The conference Nehemiah Hiyya ben Moses Hayyun and the Challenges of Sabbatean Leadership after 1676 will be held at the Faculty of Philosophy on 3 and 4 October.
The conference is jointly organized by the Moshe David Gaon Center for Jewish-Spanish Studies and the J. R. Elyacher Center for the Study of Sephardic Heritage at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Sarajevo Faculty of Philosophy and the Jewish Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The so-called Sabbatean controversy, in some respects, marked the transition of the “Jewish world” to modernity. Sabbatai Zevi continues to be a source of inspiration, not only for scholars, but also for writers and artists. Other personalities after his death are not less interesting. This is precisely the reason why this conference will focus on the character of Hiyya Hyon and other post- Sabbatean leaders, their opus and influence on history and literature in later periods. Hiyya Hyon was born in Sarajevo, the fact guiding the initiative to hold the conference right here.
The Conference’s goal is to bring together scholars from different humanities disciplines in considering different texts and works (literary, visual, philosophical/theological and historiographical) created in response to the teachings and actions of Hiyya and other second generation Sabbatean leaders in the context of the Sephardic Mediterranean and Balkans.
Top experts in this field (University of Colorado, University of Tel Aviv, University of California, Johns Hopkins, etc.) will give their contribution to the conference. The Conference will take place at the University of Sarajevo Faculty of Philosophy (Thursday, 3 October 2019, at 9:00). All presentations are in English and the conference is open for public.