Shlomo Ibn Gavirol
The Golden Age of Sephardic Jewry

Poetry and philosophy don’t seem to mean much to us 21st century folk, but a look at the life and work of Ibn Gavirol shows how relevant they can be. His lyrical religious poetry still has the power to move us, and his seemingly outdated Platonic philosophy can give us a language for describing the soul. This concluding lecture on the Golden Age of Spain is like an after-dinner mint. It gives a lasting and pleasant flavor of a world gone by.

• a sampling of his inspiring piyutim
• the power of poetry to transform our prayers
• how Jewish scholars revived Greek philosophy
• the ironic influence of the Jewish scholars on Thomas Aquinas and the Catholic Church