Newsletter
Apr
26
2023
Join Jewish Currents and the Goethe-Insitut for “Four Nights and a Wall,” a four-part exploration of theological political fragments of German-Jewish philosophy before the Holocaust. Inspired by the tradition of Freies Jüdisches Lehrhaus (Free Jewish Schools), the series—hosted by filmmaker Udi Aloni and philosophy professor Omri Boehm, with presentations from scholars, artists, and writers Arielle Angel, Slavoj Žižek, Meron Mendel, Haviva Pedaya, and Rasha Nehas—aims to make the work of philosophers such as Franz Rosenzweig, Walter Benjamin, and Gershom Scholem accessible to an audience outside of academia.
This series will take place at the Goethe-Institut’s New York location, at 30 Irving Place in Manhattan.
The Star of Redemption with a Split א
Wednesday, May 3rd from 5:30pm - 8pm ET
The series’ opening event features an exhibition of new work by Udi Aloni, an hour with Berlin-based Palestinian singer Rasha Nahas, and a conversation about Franz Rosenzweig’s The Star of Redemption and Edward Said’s Freud and the Non-European.
The Binding of Isaac: Prophecy, Enlightenment, Disobedience
Wednesday, May 10th from 6:30pm - 8pm ET
Drawing on Kant and Kierkegaard, philosopher Omri Boehm re-examines religious interpretations of Genesis to consider how disobedience underlies the monotheistic model of faith presented by Abraham.
Wednesday, May 24th from 5:30pm - 8pm ET
The third event will feature a screening of Udi Aloni’s Forgiveness, introduced by the philosopher and cultural theorist Slavoj Žižek.
Wednesday, May 31st from 5:30pm - 8pm ET
Concluding the series, Omri Boehm, Udi Aloni, Meron Mendel, Haviva Pedaya, and Arielle Angel will reflect on the relations between academia, art, and activism over the last century. The discussion will be followed by a screening of Udi Aloni’s Local Angel.