Gilad Sharvit studies the intersection of theories of history, politics and religion in modern German-Jewish thought and literature.
A scholar of Jewish and European philosophy, Sharvit is an assistant professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Towson University.
He completed his Ph.D. studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and later accepted post-doctoral positions at the University of California, Berkeley, Hebrew University and Tel Aviv University.
Among his published works, he authored “Dynamic Repetition: History and Messianism in Modern Jewish Thought.” He co-edited and contributed as an author in the volume, “Modern Jewish Thought on Crisis: Interpretation, Heresy and History.”
One of Sharvit’s books not only elucidates the messianic impulses within the works of Kafka, Freud, Benjamin and Rosenzweig, it also explores themes of hope for radical change of the present politically and culturally.
Sharvit teaches a range of courses at Towson in continental philosophy and Jewish studies including “Introduction to Modern Jewish Thought.” He is also a faculty member of the graduate program in Judaic studies, where he teaches courses on Jewish philosophy. He directs the minor in Jewish studies program at Towson.
In the book on modern Jewish thought, right before publication, the preface was revised to take in the events of Oct. 7. The inhumane attack on Israelis by Hamas presented the most radical crisis and rupture to the State of Israel and the Jewish people since the Holocaust, Sharvit said.
“It basically suggests that we didn’t see this coming, but we hope that this volume will maybe offer some kind of a way to think about how to come to terms with crisis in a new way,” Sharvit said.
The revised forward of the book reads: “Nevertheless, it is already evident that the events in the morning of Simchat Torah are leading and will lead to paradigmatic and unforeseeable changes in the way we think about Jewish existence in the land of Israel, relations between Israeli Jews and Palestinians and the ties between Israel and the Jewish diaspora.”
Sharvit continued. “I would say that in general, people that do more modern Jewish thought or more Jewish philosophy, specifically those who are engaging in Jewish political theory, there is a lot of interest in the question of exile as a viable option for Jews outside of Israel.”
Sharvit, 49, lives in Towson with his wife, Shiri, and three daughters, Roni, Adi and Shakked. His oldest daughter is serving in the Israeli army.
Five days after Oct. 7, the faculty for Jewish studies organized an informational session, which was packed, Sharvit said.
“We gave an overview of what’s going on and where we think things are going to move forward. We did some events and specifically taught a course about Zionism which drew 40 students from very diverse backgrounds.”
Another campus event was held last April. “We gave an understanding that what’s happening needs to be mitigated by fact and theory rather than just rumor or media or TikTok videos.”
Oct. 7 had an impact on Zionism, he said. “On the far left, it’s seen as colonialism. I think the Israeli response in Gaza and the claim of genocide, which I don’t support, still brings up not only the question about Israeli and Arab relations, but even the validity or legitimacy of the state of Israel. You need to go back even further to a discussion about the ideology.”
At the University of Haifa, Sharvit helped organize a conference about the idea of crisis. “The thought is that if you like to think seriously and how to engage intellectually with crisis, specifically political crisis, Judaism has a lot to offer, specifically Jewish history, the long history of confronting crisis, challenges and how to respond to them.”
Sharvit continued. “Jewish philosophy is also responding to that in the sense that you need to come up with a new way to formulate what it means to be a Jewish person living in a world in which the Holocaust actually happened.
“There are lots of questions, ‘What caused that to happen?’ and ‘How could God, a very obvious and natural question, allow that to happen?’ Responses are theological in the sense that they’re rabbinic.”
“And then there is a huge question about what it means to be a Jewish person outside of Israel or inside of Israel,” Sharvit said. “Am I not fulfilling my Jewish purpose or not Jewish enough? What is the relation between the exile and the state of Israel?”
