FALL 2011 CollegeCOLLEGE of Charleston, Fall 2004of Page 1 1 CHARLESTON Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program

rwdlfrom generationrwdm to generation FALL 2011 2 Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program Notes from the Director

This past year we mourned the loss of two beloved leaders in South Carolina, Harriet Keyserling of Beaufort and Max Heller of Greenville. Both lives were Jewish stories—Harriet was a cosmopolitan and liberal New York woman who moved to small town South Carolina to marry a Jewish doctor, rising to statewide prominence with her vision of a more educated, more inclusive, and more environmentally sensitive South Carolina, and Max, a Holocaust survivor who moved from Vienna in 1938 to Greenville and, after a successful business career, became its popular and revered two-term mayor – “the father of modern Greenville,” with his wife, Trude, also a Holocaust survivor, always at his side. Both Harriet and Max were founding members of the Advisory Board of the Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program, and were deeply committed to Jewish values, Jewish education, and Jewish continuity. Both were inspirations to me personally, representing as they both did, in vision and in reality, a proud South Carolina community with the self-confidence and good judgment of welcoming the outsider, caring for the less privileged, and embracing a future worthy of a great state. Both were respected public servants, with a profound sense of justice. Both would be pleased with our latest initiative in Jewish Studies, a year-long series focusing on Jews and Social Justice. Funded by a nationally competitive and generous grant from the Legacy Heritage Fund of the Association for Jewish Studies, Jewish Studies will address an inclusive and welcoming vision of Jewish life, which considers the broader social responsibilities of the Jew. Both Harriet and Max thought that their Jewish values, and their particular histories as Jews, informed their commitment to the many issues they addressed benefiting the people of South Carolina. Like the Hebrew prophets before them who preached social justice, their lives and their commitments were not without detractors, causing serious discomfort in some, especially because both Max and Harriet never hid their Jewishness. And I would be surprised if some of the topics we will address do not produce similar discomfort. I am hopeful that these themes – whether it be Jews and the gay community or Jews and immigration – will be of interest to a broad constituency. Community outreach has been the particular hallmark of Jewish Studies since the Program’s inception. The community has embraced with enthusiasm what we have had to offer whether it be A World of Jewish Culture at Piccolo Spoleto, the Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina, Chanukah in the Square, our Three Panel, our Sunday Morning Brunch Series, and much, much more. I have been concerned for a number of years that the large audiences for our Jewish Studies events did not include more young Jewish professionals. A younger constituency is often difficult to reach – their time is at a premium, they are less drawn to Jewish organizational life, some of the more common topics are of no interest to them – so Jewish Studies is not alone in this particular challenge. Issues of social justice resonate for many of them, so our successful grant proposal made attracting a broader constituency a central theme, and included afternoon workshops on social activism as an additional attraction. The afternoon programs will be hands-on while the morning presentations will be more descriptive (and prescriptive.) Social justice is a central Jewish tenet; the pursuit of justice is a core Biblical value. In Jewish thought, charity (Tzedakah) is not unrelated to justice (Tzedek.) In fact, perhaps the most famous haftorah of the year, the one recited on NEW ADDITION Yom Kippur, consists of the words of the prophet Isaiah, criticizing those who self-righteously fast, as if fasting satisfied the religious expectation. No, this is the fast I desire: To unlock the fetters of wickedness, And untie the cords of the yoke To let the oppressed go free; To break off every yoke. It is to share your bread with the hungry, And to take the wretched poor into your home; When you see the naked, to clothe him, And not to ignore your own kin. — Isaiah Ch. 58: v.6, 7. Harriet and Max lived lives committed to social justice; it was the very fabric of their Jewish lives. Our new initiative is a living testimony to their lives. Please join us, as we examine what justice requires of us as Jews in the often confusing modern world. Best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year.

On the Cover: College of Charleston Birthright Israel trip, May, 2011 Martin Perlmutter, Director FALL 2011 College of Charleston, Fall 2004 Page 3 3 Elie Wiesel Comes to the College of Charleston Sunday, September 25, 2011

Nobel Peace Prize winner, University These events made possible through a very generous Professor, author, and grant by the Zucker/Goldberg Center for Holocaust activist Elie Wiesel has Education at the College of Charleston: worked on behalf of oppressed people for Saturday, September 24, 1:00 — 2:15 pm, Stern Center much of his adult life. His Ballroom personal experience of Promoting a Culture of Inclusion: Lessons from the the Holocaust has led him Holocaust to use his talents as an Join prominent civil rights attorney Armand Derfner and author, teacher, and Auschwitz survivor Joseph Engel, both long-time storyteller to defend residents of Charleston, for a thought-provoking human rights and peace discussion of the Holocaust and its continuing impact on throughout the world. the lives of those who were touched by it. Open to And now he’s coming to College of Charleston Family Weekend participants only. Charleston. Sunday, September 25, Noon — 1:15 pm, Sottile Theatre The Zucker/Goldberg Center for Holocaust Education Elie Wiesel: Living in a Fractured World promotes research, education, and outreach at the College Elie Wiesel will be featured in a unique panel presentation. of Charleston, having endowed a chair occupied by Wiesel will be interviewed by eight College of Charleston MacArthur Fellow and Professor of Holocaust Studies, Ted students, including Aiken Fellows, education majors Rosengarten; offering multiple courses each year on the whose focus is social studies, Jewish Studies majors, and Holocaust, including an experiential one traveling through students who traveled to Eastern Europe to study the Eastern Europe; and sponsoring thought-provoking public Holocaust. The discussion will be hosted by Ted programming. The Zucker/Goldberg Center is bringing Rosengarten. Anita Zucker, educator, business leader, and international attention to the College of Charleston and the philanthropist will introduce the event. Book signing and Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program this fall by bringing meet and greet to follow from 1:15 – 1:45 pm This is a Elie Wiesel to campus for Family Weekend 2011, as its ticketed event, with priority given to Family Weekend featured speaker. attendees and students. For tickets, please call 843.953.2291.

Sunday, September 25, 6:00 — 7:15 pm, Sottile Theatre Elie Wiesel: Don’t Stand Idly By Elie Wiesel discusses the impact of the Holocaust on his vision of the good life, and the lessons that unmitigated evils like the Holocaust teach us. Tickets to Sottile Theatre are available by invitation only. For more information on how to obtain tickets to The world did know and remained silent. And that is why I swore overflow venues, please email [email protected] or never to be silent whenever wherever human beings endure call 843.953.3894. suffering and humiliation. We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. — Elie Wiesel 4 Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program JHSSC meets in Columbia October 27-30, 2011 SIGHTS, SOUNDS, AND STORIES OF THE JEWISH SOUTH Southern Jewish Historical Society’s 36th Annual Conference in conjunction with the Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina October 27– 30, 2011 Columbia, South Carolina

The Southern Jewish Historical Society will join forces with the Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina to present a weekend of sensational scholarship, photography, film, and music on the University of South Carolina campus in the state capital of Columbia. With generous support from USC’s Jewish Studies Program, the Ernest F. Hollings Special Collections Library, the School of Music, and McKissick Museum, we have designed a three-day immersion in the sights, sounds, and stories of the Jewish South. The conference will kick off on Friday, October 28, with a bus tour to Sumter, SC, one of the state’s earliest Jewish settlements. There we will see Temple Sinai’s spectacular stained glass windows, tour the Sumter County Museum, and visit the Levi family’s historic home and garden. “The Big Apple” in Columbia, SC On Saturday, panel sessions will convene in the new Hollings Library next to the Thomas Cooper Library. Researchers and writers from near and far will explore the tricky and sometimes treacherous terrain trod by Southern Jews. The afternoon will end with an “insider’s tour” of the capital city led by noted Columbia historians, Belinda and Richard Gergel. On Saturday evening, attendees are invited to the opening reception of an exhibition of political collections and Judaica back at the Hollings Library. Sunday, the venue switches to USC’s School of Music for the conference finale. First comes a performance and discussion with composer Meira Warshauer, USC’s Robert Jesselson, cello, and Janet Hopkins, mezzo soprano, and second, audio-video presentations by historians Bryan Stone and Jerrod Tanny, who ask the serious question, “What’s so funny about Southern Jews?” Reserve your hotel room now. A special conference rate is available at The Inn at USC. Call 803.779.7779. For more information or to register online visit www.jhssc.org Chanukah in the Square Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 4:00 — 6:00 pm at Marion Square, corner of King & Calhoun Streets

Chanukah in the Square will celebrate its seventh Chanukah in Marion Square on the first night of Chanukah, Tuesday, December 20, 2011 from 4—6 pm. The Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program will team up again with the City of Charleston’s Office of Cultural Affairs, of the Lowcountry, and many other community organizations to create our most festive Chanukah in the Square ever. Last year, we prepared over 500 pounds of potato latkes, so 600 pounds is this year’s goal.

Our local Holocaust survivors will continue the tradition of lighting the candles. Please plan on being there with your neighbors, friends, and family. Bring an appetite and your dancing shoes. We will supply the food and the music!

Piggly Wiggly Carolina has once again agreed to be Chanukah in the Square’s lead sponsor, continuing the warm relationship that Piggly Wiggly and the Jewish community have had for many years. We are deeply appreciative of their support. FALL 2011 College of Charleston, Fall 2004 Page 5 5 A Time to Build To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven. A time to break down and a time to build up. — Ecclesiastes Ch. 3, v.1-3

When dedicating the new Sylvia Vlosky Yaschik Jewish Studies Center in 2002, Norman Arnold used this quotation from Ecclesiastes to describe the mission of the Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program. In the wake of 9/11, Norman thought that building was his mission and the appropriate Jewish one. He had no sympathy for those who would tear down, and he thought it important that we use the then new Jewish Studies Center to constructively demonstrate the power of building up. Lots of building up of Jewish Studies has happened since Norman made his remarks on October 13, 2002. Well over 800 Jewish students are now enrolled at the College. Jewish student life has full-time staff. There are three full-time faculty and the Arnold Distinguished Visiting Chair in Jewish Studies. The College of Charleston has an ambitious Zucker/Goldberg Center for Holocaust Education with a chair in Holocaust Studies attached to it. Beginning this fall, we are offering South Carolina’s first and only Jewish Studies major, one of only a handful in the Southeast. And Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel is coming to the College in September. Jewish Studies must continue to build. We have come a long way with a unique model which integrates academics, student life, and community outreach, placing them all under one umbrella that creates excellent synergies. This structure will continue to serve us well as we look to grow in all three dimensions. The College has been very supportive of Jewish Studies and has embraced our projects as its own. But there is a limit of what it can do with state funds and tuition. We need to rely on philanthropy to supplement the College’s commitment to Jewish Studies. We need your help. Our campaign will support the initiatives laid out in our strategic plan: . Expand the Sylvia Vlosky Yaschik Jewish Studies Center to include a kosher vegetarian dining hall that will enable our students to eat—and create community—in a social setting. . Bolster our Israel offerings, with instruction, travel, and a Hebrew language program integrated with an Israeli ulpan. . Showcase Charleston and its important Jewish history with a Center for Southern Jewish Culture, building on the important resources of the Addlestone Library’s Jewish Heritage Collection, the Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina, and the new Jewish Studies major with its specialized track in Southern Jewish history. . Recruit and retain the best students, faculty, and staff by raising funds for scholarships and staff development. The $10 million A Time to Build campaign will ensure Jewish Studies’ continued excellence and strengthen the cornerstones of the College’s envisioned future. Generous benefactors and believers have provided momentum with $4 million in cash and pledges, allowing us to inaugurate a Holocaust studies center, introduce a distinguished visiting scholar program, fund a Jewish student life coordinator, and begin a center for Southern Jewish culture.

Now is our time. A Time to Build is the opportunity for all of us to be philanthropists, assuring that others can stand on our shoulders in much the same way that we have benefitted so much from the thoughtfulness and generosity of others before us. I invite you to become a partner in supporting these exciting initiatives. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with questions, with suggestions, or with your support. I look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes for a sweet and prosperous New Year!

Artist’s renderings of the proposed addition to the Kevin Archer,Chair Sylvia Vlosky Yaschik Jewish Studies Center Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program Advisory Board at 96 Wentworth Street. [email protected] 6 Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program Charleston Jewish Community Learning Initiative Showcasing the cooperative nature of the Charleston community and the centrality of Jewish education, Brith Sholom Beth Israel, Chabad of Charleston and the Lowcountry, Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, Synagogue Emanu-El, and the Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program are working together to create a community education initiative that raises the bar in Jewish learning.

Listed below are serious learning opportunities presented by all of us who care deeply about Jewish education. They are open to participation by all, regardless of background or affiliation. We encourage you to take advantage of this partnership and sample the varying pedagogic and theological approaches offered. If you are interested in an intellectual challenge, healthy debate, a spiritual awakening, or if you’re just in it for the cholent, we look forward to learning with you.

Yeshiva Night: Rabbi Beni Krohn Thursdays, 8:00 pm, The Minyan House, 8 Lord Ashley Drive For those looking for a -like experience, you will have a chance to study in-depth Mishnaic and Talmudic texts on a journey to explore contemporary Halachic issues. Men and women are invited to study with a chavruta (study partner) to prepare for an interactive shiur (lecture) to follow. (Caution: cholent may be served.) For more information: bsbisynagogue.com • thejroc.com / [email protected] / 577.6599 or 730.3161

Soup, Salad, and Soul: Sarah Refson Wednesdays, 12:30 – 1:30 pm, 734 York Street, Mt. Pleasant Join our Wednesday women’s class for a light lunch as we investigate together the weekly Torah portion. In these studies of our most sacred text, we will weave together centuries of Jewish scholarship and wisdom, focusing them through the prism of Chassidic and Kabalistic spirituality, resulting in fresh insights and psycho-spiritual lessons in the quest for a more meaningful life, themes no less relevant today than in our long and distinguished past. For more information: southernspirit.org / [email protected] / 884.2323

Intro to Judaism: Stephanie Alexander, Anthony Holz, Robert Seigel, and Aaron Sherman Thursdays, beginning October 27, 7:30 – 9:00 pm, KKBE, 90 Hasell Street For those interested in pursuing conversion to Judaism, interfaith couples, or anyone looking for an engaging overview of Jewish belief, tradition and practice. For more information: kkbe.org / [email protected] / 723.1090

Haftarah: More Than Just “Half the Torah:” Rabbi Adam Rosenbaum Thursdays, starting August 25, 9:15 – 10:00 am, JCC, 1645 Wallenberg Boulevard The weekly Haftarah (prophetic readings on Sabbath and holiday morning services) can be wonderful to listen to, but difficult to understand. We invite you to help unlock some of the mysteries and to enter the world of Israel’s prophets, judges, and kings who did so much to create the ethical core of Judaism. Materials will be provided. For more information: emanu-el.com /[email protected] / 571.3264

Yikes, Apikorsim!: Jewish History‘s Most Notorious Heretics: Professor Allan Nadler See page 8 for dates. 7:00- 9:00 pm, Arnold Hall, Jewish Studies Center, 96 Wentworth Street For more information: jewish.cofc.edu / [email protected] / 953.5682 Tuesday Night September 13: The Matchmaker (Israel), Hebrew with English subtitles, 2011, 112 minutes Set in Haifa in1968, a drama about an Israeli-born teenage boy and a mysterious matchmaker. October 4: Trembling Before G-d, 2001, 80 minutes Documentary about people reconciling their love of Judaism, traditional prohibitions, and their homosexuality. October 18: Restoration (Israel), Hebrew with English subtitles, 2011, 105 minutes A drama about two men vying for a father’s allegiance and the love of a pregnant woman. FALL 2011 College of Charleston, Fall 2004 Page 7 7 The Milton and Freddie Kronsberg Memorial Lecture: Rabbi Jill Jacobs JUDAISM AND SOCIAL JUSTICE: NEW FAD OR ANCIENT TRADITION? Wednesday, September 7, 2011 at 7:00 pm in the Stern Center Ballroom (4th Floor) Rabbi Jill Jacobs will explore the religious, political, social, and cultural roots of social justice in the Jewish tradition, and examine the place of the contemporary American Jewish social justice movement in the trajectory of Jewish history and thought. Her lecture will inaugurate this year’s series on Jews and Social Justice, a year-long initiative made possible by the Legacy Heritage Jewish Studies Project, directed by the Association for Jewish Studies (AJS). Rabbi Jill Jacobs is the Executive Director of Rabbis for Human Rights-North America. She is the author of Where Justice Dwells: A Hands-On Guide to Doing Social Justice in Your Jewish Community and There Shall Be No Needy: Pursuing Social Justice through Jewish Law and Tradition. Rabbi Jacobs has been named to “The Forward 50,” Forward’s list of 50 influential American Jews (2006 and 2008), to The Jewish Week’s first list of “36 under 36” (2008), and to Newsweek’s “The 50 Most Influential Rabbis in America” (2009, 2010, and 2011). She lives in New York with her husband, Guy Austrian, and their daughter, Lior. A reception will follow her presentation. The Milton Kronsberg Lecture Series began in the fall of 1999 as a result of a generous endowment by Freddie Kronsberg in memory of Milton, z”l. In the fall of 2002, the series became the Milton and Freddie Kronsberg Memorial Lecture after Freddie’s, z”l, passing. The series honors the Kronsbergs’ lifelong commitment to Jewish ideas and values. Milton and Freddie Kronsberg were pillars of Charleston’s Jewish community for many years. Milton was deeply committed to Jewish values and loved the exchange of Jewish ideas, even controversial ones. He was at the forefront of Jewish life, and was instrumental in Synagogue Emanu-El’s early years. Freddie was the best of the South, of Judaism, and of womanhood. She exemplified grace, charm, dignity, and a quiet self- confidence. The Milton and Freddie Kronsberg Lecture Series is the only named lectureship in Jewish Studies at the College of Charleston, appropriately named in their honor. It is a wonderful way to remember them. The Kronsbergs’ connection to Jewish Studies is deep and continuing. Regina Kronsberg Shapiro, their oldest daughter, is a member of the Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Advisory Board. Her husband, Sam, preceded her on the Board. Mickey Kronsberg Rosenblum is a regular at many of our events, helped organize Sigma Delta Tau at the College of Charleston, and is on the board of the Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina. Her husband, Jeffrey, is on the board of both the Jewish Studies Program and the JHSSC, and designed the Sylvia Vlosky Yaschik Jewish Studies Center at the College of Charleston where our program is housed. Abram Kronsberg and his wife, Robin Kaplan, serve on the selection committee for the Lectureship’s speaker. at the Movies Tuesdays at 7:00 pm in Arnold Hall, Jewish Studies Center

November 15: Strange Fruit, 2002, 57 minutes The complex story about the song “Strange Fruit” and its effect on the lives of immigrant Jews and African-Americans. December 6: A Matter of Size (Israel), Hebrew and Japanese with English subtitles, 2010, 90 minutes A comedy about an overweight man, Japanese culture, Sumo wrestlers, and learning to accept ourselves as we are. 8 Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program Norman and Gerry Sue Arnold Distinguished Visiting Chair in Jewish Studies Norman and Gerry Sue Arnold are very generous supporters of the Jewish Studies Program which bears their name: The Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program. They served together as the third chairs of the Advisory Board, succeeding Henry Yaschik, z”l, and Jerry Zucker, z”l. Allan Nadler has been named the Norman and Gerry Sue Arnold Distinguished Visiting Chair in Jewish Studies at the College of Charleston for the fall of 2011. The Chair brings world-class professionals and scholars in Jewish Studies to the College each year. Nadler is currently Professor and Director of Jewish Studies at in Madison, and the world’s expert on Jewish heresies. Prior to joining Drew University, he was the Director of Research at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research in , and Dean of YIVO’s Graduate Training Program, the Max Weinreich Center for Advanced Jewish Studies. An ordained Orthodox rabbi, Nadler served Boston’s Charles River Park Synagogue and Congregation Shaar Hashomayim in Montreal, Canada’s largest traditional Jewish congregation, before returning to Harvard to pursue a Ph.D. in Jewish thought. Nadler is the author of Faith of the Mithnagdim: Rabbinic Responses to Hasidic Rapture; Rabbis, Rebbes and Rebels: The Polemics of Modern Jewish Thought in Eastern Europe; and the forthcoming book: Heretics and Heresy in Rabbinic Law and Literature. Nadler’s articles, reviews and essays appear regularly in numerous scholarly and popular journals and newspapers such as Commentary, The New Republic, The Journal of Jewish Thought and Philosophy, Judaism, Tradition, Modern Judaism, The New York Times, Newsday, The Jewish Daily Forward, The Jewish Week, and The Jewish Times. Allan Nadler’s expertise on Jewish intellectual history will bolster our offerings and his engaging teaching style will appeal to students thirsting for spirited debate in the classroom. He returns to campus as a popular public lecturer, having participated in the Sunday Morning Speaker series at Jewish Studies with such talks as “A Nation of Nudniks” and “Bad Jewish Boys.” We hope you will join the Arnolds and Jewish Studies in welcoming Dr. Allan Nadler for the fall semester. A CLASS WITH DR. ALLAN NADLER YIKES, APIKORSIM!: JEWISH HISTORY‘S MOST NOTORIOUS HERETICS Tuesdays: October 11, October 25, November 8, and November 29, 2011 7:00 — 9:00 pm in Arnold Hall Tuesday, October 11: “The Mored (rebel) and the Apikores in Biblical and Early Rabbinic Thought: The Cases of Korach and Elisha ben Abuyah.” How the early rabbis re-imagined the lives, deeds, and beliefs of these two infamous men to create the prototype of the Apikores. Tuesday, October 25: “The Paradox of Maimonides: The Dogmatist as Heretic” How the man who gave the Jews their only creed, the famous Thirteen Principles of Jewish Faith, was himself denounced as a heretic, and his greatest work burned at the stake. Tuesday, November 8: “Marranos as Heretics: The Cases of Uriel D’Acosta and Spinoza” The “perfect storm” that led so many Portuguese Marranos who had returned to Judaism in Western Europe to revert, not to Catholicism, but to a rebellion against all religious doctrinal authority. Tuesday, November 29: Three Twentieth Century Rabbinical Heretics: 1) The Pragmatist Philosopher: Rabbi Mordechai Kaplan, the founder of Reconstructionism 2) The Theologian: Rabbi Louis Jacobs, voted the greatest British Jew who ever lived, yet excommunicated by his own colleagues. 3) The Talmudist: Rabbi David Weiss Ha-Livni, the pious Hungarian Talmudist, denounced by his Hasidic landsmen as an Apikores. FALL 2011 College of Charleston, Fall 2004 Page 9 9 Religious Traditions in the Pursuit of Justice THREE RABBI PANEL: JEWS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at 7:00 pm in the Stern Center Ballroom (4th Floor)

Rabbi Adam J. Rosenbaum Rabbi Stephanie Alexander Rabbi Ari Sytner Synagogue Emanu-El Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Brith Sholom Beth Israel (Conservative) (Reform) (Orthodox)

What does God require of you? Only to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk modestly with your God — Micah Ch.6: v.8

The Three Rabbi Panel is one of the proudest accomplishments of Jewish Studies as it showcases the unity of the Charleston community and the importance of dialogue or, as in our case, trialogue. Now in its sixteenth year, with a new generation of rabbis, the Three Rabbi Panels have helped create a cohesive, welcoming, and open Jewish community. This fall we are collaborating with the Christian Jewish Counsel of Greater Charleston on two panel discussions, together exploring six different responses to the Bible’s call to pursue justice. Opening the discussion to the Christian community highlights the virtues of religious cooperation and acceptance, an important feature of Charleston’s and South Carolina’s long history of religious tolerance. This semester we challenge some of our community’s spiritual leaders to speak with candor about their denomination’s interpretation of justice and what law and tradition dictate about justice’s scope. What is justice and what does it require of us—action or belief, or both? Are charity and justice one and the same? Is there a relationship between belief in a Judeo- Christian God and the requirement to pursue justice? What is our obligation to others, both inside and outside of our own faith community? Should justice be the overarching principle in some of the controversial issues of our time: gay rights, poverty, and immigration? Attendance at the mirrored panels is an opportunity for all of us to increase our knowledge-base, highlight the universal value of justice, and acknowledge important differences in its application. A hearty thank you to the panelists for participating and to our moderators, Dr. Martin Perlmutter and Dr. James R. Sawers.

THREE CLERGY PANEL: CHRISTIANS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE Thursday, November 17, 2011 at 7:00 pm in the Stern Center Ballroom (4th Floor) Sponsored by the Christian-Jewish Counsel of Greater Charleston

Rev. Dr. Ronald Dillon Rev. Dr. Daniel W. Massie Senior Pastor Pastor, First (Scots) Father James Parker, retired First Baptist Church Presbyterian Church Founder, Holy Spirit Church Mt. Pleasant, SC Charleston, SC Johns Island, SC Both panels are co-sponsored by the Department of Religious Studies at the College of Charleston. 10 Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program Sunday Speaker Series Monthly brunches have become a regular feature of the Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program. Bagels, coffee, and orange juice will be served in Arnold Hall beginning at 9:00 am. This semester the talks will be held in the Stern Center (on the corner of Glebe and George Streets) in the fourth floor ballroom. All talks begin at 10:15 am. Events are free and open to the public. Immediately after the presentations, Sig Schildcrout will host an informal discussion with the speaker. Free parking is available for Sunday morning events (only) in the Wentworth Street Garage on the corner of Wentworth and St. Philip. Bring your parking ticket to the talk for validation. Thanks to Lora and David Kratzok, Jean and Zev Wolf, and Thelma Becker, our indefatigable volunteers, for their ongoing commitment, hard work, and good humor.

LAURA LIEBER Sunday, September 4, 2011 at 10:15 am in the Stern Center Ballroom BUILD A HOUSE, PLANT A GARDEN: PUTTING DOWN ROOTS IN AN UNSETTLED WORLD

In the sixth century BCE, the prophet Jeremiah admonished the exiles living in Babylon: “Build houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat their fruit...Seek peace for the city where I have sent you and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its peace shall you have peace.” In short, settle in for the long haul and try to get along with your new neighbors. Jews have been making their homes in diaspora communities ever since. But where, then, is “home?” Where is “the Old Country?” Who are “our people?” In this talk, Professor Lieber will reflect on how being from the South has shaped the way she answers these questions, studies and teaches Judaism from the world of the Bible to the present day. Laura Lieber is Associate Professor of Religion at Duke University and the Assistant Director of the Duke Center for Jewish Studies. A native of Fayetteville, Arkansas, she received her B.A. from the University of Arkansas, rabbinic ordination from HUC in Cincinnati, and her Ph.D. in the History of Judaism from the University of Chicago. She is currently writing a book that explores the interpretation of the Song of Songs in Late Antiquity. JONATHAN KARP Sunday, November 6, 2011 at 10:15 am in the Stern Center Ballroom KILLING TIN PAN ALLEY: BOB DYLAN AND THE (JEWISH) AMERICAN SONGBOOK This multimedia presentation explores the young Bob Dylan’s efforts to revolutionize American music, infusing it with a new poetic sensibility and a subject matter of wide ranging social and political significance. But making pop music relevant also meant deflating the established craftsmanship of conventional “Tin Pan Alley” songwriters like Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, and Carole King. More than a story of individual artistic creativity doing battle with a major commercial industry, “Killing Tin Pan Alley” chronicles the conflict in sensibility and over assimilation between different generations of American Jewish songwriters. Jonathan Karp is Executive Director of the American Jewish Historical Society in New York City and Associate Professor in the Judaic Studies and History Departments at Binghamton University, SUNY. His book The Politics of Jewish Commerce in Europe, 1638-1848 was published by Cambridge University Press in 2008. A volume entitled Philosemitism in History, co-edited with Adam Sutcliffe, appeared this spring (also published by Cambridge). Karp is currently completing a book on economic and musical relations between Blacks and Jews.

Presented in conjunction with A Fine Romance: Jewish Songwriters, American Songs, 1910-1965 at the Charleston County Public Library, 68 Calhoun Street Formal Opening: Monday, November 7, 2011 at 6:00 pm Remarks by Nic Butler and music by Lonnie Hamilton FALL 2011 College of Charleston, Fall 2004 Page 11 11 IDIT KLEIN Sunday, October 23, 2011 at 10:15 am in the Stern Center Ballroom RISK AND RESPONSIBILITY: A PROFESSIONAL QUEER JEW'S TAKE ON ACTIVISM Join us to hear Idit Klein’s reflections on her journey from secular Israel to Orthodox day school to the gay rights movement. Klein will discuss the challenges and opportunities in working for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender inclusion in Jewish life and offer concrete steps for making change in your own community. Idit Klein has served as Executive Director of Keshet since 2001, building it from a one- person, local organization with an annual budget of $35K to a ten-person, national organization with an annual budget of over $1M. Prior to leading Keshet, Klein was an activist in the queer women’s community in Israel and played a role in early organizing efforts to create the Jerusalem Open House. Klein is a magna cum laude graduate of Yale University. Sunday, October 23, 2011 at 6:30 pm in Arnold Hall, Jewish Studies Center COMMUNITY ORGANIZING: BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE Idit Klein will lead a workshop for students and interested professionals on creating inclusive communities wherever they are (the dorms, in class, at work, with friends and family, etc.) followed by an informal discussion with LGBT and straight ally students and professionals on organizing for equality in the Jewish community. Pizza and salad will be provided. Co-sponsored by Women’s and Gender Studies at the College of Charleston. GIDEON ARONOFF Sunday, December 4, 2011 at 10:15 am in the Stern Center Ballroom FIVE REASONS WHY AMERICAN JEWS SHOULD CARE ABOUT IMMIGRATION IN 2011 The commandment to “welcome the stranger” appears more than any other commandment in the Hebrew Bible. Abraham was a stranger in the land of Canaan, we, as a Jewish people have remained strangers throughout most of history until the establishment of the state of Israel. Like most Americans, the Jewish population is descended from immigrants. Although a number of Jews in the U.S. today are foreign born, the vast majority have roots that go back many years, some to the 19th century when HIAS, the international migration agency of the Jewish community, was founded. A lifelong human rights and public policy advocate, Gideon Aronoff has been with HIAS since 2000 and served as President and CEO since 2006. Before joining HIAS, he worked for nearly a dozen years in Boston and Washington, DC in the Soviet Jewry movement as a leader in advocating for immigrant rights and refugee protection policies. He is chair of the National Immigration Forum, the leading immigrant advocacy organization in the United States. LIZA LIEBERMAN Sunday, December 4, 2011 at 6:30 pm in Arnold Hall, Jewish Studies Center WELCOME THE STRANGER This interactive program considers the current immigration debate from a Jewish values and historical perspective. Welcome the Stranger focuses on HIAS’ proposed solutions to fixing the broken immigration system, with an emphasis on ways that participants can engage in various advocacy actions. Pizza and salad will be provided. Liza Lieberman’s involvement with HIAS began by organizing a community event relating to the plight of Iraqi refugees. Her volunteer service led to a staff position in HIAS’ DC Office, and has evolved to include coordination of Jewish grassroots advocacy around the country, and mobilizing a network of young professionals and students in the DC area who work to promote HIAS’ mission of rescue, reunion, and resettlement. Co-sponsored by Friends of the Library at the College of Charleston. 12 Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program Monday Evening Programs READING HEBREW Mondays, August 29 — December 5, 2011 5:25 - 6:40 pm in Arnold Hall and Levin Library

Reading Hebrew is an informal, weekly course teaching students how to read Hebrew. It is aimed at beginners who have rusty skills and are interested in developing more skills. The focus is reading, not language comprehension. There will be beginning and intermediate levels offered at the same time. Participants are requested to attend all class meetings. Registration is not required. The course is free of charge, and open to the entire community. It cannot be taken for college credit. There will be a small charge for the text used in each class. The sessions are weekly 75-minute classes, taught by native Hebrew speakers. Shula Holtz has been teaching the class since its inception and will teach Reading Hebrew 1. Tsipi Wagner is a veteran to teaching Hebrew and will teach Reading Hebrew 2. In Spring 2012 the reading course will be enhanced with basic conversational Hebrew through dialogue, songs, and other methods.

JEWISH CHORAL SOCIETY Mondays, August 29 — December 5, 2011 7:00 - 9:00pm in Arnold Hall and Levin Library

Under Madeline Hershenson’s loving and skillful leadership, the Society continues to reach new heights with performances at Marion Square and at KKBE in another Piccolo Spoleto concert. Now in its bar mitzvah year, the Jewish Choral Society keeps growing and has become a community of singers and friends. The repertoire now includes Sephardic music, cantorial chants, contemporary Israeli music, Israeli folk songs, traditional songs from Eastern Europe, and and Ladino music. New singers are welcome. No experience necessary. Of course, rehearsals include refreshments.

RABBI BENI KROHN THE WEEKLY PARSHA: WHAT THEY DIDN’T TEACH YOU IN SUNDAY SCHOOL Mondays, August 29 — December 5, 2011 5:30 — 6:30 pm in Arnold Hall, Jewish Studies Center Rabbi Krohn will take participants through the weekly parsha (Torah portion) in an altogether novel way. “Why isn’t Moses allowed to enter the Land of Israel?” “Why was Abraham chosen to be the father of Judaism?” “Why does the Torah tell us all of these stories of family feud?” Talmudic, medieval, and modern commentaries on the Five Books of Moses will be utilized to facilitate lively discussion about the core issues being presented to us by the text. We will go beyond the story line to understand the underlying messages of the Torah and how they can be applied to our lives. No prior experience in textual study is necessary to attend this class. FALL 2011 College of Charleston, Fall 2004 Page 13 13 Brown Bag Series A DUPED PATRIARCH, AN UNLUCKY KING, AND A CONFLICTED DIVINER: READING BIBLICAL STORIES IN MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS Wednesdays: September 21, October 19, and November 16, 2011 12:15 —1:15 pm Arnold Hall, Jewish Studies Center Coffee, soft drinks, and desserts provided. Bring your own lunch.

In this brown bag series, we will engage in a close reading of three biblical narratives: the story of Judah and Tamar in Genesis, the rise and ultimate tragic fall of Israel’s first king, Saul, in First Samuel, and the story of Balaam, a professional diviner hired to curse the Israelites, in the book of Numbers. In our reading and discussion, we will draw upon a variety of interpretive approaches (literary, source-critical, historical, feminist, comparative, etc.) from the biblical scholar’s ever expanding toolbox. Discussion will be led by Dr. John Huddlestun, an associate professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the College of Charleston, who teaches classes in Biblical, Ancient Middle Eastern, and Jewish Studies. Please read the appropriate chapters before coming to class.

September 21: Genesis 38 — The Tactics of a Clever Tamar, the Humiliation of a Duped Judah October 19: I Samuel 8-17 — King Saul: Ambivalent Beginning, Tragic End November 16: Numbers 22-24 — Balaam the Diviner: The Defection of a Prophetic Hired Gun Judaism on One Foot: Contemporary Encounters Alternating Tuesdays, 5:30 — 6:30 pm in Arnold Hall, Jewish Studies Center On another occasion it happened that a certain non-Jew came before Shammai and said to him, “I will convert to Judaism on the condition that you teach me the whole Torah while I stand on one foot.” Shammai chased him away with the builder’s tool that was in his hand. He came before Hillel and said to him, “Convert me.” Hillel said to him, “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah. The rest is commentary; go and learn it.” — Babylonian Talmud, 31a Because college is a place for experimentation, the Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program is trying something new for the coming semester. We want to reach out to young professionals, graduate students, and college seniors with one of our Tuesday night community classes. Beginning August 30 and meeting every other week, we will offer “Judaism on One Foot.” Different teachers, all young, will present different topics of interest to young folk. We’re not going into detail, but offering a taste of what’s out there in an interactive, text-based, discussion-oriented class that is open to learners of all background and skill levels. There will be pizza, and we can hook you up with a babysitter. For more information, find us on Facebook or Twitter: facebook.com/cofcjwst or twitter.com/cofcjwst. August 30: “Awake Zion”screening: A documentary exploring the Jewish–Rasta link. September 13: Jews and Tattoos with Rabbi Beni Krohn. September 27: Being a Yeshiva Bucher-ette with Mimi Lewis. October 11: Judaism and/in/or Hip Hop with Ilya Merlin ‘11 and Josh Rosenthal. October 25: Talmud: The Jewish Kama Sutra? with Dr. Joshua Shanes. November 8: Jews in Organized Crime with Dr. Adam Mendelsohn. December 6: The Trope of the Jewish Hero with Dr. David Moscowitz. 14 Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program Academic Course Offerings

South Carolina residents who are over 60 years old are eligible to enroll in regular College of Charleston courses on a space- available basis for a fee of $25 for the semester. Permission of the instructor is required for Jewish Studies courses. Call 843.953.5620 for details. (Please note: TR classes meet Tuesdays and Thursdays.)

FYSM 142.01 and FYSM 142.02 Understanding Israel Joshua Shanes TR 10:50am-12:05pm and TR 1:40-2:55pm Jewish Studies Center, Levin Library (Room 209) This course will first introduce students to the history of Israel from the birth of modern Zionism through today. We will then focus closely on the contentious issues in contemporary Israeli society: political dynamics, religious-secular tensions, immigration and refugees, internal ethnic conflicts, military culture, the role of women, and of course Israel’s prolonged conflict with the Palestinians and Arab states. Only open to freshmen.

FYSM 142.03 Children and the Holocaust Ted Rosengarten MW 4:00-5:15pm Jewish Studies Center, Levin Library (Room 209) Why did Nazi Germany target Jewish children with such special ferocity? A small number escaped or were rescued and lived to write their recollections which are just now surfacing. The ordeal of non-Jewish children in war-time Europe—German, Polish, Ukrainian—a story long buried in silence, is also finding a voice in film and literature today. This seminar will investigate the experiences of children who were swept up in the “Final Solution” and ask questions they might have asked about the world that produced the catastrophe whose meaning eludes us still. Only open to freshmen.

HBRW 101.01 and HBRW 101.02 Elementary Modern Hebrew Zipora Wagner MWF 10:00-10:50am and R 9:50-10:40am MWF 11:00-11:50am and R 10:50-11:40am (in JSC Room 323) Jewish Studies Center, Levin Library (Room 209) An introduction of fundamental language structures with emphasis on acquisition of basic language skills: reading and listening comprehension, oral and written expression, including speaking. No prerequisite.

HBRW 201.01 Intermediate Modern Hebrew Zipora Wagner MWF 9:00-9:50am and R 8:25-9:15am Jewish Studies Center, Levin Library (Room 209) The object of this course is the development of basic proficiency through practice in the use of basic language skills emphasized in previous courses, and the acquisition of new vocabulary. Prerequisite: HBRW 101& 102.

HBRW 313.01 Advanced Modern Hebrew: Conversation and Composition Zipora Wagner MWF 12:00-12:50pm Jewish Studies Center, Levin Library (Room 209) The goal of Hebrew 313 is to develop communicative competence in Hebrew and a deeper understanding of modern Israeli culture. The students will write individual albums in which they will document the topic, “This Is My Life.” This course is designed for students who have successfully completed Hebrew 202 or its equivalent.

JWST 210.01and JWST 210.02 Jewish History I: Ancient to Modern Adam Mendelsohn MWF 10:00-10:50 am and MWF 11:00-11:50 am Jewish Studies Center, Arnold Hall (Room 100) A survey of the social, economic, religious and political experience of the Jewish people in the pre-modern world (from biblical origins through 1700) emphasizing the diversity of Jewish experience and the interaction between Jews and their surrounding environments. We focus especially on the period just before and after the destruction of the second Temple (70 C.E.), continue through the medieval period - paying equal attention to the Jewish experience in the Christian and Moslem worlds - and end in the seventeenth century, in northwestern Europe, where the transformations of Jewish life in the modern era were already beginning.

JWST 300.01 Special Topics in Jewish Studies: Orthodoxy and Heresy in Jewish Thought Allan Nadler TR 10:50 am-12:05 pm Jewish Studies Center, Arnold Hall (Room 100) An introduction to Jewish theological orthodoxies over the ages, along with an overview of various heretical individuals and movements that were rejected as heretical, often leading to personal excommunications and larger schisms within the Jewish community. Topics will include the Hebrew Bible’s obsession to uproot idolatry, the Pharisees’ condemnation of the Sadducees’ rejection of a belief in the afterlife, the early medieval schism between the Gaonim and the Karaites, the turmoil engendered by various messianic pretenders, most notoriously the 17th century Shabbetai Zevi, the banning by Amsterdam’s Jewish community of Spinoza as a heretic, the banning of early Hasidism as a heretical movement, and finally the development of a self-defined “Orthodox” form of Judaism, which has condemned a variety of modern movements in Judaism, from Reform to Zionism, as heresies. FALL 2011 College of Charleston, Fall 2004 Page 15 15 RABBI HESH EPSTEIN THE KABBALA OF SHABBAT Mondays: September 5, October 3, October 31, and November 28, 2011 7:00 — 8:30pm Arnold Hall, Jewish Studies Center Rabbi Epstein will teach a four-part class that studies mystical gifts that the Shabbat experience provides. Rabbi Hesh Epstein has been the Executive Director of Chabad Lubavitch of South Carolina since 1987. Father of nine and a sought after teacher, Rabbi Hesh was Assistant Rabbi at Brith Sholom Beth Israel in Charleston from 2001-2004. His evening courses have become a regular and popular fixture of the Jewish Studies adult education offerings.

Monday, September 5: The Gift of Rest What is the role of rest? Is it merely a pause to recharge and re-energize before returning to work? Or can it play a more active role, allowing the work itself to mature in a way that is not possible while one is active?

Monday, October 3: The Gift of Love Shabbat edifies the fundamental importance of dedicated family time to build and fortify healthy, loving family units. More significantly, Shabbat observances form a clear roadmap to resolving conflict and building solid and sustainable relationships. Monday, October 31: The Gift of Pleasure Seventy-five percent of Americans are fighting their weight, and the numbers in other countries continue to rise. In this time of great bounty, we have never found it harder to negotiate the concept of moderation with healthy pleasure.

Monday, November 28: The Gift of Every Moment Everyone has moments of clarity. The secret is to find awareness and direction in every situation. Behind the age-old, multi- sensory experience of havdalah lies the key to bridging the gap between darkness and light, between the ordinary and the extraordinary. MAYA HIRSCH KUPCHIK SHULCHAN IVRIT: HEBREW TABLE Tuesdays: August 30 — November 29, 2011 12:30 – 1:30 pm in Arnold Hall, Jewish Studies Center Coffee, soft drinks, and desserts provided. Bring your own lunch. Bring your lunch and join us for a lively hour of discussion—b’ivrit! Open to Hebrew speakers of all levels, this is an opportunity to practice your Hebrew skills in a fun, informal setting. Facilitator Maya Hirsch Kupchik will enforce the “no English allowed” rule and help guide the discussion. If you’ve got a copy of Yediot Ahronoth lying around, bring that too! JWST 310.01 Topics in American Jewish History: Jews and the Civil War Adam Mendelsohn MW 2:30pm-3:45 pm Jewish Studies Center, Levin Library (Room 209) The United States has begun a five-year period of commemorating the causes, course and consequences of the Civil War. This course will discuss the challenges and opportunities that the conflict presented to Jews in the ranks and on the home front.

JWST 320.01 Topics in American Jewish Culture: African- and Jewish-American Comedy Larry Krasnoff TR 12:15pm – 1:30pm Jewish Studies Center, Levin Library (Room 209) A study of the outsized contributions that African- and Jewish-Americans have made to the comedic traditions of the United States. We will be especially interested in how and why Americans in general have found African-Americans and Jews (and, at times, the relations between them) to be funny. We will study works of literature and cultural theory as well as film and video.

JWST 325.01 Jewish Mysticism Joshua Shanes MW 1:00pm-2:15pm Jewish Studies Center, Levin Library (Room 209) A study of the major forms of Jewish mysticism, particularly Kabbalah – the dominant expression of Jewish mysticism since the 13th century – and its modern manifestations in the Hasidic movement. Readings include both secondary and primary sources, in English translation. 16 Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program Jewish Student Union/Hillel A Word from our Co-Presidents, Harry Rockower and Jill Schancupp

Hello everyone! Welcome back for another semester at JSU/Hillel. We are looking forward to building on the success of last year’s programs. The 2010-2011 year started off with a collaborative effort with the Black Student Union. At this event, students opened up and discussed various race and stereotype related issues as well as ways both groups could further interact. In November, we continued our partnership with the Carolina Youth Development Center and hosted a carnival day for the children and teenagers. Everyone had a great afternoon that included everything from a water balloon fight to bobbing for Hershey kisses in a plate of whipped cream.

The New Year started off with one of our own students, Jerry Kowal, donating bone marrow through the Gift of Life program. Jerry became part of the registry, and was able to help save a life through the bone marrow registry drive held at the JSU the previous spring. The community service work continued in the spring as students volunteered at Crisis Ministries and sold challah to donate to the Low Country Food Bank. Passover ran smoothly again as over 120 students came to the JSU for the first Seder, 80 for the second, and a multitude for eight days of free meals, three times a day. There were also some amazing costumes at our Purim party at Tasty Thai.

This upcoming school year we have a wonderful, enthused new board with lots of new and innovative ideas for JSU. We are all excited to make this year the best year JSU/Hillel has ever had. The board will work on continuing programs such as volunteering at Carolina Youth Development and Crisis Ministries and many social events such as a Beach Day and a Riverdogs Baseball Game. In addition, the board has thought of new activities such as kayaking, Israeli Dance, and programs with other groups on campus. We will start off strong the first week of school with our annual Welcome Back Cook-Out, Ice Cream Social, Meet to Eat, and Shabbat Dinner! We are so excited for the upcoming year and look forward to all our amazing events!

JSU/Hillel 2011-12 Executive Board Harry Rockower, Co-President – Bethesda, MD Jill Schancupp, Co-President – Marietta, GA

Sara Silberstein, Communication/Marketing Chair – Herndon, VA

Samantha Berinsky, Student Engagement Co-Chair – Rock Hill, SC Aaron Jacobson, Student Engagement Co-Chair – Charleston, SC Frankie Sadoun, Student Engagement Co-Chair – Silver Spring, MD

Carly Shevitz, Religious Chair – Santa Barbara, CA

Leeron Ofer, Israel Co-Chair – Atlanta, GA Johanna Sztokman, Israel Co-Chair – Buenos Aires, Argentina

Johanna Ginburg, Social Action Co-Chair - Marietta, GA Cathy Solmson, Social Action Co-Chair – Atlanta, GA Sarah Steinberg, Social Action Co-Chair – Charleston, SC

Nicole Lubel, Social Co-Chair – Atlanta, GA Hannah Reynolds, Social Co-Chair – Alexandria, VA

Special thanks to Andrea Griff of Richmond, VA for taking on our new Rosh Chodesh group. FALL 2011 College of Charleston, Fall 2004 Page 17 17 What’s in Store for 2011-2012 Mimi Lewis, Jewish Student Life Coodinator It has been an eventful summer here in Jewish Studies. Back in May, we said goodbye to the class of 2011. It was definitely sad to see them go. They were each wonderful additions to our community, and I know we’ll hear great things from them. Right after their graduation, I flew to Israel with ten Charleston students for a once-in-a-lifetime trip through Taglit-Birthright Israel. Now, back in Charleston, I look forward to greeting incoming freshmen and getting the year started! And what an exciting year we have coming up! We here at the Jewish Student Union/Hillel are gearing up for a big year of social justice projects, new Jewish learning initiatives, and all the old favorites of JSU/Hillel. I am so excited to be joining forces with Adam and Jess as we brainstorm hands-on community projects that will complement the Sunday morning speakers brought through the Jews and Social Justice grant. I hope that this initiative creates a strong and motivated social justice community at the College of Charleston and strengthens our ties with other campus groups. For more information on the specifics of these projects, please email me at [email protected] or sign up to receive our weekly Shalom Y’all email newsletter. Exciting things are going on in the realm of religious life here at the College of Charleston, as well. Rabbi Beni Krohn and I are piloting a new program modeled after Hillel at UGA’s Take Out Menu. We know that students have busy lives and even busier schedules so we’ll bring Jewish learning and discussion to them! With the Take Out Menu program, students choose what they want to learn, when they want to learn it, where, and with whom. When at least five people get together for learning, Rabbi Beni or I will show up with Ben & Jerry’s ice cream (they even get to choose the flavor!), while six or more will get pizza. Descriptions of the different lessons or discussions available for “order” will be on our website www.blogs.cofc.edu/ jsuhillel . Check it out! Of course, no semester at JSU/Hillel would be complete without the old favorites of Meet to Eats, Shabbat dinners and services, and study breaks. Find out about all that’s going on in Arnold Hall and around campus by emailing me ([email protected] ) or signing up for the Shalom Y’all. I am thrilled about these and many other programs and events for this fall semester. I feel very lucky to be a part of this community at a time of such exciting expansion and growth! Hope to see you around! Kol tuv—all the best. What’s Been Happening at the Citadel Marsha Alterman, Jewish Student Life Advisor

Beginning in the fall of 2008, I agreed to serve as the Jewish Student Life Coordinator at The Citadel, as part of my College of Charleston responsibilities. My primary goal was to make sure Jewish cadets had the ability to explore and experience Jewish culture, education, religion, and a Jewish social life. I can honestly say I am proud and pleased with what has been (and continues to be) accomplished! Since then, there have been many positive changes on The Citadel campus for Jewish cadets. Here are some I am most enthusiastic about and am committed to continuing: . Jewish cadets are traveling to Israel on organized trips such as Taglit-Birthright, . The Jewish Student Club is represented in The Citadel yearbook, . Jewish learning is provided during mandatory religious instruction sessions (thanks to local rabbis, CofC Jewish Studies faculty/staff, and community members), . On-going communication with Jewish cadets and Citadel staff has provided support and intervention when needed, . Jewish cadets are actively participating in JSU/Hillel events (Shabbat dinners, …) and forging friendships with CofC Jewish students, . Jewish cadets, knobs to upper classmen, have gotten to know each other and have developed a support system for one another; and……. . The most recent development was bringing Hebrew to The Citadel. A community member comes to campus two nights a week and works with those interested in learning the language! As you can see, there have been many improvements at The Citadel for Jewish cadets. There is still work to be done! My objective for 2011-12 is to continue to help make life for the Jewish cadets easier by coordinating and facilitating participation in Jewish programming at The Citadel, the College of Charleston, the synagogues, and within the Jewish community. If you are interested in helping in any way, please contact me at 843.953.3917. 18 Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program Sigma Delta Tau The Delta Eta chapter of Sigma Delta Tau finished off the school year with a very eventful spring semester. We held two successful recruitment weeks, where the sisters welcomed the new members with a retreat weekend to one of the sister’s beach houses and a historic tour of downtown Charleston.

With a jam-packed calendar, the sisters were able to participate in many events such as the alumnae dessert social held at the SDT house and getting manicures and pedicures before our annual formal. We also welcomed our mothers into town for our Mother/Daughter weekend in March, where we went on a home and garden tour as well as spending a day at Middleton Plantation.

As always, philanthropy is an integral component of our programming. The sisters volunteered at the Dee Norton Lowcountry Children’s Center, a local agency which helps prevent and address child abuse. This semester we have more fun sisterhood events planned, and also hope to host our 3rd annual “Sig Delt Slam” basketball tournament for our philanthropy Prevent Child Abuse America.

The sisters of SDT look forward to the fun and lasting memories that the fall semester has in store!

Current Officers, Delta Eta chapter President: Cameron Sepulveda, Charleston, SC Vice President: Molly Jarvis, Needham, MA Social Chair: Kathryn Upchurch, Atlanta, GA New Member Educator: Bridget Walsh, Charlotte, NC Recruitment Chair: Chelsea Parker, Kingsport, TN Panhellenic Delegate: Hannah Duffy, Cabin John, MD Treasurer: Rachel Botts, Charleston, SC Secretary: Sydney Blumberg, Atlanta, GA Philanthropy Chair: Hope Hendricks, Charleston, SC Scholarship Chair: Sophie Sirzyk, Atlanta, GA Alpha Epsilon Pi The Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity at the College of Charleston is the only Jewish fraternity on campus. The organization is very active in both the Jewish community and the college community, as it participates in Birthright trips, bi-weekly JSU dinners and events, and on-campus organizations like Student Government Association. AEPi has also made its mark in the Charleston community at large, with innovative and successful philanthropy events, namely its first ever “Laughter is the Best Medicine” comedy show and its annual “Splash Bash” DJ paint party. The fraternity raised over $3,500 cumulatively for the Save a Child’s Heart Foundation this past year. AEPi is also known for its consistently high academic standing in the Greek community, as it continues to rank in the top three of fraternity GPA’s. Though it is sad to see so many of them graduate, the brothers of AEPi are anxious to see where this year’s seniors are headed. One brother has secured a job at the Huffington Post, two have been employed by AEPi National Headquarters, and others have started careers ranging from the Mayor’s office to the entertainment industry.

Executive Board, Chi Omicron chapter Master: Evan Berke, Atlanta, GA Lt. Master: Alex Carroll, Arlington, VA Scribe: Aaron Jacobson, Charleston, SC Sentinel: Barry Underberg, Memphis, TN Member at Large: Peter vonLehe Ruegner, Walterboro, SC Rush Chair: Mitch Binder, Rochester, NY Pledge Master: Cory Maran, Atlanta, GA FALL 2011 College of Charleston, Fall 2004 Page 19 19 Kol Ha-Kavod (Kudos) . Special thanks to Ann-Therese Hyman for her magnificent job of renovating 186 Queen Street, the former home of Beatrice Stiglitz, z”l, and the residence of our Norman and Gerry Sue Arnold Distinguished Visiting Chairs. Ann-Therese did the job tastefully, economically, and with incredible grace. Todah Rabbah. . Mimi Lewis, our Student Life Coordinator, received a fellowship from Hillel International for a 12-month educator program, called Focus: Israel. The program will focus on growing knowledge and skills in areas such as Israel literacy, models of informal education, civil dialogue, the Israel experience, Hebrew, and pluralism. . Adam Mendelsohn, Professor of Jewish Studies, wrote a successful grant to the Legacy Heritage Fund resulting in the Program’s focusing this year on Jews and Social Justice. This is a sequel to their award last year to examine Jews, Slavery, and the Civil War. . Joshua Shanes, Professor of Jewish Studies, spent part of the summer in Boston and Israel at the Summer Institute for Israel Studies, a program run by Brandeis University to train faculty to teach new courses in Israel Studies. He also received a Leo Baeck Career Development Fellowship to research his second book-length project, “The Jewish Club: Europe’s First Jewish Parliamentary Faction,” which is a study of the first Jewish nationalist party in a European parliament, elected to the Viennese Reichsrat in 1907. He also received LCWA funding to work on this project. . For the second year in a row, the Israel on Campus Coalition and Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life has selected the College of Charleston to participate in the Grinspoon Israel Advocacy Internship Program for the 2011-2012 academic year. Johanna Sztokman has been appointed to serve as CofC’s Grinspoon Intern. Although she is originally from Argentina and has traveled extensively, Johanna considers Israel her home. After finishing high school in the States, she decided to go “home” and serve in the Israeli Defense Forces. She also traveled to Jewish communities around the US and spoke on behalf of the Jewish Agency for Israel. Johanna’s passion for and commitment to Israel make her an excellent Grinspoon choice and will enable her to connect students to Israeli culture, history, and politics while enabling students to recognize the unique role that Israel plays in their lives. . Tsipi Wagner, Hebrew instructor, was awarded a Ph.D. from Georgia State University in the summer of 2011. Her dissertation profiled the murderer and his victim(s) in twentieth-century canonical American literature. . Many thanks to the Henry and Sylvia Yaschik Foundation for continuing to fund our Community Liaison, Jess Glasser, to expand the breadth and reach of Jewish Studies and help develop A Time To Build. Where Are They Now? MAXINE BIER ’09 A Connecticut native, Maxine Bier came to the College of Charleston in 2005. While pursuing degrees in Political Science and French, Maxine became very involved in Jewish student life at CofC. She took over the Jewish Student Life Coordinator position at the Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program upon graduating. After a year working with CofC’s Jewish student population, Maxine decided to pursue her growing interest in education and French language and culture by taking a position as an Assistant English Teacher with the French Ministry of Education. In September 2010, Maxine made the move across the Atlantic to Nevers, France where she spent the academic school year teaching English as a foreign language to French primary school students. Inspired by her experience in France, Maxine will be attending the University of Georgia this fall to pursue an MAT in Teaching French as well as an M.Ed. in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). JULIANA MILLER ’09 (M.S.) Since completing her Master’s thesis at the College of Charleston, Juliana has been living in a village on the island of Ovalau, serving in the Peace Corps as an Integrated Environmental Resource Manager in the developing nation of Fiji in the South Pacific. Juliana helped the village refurbish their community hall, led small workshops on coral reef education and proper waste separation, and took an active role in educating the village youth, taking them snorkeling to identify marine life and creating arts and crafts activities out of flotsam, like plastic bottles or fishing line. Juliana is returning to the United States upon finishing her commitment to the Peace Corps this fall. Welcome home, Juliana! YASCHIK/ARNOLD JEWISH STUDIES PROGRAM NON-PROFIT 96 Wentworth20 Street Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies ProgramU.S. POSTAGE PRE SORTED Charleston, SC 29424 P - A - I - D phone: 843.953.5682 fax: 843.953.7624 CHARLESTON, SC PERMIT No. 485 web: jewish.cofc.edu email: [email protected]

IN THIS ISSUE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD

2 Notes from the Director Kevin Archer, Chair Charleston 3 Elie Wiesel comes to the College of Charleston Gerry Sue Arnold, life member Columbia 4 JHSSC meets in Columbia October 27—30, 2011 Norman Arnold, life member Columbia Chanukah in the Square Jack Brickman Charleston 5 A Time to Build: Kevin Archer David Cohen, ex officio Charleston 6 Charleston Jewish Community Learning Initiative Stanley Farbstein Charleston 6-7 Tuesday Night at the Movies Leo Fishman Charleston 7 Kronsberg Memorial Lecture: Rabbi Jill Jacobs Amy Foster Charleston Jeffrey Foster Charleston 8 Arnold Visiting Chair: Professor Allan Nadler Leah Greenberg Sullivan’s Island 9 Religious Traditions in the Pursuit of Justice Ann Meddin Hellman, ex officio Charleston 10-11 Sunday Speaker Series Scott Hellman Charleston 11 Social Justice Workshops Alan Kahn Columbia 12 Monday Evening Programs Stanley Karesh, life member Charleston 13 Brown Bag Series: Professor John Huddlestun Rachel Kronick Rothbart Los Angeles, CA Judaism on One Foot Spencer Lynch Charleston 14-15 Academic Course Offerings Risa Milbauer West Palm Beach, FL 15 Rabbi Hesh Epstein’s class Alan Nussbaum Charleston Martin Perlmutter, ex officio Sullivan’s Island Schulchan Ivrit: Hebrew Table Michael Rabhan Atlanta, GA 16 Jewish Student Union/Hillel Adrian Reuben Mt. Pleasant 17 Jewish Student Life Harry Rockower, ex officio Bethesda, MD Citadel Update Jeffrey Rosenblum Charleston 18 Greek Life: Sigma Delta Tau and Alpha Epsilon Pi Annie Sandler Virginia Beach, VA 19 Kol Ha-Kavod (Kudos) Jill Schancupp, ex officio Marietta, GA Where Are They Now? Regina Shapiro Atlanta, GA Selden Smith Columbia The Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program Newsletter Robert Steinberg Charleston is published twice a year, coinciding with the academic Mark Tanenbaum Sullivan’s Island calendar at the College of Charleston. Louis Tick Charleston Written by Jess Glasser and Martin Perlmutter, with contributions by others. Design and layout by Enid Idelsohn. Loren Ziff Sullivan’s Island Photo credits: Enid Idelsohn, Mimi Lewis, Leslie McKellar, and Anita Zucker, life member Charleston Jeri Perlmutter.