Dive into the captivating world of Itzik Manger's great khumeshlider (Torah poems) as we explore two of his greatest works: one retelling the mythic moment of Eve and the Apple Tree, and the other reimagining the harrowing Binding of Isaac. Manger’s poetic genius lies in his bold reworking of sacred texts, breathing new life into these ancient stories with fresh perspectives and profound emotion. This conversation will not only uncover Manger’s revolutionary approach to rewriting the Torah, but also delve into the intricate challenges of translation, where language, meaning, and cultural nuance collide. Prepare for a journey through Manger’s lyrical reinvention of the Torah—where every word pulses with energy, ambiguity, and the power of reinterpretation.

Lawrence Rosenwald is Anne Pierce Rogers Professor of English Emeritus at Wellesley College, where he taught from 1980 to 2022. He written extensively about diaries, words and music, translation, literary multilingualism, and literature and pacifism; he has also published translations of prose works and poems in Latin, Italian, German, French, and Yiddish, and written and performed more than fifty verse scripts for early music theater.