October 2023 Newsletter
KU Jewish Studies October Recap
Dear Jewish Studies students, staff, and faculty,
It’s impossible to send this newsletter without addressing the stages of grief we in Jewish Studies are experiencing and witnessing since the October 7th massacre. Taking care of your mental health during this difficult time is imperative and we want to remind you of the resources available at KU. Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) provides emergency mental health support as well as counseling services. We strongly urge you to lean on this team of caring individuals during your time of need.
"CAPS recognizes that many KU students are being impacted by recent and historical events. We hold firm to KU's values and commitment to diversity and inclusion. Our staff are here to help students navigate through these times and understand that each of us is impacted in our own individual and unique ways. If you are struggling or feeling overwhelmed, please reach out for support. First time appointments can be reserved online through the CAPS Portal or by calling (785) 864-2277. Please let the front desk know if you have urgent needs or are in crisis. You may call or come in during business hours to schedule an urgent appointment. After hours, you may also access support by calling or texting 988 or accessing TELUS Student Support."
Please remember, if you are in immediate crisis or you are with someone who is, you can find additional and immediate help here or by calling or texting 988.
Jewish Studies stands with our students, staff, faculty, their families, and their friends. We ask every day for peace to come.
What's Happening in Jewish Studies?
A warm welcome to our new majors and minors! Zac Kitay and Kit Strane have transitioned from Jewish Studies minors to majors, and we're excited to have Derrick Schaefer, Samuel Naudet, and Shai-El Luger as new Jewish Studies minors. With these additions we are proud to have 26 students majoring or minoring Jewish Studies!
Spring 2024 enrollment has begun! Jewish Studies is offering a range of courses from Sam Brody's Profits & Prophets to Omri Senderowicz's Anthropology and the Jews. Bogi Perelmutter will be offering Jewish Secular Culture and Shelly Cline will teach The Holocaust in History. Take a look at the video below to see the complete list of courses.
Late September & October Events: Engaging with our Community
Jewish Studies welcomed Professor Brian Lagotte from the College Career Center. Dr. Lagotte spoke to our students about their post college planning process on September 27th in the Jewish Studies office.
The Lawrence Jewish Community Congregation, the Spanish and Portuguese Department, and the Jewish Studies Program hosted Mexican author Gabriela Riveros Elizondo in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month on September 29th.
Hike with Hillel – Dr. Zeedan spent Sunday, October 8th with our friends at KU Hillel exploring the Baker University Wetlands & Discovery Center with students.
Jewish Studies faculty met on October 20th for 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”.
Special thanks to Alexis Greenberg, Sammi Grofsky, Bree Katz, Zack Kitay, Kit Strang, & Adina Thompson, who tabled at Crimson & Blue Days in the Burge Union on October 20th. There was positive feedback from perspective students and their families interested in degrees and courses in Jewish Studies.
Jewish Studies and the Center for Russian, East Asian, and European Studies were honored to co-sponsor poet and scholar Alex Averbuch. Dr. Averbuch presented Confiscated Presence: Texts, Photography, and Propaganda in the Correspondence of Ukrainian Ostarbeiters on October 25th.
Fellowships Available
We have funding for you! Deadlines are approaching to participate in the Fall Undergraduate Research Showcase. You mustsubmit your proposal no later than November 29th, 2023. Those who participate will qualify for the Danciger Research Fellowship. For those who would rather write than present, submit your writing to be considered for the Danciger Essay Contest. The deadline to submit your work is December 15, 2023. Be sure to consult with a faculty member in Jewish Studies on your topic of choice and remember the topic must be a subject relevant to Jewish studies.
The generosity of the Danciger Fund extends beyond academic fellowships. If you are a Jewish Studies major or minor in need and qualify for FAFSA, please do not hesitate to apply for our need-based awards and if you are planning to study abroad, consider applying for the Harvey Bodker Fellowship. This fellowship, donated by KU alum, Mr. Harvey Bodker, commemorates Rabbi Morris Margolies, senior Rabbi at Congregation Beth Shalom and longtime professor of Jewish Studies at KU.
Questions? Visit Tyra in 4017B Wescoe or email her at tkalman@ku.edu. You can learn more about student funding here.
The Israel Institute is providing $1200 in funding to undergraduate and graduate students in good standing at American universities who are interested in taking one course or more offered by a college or university in Israel. Courses can be in any subject within the humanities, law, social science, or business administration. These scholarships are ideal for students participating in study abroad or summer study programs. Credit earned at Israeli universities can be transferred to your KU transcript, with prior consultation with the Jewish Studies Program. Apply by March 6th for Summer placement. Visit https://israelinstitute.org/program/siis/to learn more.
In the News: Celebrating Achievements
Jewish Studies major, Sammi Grofsky and minor, Bree Katz have officially launched their Jewish culture podcast “Oy Vey! What Would Bubbe Say?” and we are really proud of them! Check out their episodes on Spotify.
Dr. Bogi Perelmutter and Dr. RB Lemberg Perelmutter presented at the 2nd Annual Sturgeon Symposium: Fantastic Worlds, Fraught Futures at the Hall Center for the Humanities. On September 22nd both participated in the panel discussion: Affect, power, community with moderator Zack Smith. 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 neurodivergent communities in Ada Hoffmann’s The Fallen and Andi Buchanan’s The Sanctuary”. Dr. RB Lemberg Perelmutter also participated in the roundtable on teaching science fiction.
Dr. Rami Zeedan was a guest panelist at the 18th Annual Israeli Film Festival at Michigan State University in Lansing, MI on September 14th for the film screening and discussion of the film, The Judge.
Congratulations goes out to Dr. RB Lemberg Perelmutter! Their book, Geometries and Belonging, Stories and Poems from the Birdverse has been shortlisted for the 2023 Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction!
Dr. Rami Zeedan’s JWSH 177 first year seminar course, “Life, Death, and the Afterlife in Israeli Society” visited the Spencer Museum of Art, Watson Library, and the Dole Institute of Politics. The class hosted guest speakers Tami Albin (KU Libraries), Michelle Ward (Global Awareness Program), Jennifer Rupp (KU Writing Center), and the Study Abroad Office. Visits from Jewish Studies faculty include Dr. Bogi Perelmutter, Shelly Rissen, Dr. Shelly Cline, Dr. Omri Senderowicz, and Dr. Jackie Brinton from KU Religious Studies.
Mazel tov to Dr. Bogi Takács Perelmutter on the publication of their collection of sci-fi and fantasy speculative short fiction! Power to Yield and Other Stories is available to pre-order now through Broken Eye Books.
Dr. Rami Zeedan was a guest speaker at the John Goodwin Tower Center for Public Policy and International Affairs, at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX on October 17th where he presented “The Druze: Navigating Identity and Integration in Israel and Beyond.”
Jewish Studies minor and staff member Bree Katz participated in the Jewish Culture Fest in Kansas City on October 15th in the Aspiring Artists group where she sold her art alongside fellow teen and young adults from the KC metro area. The theme was “visualize peace” to which Bree produced five different mandala designs.
Words from Bree:
“I had an amazing experience selling my art, engaging with Jewish people from every aspect of my life, and being surrounded by my community. With everything going on in Israel right now, the culture fest came at the perfect time. The Kansas City Jewish community, along with Jewish communities from nearby areas, were able to come together to grieve the lost and missing, celebrate life and memories, and rejoice together in a safe space filled with art, music, and love.”
Coming in November: Save the Dates!
In partnership with KU Hillel, Thursday, November 30th Dr. Omri Senderowicz and Dr. Rami Zeedan will be leading a post screening discussion of the 2023 film, Golda. Stop by KU Hillel for dinner at 5:30 PM and stay for the film and discussion.
Dr. RB Perelmutter, Hall Center faculty fellow, will present "Two Alien Forests: Translating Gender and Science Fiction Fantasy between Two Cold War Superpowers" on November 8th, 12:00 PM at the Hall Center Conference Hall.
Jewish Studies is looking forward to hosting the 2023 Bilingual Interdisciplinary Virtual Symposium: “Druze Studies - Past, Present, and Future” November 15th and 16th. Student hourlies are needed to support this event and will be paid $12 per hour. For more information contact Dr. Rami Zeedan (rzeedan@ku.edu) and sign up for time slots here: https://kusurvey.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cRU5STOkHZJX5Sm
Save the date! On December 5th we will have a Sufganiyot Social for all Jewish Studies students in the Jewish Studies suite which will include special mystery guests! Stay tuned!