Welcome

We begin the academic year by welcoming our newest faculty member– Professor Moulie Vidas in Religious Studies. Professor Vidas just completed his Ph.D. at Princeton University and we are thrilled to have him in the Jewish Studies Program.

This year, we are offering twenty plus courses in seven different departments and programs. Our new courses are “Jews and Jewish Life in Germany after 1945" taught by Professor Jaimey Fisher in the German Department,” “Jews Among Muslims” as well as “Mediterranean Passages,” both taught by Professor Susan Miller in History, and a literature course on Jewish women’s writings taught by Zohar Kelman who is completing her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature at UC Berkeley.

We will have a Fall conference focused on “Motherhood and the State” looking at how reproductive technologies such as surrogacy embodies issues concerning nationalism as well as questions about the Jewish body. In addition to several speakers throughout the year, there will be a Spring workshop in both Davis and Berkeley bringing together scholars of Sephardic studies from all over the world. Please check our website for updates.

We continue to be grateful to the Koret Foundation, the Osher Foundation, the Taube Foundation, the Posen Foundation, Eda Pell and Friends of Jewish Studies for their ongoing support of the Jewish Studies Program. In the choppy waters of these difficult budgetary times, their funding keeps our program steady and strong.

Wishing you a good academic year,

Diane Wolf
Director