Link will be posted in directory sent to Temple members and friends. Please check your most recent Temple email.

When we talk about Roth, we usually think of his sociological portrayal of the Jewish community, his representation of current political events, and (of course) sex. We rarely consider him in the light of traditional Jewish thought. In this session, we’ll discuss Jewish mystical influences in his early story “Eli, The Fanatic” and consider the ways in which they open up a new way to read one of his most famous short stories.

You do not have to read the story to enjoy the class, but reading it in advance is suggested. The story can be found in Roth collections, or read online:

https://americanhorrorstoriessite.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/philip-roth-eli-the-fanatic.pdf

Instructor Bio:

Kathryn Ruth Bloom, PhD returned to university after retiring from a job as a public-relations executive in the biopharmaceutical industry and received her PhD in American literature from Northeastern University in 2018. Her specialty is American middlebrow fiction 1910-1960. Her columns, op ads, articles, fiction, and reviews have appeared in a number of publications, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Newsday, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, On the Seawall, The Public Humanist, and Hadassah magazine.