OVERVIEW

The course offers a literary, cultural, social, and historical overview of Sephardic culture. It will examine the most significant authors and works of Sephardic literature written in Judeo-Spanish over the centuries, from the expulsion of the Jews from Spain (1492) to the present day, with particular attention to the literary production of the 20th and 21st centuries.

AIMS AND CONTENT

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Through attendance of the course and individual study, the student will gain knowledge of the evolution of Sephardic culture, language, and literature from 1492 to the early 21st century. They will be able to read, contextualize, paraphrase, and translate the proposed literary texts, as well as comment on and analyze a literary work from the studied period, identifying literary stylistic features and rhetorical figures. The student will also become familiar with the historical, linguistic, and literary dynamics of a lesser-known expression of Hispanic literature.

PREREQUISITES

No prerequisites needed.

TEACHING METHODS

Frontal lessons in Spanish with the aid of multimedia material; individual study of the books included in bibliography; study of the material uploaded in aulaweb. The course will be held in the second semester.

Before each lesson, the literary texts that will be commented will be uploaded in Aulaweb, so that students can have them with them in class. Aulaweb will also be the place where support material, various types of insights and suggestions for those wishing to independently expand the study of a specific theme will be uploaded for each topic covered.

The teacher will also use Aulaweb to communicate with students, who are therefore invited to register on the course page on this platform.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Gli ebrei in Spagna: cultura, storia, tradizioni, lingua

L’espulsione: la diaspora sefardita

La lingua: il giudeo-spagnolo

La letteratura religiosa

I generi letterari tradizionali (Refranero, cuento popular, Romancero, Cancionero)

I generi letterari adottati (Giornalismo, narrativa, teatro, poesia)

La letteratura contemporanea

La musica sefardita

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Alessia Cassani, Una lengua llamada patria. El judeoespañol en la literatura sefardí contemporánea, Barcelona, Anthropos, 2019.
2. Alessia Cassani, Parole scolpite dal tempo. Continuità e discontinuità nella letteratura sefardita contemporanea, Napoli, Guida, 2024.
3. Paloma Díaz Mas, Los sefardíes. Historia, lengua, cultura, Barcelona, Riopiedras, 2006. In particolare le pagine: 13-30; 65-85; 99-111; 115-150; 155-212; 217-290.
4. Elena Romero, La creación literaria en lengua sefardí, Madrid, Mapfre, 1992.
5. Myriam Moscona, Tela de sevoya (There are several editions in Spanish and one in Italian; the important thing is not to use the English translation, Onioncloth.)

Faranno parte della bibliografia finale anche i testi forniti a lezione e il materiale caricato in aulaweb.

N.B.

Gli studenti frequentanti dovranno preparare i volumi 1, 2 e 5, gli appunti del corso e i testi presenti in aulaweb.

Gli studenti non frequentanti dovranno preparare i volumi 1, 2, 3 (le pagine indicate) e 5.

Il volume 4 è consigliato a chi voglia approfondire autonomamente l’argomento.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

October 2025.

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam consists of an oral interview in Spanish on the topics covered by the course. During the exam, students will have to demonstrate that they have acquired general theoretical knowledge and also that they know how to comment and frame the literary texts that will be proposed (previously analyzed in class). The ability to critically re-elaborate the contents studied and to establish connections and analogies between works, authors and literary currents will be positively evaluated.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The student will have to demonstrate knowledge of the bibliography in the program and the course notes (for attending students), and be able to read, paraphrase, comment and contextualize a proposed literary text. Students will have to demonstrate:

- Know the themes and the stylistic and ideological evolution of the literature of the periods studied;

- Know how to comment and analyze the proposed literary texts and contextualize them;

- Understand the original texts, primary and secondary literature on the proposed topics.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students who have officially submitted certification of a disability, specific learning disorders (SLD), or other special educational needs are advised to contact both the designated advisor, Prof. Sara Dickinson (sara.dickinson@unige.it), and the course instructor at the beginning of the course, in order to agree on teaching and examination methods that, while respecting the course objectives, take individual learning styles into account and provide appropriate compensatory tools.