What is it about the coming-of-age narrative that Jewish authors find so enticing? This fall, the University of Louisville will explore this topic in a new course, “Youth in Jewish Literature and Film.” Students will study texts written from the perspective of young protagonists, including Amos Oz’s Panther in the Basement, and Avner Mandelman’s Talking to the Enemy, and will discuss how Jewish writers use the journey from adolescence to adulthood as a means for breaching various topics including immigration, the Holocaust, and Zionism.
Dr. Ranen Omer-Sherman, U of L’s recently-appointed Jewish Heritage Fund for the Excellence Endowed Chair of Judaic Studies will teach the course.
After making Aliyah at 17, Dr. Omer-Sherman returned to the United States to attend college. He earned his bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from California’s Humboldt State University, and gained master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Notre Dame. Before being invited as the endowed chair of the Judaic Studies in the Humanities Department at the University of Louisville, Dr. Omer-Sherman taught at the University of Miami.
The class will be taught on Mondays from 4-6:45 p.m. To register at U of L as a Continuing Education student, follow the instructions to complete a “Non-Degree Student Application” at http://louisville.edu/admissions/apply/cs.
