“Sephardic Culture: An Introduction”
Mediterranean Studies Summer Skills Seminar
6—9 July 2026 • Remote
The Summer Skills Seminar, “Sephardic Culture: An Introduction” will convene via Zoom from Monday, 6 July to Thursday, 9 July 2026 each day for 2 hours (8-10 PST), break for 1 hour (10-11 PST), and reconvene for 2 hours (11-1 PST).
Regular Registration until April 26
APPLY HERE
Course overview
This Summer Skills Seminar provides participants with an overview of main currents in Sephardic Studies including historial and cultural trends, texts, sources for the period 900-1700 CE, and attending to the potential of this field to enhance your own research and teaching. It is designed with academics in mind, particularly graduate students, postdocs, and professors working in disciplines such as history, literature, religious studies, but all intersted parties are welcome to apply. Participants will receive a completion certificate which may be listed on your CV and other documents such as grant/fellowship applications. The seminar is held via zoom over four days, with two two-hour sessions each day. Particpants are expected to prepare readings in advance of the sessions, which will be a blend of lecture, pair and group discussion, group close readings, and in-class activities.
The Jewish Communities of the Iberian Peninsula left behind a rich legacy in historical documentation and writings in the area of rabbinics, polemic, poetry, historiography, travel narrative, mysticism, philosophy, and more. Their expulsion from Spanish territories at the end of the fifteenth century lead to a diasporic network of communities in the Mediterranean, Western Europe, and beyond (The Americas, Africa, Asia).
This Summer Skills Seminar provides participants with an overview of main currents in Sephardic Studies including historical and cultural trends, texts, sources for the period 900-1700 CE, and attending to the potential of this field to enhance your own research and teaching. It is designed with academics in mind, particularly graduate students, postdocs, and professors working in disciplines such as history, literature, religious studies, but all interested parties are welcome to apply. Participants will receive a completion certificate which may be listed on your CV and other documents such as grant/fellowship applications. The seminar is held via zoom over four days, with two two-hour sessions each day. Participants are expected to prepare readings in advance of the sessions, which will be a blend of lecture, pair and group discussion, group close readings, and in-class activities.
The goal is to provides attendees with a basic preparation for including Sephardic sources in teaching and research and provide them with a bona fide (in the form of a certificate of completion for those who attend the full seminar), which may be advantageous in securing grants or other funding for research and travel. Preparation in Sephardic studies can be a way for scholars working in Hispanic, Mediterranean, or Jewish studies (or other fields) to distinguish their research and/or teaching profiles, and put them in discussion with new interlocutors.
Past Participants said:
“It was a great experience. As I said in one of the sessions, to look back at the Sephardic culture "formation" — it was an important experience to reflect upon the specific community I'm working with.”
“Great syllabus, helpful close readings, and illuminating discussions.”
”Great class, fascinating material, knowledgeable professor.”
“The instructor was well-versed in the subject, enthusiastic and generous with his time and resources.”
“I was interested to explore a broader perception of Sephardic studies and be aware of the validity of my argument and approach. I wanted to listen and learn from different people, it was a great experience in this regard.”
“I think this seminar has provided me with so much more knowledge and material to bring to my classroom and to my own studies.”
“Dr. Wacks was awesome. He was so very knowledgeable and SO generous with his time, with answering our questions (during the course and by email) and especially with his willingness to share his resources *and* to become a resource for us as e continue our journey.”
“David was professional, knowledgeable, but humble enough to express his own unknowns and even be open to accept different interpretations. He was amicable and even entertaining
Faculty
The course will be conducted by Prof. David A. Wacks (Romance Languages, University of Oregon; PhD UC Berkeley 2003), Harry Starr Fellow in Jewish Studies (Harvard, 2006), and recipient of the 2015 National Jewish Book Award in the category of Sephardic Culture. His research focuses on the literary footprint of the confluence of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in the Iberian Peninsula and Sephardic Diaspora. He blogs on his current research at davidwacks.uoregon.edu. He is author of Framing Iberia: Frametales and Maqamat in Medieval Spain, (Brill, 2007), winner of the 2009 La corónica award, and Double Diaspora in Sephardic Literature: Jewish Cultural Production before and after 1492 (Indiana University Press, 2015), and Medieval Iberian Crusade Fiction and the Mediterranean World (University of Toronto Press, 2019). Selected recent publications include: “Medieval Iberian Romance” in The New Cambridge Companion to Medieval Romance (2023), “Sefarad” in Routledge Hispanic Studies Companion to Medieval Iberia: Unity in Diversity (2021), “Sepharadim/Conversos and Premodern Global Hispanism” in Journal of Spanish Cultural Studies 20.1-2 (2019)
Prerequisites
None.
Please note: sessions will not be recorded; synchronous attendance is required.
Application & Information
The regular application period is until April 26.
There is an application deposit of $100USD or €100. This will be refunded when course payment is made.
Late applications will be accepted if there is availability and will be subject to a late fee.
If you are not accepted your application deposit will be refunded.
Applicants will be advised of acceptance by May 1. Payment is due on 15 May. Applicants waiting on a grant or subvention should contact us without delay to make arrangements.
Late applicants may be accommodated if space remains. For late applicants full payment will be due within three days of acceptance, including a $75 surcharge for late applications, or be subject to an additional fee.
All payments are final and non-refundable. A letter of confirmation/ receipt will be provided by the Mediterranean Seminar, together with a certificate of completion once the course has concluded.
Apply via this form
NOTE: Numbers are limited; participants are encouraged to apply early.
Fees
There has been no increase in fees for 2026
• $1100 for Full Professors, Librarians & Professionals
• $825 for tenured Associates, Emerita/us, Retired Faculty, Independent Scholars & Non-Academics;
• $575 for non-tenured Associates and Assistants, Postdoctoral Fellows & Graduate and Undergraduate students;
• $400 for Adjuncts, Lecturers & Contingent faculty.
Limited reductions are offered to applicants who are (1) nationals; (2) current residents; (3) AND faculty or students in low-per-capita GDP countries may apply for a reduction (the Low-GDP Bursary program).
Payment information will be provided at the time of acceptance. Posted fees do not include a 5% processing fee.
How do we determine our fees?
Can I get a reduction in fees?
Why are there sometimes supplementary charges?
Why have our fees gone up?
What is the low-GDP Bursary program?
Proposed Program
Monday, 6 July 2026: History, Language, Culture, Timeline
9am—11am & noon—2pm
1. Historical and cultural trends
2. Poetry and Prose: Andalusi Hebrew poets, Judah al-Harizi
3. Mysticism and Historiography: Ibn Gabirol, Ibn Daud
Tuesday, 7 July 2026: Sephardic al-Andalus (900-1200)
9am—11am & noon—2pm
1. Historical and cultural trends
2. Poetry: Shem Tov de Carrión
3. Mysticism and Exegesis: Zohar, Moshe Arragel
Wednesday 8 July 2026: Sephardic Christian Iberia (1200-1500)
9am—11am & noon—2pm
1. Historical and cultural trends
2. Historiography: Solomon ibn Verga, Abraham Zacuto, Samuel Usque
3. Mysticism: Moses Cordovero
Thursday, 9 July 2026: Sephardic Diaspora (1500-1700)
9am—11am & noon—2pm
1. Historical and cultural trends
2. Poetry: Marrano poets
3. Apology: Isaac Cardoso
4. Revisit sources, research, pedagogy: future research projects and courses
Important dates:
Application period: 26 April 2026
Acceptance/stand by notifications: 5 May 2026
Full payment: 12 May 2026 (subject to extension for late applicants/ or pending grants)
NOTE: Numbers are limited; participants are encouraged to apply early.
Information
For general information regarding fees, enrollment, and administrative matters, contact the Mediterranean Seminar; for questions regarding seminar content and materials, contact the instructor directly.
· Participant responses were lightly edited