The Talmud as Icon

The Babylonian Talmud is a Jewish scripture whose content has been central to the practice of Judaism and Jewish ideology for over a millennium. Because of this centrality, the Talmud has also found itself reviled and persecuted as the paradigmatic symbol of Jews and Judaism. This talk will focus on various aspects of the Talmud’s symbolic life. Professor Wimpfheimer is a recent recipient of the National Jewish Book Award for The Talmud: A Biography.