Jewish Studies 219 - Translation Theory and Practice in Jewish Literature

Translation in Jewish Lit.

Fall
2026
01
4.00
Madeleine Cohen

MW 03:15PM-04:30PM

Mount Holyoke College
131475
mcohen@mtholyoke.edu
131475,131208
This course examines translation as a mode of cultural transmission, creativity, and theoretical inquiry for Jewish literature and thought. Topics include: translation as a means of mediating access to the sacred; women's roles as readers and creators of translations; enduring debates about what may be "lost" in translation; and whether translation into "Global English" helps or hurts the survival of literatures in Yiddish, Ladino, and other minoritized languages. Students put theory into practice by reading translations of Jewish literature critically and comparatively and by producing their own translations.
Permission is required for interchange registration during the add/drop period only.