April 2025 Newsletter
Greetings Jewish Studies Students!
You're in the home stretch with 10 days to Stop Day! You can do it! This newsletter will be brief - we know you have a lot on your plate. Let's take a look at what's coming up in Jewish Studies and say mazel tov to Omri and Rami for doing great things! Mark your calendars or better yet, RSVP to the Outlook
invitations filling up you inbox!
Scenes from the Start: A Senior Capstone Art Exhibit
May 6th, 11-1PM @ Jewish Studies Suite, 4017 Wescoe Hall
Come support Rachel Kricsfeld as she presents her senior capstone exhibit,
Scenes from the Start. It’s sure to be a beautiful showcase of her work!
End of Semester Bash & Shelley Rissien’s Retirement Recognition
May 8th, 11-1PM @ Jewish Studies Suite, 4017 Wescoe Hall
Shelley has made an indelible mark on the Jewish Studies Program, and we’d love for you to join us to celebrate her incredible legacy!
Action items for fans of Shelley:
RSVP if you haven't done so already.
Send Shelley a special message and let her know how much she means to you! Record a short video using your phone and upload it to the form linked here.
Sign Shelley's digital card!
Let people know about the Shelley M. Rissien Fund for Hebrew Studies and make a donation!
Jewish Studies Graduate Awards Ceremony
May 16th, 12-2PM, Centennial Room, Kansas Memorial Union
RSVP today!
Class of 2025:
Eric Fischer - BA Jewish Studies (honors), Psychology, Religious Studies
David Franke – BA Environmental Studies, minor Jewish Studies
Abby Friedland – BA Speech, Language, & Hearing, minor Jewish Studies
Molly Handelman – KU Honors, BA Music, minor Jewish Studies
Charlie Johnson – KU Honors, BA CGIS, History, Political Science, Religious Studies, minor Jewish Studies, Arabic, Middle East Studies
Bree Katz – BA Jewish Studies (honors), Applied Behavioral Science,
minor Psychology
Rachel Kricsfeld – BA Jewish Studies, Visual Art,
minor Dance
Sam Naudet – BA East Asian Language and Cultures, Religious Studies,
minor Jewish Studies
Kit Strane – BA Jewish Studies, English
Sarah Sutton – BA Jewish Studies, Religious Studies, minor History
Faculty Kudoz!
Mazel tov to Omri Senderowicz! He has been selected as the recipient of the Michael S. Bernstein Dissertation Award for 2025 on behalf of the Jean and Samuel Frankel Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Michigan!
Congratulations Rami! Rami Zeedan has been awarded the KU International Affairs International Travel Fund for Humanistic Research for travel to Israel to conduct field research for the project "Arabic, Hebrew, and Identity: Exploring Generational Identity and Language Practices Among Druze Youth and Adults in Israel".