Piyyut

Catalog description

The piyyut has long been a post-biblical vehicle for expressing a high-register Hebraic response to Jewish life in Diaspora. Often ensconced in localized trends, be they linguistic and/or musical, piyyutim involve the interaction between text, sound, thought, and historical memory. In contemporary Jewish life, piyyutim have also moved beyond the liturgical and paraliturgical function, to navigate modern Hebraic culture in Israel as part of a globalized context of popular music. This course examines different themes, settings, and impacts of piyyutim practice in Jewish history and culture.