Turning to Tkhines: Voices in the Vernacular
What are tkhines, and what can they tell us about the daily rhythms, religious aspirations and private hopes of those who recited them? In this shiur, we’ll explore the role that these para-liturgical Yiddish prayers played in Jewish women’s lives in early modern Ashkenaz. Moving across time and into the modern age, we’ll consider how tkhines—written at times by men, at times by women—shaped new possibilities for popular piety and self-expression. Finally, we’ll discuss how the portable, personal nature of tkhines persists today.
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This class was part of Night Seder for Winter Zman 2021-22.