Dr. Lily Glasner

The roots of my academic interest and curiosity are undoubtedly embedded in the geometry classes of my school days, during which I preferred secretly reading books under my desk instead of contemplating squares and triangles. Then, little did I know that one day I would become captivated by the writings of Plato, who we are told had the following phrase engraved at the entrance of his Academy: "Let no one ignorant of geometry enter here"…

During my B.A. studies, (Poetics and Comparative Literature and Classical Studies at Tel Aviv University), I was introduced to the fascinating worlds of Ancient Greece and Rome. My M.A. studies (Comparative Literature at Bar Ilan University) brought me closer to the enigmatic era of the Christian Medieval world. My Master’s thesis explored both Platonic and Medieval traits in C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia.

Following my M.A. studies I taught for a year at a high-school which specializes in working with teenagers who have dropped out of mainstream education. This experience enhanced my understanding of the severe problems besetting our educational system and the important challenges which lie ahead of us. Concurrently, it enhanced my realization of the critical importance of the Humanities and of our vital need as a country, to produce top level academics able to breathe new life into education. "Lest", and I quote here freely from memory, "one day we will have a Prime Minister who only read one book, namely Harry Potter" …

Studying for my PhD (Comparative Literature, Bar Ilan University) enabled me to delve more deeply into medieval Christian literature and thought, and to examine the connections between Christian and Jewish thought in the late Medieval period.

At the present I am researching and teaching both Medieval Christian Literature and Children's Literature.