of its broader potential for encouraging historically situated attention to the lived experience of institutions.

Research paper thumbnail of Spirituality and law

Research paper thumbnail of Ḥayyun, Joseph ben Abraham

Encyclopedia of the Bible Online, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of ‮פולמוס על שיטת ה\שמירה״:לתולדות לימוד פירוש רש״י על התורה בדור גירוש ספרד ‬

Research paper thumbnail of Spirituality and Law: Courting Martyrdom in Christianity and Judaism

Page 1. I RITUALITY AND LAW COURTINGMARTYRDOMIN CH RISTIANITYANDJUDAISM Studies in Judaism BRAHAM... more Page 1. I RITUALITY AND LAW COURTINGMARTYRDOMIN CH RISTIANITYANDJUDAISM Studies in Judaism BRAHAM GROSS Page 2. SPIRITUALITY AND LAW Courting Martyrdom in Christianity and Judaism Abraham Gross Studies in Judaism ...

Research paper thumbnail of Struggling with Tradition: Reservations about Active Martyrdom in the Middle Ages

PREFACE Active Martyrdom During the First Crusade in Ashkenaz - Tradition or Innovation? CHAPTER ... more PREFACE Active Martyrdom During the First Crusade in Ashkenaz - Tradition or Innovation? CHAPTER ONE Active and Passive Martyrdom in Mainz 1096 CHAPTER TWO Halakhic and Human Dilemma: Ashkenazic Struggle with its Own Tradition - Continuity of the Phenomenon and development of Traditions-Halakhic References and Discussions-Conclusions CHAPTER THREE The Iberian Peninsula Introduction-Active Martyrdom in 1391-Ashkenazic Ideology of Martyrdom in Sefarad in the Fifteenth Century-Portugal 1493-1497-The Sources-The Abduction of the Children: Between 1493 and 1497-The "Simple People of Israel" and the "Heads of Israel" Two Roads to Martyrdom in the Mass Forced-Conversion in Lisbon-Summary

Research paper thumbnail of Jabez, Joseph ben Ḥayyim

Encyclopedia of the Bible Online, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of Iberian Jewry from Twilight to Dawn: The World of Rabbi Abraham Saba

The Jewish Quarterly Review, 1998

Page 1. IBERIAN JEWRY FROM TWILIGHT TO DAWN The World of Rabbi Abraham Saba by ABRAHAM GROSS EJ B... more Page 1. IBERIAN JEWRY FROM TWILIGHT TO DAWN The World of Rabbi Abraham Saba by ABRAHAM GROSS EJ BRILL Page 2. Page 3. Page 4. Page 5. Page 6. The Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492. Those surviving ...

Research paper thumbnail of Zamora - El Centro de Estudios judios en el siglo XV

Zamora en el mapa de Sefarad, 2022

Article describes the Jewish community in the town of Zamora in northern Castile as the major ce... more Article describes the Jewish community in the town of Zamora in northern Castile as the major center of Jewish learning in the 15th century in Spain.

Research paper thumbnail of Liturgy as Personal Memorial for the Victims in 1096

Death in Jewish Life, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Struggling with tradition

... Abraham Gross Ph.D. (1982) Harvard University, is Associate Professor of Medieval Jewish Hist... more ... Abraham Gross Ph.D. (1982) Harvard University, is Associate Professor of Medieval Jewish History, specializing in Medieval Jewish History and ... Simcha Fishbane. This study of early Rabbinic texts provides fresh and fascinating insights into the attitudes of the Rabbis towards ...

Research paper thumbnail of The Blood Libel and the Blood of Circumcision: An Ashkenazic Custom That Disappeared in the Middle Ages

The Jewish Quarterly Review, 1995

Research paper thumbnail of Avraham Fraenkel and Abraham Gross, eds., Hebräische liturgische Poesien zu den Juderverfolgungen während des Ersten Kreuzzugs, with Peter Sh. Lehnardt

Review 1096 Piyyutim, 2021

power, keen observation of social tensions, and a knack for presenting self-interest as the commo... more power, keen observation of social tensions, and a knack for presenting self-interest as the common good. While of course Forrest is aware of these personal attributes and their impact within groups, his resolutely egalitarian approach allows us to see the "social church" (his term for how he approaches institutional church history) in a whole new light. That his argument invites this observation is a reflection of its broader potential for encouraging historically situated attention to the lived experience of institutions.

Research paper thumbnail of First Crusade Piyyutim

First Crusade Piyyutim. פיוטי גזרות תתנ״ו, 2016

A Hebrew-German edition of some 30 liturgical poems written in the wake of the First Crusade and ... more A Hebrew-German edition of some 30 liturgical poems written in the wake of the First Crusade and the destruction of the main Jewish communities in the Rhineland.

Research paper thumbnail of Self-Perception of Portuguese Jewry in the Fifteenth Century

Self-Perception of Portuguese Jewry in the Fifteenth Century, 2014

How did Portuguese Jews perceive of their communities vis-a- vis their neighboring, more prominen... more How did Portuguese Jews perceive of their communities vis-a- vis their neighboring, more prominent co-religionist communities in Spain during the 15th century, when Portuguese Jewry came into its own, especially the community.of Lisbon.

Research paper thumbnail of Bukarat, Abraham ben Solomon ha-Levi

Encyclopedia of the Bible Online

Research paper thumbnail of Hebrew Sources

Research paper thumbnail of Zamora El Centro de Estudios judios en el siglo XV

Zamora en el mapa de Sefarad (Jesus Jambrina ed.), 2022

This article examines the cultural stature and standing of Zamora within Judeo-Spanish society in... more This article examines the cultural stature and standing of Zamora within Judeo-Spanish society in the 15th century. It concludes that it was the major learning center in Castile in which the most important intellectual activity took place. Its centrality is manifested far and beyond Iberia and 1492 in the Sefardi diaspora.

Research paper thumbnail of The First Crusade and the Kingdom of Jerusalem in an Unpublished Hebrew Dirge

Research paper thumbnail of דונה גרציה נשיא – הדיוקן היהודי של ״נוצריה חדשה״ לשעבר

Research paper thumbnail of Avraham Fraenkel and Abraham Gross, eds., Hebräische liturgische Poesien zu den Juderverfolgungen während des Ersten Kreuzzugs, with Peter Sh. Lehnardt

Speculum, 2021

power, keen observation of social tensions, and a knack for presenting self-interest as the commo... more power, keen observation of social tensions, and a knack for presenting self-interest as the common good. While of course Forrest is aware of these personal attributes and their impact within groups, his resolutely egalitarian approach allows us to see the "social church" (his term for how he approaches institutional church history) in a whole new light. That his argument invites this observation is a reflection of its broader potential for encouraging historically situated attention to the lived experience of institutions.

Research paper thumbnail of Spirituality and law

Research paper thumbnail of Ḥayyun, Joseph ben Abraham

Encyclopedia of the Bible Online, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of ‮פולמוס על שיטת ה\שמירה״:לתולדות לימוד פירוש רש״י על התורה בדור גירוש ספרד ‬

Research paper thumbnail of Spirituality and Law: Courting Martyrdom in Christianity and Judaism

Page 1. I RITUALITY AND LAW COURTINGMARTYRDOMIN CH RISTIANITYANDJUDAISM Studies in Judaism BRAHAM... more Page 1. I RITUALITY AND LAW COURTINGMARTYRDOMIN CH RISTIANITYANDJUDAISM Studies in Judaism BRAHAM GROSS Page 2. SPIRITUALITY AND LAW Courting Martyrdom in Christianity and Judaism Abraham Gross Studies in Judaism ...

Research paper thumbnail of Struggling with Tradition: Reservations about Active Martyrdom in the Middle Ages

PREFACE Active Martyrdom During the First Crusade in Ashkenaz - Tradition or Innovation? CHAPTER ... more PREFACE Active Martyrdom During the First Crusade in Ashkenaz - Tradition or Innovation? CHAPTER ONE Active and Passive Martyrdom in Mainz 1096 CHAPTER TWO Halakhic and Human Dilemma: Ashkenazic Struggle with its Own Tradition - Continuity of the Phenomenon and development of Traditions-Halakhic References and Discussions-Conclusions CHAPTER THREE The Iberian Peninsula Introduction-Active Martyrdom in 1391-Ashkenazic Ideology of Martyrdom in Sefarad in the Fifteenth Century-Portugal 1493-1497-The Sources-The Abduction of the Children: Between 1493 and 1497-The "Simple People of Israel" and the "Heads of Israel" Two Roads to Martyrdom in the Mass Forced-Conversion in Lisbon-Summary

Research paper thumbnail of Jabez, Joseph ben Ḥayyim

Encyclopedia of the Bible Online, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of Iberian Jewry from Twilight to Dawn: The World of Rabbi Abraham Saba

The Jewish Quarterly Review, 1998

Page 1. IBERIAN JEWRY FROM TWILIGHT TO DAWN The World of Rabbi Abraham Saba by ABRAHAM GROSS EJ B... more Page 1. IBERIAN JEWRY FROM TWILIGHT TO DAWN The World of Rabbi Abraham Saba by ABRAHAM GROSS EJ BRILL Page 2. Page 3. Page 4. Page 5. Page 6. The Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492. Those surviving ...

Research paper thumbnail of Zamora - El Centro de Estudios judios en el siglo XV

Zamora en el mapa de Sefarad, 2022

Article describes the Jewish community in the town of Zamora in northern Castile as the major ce... more Article describes the Jewish community in the town of Zamora in northern Castile as the major center of Jewish learning in the 15th century in Spain.

Research paper thumbnail of Liturgy as Personal Memorial for the Victims in 1096

Death in Jewish Life, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Struggling with tradition

... Abraham Gross Ph.D. (1982) Harvard University, is Associate Professor of Medieval Jewish Hist... more ... Abraham Gross Ph.D. (1982) Harvard University, is Associate Professor of Medieval Jewish History, specializing in Medieval Jewish History and ... Simcha Fishbane. This study of early Rabbinic texts provides fresh and fascinating insights into the attitudes of the Rabbis towards ...

Research paper thumbnail of The Blood Libel and the Blood of Circumcision: An Ashkenazic Custom That Disappeared in the Middle Ages

The Jewish Quarterly Review, 1995

Research paper thumbnail of Avraham Fraenkel and Abraham Gross, eds., Hebräische liturgische Poesien zu den Juderverfolgungen während des Ersten Kreuzzugs, with Peter Sh. Lehnardt

Review 1096 Piyyutim, 2021

power, keen observation of social tensions, and a knack for presenting self-interest as the commo... more power, keen observation of social tensions, and a knack for presenting self-interest as the common good. While of course Forrest is aware of these personal attributes and their impact within groups, his resolutely egalitarian approach allows us to see the "social church" (his term for how he approaches institutional church history) in a whole new light. That his argument invites this observation is a reflection of its broader potential for encouraging historically situated attention to the lived experience of institutions.

Research paper thumbnail of First Crusade Piyyutim

First Crusade Piyyutim. פיוטי גזרות תתנ״ו, 2016

A Hebrew-German edition of some 30 liturgical poems written in the wake of the First Crusade and ... more A Hebrew-German edition of some 30 liturgical poems written in the wake of the First Crusade and the destruction of the main Jewish communities in the Rhineland.

Research paper thumbnail of Iberian New Christian and Their Descendants

Iberian New Christian and Their Descendants, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of Iberian new Christian and Their Descendants

Iberian new Christians and Their Descendants, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of First Crusade Piyyutim

First Crusade Piyyutim, 2016

Edition of c. 30 Hebrew liturgical poems + german translation + commentary.

Research paper thumbnail of Iberian New Christians and Descendants

Iberian New Christians and Descendants, 2019

Articles regarding the history of the New Christians and the reality of their descendants in the ... more Articles regarding the history of the New Christians and the reality of their descendants in the 21st century.

Research paper thumbnail of Projects in Process — The Institute for Sefardi and Anousim Studies

Information about two projects in process at the Institute for Sefardi and Anousim Studies, Netan... more Information about two projects in process at the Institute for Sefardi and Anousim Studies, Netanya Academic College:

  1. Transcription and Digitization Project: The Spanish Inquisition and the Judaizers: The Grand Persecution of the 1720s
  2. Translated and annotated: A Unique Anousim Prayer Book from Northeastern Portugal

Research paper thumbnail of Spirituality and Law - Courting Martyrdom in Christianity and Judaism

Research paper thumbnail of סיפורים בגובה הפסגה - פרקי טיפוס הרים

Research paper thumbnail of רבי יוסף חיון - מנהיג קהילת ליסבון ויצירתו

Research paper thumbnail of Struggling with Tradition - Reservations about Active Martyrdom in the Middle Ages

Research paper thumbnail of Revue-First Crusade Piyyutim (Le Moyen Age)

Le Moyen Age, 2020

Review of "First Crusade Piyyutim" edition

Research paper thumbnail of Review of First Crusade Piyyutim

Avraham Fraenkel e. a. (ed.): Hebräische liturgische Poesien zu den Judenverfolgungen während des... more Avraham Fraenkel e. a. (ed.): Hebräische liturgische Poesien zu den Judenverfolgungen während des Ersten Kreuzzugs (Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Hebräische Texte aus dem mittelalterlichen Deutschland 3), Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2016, XXXIII + 482 pp., 3 tables The announcement and effects of the First Crusade at the end of the eleventh century led to particularly serious consequences for the Jewish communities at the banks of the Rhine and along the route to the Holy Land. Jews were attacked and many of them lost their lives or were converted to Christianity. Others took their lives to prevent forced baptism. The persecutions of 1096 made a deep impression on contemporary and later Jewish authors and poets. They wrote chronicles and composed poems, with strong reference to biblical narratives about the conquest of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple. This recourse to the past was not a new phenomenon: Rabbinic Literature frequently mentions the misfortunes that befell the Jewish people in the first century. These traumatic events of the past became part of the collective memory, which at a certain time turned into mourning and fasting days in the Jewish liturgical calendar, emphatically commemorated on 17 Tammuz and 9 Av. Thus, in the course of centuries, a historical consciousness emerged in the religious framework of Judaism, which has influenced the identity of the widely dispersed Jews. The liturgical poems, here presented in the Hebrew original with German translation, are not merely a depiction of violent acts against Jews in the decisive year of 1096 but rather an integral part of a long historical tradition of persecution and death. A direct connection to the events of 1096 cannot always be detected, for the verses are overloaded with biblical references and allusions. Their many parallels with the Hebrew historical chronicles of the same period reveal the ways in which they apply to the First Crusade. For this matter, I believe that the accompanying German comments on the content of the verses provide a great service to the reader for understanding their meaning. At the same time, it becomes clear at which high level of cultural and literary achievements the Jews in Germany – and partly in France (Ashkenaz) – were in the eleventh and twelfth century. The poetic texts presented here not only demand knowledge of the Bible and resulting exegetical or linguistic explanations but also deserve an analysis of the genre and prosodic background of the poems themselves. This is