Jewish Studies October 2025 Recap

Dear students, staff, and faculty: 

October went by in a flash and it finally feels like fall. We celebrated our holidays, had our Fall break and participated in several enriching events. We co-sponsored The 2025 Druze Studies Conference which was a great success! Thank you to Dr. Rami Zeedan, the students and staff who made this possible. The conference welcomed 32 scholars from around the world and engaged over 550 attendees both in person and online! We also co-sponsored a talk by Dr. Melissa Karp of the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education. For those who were unable to attend "The Soldier with No Name: Claude Cahun and Queer Jewish Resistance," a recording of the event can be viewed here. We tabled at KU's annual open house, Crimson & Blue Days and met perspective students and their parents. Our Hebrew instructor, Noa Savir brought Hebrew to students visiting KU during the World Language Fair where they were introduced to the Hebrew alphabet, learned a few useful phrases and practiced writing their names. 

What’s happening in Jewish Studies? 

Enrollment! Have you already enrolled? Once again Jewish Studies is offering a complex mix of courses that will enrich your understanding of Jewish culture, history, and religion. In addition to our diverse course offerings, we want to spotlight three topics courses (JWSH 300) that are worth exploring and enrolling in!

Jewish Folklore and Folklife, taught by Dr. RB Perelmutter, explores Jewish folklore in Israel and throughout the diaspora. From legends to folk songs, from jokes to elements of folk dress and ritual, folklore is central to the Jewish way of life. In this course students will examine spoken genres (such as folktales, legends, jokes) as well as objects of material culture (such as menorahs, dreidels and more), to understand the place of folklore in Jewish life.

Outsiders, Pariahs, and Exiles is being taught by the interim director of Jewish Studies, Dr. Ari Linden. This course examines works by major 20th century European and German-language writers, philosophers, and artists with Jewish backgrounds. Prior to the rise of Nazism and the Holocaust, but also continuing abroad in exile, these figures embodied the paradoxical role of being both prolific contributors to German and Austrian culture as well as quintessential outsiders with respect to these societies. In this course, you will explore their work with the aim of obtaining a better understanding of this indispensable — and still influential — moment in modern European culture.

This incredibly timely course, US & Israel Relations, taught by Dr. Omri Senderowicz, examines the complex relationship between the United States and Israel, exploring its political, economic, and cultural dimensions through topics such as American Jewish politics, Christian Zionism, the Israel Lobby, progressive culture, anti-Zionism and antisemitism, global geopolitics, and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. This course encourages active, open-minded, informed engagement through readings, films, lively class discussions, and independent research.

A message from our student representative: 

Hey Jewish Studies Students! It’s Adina, your student rep. Not sure what courses to enroll in for in the spring? Here are some ideas!

If you enjoy diving into religion, Intro to Judaism may be a great place to start, and Jewish Ethics can help you understand Judaism’s view on real life situations.

Interested in learning about Israel? Consider the new course, U.S Israel Relations. Take The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: An Intro. Or explore Israel’s complex government with Politics & Government in Israel.

Look into American Jewish history with Jewish American Lit & Culture. Or learn about the Holocaust through The Holocaust in History.

The list of courses goes way beyond the few mentioned here, with a wide range of topics to choose from. I’d love to talk to you and help you find the Jewish Studies courses that interest you the most! Email me: adinamthompson@ku.edu. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

Faculty spotlight: 

Congratulation to Dr. Rami Zeedan who has been honored with the 2025 Shulenburger Award for Innovation and Advocacy in Scholarly Communication! To learn more about this prestigious achievement visit this link https://lib.ku.edu/services/scholarly-communication/shulenburgeraward

Upcoming Events in November

Attend "Dictating Art: The Regimentation of Nazi Culture" with Dr. Shelly Cline, Jewish Studies faculty, Historian and Director of Education at the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education. Join us on November 3rd, from 6:30-8:00PM for this Zoom Webinar. Dr. Cline will discuss how once in power, the Nazi government not only transformed the German state from a democracy to a dictatorship, but also took control of cultural institutions and began to dictate art and artistic expression. This presentation examines the art they attacked, the methods they used, and the lessons we can learn from this authoritarian destruction of culture. This event is free but registration is required.

Join us on November 10th at 6:30PM for the Kristallnacht Commemoration with the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education. Dr. Cynthia Fountaine, Academic Associate Dean from the University of North Texas Dallas School of Law will present "Eroding the Rule of Law in the Third Reich". This talk will explore the failings of the courts and the incremental steps used by the Nazis to gain control over the German legal system during the Third Reich. It will take place at Regnier Hall on the KU Edwards Campus and is free and open to the public. Register for the event here. 

Awards for Jewish Studies Students

The Jewish Studies Program offers several awards and fellowships to majors, minors, and Hebrew students. We rely on support from our donors and funders whose generosity ensures the history, culture, language, and religion of the Jewish people continues to be taught at the University of Kansas. 

The Danciger Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City provides critical funding that supports Jewish Studies students through merit, service, and need-based awards.The David and Sharyn Katzman award recognizes a graduating major for academic excellence in Jewish Studies. The Shelley M. Rissien Fund provides support for the study of the Hebrew language. The Harvey Bodker Study Abroad Award and The Donald and Regina Miller Fund provide support for study abroad in Israel. 

The Danciger Jewish Studies Learning Community Participation Award

• $500 awarded at the end of the Fall and Spring semesters.
• Candidates must be actively pursuing a BA in Jewish Studies; and
• Attend at least three Jewish Studies events per semester; and
• Attend a one hour-long Jewish Studies Learning Community round-table each semester led by the Director of Undergraduate Studies or the Jewish Studies Director. 

The Danciger Research Award in Jewish Studies

• $500 award offered Fall and Spring semesters
• Granted to students who research and present on any topic in Jewish studies, the format can include a capstone research paper or a research poster presentation
• Must be enrolled in 300-level courses and above and conducting research as part of their course assignments
• Students are encouraged to consult their professors or research mentor to develop the nature of their work.
• Recipients are required to present their research either at the Undergraduate Research Symposium through the Center for Undergraduate Research or before the Jewish Studies Faculty Committee and students of the program.
• Candidates are nominated by faculty, or can self-nominate by emailing JewishStudies@ku.edu.
• Research is reviewed by the Jewish Studies Faculty Award Committee. 

The Danciger Essay Contest in Jewish Studies

• 1st place $500
• 2nd place $300
• 3rd place $200
• Offered in the Fall semester only
• Open to all Jewish Studies majors and minors who submit an original essay of no more than 5,000 words on any Jewish studies topic of their choice, including language, history, literature, culture, religion.
• To submit an essay for consideration, email JewishStudies@ku.edu.
• Essays are reviewed by the Jewish Studies Faculty Award Committee

The Danciger Excellence in Hebrew Award

• $500 award
• Awarded in the Spring to students at any level of Hebrew.
• Awarded to students of Hebrew who have displayed academic excellence or notable improvement related to their Hebrew studies throughout the academic year
• All students enrolled in two semesters of Hebrew courses per academic year can qualify for this award.
• Nominated by Hebrew language instructor and reviewed by Jewish Studies Faculty Award Committee. 

The Danciger Award for Service Learning

• $500 award
• Students must be enrolled in JWSH 650 (Service Learning in Jewish Studies)
• Students are encouraged to participate in the Center for Service Learning with the goal of completing a Certificate in Service Learning.
• Nominated by the faculty mentor, or
• Students can request funding to offset costs related to their service which could include travel expenses, materials, and technology (documentation of costs required). 

The Danciger Need-based Award

• $500-$2000 depending on need
• Awarded to Jewish Studies majors and minors
• Candidates must submit a short narrative detailing explanation of need.
• All submissions are confidential
• No deadline to apply
• Students can apply once a semester by sending an email detailing need to JewishStudies@ku.edu.
• Awards are determined by the Director of Jewish Studies

The Danciger Award for Service to the Jewish Studies Program

• $500 award
• Awarded to graduating Jewish Studies majors or minors who enrich the Program experience through:
• Spearheading student events and (Hebrew language) roundtables
• Providing peer support through tutoring and mentoring initiatives
• Volunteering at Jewish Studies events
• Taking on leadership roles within the program
• Acting as a spokesperson for Jewish Studies
• Nominated by Jewish Studies faculty and staff and reviewed by Jewish Studies Danciger Fellowship Committee 

The David and Sharyn Katzman Award

• Monetary award (varies from year to year)
• Awarded to a senior graduating with a BA in Jewish Studies
• Based on academic excellence in Jewish Studies
• Nominated by Jewish Studies faculty and selected by the Jewish Studies Faculty Award Committee.

The Harvey Bodker Study Abroad Opportunity Award

• Provides direct financial support for KU degree-seeking students studying abroad in Israel in the program of Jewish Studies at the University of Kansas.
• Support may include, but is not limited to, travel expenses, passport fees, and visa applications.
• Award distribution at the discretion of the Director of Jewish Studies and in accordance with KU Policy on Study Abroad.
• To apply, email JewishStudies@ku.edu.

The Donald and Regina Miller Study Abroad Opportunity Award

• Provides direct financial support for KU degree seeking students studying abroad in Israel in the program of Jewish Studies at the University of Kansas.
• Support may include, but is not limited to travel expenses, passport fees, and visa applications.
• Student may apply for this award.
• Award distribution at the discretion of the Director of Jewish Studies and in accordance with KU Policy on Study Abroad.
• To apply, email JewishStudies@ku.edu.