Albright Lecture: Susan Kennedy-Arenz - The Legacy of Hansen House in Jerusalem

Join us for Susan Kennedy-Arenz's lecture, "The Legacy of Hansen House" at 17:00 IST | 10:00 EST on Dec 3, 2025, with a post-lecture reception. Join us in person or on Zoom.

Webinar ID:
880 2444 3478

Passcode:
858632

Zoom link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88024443478?pwd=oCVZs1GbA3faO78iJqGhwtHu3SE1In.1


Abstract: This talk will describe the living conditions of Jerusalem’s leper community prior to the establishment of the first leper hospice in the mid-19th century. It will describe medical care in the city at the time and the attitudes of locals and patients to leprosy, and explain the circumstances in which Jerusalem’s leper hospices came into being. Who built them and with what in mind? Who staffed them? What, if any, remedies were offered? Did the lepers live long lives, have families, receive visitors? What were their daily routines? Were they allowed out? Were they able to practise their religion? And what happened to them in 1948, when the State of Israel was established and the leper home became the property of the new state?

Bio: Susan, a scholar of German literature, was once a UK-based political researcher, wine writer and film critic. In 1997 she produced “Landscapes of the Holy Land”, a walking guide to the region, written in the wake of the Oslo Accords. Currently based at the Van Leer Institute, she continues to write (biography, cultural essays), translate and edit. “The Legacy of Hansen House” is her latest book.

You may also like the following events from W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research:

• Next Wednesday, 12th November, 07:00 pm, AIAR-FOA Mini Series Panel: American Archaeology through the Lens of Albright's Work in Jerusalem

Also check out other Arts events in Jerusalem, Literary Art events in Jerusalem, Nonprofit events in Jerusalem.