Jewish culture thrived in medieval Islamic Spain. Among the great intellectual hallmarks, alongside works of philosophy, theology, and biblical commentary, is a body of Hebrew poetry written after the style of contemporary Arabic poetry on themes secular and sacred. In this talk, Jonathan Decter will teach about the prosodic and thematic features of this beautiful poetry, which still resonates with audiences today.

Jonathan Decter is the Edmond J. Safra Professor of Sephardic studies at Brandeis University. His research focuses on Jews in the Islamic World, Spain, and the broader Mediterranean during the medieval period, and in Sephardic Studies more generally. Some of Professor Decter's course offerings include Jews in the World of Islam; Introduction to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Medieval Spain; and Judeo-Arabic literature.