"A Man Learns Only from What His Heart Desires": Hebrew Textbooks Reimagined
By situating Hebrew textbooks for adults within their historical and social contexts, this lecture sheds light on the intricate relationship between pedagogy, national identity, and the challenges faced by immigrants adapting to a new homeland.
Employing the concept of Entangled Histories, it connects global pedagogical knowledge of language instruction with the unique adaptations developed in Mandatory Palestine and the State of Israel for adult learners. Through an examination of Hebrew textbooks, their authors, and their integration into Hebrew classes for adults, often conducted as evening lessons, my research highlights the interplay between imported methodologies and local innovations. The lecture explores how Hebrew textbooks became a medium for navigating the tension between preserving cultural heritage and fostering integration into a rapidly evolving society.
Rakefet Anzi is a PhD candidate in Jewish History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a 2024/25 Leo Baeck Fellow of the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes. Her dissertation explores Hebrew language education for adults in Mandatory Palestine and early Israel (1930s–1950s), focusing on its role in shaping national identity and society-building.
She has been affiliated with the Franz Rosenzweig Minerva Center and the Cherrick Center, contributing to research on German-Jewish history and the Yishuv. In May–July 2025, Rakefet will be a Junior Visiting Scholar at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies.
Alongside her research, she teaches at the Hartman High School for Girls in Jerusalem, blending her passion for history and education.
Date:
20 May 2025, 14:15
Venue:
St Anne's College, Woodstock Road OX2 6HS
Venue Details:
Seminar Room 1
Speaker:
Rakefet Anzi (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
Organising department:
Oxford School of Global and Area Studies
Organisers:
Dr David Borabeck (University of Oxford),
Professor Yaacov Yadgar
Organiser contact email address:
charlotte.guillain@area.ox.ac.uk
Host:
Dr David Borabeck (University of Oxford)
Part of:
Israel Studies Seminar Trinity Term 2025
Booking required?:
Required
Booking url:
https://forms.office.com/e/GFnpG8TT0g
Audience:
Members of the University only
Editor:
Charlotte Guillain
