I Am of the Tribe of Judah: Poems from Jewish Latin America - Paperback

by Stephen A. Sadow (Editor), Ilan Stavans (Introduction by)

The first anthology of its kind, I Am of the Tribe of Judah: Poems from Jewish Latin America brings together poetry from the Mexican border to the tip of South America. Originally written in Spanish, Portuguese, Yiddish, Ladino, Casteidish, and Hebrew, these poems have been translated into English, many for the first time, by a group of prize-winning translators.

This multilingual collection looks at the tradition across more than five hundred years, featuring poems that exalt being Jewish, whether Ashkenazi or Sephardic, and poems that express humor and satire. Conversely, there are poems in response to anti-Semitism and poems of exile, of protest, and of the Holocaust. In a different mode, there are wondrous poems on mysticism and Kabbalah.

The book includes an insightful introduction and historical background by world-renowned literary and social critic Ilan Stavans, professor at Amherst College.

Author Biography

Stephen A. Sadow is a professor emeritus of Latin American literature and Jewish studies at Northeastern University in Boston. His books include the National Jewish Book Award-winning King David's Harp: Autobiographical Essays by Jewish Latin American Writers (UNMP).

Internationally renowned scholar, essayist, linguist, translator, editor, and cultural commentator Ilan Stavans is the Lewis-Sebring Professor of Humanities, Latin American, and Latino Culture at Amherst College. He serves as the series editor for the University of New Mexico Press's acclaimed Jewish Latin America Series.