News & Events
Thursday, Dec 1st, 2022
KU Jewish Studies & Graz International Summer School SEGGAU | GUSEGG 2023 | Leibnitz, Austria | DEADLINE TO APPLY: January 31, 2023! Scholarships are available for those who qualify!
Graz, Austria: July 2 - July 15, 2023.
To learn more please visit the website linked here: Graz International Summer School Seggau
Conflict, Challenge, and Change: State – Society – Religion
GUSEGG 2023 will offer a discussion on how conflict, challenge,
and change determine our lives as individuals and
as a society. Our times are marked by various conflicts and
antagonisms arising from challenging circumstances: climate
change, war, inequality, poverty, hunger, pandemics. The
problems faced today are conceived of in different ways: as
unexpected tragedies, as predictable outcomes of past behavior,
as the result of systematic and structural processes, or as
the consequence of individual actions or even chance. It is a
constant challenge to attempt to resolve tensions and antagonisms
without multiplying and escalating them. If conflict is a
challenge and a question, change is the answer.
However, dialogue between the past and the present must
continue as the basis of a democratic ideal, as silence as an
alternative would not signal the end of all conflicts, but the end
of a democratic way of dealing with them. Therefore, creative
transformation processes are necessary to meet the various
challenges faced. Thus, GUSEGG 2023 will present research
on how conflict, challenge, and change are addressed socially,
politically, culturally, and economically, and what this means
for states, societies, and religions.
In order to develop strategies and methods to meet the challenges
of our times, this summer school suggests engaging in
academic contemplation and interdisciplinary exchange. Such
investigations offer us the opportunity of developing disruptive
intellectual approaches and ideas, as we can gain insights
into the many forces that make us believe that the challenges
we face are essential, natural, or inevitable. Therefore, the
suggested analysis offers us not only an understanding of our
own positions on an individual, a regional, national, and global
level, but also the possibility of moving from a passive position
to active involvement in addressing conflict, challenge, and
change, and offer insights into the dynamics and structures
that govern us and shape as individuals and groups. Focusing
on the emphasis areas of the University of Graz – South
Eastern Europe and North, Central and South America – this
program will offer a basis for discussing global and continental
challenges as well as opportunities that such academic
engagement provides.
Questions? Email gusegg@uni-graz.at
Monday, November 21st, 2022
KU Jewish Studies & University of California, Berkeley | Global Internships | Haifa, Israel | DEADLINE TO APPLY: January 16, 2023!
Haifa, Israel: June 19 - August 11, 2023. Online Course: June 5 – August 12, 2023. Dates are subject to change.
To learn more please visit the website linked here: Berkeley Global Internships | Global Internships: Haifa, Israel.
Students will broaden their view of Israel and the Middle East with a Global Internship in Israel focused on social change. This 8-week summer program consists of one of two online courses taught by UC Berkeley professors and one in person course taught by KU Jewish Studies professor, Dr. Rami Zeedan. Students who participate will receive 3 KU Core credit hours in Jewish Culture or History and 3 elective credit hours. In addition, should they enroll in JWSH 650 (Service Learning), they will qualify for JWSH 650 Service Learning credits through the internship component of the program.
The Global Internships team works one-on-one with students to find an internship that matches their career goals, interests, and experience level. Internships in Israel are available in a wide variety of fields and internship placement is guaranteed. Internships will be three to four days a week, with two days of the week consisting of program-related coursework and field trips.
In addition to the internship, students will take Dr. Zeedan’s course: Israeli Politics & Society - Israel's Minorities and your choice of one of two online courses: Leadership - Purpose, Authority, and Empowerment taught by UC Berkeley professor, Dr. Dan Mulhern or Global Citizenship taught by Dr. Jeroen Dewulf.
Scholarships of $5,000 are available for this location to all admitted students (including visitors) to assist with flight costs and living expenses, courtesy of the Helen Diller Institute for Jewish Law and Israel Studies. No additional application is required!
Questions? Contact Dr. Rami Zeedan zeedan@ku.eduor KU Study Abroad & Global Engagement at studyabroad@ku.edu.
Wednesday, November 9th 2022
Henry Ford, Then and Now: Racism, Antisemitism, and the Assembly Line | A Conversation with Filmmaker Andy Kirshner
On Wednesday, November 9th, 4:00 PM at the Hall Center for the Humanities Conference Hall, filmmaker Andy Kirshner (Associate Professor, Art and Design, Music, University of Michigan) will discuss his recent documentary art film, 10 Questions for Henry Ford, which examines the controversial life and legacy of the world’s most famous industrialist. A carefully researched combination of historical fact and poetic imagining, the film draws on newspaper interviews, archival film, oral histories, and Henry Ford’s personal notebooks to contrast the popular Ford myth with a far more complicated reality.
Kirshner will be joined by Betsy Esch (American Studies) and Samuel Brody (Religious Studies) for a conversation on the film, Fordism, antisemitism, and white nationalism. The conversation will be moderated by Ari Linden (Slavic, German, and Eurasian Studies).
This event is co-sponsored by: The KU Jewish Studies Program, the Hall Center for the Humanities, KU Film & Media Studies, KU Slavic, German, and Eurasian Studies, KU American Studies, KU Theatre and Dance, and the Lawrence Jewish Community Congregation.
You can view 10 Questions for Henry Ford in advance of this event after Nov 1st via the following link: https://bit.ly/10QuestKU
Monday, November 7th, 2022
Fall Danciger Fellowships in Jewish Studies Available Now!
We are pleased to announce that once again, due to the continued generosity of the Danciger Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City, the KU Jewish Studies Program is honored to offer several merit-based and need-based fellowship opportunities for Fall 2022. These fellowships provide financial support to Jewish Studies majors, minors, and undergraduates with interest in Jewish studies.
The Danciger Fellowship for Undergraduate Research in Jewish Studies awards $250 to Jewish Studies majors and minors who research and present on any topic of Jewish Studies during the Fall Undergraduate Research Showcase through the KU Center for Undergraduate Research. Jewish Studies students enrolled in 300-level courses and above and who are conducting research as part of their course assignments are encouraged to consult with their professors or research mentors and develop a conference proposal. The deadline to register to present at the showcase is 11:59PM, Wednesday, November 30th. In addition to registering, please email your abstract and confirmation of submission no later than 11:59PM on December 1st, 2022, to jewishstudies@ku.edu, with the subject “Danciger Undergraduate Research Fellowship” addressed to the “Jewish Studies Fellowship Committee.”
The Danciger Essay Contest in Jewish Studies is open to all KU undergraduates who submit an original essay of no more than 5,000 words on any Jewish Studies topic of their choice. The essay can include an assigned term paper on a topic drawn from any generally recognized Jewish Studies subfields, including: The Bible and History of Biblical Interpretation; Gender and Sexuality Studies; Holocaust Studies; Interdisciplinary, Theoretical, and New Approaches; Israel Studies; Jewish History and Culture in Antiquity; Jewish Languages and Literatures; Jewish Mysticism; Jewish Philosophy; Jewish Politics; Jews, Film, and the Arts; Medieval and Early Modern Jewish History; Modern Jewish History; Rabbinic Literature and Culture; Sephardi and Mizrachi Studies; Social Sciences; and Yiddish Studies. Cash prizes will be awarded for first ($500), second ($300), and third place ($200) essays. The deadline for submission is 11:59PM, December 9th. Please email your essay to with the subject “Danciger Essay Contest” to jewishstudies@ku.edu addressed to “Jewish Studies Fellowship Essay Committee”.
The Danciger Excellence Award for the Study of the Hebrew Language is presented to at least one student each semester at all levels of Hebrew study (beginning, intermediate, and advanced). The recipients are evaluated based on classroom performance, academic excellence, and dedication to the study of Hebrew. Each recipient will be determined by the Jewish Studies Faculty Fellowship Committee in consultation with Ms. Shelley Rissien, the KU Hebrew Coordinator. If you are enrolled in a Hebrew class at any level, you are automatically considered for this award.
In addition, Danciger Need-Based Fellowships are available to all Jewish Studies majors and minors in need of financial support. Funds of $500-$1000 are available to those who qualify. FAFSA eligibility at the time of application is required in accordance with KU policy. Please submit a short narrative with your explanation of need to the Director of the Jewish Studies Program, to Dr. Renee Perelmutter rperel@ku.edu, with “Need-based award” in the subject line. All Need-based applications and awards are confidential. There is no deadline to apply, and there is no need to wait. Students can apply once a semester and apply again all future semesters even if they previously received this need-based support.
Friday, May 13th, 2022
Spring 2022 Danciger Award Winners
Due to the continued generosity of The Danciger Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City and supporters, Sharyn and David Katzman, the Jewish Studies Program has recognized several students for their excellence and their efforts.
Many congratulations to Sadeh Klein, who was awarded the David and Sharyn Katzman Fellowship for their contributions and academic excellence.
For her support of the Jewish Studies Program and her work as the student representative, Danielle Wolff was awarded the Danciger Undergraduate Service Award in Jewish Studies.
The Danciger Award for Excellence in Hebrew was awarded to beginning Hebrew students Isabel Kleiner, Robbie Metz, and Eli Richman, to intermediate Hebrew students Brian Bobka, Samantha Grofsky, and Zac Kitay, and to advanced Hebrew students Josie Safir and Rachel Kricsfeld. Congratulations on your efforts in mastering this important Jewish language.
Paul Samberg, Charlie Johnson, Kassandra Kizlin, and Sadeh Klein received the Danciger Fellowship for Undergraduate Research in Jewish Studies. These students showed exceptional dedication to Jewish Studies through their research, their participation in the Spring Undergraduate Research Symposium and/or their work on their Jewish Studies Capstone project.