Jewish Studies September 2023 Newsletter
September 2023 Recap
Despite the melting heat, the semester started strong! If you missed it, we had a little bagel nosh and open house on August 28th in the Jewish Studies office, 4017 Wescoe. Highlights included cold brew coffee and a warm welcome from our Acting Director, Dr. Rami Zeedan. We hosted Academic Advisor to Jewish Studies, JD Smith who signed up several new majors and minors - another something we would like to highlight! We are thrilled to welcome to the Jewish Studies Program - Aryana Booth, Audrey Brand, Cecelia Cohen, David Franke, Madeline Helms, Libby Herman, Ilana Levenberg, Eli Richman, Jeremy Rosenwald, and Sarah Sutton. In addition to our new majors and minors, we have a large class of first year Hebrew students! We are so happy you are here, and we share your passion for the Hebrew language. In observance of the holidays, the Jewish Studies office will be closed, and Hebrew classes will not meet on 9/15, 9/25, & 10/6. To all our Jewish Studies students, faculty, and friends, as we welcome Autumn and prepare ourselves for the year ahead, we wish for you the blessing of turning inward, of self-reflection, of quietness, and of doing good work and finding sweetness in the year to come. L'shana tova umetuka.
What's Happening in Jewish Studies?
As mentioned above, we had a wonderful open house on August 28th. Thank you to everyone who attended and thank you to those who committed themselves to eating all of the leftover bagels. Our dedicated student employee, Sammi Grofsky, has made it her mission to reach out to our alumni for an update on their lives. Please check out the new alumni page on our website. If you are an alum and you want to stay in touch, have your picture on our website, or be asked to come and visit our current class of students, please feel free to get in touch here.
September Events
Be sure to visit the Jewish Studies office on Wednesday, September 27th in 4017 Wescoe from noon to 1PM for Pizza and Planning with Dr. Brian Lagotte, faculty fellow at the KU Career Center. Brian specializes in career prep and will be here to help you navigate your post college road map.
Fellowships Available
We have funding for you! Deadlines are approaching to participate in the Fall Undergraduate Research Showcase. You must submit your proposal no later than November 29th, 2023. Those who participate will qualify for the Danciger Research Fellowship. For those who would rather write than present, submit your writing to be considered for the Danciger Essay Contest. The deadline to submit your work is December 15, 2023. Be sure to consult with a faculty member in Jewish Studies on your topic of choice and remember the topic must be a subject relevant to Jewish studies. The generosity of the Danciger Fund extends beyond academic fellowships. If you are a Jewish Studies major or minor in need and qualify for FAFSA, please do not hesitate to apply for our need-based awards and if you are planning to study abroad, consider applying for the Harvey Bodker Fellowship. This fellowship, donated by KU alum, Mr. Harvey Bodker, commemorates Rabbi Morris Margolies, senior Rabbi at Congregation Beth Shalom and longtime professor of Jewish Studies at KU. Questions? Visit Tyra in 4017B Wescoe or email her at tkalman@ku.edu. You can learn more about student funding here.
In the News
Senior, Jewish Studies major, and staff member, Sammi Grofsky would like you to go to Israel with her for the Jewish National Fund’s Alternative Winter Break. Interested students should contact Sammi or go to jnf.org to learn more. RB Perelmutter, who is on research sabbatical this year, launched their book of poetry Everything Thaws at The Raven Bookstore on September 12th. Everything Thaws is a lyrical memoir, a tribute to their childhood growing up in the final decade of the Soviet Union. Congratulations, RB on this incredible contribution to the publishing world. KU Theatre and Dance and Jewish Studies faculty member, Henry Bial, spoke to the media regarding the recent controversy of the use of “Jewface” in Bradley Cooper’s portrayal of Leonard Bernstein in the new film Maestro, which incidentally, we cannot wait to see. The Day of Discovery is a community outreach and educational event hosted by the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City and is “a unique opportunity for the entire Jewish community to discover and explore the richness, diversity, and joy of Jewish learning in Kansas City”. Three Jewish Studies faculty members presented in this year's event. Rami Zeedan presented “Judicial Reforms vs. Regime Change in Israel.” Omri Senderowicz presented “Recent Developments in Mizrahi-Ashkenazi Relations in Israel”, and Shelly Cline presented “Ethical Considerations and the Holocaust.”
Coming in October
Stay tuned for an October Jewish Studies/KU Hillel event. Advising begins September 28th and enrollment begins on October 20th. If you are a Jewish Studies major or minor, or if you are considering becoming one, make sure you talk to JD Smith in Jayhawk Academic Advising, or Rami Zeedan about your Spring schedule.