jewish studies lecture series
Poetic Blackness: Contemporary Yemenite & Ethiopian Israeli Jewish Poetry
Thursday, March 27, 2025
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
online only
Bryan K. Roby, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Judaic Studies/Middle East Studies, University of Michigan
Through an exploration of contemporary Israeli Jewish poets of Yemenite and Ethiopian origin, this talk examines how the framework of global Blackness continues to serve as a useful category for self-expression and identity amongst Mizrahi and Ethiopian Israeli Jews. We'll look at the notion of Black Jewishness in Israel within the pre-state historical context, moving on to the Israeli Black Panthers, and concluding with reflections on how Blackness is understood by poets like Adi Keissar, Orit Tashoma, and Yossi Zabari.
This program is generously supported by the Stern Family Lecture on Israel Studies.
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