Join us in-person on Monday, December 4 at 6:30PM for a Book Talk with scholars Adi Mahalel and James Nadel about Dr. Mahalel's new book, The Radical Isaac: I. L. Peretz and the Rise of Jewish Socialism. This event will take place in the Yavitz-Calder Lounge on the first floor of Uris Hall.
Yiddish and Hebrew writer I. L. Peretz (1852-1915) was a major leader of Eastern European Jewry in the years prior to World War I, and was deeply involved in Jewish politics and communal life throughout his lifetime. In The Radical Isaac: I. L. Peretz and the Rise of Jewish Socialism, Adi Mahalel examines a central part of his life and art that has often been neglected, namely, his close alignment with the needs of the Jewish working-class and his deep devotion to progressive politics. Although there have been numerous studies of Peretz and his work, this very central component of his life nonetheless remains severely understudied. By offering close readings of the "radical" Peretz, Mahalel recasts the way political activism is understood in scholarly evaluations of the writer's work. Employing a partly chronological, partly thematic scheme, Mahalel follows Peretz's radicalism from its inception and then through the various ways in which it was synchronically expressed during this intense period of history. Columbia doctoral candidate James Nadel will join Dr. Mahalel to discuss his new book.
Dr. Adi Mahalel is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Yiddish Studies at the University of Maryland. He received his doctoral degree in Yiddish Studies from Columbia University. His book, The Radical Isaac: I. L. Peretz and the Rise of Jewish Socialism, was published by SUNY Press in 2023. Adi’s areas of interest include modern Hebrew and Yiddish literatures, Jewish cultures in modern times, and the crossroads between culture and politics. He has published articles and translations on these subjects in multiple languages, and has taught at Columbia University and YIVO.
James Nadel is a Ph.D. candidate in History at Columbia University. His research focuses on Jewish merchants and business people in late imperial Russia. He has written for In Geveb, Vashti and Sephardic Horizons.
Supported by the generosity of the Radov and Kaye families.
While all IIJS events are free and open to the public, we do encourage a suggested donation of $10.