Jewish Studies Past Public Programs

September 7 & September 12

All two lectures are at 12 pm MST, 3 pm EDT on Zoom.

Two Polish scholars will introduce us to complex issues of Jewish identity, politics, and memory in post-Holocaust Poland. They will ask what it was like to be a Jewish child, a Jewish communist, or a Jewish intellectual after the war in the land saturated by the genocide and its memory.

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22nd October,2023

4 pm MST, 7 pm EDT on Zoom and in person.

Brian Horowitz, Tulane University (LA). Co-sponsored by the Melikian Center for Russian, Eurasian and Eastern European Studies and funded by the Lowe Family Holocaust and Genocide Education Endowment.

In person program will be held at the AZ Jewish Historical Society, 122 E Culver St, Phoenix, AZ 85004
 

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October 22 - October 23, 2023

Co-sponsored by the Melikian Center for Russian, Eurasian and Eastern European Studies and funded by the Lowe Family Holocaust and Genocide Education Endowment. West Hall Room 135, ASU Tempe (by invitation only)

For more information or to register, contact: anna.cichopek-gajraj@asu.edu

October 24, 2023

9:30 am - 4:00 pm at Burton Barr Library and AZ Jewish Historical Society

This conference on the Holocaust and Genocide aims to aid Arizona teachers in building programs, developing curricula, and sharing best practices for educating primary and secondary school students on the Holocaust and other genocides. Featuring filmmaker Roberta Grossman as our keynote speaker. Co-sponsored by ASU Jewish Studies. For more information go to https://shprs.asu.edu/ZemelConference2023. 

Monday, October 30th, 2023

6 PM MST on Zoom.
Victor Peskin, Assistant Professor, School of Politics and Global Studies, Arizona State University

An educational prgram which aims to move past propaganda from all sides and share the history and politics that have led us to the current situation and the future of this region.Peskin’s teaching and scholarship focus on international human rights, international war crimes tribunals, conflict resolution, and diplomacy. At ASU, he has taught a range of corses, including a course on the Israeli- Palestinian conflict.

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Nov 12 @ 10 A.M. via Zoom

Register Now, Space is limited. 

Arieh Saposnik, Associate Professor at the Ben-Gurion Institute for the Study of Israel and Zionism, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

In this lecture, we will seek to understand the origins of Zionism, its goals and its nature, how the encounter between Jews and Arabs began, how it evolved, and how it shaped Zionism itself, the history of Israel, and the nature of the conflict today.

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Stanley Mirvis

May 1, 2023 | 6pm (AZ) | Zoom

This presentation explores the major Jewish settlements, personalities, and cultural developments of the eighteenth century–without borders. This whirlwind tour makes stops in Eastern and Western Europe, the Ottoman Balkans, Egypt, Anatolia, Tunisia, Safavid Persia, Uzbekistan, Alaouite Morocco, Kerala, Yemen, the Caribbean, and North America. Applying a global perspective to pre-modern Jewish history enables us to decentralize the European experience and to identify elements that transcend state, empire, region, or ethnic distinction.

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Nadav Davidovitch

April 10, 2023 | 12pm (AZ) | Zoom or ASU Coor, 4403

Bioethics emerged mainly after the holocaust and since then it has had an enormous impact on the practice of medicine and life sciences research. Despite bioethics’ profound influence, the study of the development and evolution of the bioethical discourse is scarce. My presentation focuses on the tension between the silencing of the Holocaust in bioethical debates on one side, and the persistent use of National Socialist medicine metaphors, on the other hand. By delving into the meanings and the implications of this two-edged discourse, using case studies from historical and current Israeli public health practices, I argue that comparing post-war bioethics with pre-war medical practices from a social and political perspective has the potential to depict a more nuanced account of continuities and discontinuities in bioethics.

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March 30, 2023 | 7pm (AZ) | Zoom & VOSJCC Scottsdale

12701 N Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85254

Extremist beliefs and violence fueled by white supremacist and other hate groups are on the rise. Often inspired by Nazi ideology, they exploit antisemitic lies, racism and conspiracy theories. When this misinformation goes viral, it runs the risk of appealing to mainstream audiences and dividing society. Holocaust history warns us of the dangers posed when such threats go unchecked and escalate. It also demonstrates the power that ordinary people have to act and make a difference - a message at the heart of the Museum’s educational mission.

Program 
Prof Arie Kruglanski: Holocaust survivor; social psychologist; expert in Communities of Hate Stay Connected 
Vidhya Ramalingam: Founder of Moonshot CVE; expert in USHMM’s Global Issues Forum Patricia Heberer-Rice, expert in Communities of Hate
Edna Friedberg expert in Foot Soldiers of White Supremacy

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Laura Shaw Frank

Salo Wittmayer Baron Dissertation Award in Jewish Studies Lecture Series

March 27, 2023 | 7 pm (AZ) | Zoom

Marriage in late nineteenth and early twentieth century America was both intensely personal and also a powerful communal institution rooted in religion, culture, law, and politics. Using the lens of a headline- grabbing early twentieth century Jewish marriage scandal, this talk will give insight into the way Eastern European Jewish immigrants used courtship and marriage to perform Americanness and assert their belonging in an era of rising anti-immigrant sentiment and contested notions of citizenship.

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Alon Tal

March 13, 2023 | 7pm (AZ) | Zoom, & Valley of the Sun JCC

12701 N Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85254

Because of its modest size, Israel’s environmental problems are largely transboundary. Without cooperation with its neighbors, progress in areas from stream restoration to species repatriation will be modest at best. This lecture reviews over twenty years of “below the radar” environmental cooperation in the region and considers the state of the present peace process and how it might be leveraged to ensure an ecological dividend for the region.

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Jack Werthheimer

2023 Albert and Liese Eckstein Scholar-in-Residence

March 13, 2023 | 7pm (AZ) | Zoom, & Valley of the Sun JCC

12701 N Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85254

Over the past four decades, the profile of American Jewry has changed dramatically. Not only is the population far more diverse, it is also divided over what Jewishness even means and requires. Observers of the new Jewish communal reality, not surprisingly, are divided in their interpretations of the current American Jewish scene and their understanding of what the new developments portend for the future. During this lecture, we’ll explore the new American Judaism and Jewishness, and contend with clashing interpretations.

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February 26, 2023 | via Zoom

Judaism, Jews, and Artificial Intelligence (AI): Machine Learning vs. Enduring Wisdom

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has changed numerous aspects of contemporary life. Since Jews are deeply involved in the design and use of AI systems, this conference examines the challenges of AI in light of the values of the Jewish tradition. Can Judaism help us build a more just and virtuous AI? Can Judaism instruct us how to live with AI? If so, how? presented by Arizona State University Center for Jewish Studies conference sessions free and open to all | registration required

Programme schedule 

Welcome and Introduction 

Session#1 Keynote Address 

Session #2 Intelligence, Knowledge, and Embodiment 

Session #3 The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence 

Session #4 Artificial Intelligence and Jewish Law 

Session #5 Artificial Intelligence and the Practice of Medicine 

Session #6 Artificial Intelligence in Jewish Society: Secular and Religious Dimensions, Roundtable 

Conclusion 

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Richard Address (Jewish Sacred Aging)

Thanks to medical technology and public health advances, we are experiencing life spans that open the possibilities for new opportunities as well as unforeseen challenges. During this lecture series, we will examine several approaches from Jewish life that can serve as a guide as we attempt to navigate this new frontier.

Sacred Texts as Guides for Our Sacred Journey

February 20, 2023 | 12 pm (AZ) | Zoom
In this first session, we will examine some key texts from the Torah that provide a textual/spiritual foundation for our own aging process.
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We Pray for Health and Wellness

February 27, 2023 | 12 pm (AZ) | Zoom
There is a rich tradition in Judaism regarding the focus on health and wellness. In this session, we will look at some texts that form a foundation for emphasis on physical health.
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New Rituals for New Life Stages

March 6, 2023 | 12pm (AZ) | Zoom
In this final session, we will examine the explosion of creative rituals and prayers that speak to new stages of life that have been created as a result of longevity.
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Joel Gereboff

February 16, 2023 | 12 pm (AZ) | Zoom

Beginning in the 1950’s, over 40 local and regional Jewish historical societies have been organized. These groups play diverse roles within the Jewish and general communities. Little has been written about these institutions and their contribution to the formation and transmission of important aspects of American Jewish history and the competing demands that shape their activities. This lecture explores the history of these societies and the forces that both sustain and threaten their survival. 

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Sandra Fox

February 9, 2023 | 7pm (AZ) | Zoom

Salo Wittmayer Baron Dissertation Award in Jewish Studies Lecture Series 

Explore the lived experiences of youth in postwar Jewish summer camps, sites of intergenerational negotiation in the making of American Jewish culture. This lecture considers how postwar American Jewish leaders representing a diverse range of ideological commitments, including Zionism, Yiddishism, and liberal Judaism used summer camps to expose children to their ideologies, and attempted to transform them according to their visions of authentic Jewishness.

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Oct. 5

Religion and Science Religion and Trust Adam Cohen 

Psychology, ASU 7 p.m. 

Is there hope for “getting along” in a religiously pluralistic society? Every religion has unique, differentiating characteristics which affect adherents’ beliefs and behaviors. For example, Jews and Christians make moral judgments differently, in accordance with religious messages about what is moral. Even so, psychological research finds people trust members of other religions as much as they trust members of their own. This is especially true after observing others demonstrate commitment to their own religion, through actions such as donating to religious charities or adhering to religious food restrictions. Join us to learn more about how religion promotes trust.

Oct. 12 

Religion and Science Religion’s Role in Human Evolution Paul Cassell 

Leadership and Integrative Studies, ASU 7 p.m. | Zoom 

Why religion? Where did it come from? What purpose does it serve? Explore recent ideas concerning the origin of religion in human prehistory. Mental innovations powered the first steps taken by early pre-humans toward symbolic culture. As these hominins grew in their ability to use symbolic thinking and communication, the divine — conceived to answer the big ‘why’ question of human existence — emerged as a kind of glue, linking together prior social and cultural innovations into a system, a religious ‘package.’ Learn how it gave purpose to early human groups, helping to direct social and cultural innovation.

February 28, 2021

Judaism, Science and Medicine Group (JSMG)

Judaism and Climate Change: Science, Theology, and Ethics

• download program
• view session recordings

sponsors: ASU Jewish Studies | Harold and Jean Grossman Chair in Jewish Studies, Arizona State University  Irving and Miriam Lowe Professor of Modern Judaism, Arizona State University with support from: Dr. Michael Anbar Memorial Lecture in Judaism, Science and Medicine Endowment, Arizona State University community partner: Valley Beit Midrash

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January 25, 2021

Lowe Family Research Workshop

Anti-Semitism in Comparative Perspective: Recent Trends and Research Frontiers

Recent years have witnessed a dramatic rise in anti-Semitic incidents and the growth of anti-Semitic attitudes around the world. New research estimates more than a quarter of the world—1.09 billion people out of more than 4.1 billion people surveyed—harbors anti-Semitic attitudes. This workshop—organized by David Siroky and Lenka Bustikova of the School of Politics and Global Studies at Arizona State University—brings together leading scholars from around the globe to discuss the frontiers in the study of anti-Semitism and to debate critical factors that influence where and when ethnoreligious groups, and Jews in particular, are likely to be targeted and viewed with prejudice.

• download workshop program (PDF)
• download paper synopses (PDF)
• view session recordings

made possible by The Lowe Family Holocaust and Genocide Education Endowment

learn more about Lowe Family events

February 28, 2021

Judaism, Science and Medicine Group (JSMG)

Judaism and Climate Change: Science, Theology, and Ethics

• download program
• view session recordings

sponsors: ASU Jewish Studies | Harold and Jean Grossman Chair in Jewish Studies, Arizona State University  Irving and Miriam Lowe Professor of Modern Judaism, Arizona State University with support from: Dr. Michael Anbar Memorial Lecture in Judaism, Science and Medicine Endowment, Arizona State University community partner: Valley Beit Midrash

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March 1-2, 2020

Judaism, Science and Medicine Group (JSMG)

Jewish Healing Through the Ages: theories and practices

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The “Jewish Healing through the Ages: Theories and Practices” conference explored:

• the Jewish physician as a social type
• the historical factors that shaped the status, function, and impact of Jewish physicians
• the relations between Jews and non-Jews in the practice of medicine
• the intellectual, ethical, and theological dimensions of Jewish medicine
• the role of women and gender in Jewish medical practice

sponsors:  ASU Jewish Studies | Harold and Jean Grossman Chair in Jewish Studies, Arizona State University | Irving and Miriam Lowe Professor of Modern Judaism, Arizona State University with support from: Dr. Michael Anbar Memorial Lecture in Judaism, Science and Medicine Endowment, Arizona State University community partner: Valley Beit Midrash

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February 17-18, 2019

Judaism, Science and Medicine Group (JSMG)

Judaism and Disability: new genetics, disability studies, and practical interventions

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The Judaism and Disability: New Genetics, Disability Studies, and Practical Interventions conference explored:

• how genetics and genomics help to understand and treat genetic diseases.
• the diverse conceptions of physical and mental disabilities in the sources of Judaism in light of the new discipline of Disability Studies.
• the social, cultural and psychological dimensions of disability.
• the work of Jewish organizations to empower and include people with disabilities.

sponsors: ASU Jewish Studies | Harold and Jean Grossman Chair in Jewish Studies, Arizona State University with support from: Dr. Michael Anbar Memorial Lecture in Judaism, Science and Medicine Endowment, Arizona State University community partners: Gesher Disability Resources | Jewish Genetic Diseases Center of Greater Phoenix | Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center

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October 13-15, 2018 | ASU Tempe campus

•     
• download conference book

Celebrating and examining the impact of Jews and the Jewish experience on the dance field and broader communities. Jews and Jewishness in the Dance World was deliberately inclusive in scope, definition, and audience. The conference featured over 100 movement and dance specialists from eight countries—Argentina, Austria, Canada, England, France, Germany, Israel, and the United States. These include dancers and choreographers, along with videographers, critics, scholars, educators, and dance/movement therapists, among others.

conference page

February 18-19, 2018

Judaism, Science and Medicine Group (JSMG)

Judaism and Mental Health: Psychotherapy, Neuroscience, and the Spiritual Life

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Organized by ASU Jewish Studies at Arizona State University and Schusterman Center for Jewish Studies at The University of Texas at Austin.

This conference explored the intersection of science and spirituality within the realms of psychology and psychotherapy, with an emphasis on Judaism but also a comparative look at that intermingling in Christianity and less well-defined searches for meaning and transcendence. Participants include psychologists, psychiatrists, clergy, as well as humanities and religion scholars. Topics spanned centuries and range from considerations of problems of mental well-being in Rabbinic texts through the contemporary “positive psychology” movement and the findings of neuroscience.

sponsors: ASU Jewish Studies | Gale Family Foundation Annual Lectureship in Jewish Studies, University of Texas | Harold and Jean Grossman Chair in Jewish Studies, Arizona State University | Schusterman Center for Jewish Studies, University of Texas at Austin with support from Dr. Michael Anbar Memorial Lecture in Judaism, Science and Medicine Endowment, Arizona State University

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February 19-20, 2017

Judaism, Science and Medicine Group (JSMG)

Sexuality, Gender and the Jewish Family

The Sexuality, Gender and the Jewish Family conference explores the psychology of sexual orientation and gender identity; sexual identities in conflict; and sexual addiction, while reflecting on the new perspectives, legal tools and challenges to the Jewish family.

• download program

sponsors ASU Jewish Studies | Harold and Jean Grossman Chair in Jewish Studies, Arizona State University | Irving and Miriam Lowe Professor of Modern Judaism, Arizona State University with support from Dr. Michael Anbar Memorial Lecture in Judaism, Science and Medicine Endowment, Arizona State University community partner Valley Beit Midrash

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September 18-19, 2016

The Library of Contemporary Jewish Philosophers (Brill) showcases outstanding Jewish thinkers who have made lasting contributions to Jewish philosophy in the second half of the 20^th century. Each of the 20 volumes is devoted to an individual thinker, in order to show that thinker’s relationship to the Jewish philosophical past and to contemporary Jewish existence. This conference highlighted the diversity and vitality of contemporary Jewish philosophy, focusing discussion on Jewish philosophical response to contemporary challenges, and charting new paths for Jewish philosophy in the 21^st century.

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February 21-22, 2016

Judaism, Science and Medicine Group (JSMG)

Health, Mortality and Morality: Jewish Perspectives

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sponsors ASU Jewish Studies; Harold and Jean Grossman Chair in Jewish Studies, Arizona State University; Irving and Miriam Lowe Professor of Modern Judaism, Arizona State University with support from Dr. Michael Anbar Memorial Lecture in Judaism, Science and Medicine Endowment, Arizona State University community partner: Valley Beit Midrash

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October 23-24, 2015

Comparative Genocide Symposium

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sponsored by the Institute for Humanities Research a research unit of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, with support from the Center for Jewish Studies and Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict, research units of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; and the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies, an academic unit of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

February 28, 2021

From Galicia to New York: Salo W. Baron and His Legacy

In 2012, ASU Jewish Studies and the Institute of Jewish Studies at Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland inaugurated a formal collaboration, in the interest of paving the way to a new understanding of the Jewish past, in the larger context of western history, religion, and culture. Together, they convened a research symposium examining the revival of Jewish Studies, and the proceedings were published in volume 11 (2013) of the journal, Scripta Judaica Cracoviensia.

“From Galicia to New York: Salo W. Baron and His Legacy” was the next step in this scholarly collaboration: a conference to honor and consider the scholarly work of Salo Wittmayer Baron, whose 120^th birthday was celebrated on May 26, 2015. Since Professor Baron’s outstanding scholarship was a joint effort with his wife, Jeannette M. Baron, the conference will honor her memory and her contribution to scholarship, as well. 

• download program

organized by ASU Jewish Studies and Institute for Jewish Studies at Jagiellonian University

sponsored by The Knapp Family Foundation; Salo W. and Jeannette M. Baron Foundation; Arizona State University Center for Jewish Studies; Institute of Jewish Studies at the Jagiellonian University; Taube Foundation for Jewish Life & Culture; Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies at Columbia University; and Taube Center for Jewish Studies at Stanford University

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October 26-27, 2014

Judaism, Science and Medicine Group (JSMG)

Healing: the interplay of religion and science

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sponsors ASU Jewish Studies and Harold and Jean Grossman Chair in Jewish Studies, Arizona State University

October 6-7, 2013

Judaism, Science and Medicine Group (JSMG)

Religion, Science and Sociality: Emergence Theory and Relgion

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sponsors ASU Jewish Studies and Harold and Jean Grossman Chair in Jewish Studies, Arizona State University

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November 17-18, 2013

The Musical Worlds of Polish Jews, 1920-1960: Identity, Politics, and Culture

This international research conference at Arizona State University focused on the richness of Polish-Jewish music from World War I to the decades after World War II and its relationship to the complex problem of Polish Jewish identity.

• download workshop program (PDF)

sponsors ASU Jewish Studies with additional support from Robert & Shoshana Tancer; The Melikian Center: Russian, Eurasian & East European Studies, a research unit of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences; School of Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies, an academic unit of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences; Herberger Institute for Design & the Arts: School of Music; The OREL Foundation with special thanks to The OREL Foundation for arranging the The ARC Ensemble performance of "Poles Apart: Chamber Music from the Garden of Exile"

conference webpage

September 9-10, 2012

Judaism, Science and Medicine Group (JSMG)

Evolution and Traditional Religions
and
The Obesity Epidemic: a multi-disciplinary examination

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sponsors ASU Jewish Studies and Harold and Jean Grossman Chair in Jewish Studies, Arizona State University

This year’s meeting was featured as a part of Project Humanities at ASU.

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November 8-9, 2012

Revival of Jewish Studies in Eastern Europe

This symposium inaugurated the formal relationship between the Center for Jewish Studies, The Melikian Center: Russian, Eurasian & East European Studies and the Institute of Jewish Studies at Jagiellonian University in Cracow, Poland.

• download program booklet

sponsors Center for Jewish Studies; The Melikian Center: Russian, Eurasian & East European Studies; and School of Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies

conference page

October 30-31, 2011 | held at the Center for Ethics at Emory University, Atlanta

Judaism, Science and Medicine Group (JSMG)

Phenomenology, Existentialism and the Neurosciences: a Jewish Approach to Medicine

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sponsors: ASU Jewish Studies; Center for Ethics at Emory University, Atlanta; Harold and Jean Grossman Chair in Jewish Studies, Arizona State University

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March 4-5, 2012

Reimagining Erwin Schulhoff, Viktor Ullmann & the German-Jewish-Czech World

This conference sought to reevaluate the musical legacy of Ullmann and Schulhoff and their contemporaries, connecting it with other strands, themes and contexts in European culture. The two-day event featured both scholarly presentations and performances.

2021 Update: new book - "Italian Jewish Musicians and Composers under Fascism: Let Our Music Be Played"

• download program (PDF)

conference page

October 10-11, 2010

JSMG Annual Conference

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sponsors: ASU Jewish Studies and Harold and Jean Grossman Chair in Jewish Studies, Arizona State University

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2010-2011 Concert and Lecture series

Rediscovered Masters

Their lives cut short by the horrors of war, and their works denied to be heard in the world’s concert halls, World War II affected all walks of life including music composition. Several composers’ vital and passionately lyrical compositions were banned and entire schools of composition were eradicated during the Holocaust while small pockets of music thrived in concentration camps across Eastern Europe. 

series page | related events

August 16-17, 2009

Inaugural Meeting of the Judaism, Science and Medicine Group

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sponsors: ASU Jewish Studies; Harold and Jean Grossman Chair in Jewish Studies, Arizona State University; and Irving and Miriam Lowe Professor  of Modern Judaism

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April 8-9, 2010

The Refugee in the Postwar World

The Refugee in the Postwar World was an interdisciplinary conference that explored the causes, consequences, and contemporary interpretations of the refugee crises that followed the end of World War II. The key objective was to gain a better understanding of a pivotal period of global population upheavals, which was also a critical moment in the formation of the international refugee regime.

• download workshop program (PDF) 

sponsors: ASU Jewish Studies; The Melikian Center: Russian, Eurasian & East European Studies with additional support from: College of Liberal Arts & Sciences; Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law; School of Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies; School of Politics & Global Studies School of Social Transformation and made possible by: Arizona Humanities Council

conference page

April 29 - May 1, 2009

Viewing Mendelssohn, Viewing Elijah

From child prodigy to the most celebrated composer of his time: Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy was hailed as a genius, reviled as a sentimentalist, beloved as a model of assimilated thinking and attacked for his Jewish heritage. In honor of the 200^th anniversary of the birth of one of the greatest composers— and one of the most paradoxical figures—of the Romantic age, Jewish Studies, the Herberger College of Fine Arts School of Music, and Faculty of Religious Studies in the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies at Arizona State University present “Viewing Mendelssohn, Viewing Elijah: assimilation, interpretation and culture.”

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conference page

March 2-3, 2009 

Holy Sites and Holy Wars in the Middle East

The relationship between holy sites, religion, political conflict, and violence has become a point of great interest and even urgency in scholarship and in the popular press alike.

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conference page

November 16-17, 2008 | ASU Tempe campus

Stars of David: the Jewish Experience in American Cinema

In the 20^th century, Hollywood films have been central to American popular culture, reflecting and refracting social forces while encapsulating the ambitions, anxieties, and nightmares of American life.  The most enduring ideal of America and especially of Hollywood remains the “American Dream,” the promise of opportunity and material success that shaped the cultural and collective identity of this nation of immigrants. 

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conference page