The Fall 2024 semester wrapped!
Dear students, staff, faculty, friends, and families,
This week, we concluded the Fall 2024 semester and now head into winter break. As we reflect on a semester filled with learning, community, and growth, I want to take this opportunity to thank you, recap the semester’s highlights, and share exciting updates about recent awards.
A Thank You to Our Students
This semester, we were thrilled to welcome new students to the Jewish Studies Program. Since the November newsletter, we’ve added two more members to our growing cohort: Evan Goldstein, who transitioned from a minor to a BA in Jewish Studies, and Ola Akinniyi, who joined as a Jewish Studies minor. As of today, we have 10 students pursuing the BA in Jewish Studies and 27 students pursuing the minor in Jewish Studies.
To all our students: your hard work and passion for learning inspires us. Whether you're studying Hebrew, Israel Studies, Jewish history, culture, ethics, or the Holocaust, pursuing a minor, major, or just exploring our courses, you are an essential part of this community. We exist to serve you. Thank you for making Jewish Studies at KU a vibrant and welcoming space.
Fall 2024 Events: Engaging with Our Community
This semester was filled with enriching events:
August: We kicked off the semester with our traditional Open House, welcoming students, faculty, and staff.
September: We launched our first-ever "Jewish Studies Welcome Week" with events tailored for our two First-Year Seminars and Hebrew students. We held events for our two First Year Seminars, The Jewish American Story through Literature, Letters, and Latkes (JWSH 176) and Life, Death, and Afterlife in Israeli Society (JWSH 176), with a Jeopardy game on Jewish diversity (thank you to Mira Haydu for organizing the game). We also held an event for our first-year Hebrew students (HEBR 110) with a Headbanz game based on Hebrew words (thank you to Bree Katz for organizing the game). We concluded the welcome week with our students, staff, and faculty participating in the show Indecent, presented by the KU Theater and Dance Department.
October: We hosted Roman Ruiz from the KU Career Center, who guided students on post-graduation preparation and career opportunities.
November: Dr. RB Perelmutter organized a Jewish Deli Experience for their first-year seminar students. Dr. Amber Nickell and Hollie Marquess of Fort Hays State University presented their groundbreaking Holocaust mapping project, Through Hell to the Midwest, in partnership with the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education. We co-sponsored the talk at LJCC, by Kansas Poet Laureate Emeritus Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, based on her book Needle in the Bone: Stories of Polish Resistance and Jewish Resilience.
December: The semester concluded with our Sufganiyot Social, connecting students with professionals from the Lawrence and Kansas City metro-area Jewish communities, including experts from the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education, The Spencer Museum of Art, Jewish Camps USA, the KU Career Center, and The Michael Klein Collection. We were honored to host Shelly Cline, Jessica Rockhold, Dominique Stringer, Sammy Grofsky, Roman Ruiz, and Abby Magariel. We also co-sponsored an event at LJCC: "Dying Well: What Judaism says about the Carceral State". This wrapped up the year with a panel discussion on Judaism and the death penalty, featuring scholars, religious leaders, and legal experts.
These events highlighted the richness of Jewish Studies and fostered meaningful connections within and beyond the KU campus.
Congratulations to our Danciger Award Winners!
We are thrilled to announce the recipients of the Fall 2024 Danciger Awards:
Excellence in Hebrew ($500 each):
Beginning Hebrew: Ira Finklestein, Yasmine Marcos, and Ben Ringquist
Intermediate Hebrew: Bradley Evans, Scott Manuel, and Derrick Schaeffer
Hebrew Topics: Keira, Cohen, Ethan Klinock, Sarah Sutton
Advanced Hebrew: Eric Fischer
Danciger Research Award ($250 each):
Charlie Johnson, Leah Spencer, and Cecilia Doyle
The Danciger Essay Writing Competition ($500 first place, $300 second place, $200 third place):
The winners will be decided and announced in January 2025.
These awards, supported by the Danciger Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City, recognize our students’ exceptional dedication and achievements.
Additionally, we welcomed the following students to our Jewish Studies Learning Community Fellowship (with an award of $500 each): Bree Katz, Derrick Schaefer, Eric Fischer, Sarah Sutton, Cami Katzen, Adina Thompson, Alyson Wienberg, Kit Strane. This program provides mentorship, financial support, and opportunities for community engagement.
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 2025: Looking Ahead
Enrollment for Spring 2025 is underway! Our interdisciplinary program offers a range of courses, including: Introduction to Judaism (JWSH 325), Jewish Secular Culture (JWSH 327), The Israeli Palestinian Conflict (JWSH 329), The Holocaust in History (JWSH 343), Languages of the Jews (JWSH 338), The Holocaust in History (JWSH 343), Graphic Novels as Memory (JWSH 348), Antisemitism: A Long History (JWSH 349), and Politics & Government in Israel (JWSH 420).
Spring 2025 Events
Spring brings exciting opportunities, including our January Open House, a film screening and discussions in collaboration with the KU Theater and Dance Department, a Purim celebration, guest lectures, and a graduation ceremony for our majors and minors.
A Note of Gratitude and Transition
On a personal note, serving as interim director of the Jewish Studies Program this past year and a half has been a true honor. Together, we’ve accomplished so much, and I am immensely proud of our students, faculty, and staff.
As I transition into my research sabbatical, I am confident that Jewish Studies at KU will continue to thrive under the leadership of Dr. Mechele Leon. With her expertise and dedication, the program’s future is bright.
Thank you for your support and collaboration. Wishing you a safe and joyful winter break. We look forward to seeing you in Spring 2025!
Sincerely,
Dr. Rami Zeedan
Associate Professor of Israel Studies
Interim Director of the Jewish Studies Program