Using humor to talk about feminism, sexual politics and homosexuality, world-renowned scholar Tova Rosen spoke to a group of 30 audience members yesterday.
Rainy skies cleared in time to host Rosen, a professor of Medieval Hebrew Literature at Tel Aviv University. Rosen visited Penn to lecture on "The Enemy at Home: Sexual Politics in a Medieval Hebrew Marriage Debate."
"Tova Rosen is a major scholar in the field of gender studies and medieval Jewish literature," Undergraduate Chair of the Jewish Studies Department Kathryn Hellerstein said in her introduction. "She speaks to people interested in medieval Jewish, Christian and Islamic studies, gender in literature and poetry."
Rosen -- whose book, Unveiling Eve: Reading Gender in Medieval Hebrew Literature, was recently published by the University of Pennsylvania Press -- was brought to Penn by the Jewish Studies and Women's Studies programs.
Rosen opened with an anecdote illustrating the portrayal of women in the Middle Ages, describing a rich man who built himself a new house. Above the doorway he wrote, "Let no evil enter this house." In the story, a famous philosopher walked past the house and, upon seeing the adage inscribed, asked, "How will your wife enter?"
The anecdote illustrated the "misogyny and misogamy" in medieval Jewish society, Rosen said.
For the majority of her lecture, Rosen reflected on Judah Ibn Shabbetai's work The Offering of Judah the Woman Hater, written in 1208 in Toledo, Spain.
The book tells the story of Zerah, a young man who believes that women are the embodiment of evil but who falls for a beautiful bride. The young bride, Ritzpa, turns out to be an old hag who speaks so excessively that she "turns his hair white." However, the two remain married, and he reaffirms his love for his wife and children in the conclusion.
Rosen used the story as a vehicle to discuss the use of humor in literature.
"Humor is a serious business," Rosen said.
Rosen argued that humor is clearly gendered. Much of medieval Jewish literature is "homo-textual," Rosen said. The jokes are sexually "geared to males."
Rosen also used the story as a bouncing off point for serious issues that affected the Jewish perception of marriage. She stressed the influence of Islam and Catholicism in The Offering of Judah.
The story is a "sensitive seismograph that reflects Jewish society and culture in the 13th century," Rosen said. Although it "dramatized and cinematized" the situation, it humorously illustrated the demonization of women at the time.
Those present in Houston Hall for Rosen's lecture said they found it interesting.
"I really liked that it showed a specific aspect of medieval Jewish society," said Haverford freshman Karenina Wolff, calling the talk, "very entertaining because you often don't hear about the effects of humorous, informal literature on Jewish culture."
Hellerstein echoed Wolff's interest, saying, "It was an absolutely spectacular opportunity to have Rosen speak on the eve of her book's publication."
