A group of IIJS M.A., Ph.D., and advanced undergraduate students took part in our new course this semester on the history, theory, and methodology of Jewish Studies. Topics in Jewish Studies was taught by Dr. Isabelle Levy and will be taught again in Fall 2020. Despite the unprecedented circumstances they had an extremely productive semester. Students engaged in weekly discussions of various topics in Jewish Studies—ranging from historiography in the medieval Jewish world to Jewish Studies amid Gender Studies. Institute faculty members generously agreed to visit the class to share insights into the field of Jewish Studies, and Norman E. Alexander Jewish Studies Librarian Michelle Chesner presented treasures of the Jewish Studies book collection to the class at The Rare Book and Manuscript Library in early March.
Students designed original syllabi on fascinating topics, including a seminar by Arielle Rivera Korman (Ph.D. candidate in History) on Jews of Color and a course by Hailey Dobin (Barnard ’21) for high school students that takes a nuanced approach to Jewish cultures. Students also wrote grant proposals, one of which has secured funding: Jewish Studies M.A. student Solomon Mengesha has begun founding a non-profit devoted to mapping the oral and material culture of the Beta Israel, the Jews of Ethiopia. Students also reflected on ways in which course materials will inform their research going forward: Yakov Ellenbogen (Ph.D. candidate in History) reflected on the place of post-colonial and gender theory in his work on Disability Studies/Jewish Studies and, inspired by Professor Rebecca Kobrin’s visit to class, Adam Gelman (Jewish Studies, M.A. student) is considering the place of Women and Gender Studies in his work on Jewish immigration to the United States.