Traveling Jewish Men and Covenantal Bromances

Eyal Levinson, Fellow, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

This video discusses covenantal bromances, a known social practice amongst traveling
Jewish men across Europe during the high and late Middle Ages. These were exclusive
relationships between two men based on trust and some emotional connection, they
sometimes included shared finances and were sometimes sealed with oaths. As far as we
know, they were non-sexual yet intimate friendships.

Video

Primary Source Reading 

Meshal HaKadmoni, Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS. Oppenheim 154, Germany, 15 th Century.
Iggerot Shelomim, Jerusalem, The National Library of Israel, Iggerot Shelomim, Augsburg
1534, no. 45.

Iohannis Buxtorfii Institutio epistolaris Hebraica, Sive de conscribendis Epistolis Hebraicis
Liber, Buxtorf, Johann Basileae, 1629. 160-1. Universitätsbibliothek Basel, Shelf Mark: FA II 24:1, Persistent Link: https://doi.org/10.3931/e-rara-33721.

Further Reading

Lawrence Fine ed., Friendship in Jewish Culture, History, and Religion, 21-37 (Philadelphia:
Penn State University Press, 2021).

Levinson, Eyal. “Eternal Love I Conceive for You”: Traveling Jewish Men and Covenantal
Bromances. Mittelalter. Interdisziplinäre Forschung und Rezeptionsgeschichte 3 (2020):
1–13. https://doi.org/10.58079/rh71 (Accessed, 22. August 2024).

Discussion Questions

  1. What do these sources reveal about masculinities and gender constructs among medieval
    European Jews?
  2. What other types of friendships were present among medieval Jewish men? And what types
    of meaningful relationships were available for women?
  3. How do contemporary westerners form a meaningful, trustful and intimate (not necessarily
    sexual) friendship with another person who may not be a spouse or life-partner?

Cite

Levinson, Eyal. "Traveling Jewish Men and Covenantal Bromances," Middle Ages for Educators, November 19, 2024. Accessed [date]. https://middleagesforeducators.princeton.edu/traveling-jewish-men-and-covenantal-bromances