David Herman
Jewish Heroes and Villains: An Introduction
Summary
The first of four talks on Jewish heroes and villains in literature, this presentation will look at some of the most famous Jewish characters in literature from the Middle Ages to the present. Why have so many been treated as villains and depicted in terms of recurring stereotypes? How have these stereotypes changed from child killers and usurers to Victorian financiers, and what kinds of heroic Jews have emerged in modern times, from the suffering jokers of Bellow and Roth to the thoughtful scientists of Vassily Grossman’s Life and Fate?
David Herman
David Herman is a freelance writer based in London. Over the past 20 years he has written almost a thousand articles, essays, and reviews on Jewish history and literature for publications including the Jewish Chronicle, the Jewish Quarterly, Jewish Renaissance, the Guardian, the New Statesman, and Prospect. He has taught courses on Jewish culture for the London Jewish Cultural Centre and JW3. He is a regular contributor to Jewish Book Week, the Association of Jewish Refugees, and the Insiders/Outsiders Festival on the contribution of Jewish refugees to British culture.