Jewish Studies October 2024 Newsletter

September Recap

September was a busy month! Jewish Studies Welcome Week (9/23-9/28) consisted of Kef with Kovaeem (Hebrew Headbandz) with our beginning Hebrew students and and two games of Jewpardy with students of our two First-Year Seminar courses. These three events brought over 50 new faces to the Jewish Studies suite. Many thanks to students, staff, and faculty who made this happen. The week ended with a meaningful Saturday afternoon performance of Indecent from KU Theatre and a post-performance talk-back with the cast and crew. This first-class production of the story of a Jewish theatre troupe during the 1940’s in Europe and America brought unexpected emotions from many of the audience members and a sense of deep gratitude to the actors and directors who made this happen.

What's Happening in Jewish Studies

Chag sameach to those who celebrate! October is filled with the High Holy Days for many observant members of Jewish Studies students, faculty, and staff. Because of this, we have one scheduled event in October, and we hope you will attend. On October 28th from 10AM to 12PM, Roman Ruiz from the KU Career Center will be in the Jewish Studies suite to talk to students about career planning. Roman recognizes the unique career paths students of Jewish Studies often take, so stop by, grab some breakfast, and get to know how the KU Career Center can support your success. It’s never too early or too late to build your post-graduation roadmap.

KU’s Crimson and Blue Day Majors Fair in the Burge Union is scheduled for this Friday, October 18th from 10:30AM to 1PM. Because many Jewish students, faculty, and staff will be observing Sukkot, we ask that non-observant members of Jewish Studies join us at the Jewish Studies table to talk to perspective students about getting a degree in Jewish Studies. If you are interested and available, please reach out to Tyra (tkalman@ku.edu) as soon as possible.

Spring Classes

Spring classes are enrolling now! Please reach out to JD Smith (jdsmith@ku.edu), Academic Advisor for Jewish Studies or Rami Zeedan (rzeedan@ku.edu), Director of Undergraduate Studies for Jewish Studies if you need help planning your schedule for next semester.

Fall Awards & A New Fellowship Opportunity 

Thanks to the ongoing generosity of the Danciger Fund, we are pleased to offer awards based on merit and need again this Fall in addition to a new fellowship for all Jewish Studies majors.

The Jewish Studies Learning Community Fellowship
This fellowship is open to BA students in Jewish Studies and provides a unique way to deepen your engagement with the field while earning an award of $500 per semester.

Program Requirements:

• Be an active KU student pursuing a BA in Jewish Studies; and
• Attend at least two Jewish Studies events each semester; and
• Attend an hour-long designated meeting with your fellow Jewish Studies Learning Community members and the Program Director, to discuss a contemporary topic.

All existing BA students in Jewish Studies are automatically enrolled in the fellowship. They only need to complete the program requirements mentioned above to receive their award. The funds will be available to students at the end of each semester.

Additionally, we have three spots available for new students who will join the BA in Jewish Studies this year. Interested students should consider these important dates:

• New students joining the BA in Jewish Studies by October 30, 2024, will be eligible to participate in the fellowship in Fall 2024 and Spring 2025.
• New students joining the BA in Jewish Studies by January 30, 2025, , will be eligible to participate in the fellowship in Spring 2025.

The fellowship will be re-evaluated at the end of Spring 2025 and potentially renewed in the 2025-2026 academic year. We will announce the details of the renewal by August 2025.

This is a wonderful opportunity to enhance your academic journey in Jewish Studies, and we encourage you to take full advantage of it. Please contact Rami Zeedan (rzeedan@ku.edu) should you have any questions.

The Danciger Award for the Study of the Hebrew Language
These awards, distributed at the end of the Fall semester, are based on performance and proficiency in the Hebrew classroom. Students do not need to apply to be considered.  Please come study Hebrew with us!

The Danciger Research Awards in Jewish Studies ($300 each)  
Students who present research related to Jewish Studies at the Fall Undergraduate Research Showcase hosted by the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships are considered for this award. Interested students should be in touch with any Jewish Studies professor to receive mentorship and support in the application.

Danciger Essay competition in Jewish Studies ($500 first place, $300 second place, $200 third place)  
This award is open to all KU undergraduates who submit an original essay of 2,500- 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. The deadline to submit your paper is Friday, December 20th and should be submitted to Jewishstudies@ku.edu. Criteria to evaluate the essays include quality of argumentation, depth of research and analysis, originality of thought, clarity and structure, critical thinking, language and academic style, and use of sources and citations.      

Danciger Need-based Awards
FAFSA eligible students who would like to be considered for the Danciger need-based award should contact Jewish Studies through email jewishstudies@ku.edu or consult with Dr. Rami Zeedan or Tyra Kalman in person.

Coming in November: Save the Dates

Jewish Studies is excited to host two faculty members from Fort Hays State University, Amber Nickell and Hollie Marquess, who developed Through Hell to the Midwest: A Holocaust Mapping Project in partnership with the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education. Amber Nickell is an Assistant Professor of history at Fort Hays State University. She specializes in Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Historical Geographies, and Central and Eastern European history. Hollie Marquess is a lecturer in the history program at Fort Hays State University. Hollie specializes in gender and sexuality studies, American Midwestern history, and social-cultural history. Their project brings “history, technology, and testimony together in a powerful format. Through Hell to the Midwest maps Holocaust survivors' oral testimonies using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). These maps tell the stories of individual survivors from Central and Eastern Europe, who survived the horrors of the Holocaust, and then rebuilt their lives in the American Midwest”. Ms. Nickell and Ms. Marquess will present their groundbreaking work to the KU community and the regional public at 5:30PM, Thursday, November 14th in the Pine Room on Level 6 of the Kansas Memorial Union.