December 2023 Newsletter

Jewish Studies Fall 2023 Recap

Dear students, staff, faculty, friends, and families:

This week we have concluded the Fall 2023 semester, and we are heading into the winter break. Before we meet you again with excitement for the Spring 2024 semester, I would like to use this opportunity to thank you, to provide a recap on all the happenings in Jewish Studies this past semester, and to provide some news about recent awards.

A Thank You to our Students

In our monthly newsletters this semester we mentioned all the new majors and minors in Jewish studies. It is wonderful to report that since the November newsletter we have had two additions to our cohort: Welcome to Sasha Albright and Ella Atlas who have declared their Jewish Studies minor.  

I’d like to thank all our new minors and majors. It warms the heart to see more students joining us this semester.

We know that you are working hard, and we want to thank you for joining us in Jewish Studies. Students are studying Hebrew, Jewish history, culture, and religion. Some are interested in Israel studies, the Holocaust, Antisemitism, Jewish Ethics, or the study of Judaism. Some of you are pursuing a Jewish Studies minor or major. Whatever you choose from our offerings, you are welcome to join the community at any time. We love having you here.

Fall 2023 Events: Engaging with our Community

The Fall semester was packed with multiple events held or co-sponsored with our partners in the KU community and beyond. The semester began with a series of monthly student-centered events. In August, we kicked off the semester with our traditional Open House. In September, we hosted Professor Brian Lagotte from the University Career Center for a conversation about career planning. In October, we partnered with KU Hillel for a “Hike with Hillel” to explore the Baker University Wetlands & Discovery Center with students. In November, we held two film screenings for students (one in partnership with KU Hillel) followed by a discussion with experts. The highlight of our event calendar was our final event for students this semester. In early December, we held the Sufganiyot Social with six guests who provided an amazing opportunity for our students to network with members of the Jewish professional community in Lawrence and the Kansas City metro area. We were honored to host Dr. Shelly Cline, Historian and Director of Education at the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education, Dr. Lara Giordano, Program and Engagement Director of the Lawrence Jewish Community Congregation, Kate Jacobs, Fund Development Associate at Jewish Vocational Service of Kansas City, Jay Lewis, President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, Bailey Nakelsky, interim Executive Director of KU Hillel, and Ben Novorr, Director of Youth and Family Programming at Congregation Beth Shalom. This event wrapped up a challenging semester and reminded our students that they have the support of the community within and beyond the KU campus.  

For students, staff, faculty, and our community, we held or co-sponsored events with our experts or with visiting scholars. In September, we joined the Lawrence Jewish Community Congregation and the Spanish and Portuguese Department, to virtually host Mexican author Gabriela Riveros Elizondo in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. In October, we partnered with the Center for Russian, East Asian, and European Studies to co-sponsor poet and scholar Dr. Alex Averbuch, who presented Confiscated Presence: Texts, Photography, and Propaganda in the Correspondence of Ukrainian Ostarbeiters. Also in October, we held the Dorothy Stein Ernest Forum in Jewish Studies. Dr. Omri Senderowicz presented Neo-liberalism as a Moral Source: Mizrahim and Ashkenazim in the Privatized Kibbutz. In November, we held the premier bilingual, interdisciplinary, and virtual symposium Druze Studies: Past, Present, and Future.

Our faculty presented on campus, in Lawrence, and in the Kansas City metro on various topics. As in previous years, our faculty members participated in the Day of Discovery hosted by the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City. Dr. Shelly Cline presented Ethical Considerations and the Holocaust. Dr. Omri Senderowicz presented Recent Developments in Mizrahi-Ashkenazi Relations in Israel, and Dr. Rami Zeedan presented Judicial Reforms vs. Regime Change in Israel. In September, Dr. RB Perelmutter launched their book of poetry Everything Thaws at The Raven Bookstore. Dr. Bogi Perelmutter and Dr. RB Lemberg Perelmutter presented at the 2nd Annual Sturgeon Symposium: Fantastic Worlds, Fraught Futures and participated in the panel discussion: Affect, power, community. Dr. Bogi Takács Perelmutter presented Transcendent Sharing - Early Counter-Imaginaries of Gendered Magical Power in American Speculation and Dr. RB Lemberg Perelmutter presented Representations of queer neurodiverb gent communities in Ada Hoffmann’s The Fallen and Andi Buchanan’s The Sanctuary. In October, Dr. RB Perelmutter presented Two Alien Forests: Translating Gender and Science Fiction Fantasy between Two Cold War Superpowers at the Hall Center for the Humanities and Dr. Ari Linden presented On Nature and Need in Theodor Adorno at the Max Kade Center for German-American Studies.

Congratulations Danciger Award Winners!

Thanks to the Danciger Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City, we are proud to announce the recipients of the Fall 2023 Danciger Awards. We appreciate the ongoing dedication of our Jewish Studies students and their outstanding achievements. These scholars have demonstrated exceptional focus, hard work, and excellence accompanied with a set of high standard for all.
 

Please note that funding opportunities are available through need-based fellowships for all Jewish Studies majors and minors thanks to the continued support of the Danciger Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City. These opportunities provide valuable support to students facing economic hardship. The application process is easy and confidential. To be considered for funding, please send a brief email to jewishstudies@ku.edu stating that you are experiencing need, and the amount that would help alleviate your financial roadblocks. Economic hardship can result in undue stress, which can infringe upon your learning experience. We want to help you achieve success, so please do not hesitate to ask for help. 

Spring 2024 Classes

Enrollment in Spring 2024 courses is well underway. Have you finished enrolling? As an interdisciplinary program, Jewish Studies has a wide variety of courses. Need help deciding what to take? Come speak with us. We are here to help. Here is a quick snapshot of the courses we are offering or cross-listing with other departments in spring '24: Understanding the Bible (JWSH 124), Prophets & Profits (JWSH 300), Outsiders, Pariahs, & Exiles (JWSH 300), Language, Gender, & Sexuality (JWSH 305), The Spanish Inquisition (JWSH 315), Jewish Secular Culture (JWSH 327), The Israeli Palestinian Conflict (JWSH 329), The Holocaust in History (JWSH 343), Jewish Ethics (JWSH 347), Hitler & Nazi Germany, Honors (JWSH 396), Israel: From Idea to State (JWSH 410), Israel & Palestine: The War of 1948 (JWSH 414), Politics & Government in Israel (JWSH 420).

Spring 2024 Events

For students we again have a series of monthly events, including our traditional Open House in January, at least one film screening and expert discussion in partnership with KU Hillel, a Purim event (stay tuned!), and of course our celebration of graduating majors and minors.

For students, staff, faculty, and the community we have several events featuring our faculty and visiting scholars. In February, we will partner with the Lawrence Jewish Community Congregation and the Religious Studies Department to host Dr. Rachel B. Gross who will present A Pickle Problem: The Deli Revival and American Jewish Religion. In March, we will hold the second Dorothy Stein Ernest Forum in Jewish Studies. In April, we will partner with the Center for Global and International Studies to organize an exciting conference called Jews in the Americas. The conference will bring together scholars from around the globe both virtually and in person to discuss their recent scholarship on the Jewish experience in the Americas. We will host two keynote speakers on the Lawrence campus to discuss the Jewish experience in Latin America and in North America. Stay tuned for more details.

We head into Winter break knowing we have accomplished a lot together. Each one of you, as part of our KU Jewish Studies community, have made this collective success possible.  

As we look ahead to the Spring semester, I invite you to join us again for an exciting educational journey with high quality, engaging, and meaningful classes, join us for the upcoming Spring events, or stop by the Jewish Studies offices to chat. You are always welcome.

Stay safe and stay healthy and thank you for your continued support! We look forward to seeing you soon!

Sincerely,
Dr. Rami Zeedan
Associate Professor of Israel Studies
Acting Director of the Jewish Studies Program