Stories from Jewish History | Introductory Issue

Welcome to stories from Jewish history, a newsletter about fascinating people, cultures, books, and ideas from across the Jewish world. I have a tendency to refer to rabbis of the past as "my medieval friends" and talk about them like they're part of my inner circle, a quirk my living friends and relations tolerate amicably. I hope to make my medieval (and early modern) friends as alive to you as they are to me.

I'm going to focus on the stories of lesser-known people and texts, though I'll include renowned figures as well. I believe that these stories have much to tell us about navigating the possibilities and challenges of 21st century Judaism, and I'll try to point out those connections with each story I share.

The newsletter will come out to you on Tuesdays, each issue devoted to its own story. Thanks for coming along on this adventure and please share any suggestions, quibbles, additions, ideas, or any other thoughts!

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Detail from "The Darmstadt Haggadah," University and State Library Darmstadt Ms. Cod. Or. 8

About me

Hi, I'm Tamar Marvin, a student at Yeshivat Maharat, an Orthodox rabbinical institution for women, and an intellectual historian with a Ph.D. in Medieval and Early Modern Jewish Studies. I teach in academic and congregational settings and write for academic and broader media on history and Torah topics. I'm currently working on a book about the medieval Jewish community of Provence and its debate about the study of philosophy. Over on Twitter I share a bonus Jewish story every Sunday, plus snippets of what I'm working on throughout the week. When I don't have my head stuck in a sefer, which it usually is, I'm probably wrangling kiddos or making textiles.