May 13, 2016 By: mlebovic
Gabriel Wasserman, Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies
Students of all ages and backgrounds come to 成人视频色情片 to pursue a range of professional and personal dreams, from scientific research and medicine to law, Jewish education and the creative arts. Our students seek to harness their unique talents and YU education to make a lasting impact on the world around them. This spring, when they graduate, these new alumni will hit the ground running.
In the weeks leading up to鈥,鈥YU News鈥will feature one remarkable graduate from each school, reflecting on their time here, their passions and their dreams for the future.
Meet the Class of 2016.
For newly-minted Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies PhD Gabriel Wasserman, 辫颈测测耻峁 [Hebrew liturgical poetry] is more than just the subject of his dissertation; it鈥檚 his life鈥檚 passion, and the manifestation of 鈥渓iving ritual鈥 within Judaism.
Wasserman鈥檚 interest in 辫颈测测耻峁璱m began in childhood, while looking through his father鈥檚 Jewish holiday prayer books: 鈥淚 saw that the 辫颈测测耻峁璱m were special, unique liturgy for each of the holidays鈥攖he first day of Pesach, the second day of Pesach, Shabbat Chol Ha-mo鈥檈d Pesach, etc.鈥攁nd not just on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, as is common in synagogues today. And I loved the idea of variegated, interesting liturgy for each day.
鈥淭hat led me down a path, as a teenager, to seek out more and more special liturgy, eventually to write some in my 20s, and become a researcher into unpublished material,鈥 said Wasserman, a New York native. 鈥淚t also led me to Washington Heights, to find one of the few remaining communities, K鈥檋al Adath Jeshurun, where this liturgy is still said.鈥
Wasserman鈥檚 dissertation, which he defended in March, 鈥減resents and contextualizes辫颈测测耻峁璱m that were recited in medieval European synagogues on Chanukkah.鈥 The project includes the Hebrew texts of these Chanukkah 辫颈测测耻峁璱m, edited from manuscript and equipped with a critical apparatus; many of the texts are presented in print for the first time. Wasserman explains the various regional liturgical rites to which each of the poems belongs, and the different midrashic [rabbinic interpretations] and other sources that the poets used in order to weave the narrative and non-narratives themes of their poems.
Wasserman praised his adviser, Dr. Ephraim Kanarfogel, E. Billi Ivry University Professor of Jewish History, Literature and Law, for giving him the leeway to choose a creative topic that was off the beaten path. Kanarfogel鈥檚 course on History of Halakhah was Wasserman鈥檚 first class at Revel. 鈥淚 think it was his energy in the class that made me want to work with him,鈥 said Wasserman.
For the upcoming year, Wasserman is pursuing several academic options, and may travel abroad for research or other career opportunities.
Beyond his dissertation, Wasserman鈥檚 most prized achievement to date is his self-published edition of the Passover Haggadah, whose title, 鈥Ashirah va鈥檃shannenah ba-岣shiqot鈥 (鈥淚 sing and recite studious texts with desire鈥), borrows from the poetry of Seventh century poet Rabbi Eleazar b. Qallir. Wasserman began the project in 2010, completing six editions since. It has sold over 160 copies, and Wasserman intends to find a publisher for future editions.
The Haggadah鈥攊n Hebrew and English, with sprinklings of Yiddish and Ladino鈥攊s a product of Wasserman鈥檚 astounding scholarly acumen and poetic creativity. It contains historical halachic analysis, numerous 辫颈测测耻峁璱m from the Middle Ages, as well as辫颈测测耻峁璱m that Wasserman wrote himself. For example, in the 鈥淕race after Meals鈥 text for the seventh day of Passover, Wasserman incorporates an original, alphabetic acrostic poem in three sections, in the style of traditional 辫颈测测耻峁. Verses in the first section end with the word 鈥yam鈥 [sea], in the second section with 鈥yabbashah鈥 [dry land], and in the third with 鈥shirah鈥 [song]. The themes reflect the Exodus story, but the verses also contain clever references to food and sustenance, as befitting a post-meal prayer.
To explain his larger philosophy of 辫颈测测耻峁, Wasserman utilized an unlikely parallel: how Liza Minnelli incorporated dramatic performance into her musical numbers after realizing that her voice couldn鈥檛 match that of her mother, Judy Garland. 鈥淪imilarly, not everyone can be a Cantor Moshe Koussevitzky or Yossele Rosenblatt,鈥 said Wasserman, 鈥渂ut everyone can perform Yetzi鈥檃t Mitzrayim [the Exodus] with song and praise and辫颈测测耻峁.鈥
For newly-minted Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies PhD Gabriel Wasserman, 辫颈测测耻峁 [Hebrew liturgical poetry] is more than just the subject of his dissertation; it鈥檚 his life鈥檚 passion, and the manifestation of 鈥渓iving ritual鈥 within Judaism.
Wasserman鈥檚 interest in 辫颈测测耻峁璱m began in childhood, while looking through his father鈥檚 Jewish holiday prayer books: 鈥淚 saw that the 辫颈测测耻峁璱m were special, unique liturgy for each of the holidays鈥攖he first day of Pesach, the second day of Pesach, Shabbat Chol Ha-mo鈥檈d Pesach, etc.鈥攁nd not just on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, as is common in synagogues today. And I loved the idea of variegated, interesting liturgy for each day.
鈥淭hat led me down a path, as a teenager, to seek out more and more special liturgy, eventually to write some in my 20s, and become a researcher into unpublished material,鈥 said Wasserman, a New York native. 鈥淚t also led me to Washington Heights, to find one of the few remaining communities, K鈥檋al Adath Jeshurun, where this liturgy is still said.鈥
Wasserman鈥檚 dissertation, which he defended in March, 鈥減resents and contextualizes辫颈测测耻峁璱m that were recited in medieval European synagogues on Chanukkah.鈥 The project includes the Hebrew texts of these Chanukkah 辫颈测测耻峁璱m, edited from manuscript and equipped with a critical apparatus; many of the texts are presented in print for the first time. Wasserman explains the various regional liturgical rites to which each of the poems belongs, and the different midrashic [rabbinic interpretations] and other sources that the poets used in order to weave the narrative and non-narratives themes of their poems.
Wasserman praised his adviser, Dr. Ephraim Kanarfogel, E. Billi Ivry University Professor of Jewish History, Literature and Law, for giving him the leeway to choose a creative topic that was off the beaten path. Kanarfogel鈥檚 course on History of Halakhah was Wasserman鈥檚 first class at Revel. 鈥淚 think it was his energy in the class that made me want to work with him,鈥 said Wasserman.
For the upcoming year, Wasserman is pursuing several academic options, and may travel abroad for research or other career opportunities.
Beyond his dissertation, Wasserman鈥檚 most prized achievement to date is his self-published edition of the Passover Haggadah, whose title, 鈥Ashirah va鈥檃shannenah ba-岣shiqot鈥 (鈥淚 sing and recite studious texts with desire鈥), borrows from the poetry of Seventh century poet Rabbi Eleazar b. Qallir. Wasserman began the project in 2010, completing six editions since. It has sold over 160 copies, and Wasserman intends to find a publisher for future editions.
The Haggadah鈥攊n Hebrew and English, with sprinklings of Yiddish and Ladino鈥攊s a product of Wasserman鈥檚 astounding scholarly acumen and poetic creativity. It contains historical halachic analysis, numerous 辫颈测测耻峁璱m from the Middle Ages, as well as辫颈测测耻峁璱m that Wasserman wrote himself. For example, in the 鈥淕race after Meals鈥 text for the seventh day of Passover, Wasserman incorporates an original, alphabetic acrostic poem in three sections, in the style of traditional 辫颈测测耻峁. Verses in the first section end with the word 鈥yam鈥 [sea], in the second section with 鈥yabbashah鈥 [dry land], and in the third with 鈥shirah鈥 [song]. The themes reflect the Exodus story, but the verses also contain clever references to food and sustenance, as befitting a post-meal prayer.
To explain his larger philosophy of 辫颈测测耻峁, Wasserman utilized an unlikely parallel: how Liza Minnelli incorporated dramatic performance into her musical numbers after realizing that her voice couldn鈥檛 match that of her mother, Judy Garland. 鈥淪imilarly, not everyone can be a Cantor Moshe Koussevitzky or Yossele Rosenblatt,鈥 said Wasserman, 鈥渂ut everyone can perform Yetzi鈥檃t Mitzrayim [the Exodus] with song and praise and辫颈测测耻峁.鈥
