The legend of the Wandering Jew centres on the figure of an old man who, in refusing to support Jesus, was punished by being forced to roam the earth until the Second Coming. Originating as an antisemitic myth in Medieval Europe, this figure has since been the subject of countless literary, visual and filmic representations.
This exhibition showcases how the Wandering Jew has been reimagined by Jewish artists and writers, and has become a vehicle for tolerance and the celebration of harmonious Christian/Jewish relations from the 19th century until today. The Wandering Jew serves as a motif for the creative richness that comes from movement and encounter, reframing diaspora as something with potential for imagination, rather than as punishment.
Acknowledgements
An exhibition created by Anoushka Alexander-Rose, with editorial assistance from Charlie Knight.
This exhibition has been digitised by Katie Power.
We gratefully acknowledge the support of Lisa Lampert-Weissig and the research of her latest monograph, Instrument of Memory: Encounters with the Wandering Jew (University of Michigan Press, 2024).
Thanks to funds from the German History Society and the Jewish Historical Society of England, and the support and expertise of the research community at the Parkes Institute for the Study of Jewish/non-Jewish Relations, University of Southampton.
