Jewish Law and History in the Modern Era- Dr Levi Cooper
The Jewish legal system is often perceived and studied as disengaged and disconnected from historical context. Some people laud Jewish law as a system that transcends the vicissitudes and vagaries of history; others condemn it as a legal system out of touch with reality. Legal realism has taught us that this is nothing more than an illusion: Every legal system, every norm, every judicial opinion is rooted in time and place, influenced by its immediate context and its wider cultural surrounds. Jewish law is no exception.

This course will explore the interactions between historical realities and Jewish law in various contexts from the invention of the printing press until contemporary times. How did major historical events on the world stage and in Jewish communities shape, influence, and affect the norms of Jewish law and the administration of the Jewish legal system? What were the reactions of Jewish legal scholars to inventions, cultural change, and new realities? Topics that will be discussed include the scientific revolution, enlightenment, popularisation of mysticism, splitting of Judaism into competing streams, world wars, nationalism, feminism, computer technology, digitisation, and more.

The course will also probe the need of legal systems to present themselves as stable and unchanging. What are the advantages of this illusion, and is there cost of revealing the true state of affairs?