SUND SPRING College 2015 of Charleston, Fall 2004S Page 1 1 T A AR Y T PROGRAMSPROGRAMS A T T 10:00AM10:00AM Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program

rwdl rwdm from generation to generation SPRING 2015 2 Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program REACHING OUT

Martin Perlmutter, Director, Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program

Jewish Studies at the College is proud of its history of broadening the umbrella to include a wide range of constituencies. The academic component is crucial for a university setting, so extensive coursework, a first-rate faculty, a major and minor in Jewish Studies, and three years of Hebrew instruction are at the heart of what we do. The academic side includes outreach, since the majority of students enrolled in our courses are not Jewish. But we have always thought of Jewish Studies far more broadly, extending our reach to both students outside the classroom and the larger community.

Our organizational and financial structures are unique in that way; they are unlike any other Jewish Studies program in the country. Our model has enabled us to provide a range of programs like Chanukah in the Square, A World of Jewish Culture at Piccolo Spoleto, Sunday Morning Brunches, Three Rabbi Panels, Brown Bag Lunches, and the Jewish Historical Society of on the community side; and Wednesday night Meet to Eats, Shabbat services and dinners, Birthright Israel, the Carolina Youth Development Center, and regular social programming on the student side. Our kosher vegan/vegetarian dining hall, designed to service both students and the larger community, is “scheduled” to open in November 2015. That is an ambitious outreach project, one which is well under way. And next semester we are joining the Arabic Studies Program in co-hosting a Middle Eastern film series, with four films focusing on the challenges of modernity, avoiding the more volatile political issues confronting that part of the world.

There are two other outreach projects that I want to highlight. Jewish Studies at the College has been managing the Jewish student life component at for the last six years. Marsha Alterman has been arranging Monday night events at the Citadel, organizing community speakers, bringing in food, encouraging College of Charleston students to come along, and creating a Jewish reality in a not particularly Jewish environment. The Citadel cadets often come over to the College, especially for Shabbat meals. We are hoping to secure that initiative with a special endowment fund restricted for that purpose, so that Jewish life at the Citadel will continue long into the future.

We are also beginning to reach out to more observant Jewish students trying to attract them to the College. Our new kosher dining facility, the large residential Jewish student population at the College, and the growing appeal of Charleston as a destination makes the timing perfect for diversifying our Jewish student population. Recruiting observant students and making them feel comfortable in a somewhat alien environment poses real challenges, but attending to those challenges will be an educational and enriching experience for many of us.

The Citadel’s culture and the culture of a more observant Judaism are both different from the one at the College, and understanding those differences is a wonderful, non-threatening way to understand ourselves better. Jewish Studies at the College is committed to these outreach initiatives because we strive to bring people together, enlarge the Jewish community which we serve, and learn from one another.

There are lots of joys in my “work.” Getting to know Stanley obm and Charlot Karesh is high on that list. Their interest in what Jewish Studies is doing, their support from the very beginning, when they were pillars of the community and when Jewish Studies was just an outlier, and their friendship and kindness over many years has been inspirational and energizing to Jeri and to me. Their family’s latest gift, the Charlot and Stanley Karesh Family Fund, is icing on the cake. Many, many thanks to them, to Fern, Jane, and Gail, and to their families.

I am deeply appreciative of all your support of Jewish Studies’ vision over many years. Together, we have created an inclusive reality and together, in Charleston and at the College , we are the better for it.

Martin Perlmutter, Director [email protected]

On the cover: The JSU/Hillel Board. From left to right: Sierra Debrow ’17, Marla Topiol ’15, Elana Malkin ’15, Mollie Selmanoff ’17, Kate Scher ’16, Andrew Spector ’15, Naomi Nudelman ’16, Gabby Sitrin ’17, and Gabe Davidson ’15

Cover photo by Mark Swick. Marty’s photo, this page, by Adam Chandler for CHARLIE magazine. SPRING College 2015 of Charleston, Fall 2004 Page 3 3 EMBRACING CHANGES, MOVING FORWARD Anita Zucker, Chair, Jewish Studies Advisory Board

This has been an exhilarating time to be in a position of leadership within the Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program. It is a period of transition, yet there are so many impressive things taking place. Jewish Studies has found incredible friends and advocates in the College’s new leadership; President Glenn McConnell, Chief of Staff Debbie Hammond, Provost Brian McGee, and LCWA Dean Antonio Tillis have all made big strides on our behalf, and I am incredibly grateful for their support.

I am pleased to let you know that with all of their support, we are moving to secure a line of benefits from the College for the Program’s Jewish Community Liaison, the position currently held by Mark Swick; that is an important step in institutionalizing that position. This has long been a priority for Jewish Studies, as it ensures the future of our non-academic programming. I am equally enthusiastic that the College is moving to extend the line for Jewish Studies assistant professor David Slucki for two years. David and his wife Helen have both become integral parts of the Jewish Studies team.

If you have passed by the Jewish Studies Center recently you will have noticed the construction site next door — the future home to our kosher vegan/vegetarian dining hall. That facility is set to open in November 2015, and has generated incredible excitement from the broader community of kosher and vegetarian eaters. Our hope is that it will be open for students and community members alike as a retail facility, be on the College’s meal plan, offering three a la carte meals per day, and serve as a gathering place for advocates of environmentally-friendly, local foods.

On a personal note, my family has always had Israel as a core value. This past December I had the pleasure of joining my son Jonathan and other representatives of the South Carolina business community on the South Carolina-Israel Collaboration Trade Mission. The SC- Israel Collaboration is a part of Conexx. Happily, we were also joined by Rene Mueller, Professor in the College’s School of Business and Director of its International Business Program. Over the past year, Rene has worked with the Jewish Studies Program to create a new course in the business school connecting CofC students with Israeli businesses. That course will culminate with a class trip to Israel. Rene will be an important voice as the College moves to expand its connection with Israel, as part of Jewish Studies’ long-term strategic plan. This is a new and exciting direction for the College.

It is such an honor to serve as Chair of the Jewish Studies Program Advisory Board, and I extend my gratitude to the community members who serve on the board with me. To that cadre I am happy to welcome two new members: Ben Arnold of Columbia, son of Norman and Gerry Sue Arnold, will continue the Arnold family’s leadership in Jewish Studies. Mady Friedman, of Cleveland and Palm Beach Gardens, grandmother of two freshmen at the College, Sydney and Drew, and wife of Norman Levin, former Advisory Board member, joins Gina Shapiro as a grandparent board member. We welcome them both.

My late husband Jerry was a founding member of the Advisory Board, was among Jewish Studies’ first major supporters, and was chair of the Advisory Board when he passed away in 2008. I am honored to follow in his footsteps. He would be thrilled at the progress of the Program in the last six years, and I am honored to be playing a small part in our Ben Arnold incredible trajectory. May we continue to go from strength to strength. CALL FOR STUDENTS AND ALUMNI The College of Charleston has become an excellent choice for students interested in attending a college with a Jewish Studies program with both an academic major and minor, an active Jewish student life, a significant Jewish student population, and a support- ive larger Jewish community. The kosher vegan/vegetarian kitchen will make the College even more attractive to many prospective students. Please let us know of prospective students who might have an interest in the College. Our offices will take it from there. Contact Helen Slucki ([email protected] or 843.953.5657)

We are also working to develop our alumni connections. To join our Facebook alumni Mady Friedman and Norman Levin group go to www.cofc.edu/~jsuhillel and click on the “alumni” link. If you have ideas to share about improving our alumni network, please contact Caroline Eichholz at [email protected] or 843.953.3917. 4 SUNDAY MORNINGS Yaschik/Arnold IN ARNOLD Jewish Studies HALL Program THE HISTORIAN IN THE MUSEUM ANTONY POLONSKY Sunday, January 25, 2015 at 10:00AM In this lecture, Antony Polonskyy, Chief Historian of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews, will examine the problems faced by historians in attempting to present their understanding of the past in a museum exhibition. While historians work with language and try to reach conclusions based on documents, museum displays are made up of images and objects which often require elucidation. A clear picture has to be drawn and there is no place for the qualifications which are characteristic of historical writing. The lecture will attempt to show how modern scholarship on the history and culture of the Jews of Poland is reflected in the permanent exhibition in the newly opened Warsaw museum.

A native of Johannesburg, South Africa, Antony Polonsky graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand before receiving further degrees from Oxford University. He joined the faculty of Brandeis University in 1992. In 1999 he was appointed Albert Abramson Professor of Holocaust Studies, an appointment held jointly at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and Brandeis University. Most recently, Polonsky was named Chief Historian of the Permanent Exhibition at the Museum of Polish Jews in Warsaw, Poland. Sponsored by the Zucker/Goldberg Center for Holocaust Studies at the College of Charleston. HOLOCAUST LEGACY EMPTY SPACES, FADING MEMORIES, NEW JEWISH REALITIES RUTH ELLEN GRUBER Sunday, February 8, 2015 at 10:00AM

In 2015 we mark 70 years since the end of World War II, while also marking 25 years since the fall of communism in Europe. Despite the passage of time, the impact of the Holocaust still resounds in Europe in many ways. But there are also new Jewish realities; new forms of Jewishness, Jewish practice, and religious and cultural expression. A generation after the fall of communism, the Jewish revival in Eastern-Central Europe has become a Jewish presence that means much more than just the numbers of Jews who live there. American author, journalist, and the current Norman and Gerry Sue Arnold Distinguished Visiting Chair, Ruth Ellen Gruber has chronicled Jewish developments in Europe for more than 25 years. Her books include Virtually Jewish: Reinventing Jewish Culture in Europe; National Geographic Jewish Heritage Travel: A Guide to Eastern Europe; Letters from Europe (and Elsewhere), and Upon the Doorposts of Thy House: Jewish Life in East-Central Europe, Yesterday and Today. The recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, Poland’s Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit and other awards and honors, she currently coordinates the web site www.jewish-heritage-europe.eu SOUTHERN JEWISH IDENTITY STEPHEN WHITFIELD, BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY Sunday, March 8, 2015 at 10:00am The historic reputation of the South for the hierarchical privilege granted to large landowners in an agrarian economy would not seem to be very compatible with the tendency of Diaspora Jewry to engage in commerce. Moreover, the regional commitment to racial inequality would seem to offer only limited opportunity to a classic minority all too familiar with prejudice and discrimination. And yet the Southern Jewish experience has been far more benign and reassuring than such dichotomies might suggest. How Jews have managed over the course of roughly two centuries to flourish in a region that might seem to be inhospitable is a paradox that merits historical analysis.

Stephen Whitfield holds the Max Richter Chair in American Civilization at Brandeis University, where he has taught since 1972. He holds degrees from Tulane (BA), Yale (MA) and Brandeis (PhD), and is the author of nine books, including In Search of American Jewish Culture. Whitfield serves as book review editor of the annual journal, Southern Jewish History, and has twice served as a Fulbright visiting professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and at the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium). He has also taught at the Sorbonne and at the University of Munich. 5 SPRING College T2015ALKS of Charleston, NOW Fall 2004 START AT 10:00AM Page 5 5

Sunday brunches are a hallmark of the Jewish Studies Program. Brunches begin at 9AM and lectures at 10AM. All events are free and open to the public. Immediately after the lecture, Sig Schildcrout hosts an informal and more intimate discussion with the speaker. Free parking is available for Sunday morning events (only) in the Wentworth Street Garage, and free childcare is offered during each Sunday brunch this semester. Please contact Mark Swick to RSVP so that we have adequate childcare staffing. You may reach him at [email protected] NO JOKE: MAKING JEWISH HUMOR RUTH WISSE, HARVARD UNIVERSITY Sunday, March 22, 2015 at 10:00am Humor is the most celebrated of all Jewish responses to modernity. In this lecture, as in her book of the same title, Ruth Wisse evokes and applauds the genius of spontaneous Jewish joking—as well as the brilliance of comic masterworks by writers like Heinrich Heine, Sholem Aleichem, Isaac Babel, S. Y. Agnon, Isaac Bashevis Singer, and Philip Roth. At the same time, Wisse draws attention to the precarious conditions that call Jewish humor into being—and the price it may exact from its practitioners and audience.

Ruth R. Wisse is the recently retired Martin Peretz Professor of Yiddish Literature and professor of comparative literature at Harvard University. She is the author of The Modern Jewish Canon: A Journey through Language and Culture, which won a National Jewish Book Award. Her other books include Jews and Power (Schocken) and The Schlemiel as Modern Hero. Wisse earned her PhD from McGill University in 1969 and has taught at McGill, Stanford, NYU, the Hebrew University, and Tel Aviv University. JEWISH PHILANTHROPY MICHAEL STEINHARDT Sunday, March 29, 2015 at 10:00am In 1995, Michael Steinhardt stunned the financial world by announcing he would close his lucrative hedge fund to devote his time and fortune to the causes of the Jewish world. In his talk, he will reflect on these last twenty years, and what he has learned about Jewish philanthropy and its impact on the Jewish future.

Michael Steinhardt is a money manager turned philanthropist who is dedicated to creating a renaissance in American Jewish life. After graduating from Wharton in 1960, he became nationally renowned as founder of the very successful hedge fund company Steinhardt Partners L.P. Mr. Steinhardt is the co-founder of Birthright Israel. He published his memoirs in 2001: No Bull: My Life In and Out of the Markets (John Wiley & Sons). BAGELS AND BACON: A JEWISH MODEL OF SOCIAL JUSTICE IN A NON-JEWISH WORLD RABBI JUDY SCHINDLER AND JUDY SELDIN-COHEN Sunday, April 12, 2015 at 10:00am American Jews who are engaged in social justice often find themselves overwhelmed by the religious language expressed so freely by Christian volunteers. In their forthcoming book, Bagels and Bacon, co-authors Rabbi Judy Schindler and Judy Seldin-Cohen help secular Jews navigate in a social justice environment that is increasingly infused with Christian language.

Rabbi Judy Schindler is senior Rabbi at Temple Beth El in Charlotte, NC. Rabbi Schindler has worked extensively to promote racial and ethnic understanding and address the social needs of the Charlotte community. In honor of her efforts Rabbi Schindler was named Charlotte Woman of the Year in 2011. She is the daughter of the late Rabbi Alexander Schindler who was president of the Union for Reform Judaism from 1973-1995.

Following a successful career in sales and marketing, Judy Seldin-Cohen is now a community advocate for those marginalized in the local population, She serves on community boards for agencies addressing homelessness, education and LGBT issues. She holds an MBA from Northwestern University. 6 Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program A NEW ISRAELI GOVERNMENT FACES A CHANGING MIDDLE EAST: IS ISRAEL UP TO IT? KENNETH JACOBSON Sunday, April 26, 2015 at 10:00am

In early December 2014 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu undid his ruling Likud coalition when he fired two top ministers, lost four more, and called for early elections, two years ahead of schedule. On March 17th 2015, by the time this talk takes place, Israelis will have gone to the polls: Will Labor come out ahead? Will Netanyahu be elected to a fourth term? In his return to Charleston, Kenneth Jacobson will use the emerging answers to these questions to reflect on the political implications of the March election.

Kenneth Jacobson joined the Anti-Defamation League staff in 1972 and currently serves as its Deputy National Director, responsible for overseeing and coordinating the formulation of ADL’s policy and its implementation. Mr. Jacobson is the author of numerous publications, including The Protocols: Myth and History, The Middle East: Questions and Answers, The Middle East ‘Post’ Lebanon, and US Aid to the Middle East: A Look Back, A Look Ahead. By popular demand, Ken returns each April for an informative and engaging presentation. MONDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES MIDDLE EASTERN FILM SERIES All films start at 7:00pm, Popcorn and refreshments will be served. and will be shown in Arnold Hall. Screenings are free and open to the public.

Each semester, the Jewish Studies Program presents a series of films on a different topic. Join us this spring for a series of four Middle-Eastern films in conjunction with the College’s Arabic program: two Israeli films and two Arab films will be screened. A discussion will take place after each screening and be led by Professors Ghazi Abuhakema and Oren Segal. All films have English subtitles.

CAPTAIN ABU RAED (2008, 102 min, Arabic) ; February 2, 2015, 7:00pm When an old airport janitor finds a captain’s hat in the trash, he gets pulled into the lives of children in his poor neighborhood. He weaves imaginary stories of his world adventures to offer hope in the face of their harsh reality.

BALLAD OF THE WEEPING SPRING (2012, 106 min, Hebrew) ; February 16, 2015, 7:00pm Amram, the son of Avraham Mufredi, turns up at the house of the legendary Persian tar (lute) player, Yosef Tawilla. Amram gives him the score of a work that his father, a member of Tawilla’s ensemble and his partner, wants to see performed before his impending death. Tawilla and Amram set out on a journey of discovery joined by groups of wonderful musicians.

LADY KUL EL-ARAB (2009, 56 min Hebrew & Arabic) ; March 9, 2015, 7:00pm In this documentary, Angelina, the first Druze woman to attempt significant steps in the Israeli fashion world, finds herself in the middle of a complicated conflict in which the tradition and values of her society clash with her brave efforts to choose her own way in life.

WHERE DO WE GO NOW? (2011, 110 min, Arabic) ; April 13, 2015, 7:00pm Christians and Muslims lived peacefully together for years in this small Lebanese village, but animosities begin to build among the men as a result of slights and misunderstandings. The women of the village conspire to avert sectarian strife though a series of harebrained plans, none of which succeeds in slowing down the escalating spiral of violence. When tragedy strikes, the women find themselves driven to make a deeply personal sacrifice for the sake of peace. SPRING College 2015 of Charleston, Fall 2004 Page 7 7 THE RAG RACE: HOW JEWS SEWED THEIR WAY TO SUCCESS IN AMERICA AND THE BRITISH EMPIRE ADAM MENDELSOHN Monday, March 16, 2015 at 7:00pm, Arnold Hall In this talk, and in his newly released book of the same name, Adam Mendelsohn argues that the Jews who flocked to the United States during the age of mass migration were aided appreciably by their association with a particular corner of the American economy: the rag trade. From humble beginnings, Jews rode the coattails of the clothing trade from the margins of economic life to a position of unusual promise and prominence, shaping both their societal status and the clothing industry as a whole. BROWN BAG LUNCH SERIES: FROM VLADIMIR TO VLADIMIR THREE PORTRAITS OF POWER IN THE KREMLIN NORMAN PEREIRA, PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF RUSSIAN STUDIES, DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY Wednesdays, January 28, February 25, and March 25, 2015 12:00—1:00pm in Arnold Hall Dr. Norman Pereira will focus on the three most important political figures spanning the period 1917-2015 in Russian history. During all three eras Jews played prominent roles in virtually every aspect of social life. Despite official and popular anti-Semitism, the contribution of Jews to Russian culture and civilization has been and continues to be vastly disproportionate to their numbers in the general population. This seminar series attempts to provide context for their impact and roles.

January 28 – Lenin’s Geo-Political and Ideological Legacy February 25 – Stalin as the Relentless Architect of Soviet Communism March 25 – Putin’s Agenda and the Crisis in Ukraine

Norman Pereira (Ph.D. University of , Berkley) came to Dalhousie in 1974, where he founded the Intensive Russian Program. His research interests and publications have spanned much of the late Imperial and Soviet periods, with an emphasis upon intellectual and political history. THE MILTON AND FREDDIE KRONSBERG MEMORIAL LECTURE JEWISH VALUES AND THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT YEHUDA KURTZER, PRESIDENT, SHALOM HARTMAN INSTITUTE OF NORTH AMERICA Monday, March 30, 2015 at 7:30pm, Stern Center Ballroom (4th Floor) Corner of Glebe & George Streets The slowing of the peace process and the frequent surges of violence in Israel-Palestine have undermined any sense of Jewish consensus on these polarizing political issues, and continue to create a rupture between what constitutes a “Jewish” conversation and an “Israel conversation.” In this talk we will explore whether a Jewish values conversation is possible about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and we will study how a conceptual approach to thinking about justice from a philosophical and Jewish text perspective can inform our communal conversation and our understanding of these issues.

Yehuda Kurtzer is President of the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America. He holds degrees from Harvard University, Brown University, and is an alumnus of both the Wexner Graduate and Bronfman Youth Fellowship programs. Yehuda is the author of Shuva: The Future of the Jewish Past. He lives in with his wife, Stephanie Ives, and their three children.

The Milton Kronsberg Lecture Series began in the Fall of 1999 as a result of a generous endowment by the Kronsberg family. In the Fall of 2002, the series became the Milton and Freddie Kronsberg Memorial Lecture Series because of the passing of Freddie Kronsberg obm. The series honors the Kronsberg’s lifelong commitment to Jewish ideas and values. 8 Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program INTERMEDIATE READING HEBREW INSTRUCTOR: SHULA HOLTZ Mondays, January 12 — April 27, 2015 * 5:25—6:40pm in Room 323, Jewish Studies Center Reading Hebrew is an informal, weekly course teaching students how to read Hebrew. This semester’s class is aimed at those who are able to read Hebrew and are interested in developing more skills. The focus is strengthening reading skills, gaining some comprehension, and learning basic grammar. 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 class. The sessions are weekly 75-minute classes, taught by native Hebrew speaker Shula Holtz, who has been teaching the class since its inception with a great deal of success. * No class on Monday, January 19 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. HOW HAPPINESS THINKS RABBI HESH EPSTEIN Mondays, January 26, February 23, March 23, and April 20, 2015 7:00—8:30pm in Arnold Hall This course is a journey into your own mind and psyche. Drawing on classical Jewish and mystical teachings, the course will present you with a deeper understanding of yourself, and help you flourish by suggesting practical advice which, when implemented, will radically enhance the happiness quotient of your life. You’ll also learn how the science of positive psychology is now corroborating what Judaism has always known about what makes us happy. January 26 – The Joy of Being You March 23 – The Joy of Struggle February 23 – The Joy of Having April 20 – When Joy Seems Elusive

Rabbi Hesh Epstein has been the Executive Director of Chabad Lubavitch of South Carolina since 1987. His evening courses have become a regular and popular fixture of Jewish Studies community education offerings. RABBI DAVID AND BARBARA RADINSKY Sunday and Monday – February 8th and 9th, 2015 Arnold Hall, Jewish Studies Center Welcome Back Reception: Sunday, February 8th at 6:15pm (after first class). The Process of Conversion to Judaism in the Orthodox Tradition (Sunday, 5:00pm) Rabbi Radinsky will discuss the procedures and challenges facing the conversion process today. Judaism has always been open to converts from the time of Abraham and Sarah. The list of converts includes such great Jewish personalities as Jethro, Moses’ father- in-law; Ruth, King David’s great grandmother; and Rabbi Akiva’s father. Conversion to Judaism was restricted only when the non-Jewish society prohibited their members to convert to Judaism. Thankfully, as free societies have emerged in the last 200 years, conversion to Judaism has become more possible and popular.

The Power of Ritual, Prayer, and Traditions in Caregiving (Monday, 7:00pm) Judaism values each person at every stage of life. Caregiving requires reevaluation of one’s own life as the caregiver balances the responsibilities to oneself and one’s family and to the person who needs the extra care. Our Jewish tradition serves as a guide for navigating these challenges. Barbara Radinsky, a family therapist, will discuss her personal journey as a caregiver for over twenty years.

Rabbi David J. Radinsky is a graduate of Yeshiva University and is Rabbi Emeritus of Brith Sholom Beth Israel Congregation (BSBI) in Charleston, having served as its senior rabbi for 34 years. Barbara Cooper Radinsky was born and raised in Brookline, , is a graduate of Stern College for Women and The Citadel, and is Rebbitzin Emerita of BSBI. The Radinskys have retired to Memphis to be close to family, but return each spring to visit with their many admirers. SPRING College 2015 of Charleston, Fall 2004 Page 9 9 THREE RABBI PANEL OBLIGATED TO EDUCATE: JEWISH EDUCATION AND JEWISH DAY SCHOOLS Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at 7:30pm Stern Center Ballroom (4th Floor) Corner of Glebe & George Streets It is written (Talmud Shabbat) that Jerusalem was destroyed just because schoolchildren were kept from their classrooms. That is the rabbinic way of highlighting the importance of Jewish education. Indeed, the future of our Jewish community, and others world-wide, lies in the proper Jewish education of our children. But where and how should that education take place? Do we integrate our students within a public school setting, or do we separate them amongst Jewish peers at private day schools? As parents, educators, and concerned members of the Jewish community of Charleston, these are the difficult questions we must ask ourselves.

The factors at play in making such a decision are diverse. Cost can be prohibitive if borne by the parents. Some parents fear becoming distanced from their child in observance, education, and interests. And to many, public education is quintessentially American, so an important part of American Jewish identity. On the other hand, day school educations allow kids to grow up with deep connections to ritual, holidays, culture, and community, with Jewish literacy, Jewish identity, and comfort in Jewish situations.

Join us as Rabbis Stephanie Alexander (KKBE), Adam Rosenbaum (Emanu-El), and Michael Davies (Dor Tikvah) reflect on the views of their respective denominations towards Jewish education, as well as the approaches of their congregations. We will honor Charlot and the late Stanley Karesh with a reception in recognition of their generous gift to Jewish Studies.

Rabbi Adam J. Rosenbaum Rabbi Stephanie Alexander Rabbi Michael Davies Synagogue Emanu-El Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Congregation Dor Tikvah (Conservative) (Reform) (Orthodox)

THE STANLEY AND CHARLOT KARESH FAMILY FUND

In the thirty years since the Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program came into being, the Program has been generously supported by the Charleston Jewish community. We are thrilled to announce the creation of the Stanley and Charlot Karesh Family Fundund, an endowment given by the Karesh family. The income from the endowment will support Jewish Studies’ community outreach programming, and Charlot and the late Stanley will be honored each spring at the Three Rabbi Panel.

For multiple decades Stanley obm and Charlot Karesh have been pillars of the Charleston Jewish community and the community at large. A lifelong Charlestonian, Stanley operated a successful dental practice for nearly fifty years. Stanley loved the Jewish intellectual landscape. An avid reader, he loved ideas, and always approached them with the sensibility of a practical man, with grounded sensibilties. Stanley was the first – and for many years, the only – life member of the Yaschik/ Arnold Jewish Studies Program Advisory Board.

Charlot Marks, originally of Greensboro, married Stanley in 1945, and went on to be a leader of a variety of Charleston’s Jewish organizations. Together, they were among the founders of Synagogue Emanu-El. Following Stanley’s passing in 2012, Charlot has continued the Karesh legacy of supporting and promoting Jewish causes and education. The lobby in the Jewish Studies Center is named in Stanley and Charlot’s honor.

Stanley and Charlot have three daughters, Fern Karesh Hurst of New York City, Jane Karesh of New York City, and Gail Karesh Kassan who resides in Denver, with her husband Dr. Stuart Kassan. 10 Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program ACADEMIC COURSE OFFERINGS FYS124.01 Charleston as a Classroom: Exploring the City’s Archives and Historic Sites Dale Rosengarten T 1:40-2:55pm and Th 1:40-3:55pm Open only to freshmen. Jewish Studies Center, Levin Library (Room 209) This course introduces students to the rich historical resources housed on every street in Charleston. The city of Charleston itself is our classroom. Students will engage in fieldwork, archival research, and the practice of museum studies. We will explore the evolution of neighborhoods and the construction of social boundaries. We will ask the question to whom does the city belong and consider the strong and perhaps inescapable class bias of the historic preservation movement.

HBRW102.01 Elementary Modern Hebrew Oren Segal MWF 10:00-10:50am and W 9:00-9:50am 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. Prerequisite: HBRW 101.

HBRW202.01 Intermediate Modern Hebrew Oren Segal MWF 11:00-11:50am and W 12:00-12:50pm 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 201.

HBRW314.01 Advanced Modern Hebrew: Conversation and Composition Oren Segal MW 2:00-3:15pm Jewish Studies Center, Levin Library (Room 209) The goal of Hebrew 314 is to facilitate students in developing communicative competence in Hebrew and a deeper understanding of modern Israeli culture via Israeli film and fiction. This course is designed for students who have completed successfully Hebrew 202 or its equivalent

JWST200.02 The Jewish Tradition Joshua Shanes T, Th 10:50am-12:05pm Jewish Studies Center, Arnold Hall (Room 100) A multidisciplinary introduction to the history, beliefs, practices, and institutions of the Jewish tradition, from its Biblical foundations to the modern state of Israel.

JWST210.01 Jewish History I: Ancient to Modern Adam Mendelsohn MWF 11:00-11:50am 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). The course begins its focus just before the destruction of the second Temple (70 C.E.), and continues through the medieval period - paying equal attention to the Jewish experience in the Christian and Muslim worlds - and ends in the seventeenth century, in northwestern Europe, where the transformations of Jewish life in the modern era were already beginning.

JWST210.02 Jewish History I: Ancient to Modern Joshua Shanes T, Th 9:25-10:40am Jewish Studies Center, Arnold Hall (Room 100) (same course description as JWST210.01.)

JWST215.01 and JWST215.02 Jewish History II: Modern to Present David Slucki T, Th 12:15-1:30pm and T, Th 1:40-2:55pm Jewish Studies Center, Arnold Hall (Room 100) A survey of the social, economic, religious and political experience of the Jewish people in the modern world, emphasizing the diversity of Jewish experience and the interaction between Jews and their surrounding environments.

JWST230.01 The Holocaust Ted Rosengarten MW 2:00-3:15pm, Jewish Studies Center, Arnold Hall (Room 100) Zucker/Goldberg Chair of Holocaust Studies From Hitler’s rise to power in Germany in 1933 to the liberation of the concentration camps in 1945, students will investigate the Holocaust in four stages: the rise of Nazism and the place of Jews in Nazi racial thinking; the expropriation of Jewish rights and property; the removal of Jews from society and their concentration in ghettoes and camps; the murder of Europe’s Jewish people according to plan. The class will also consider efforts by nations to rescue Jews and issues of justice, faith, and retribution in the post-Holocaust era. ATTENTION: SENIOR CITIZENS 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. SPRING College 2015 of Charleston, Fall 2004 Page 11 11 ACADEMIC COURSE OFFERINGS

JWST300.01/RELS201.01 Special Topics in Jewish Studies: The Hebrew Bible as Literature Oren Segal MW 2:00-3:15pm Jewish Studies Center, Levin Library (Room 209) The Bible remains one of the most influential and relevant texts in our culture. This is not solely because of the text’s spiritual and theological impact over the years, but also because of its artistic qualities. As an entry point to the world of biblical criticism, “Not Your Rabbi’s Torah” sets out to show how the narratives in the Bible exhibit sophisticated literary qualities and by so doing engage contemporary readers in its content. This course provides students analytical tools and techniques to interpret the text, including language and style, the formal structures of genres, intertextuality, repetition, wordplay, and comparison to other mediums such as cinema.

JWST300.02 Special Topics in Jewish Studies: Jewish Comedy David Slucki T, Th 9:25-10:40am Jewish Studies Center, Levin Library (Room 209) Is there such a thing as Jewish humor? What makes a joke Jewish? This course will look at various iterations of Jewish humor throughout history. Beginning with Talmudic and Biblical humor, and ending with twenty-first century manifestation of Jewish comedy, this course will ask students if there is a brand of humor that is fundamentally Jewish, and what role comedy has played throughout Jewish history.

JWST300.03/HPCP290.02 Special Topics in Jewish Studies: Memory, Heritage, Renewal Ruth Ellen Gruber T, Th 12:15-1:30pm, Jewish Studies Center, Levin Library (Room 209) Arnold Visiting Chair in Jewish Studies Jewish tourism routes, Jewish-style cafes, Jewish museums, and Jewish culture festivals in towns where no Jews live. Are they Jewish? “Jewish” or Jewish! The course will explore three broad fields of contemporary Jewish issues in Europe and the creation of new Jewish authenticities there: Jewish heritage and heritage sites (including Jewish heritage tourism); the commercial, intellectual and other “virtually Jewish” ways the so-called “Jewish space” in Europe is often filled by non-Jews, especially where few Jews live; and also post-communist efforts to revive Jewish life and reassert/reclaim Jewish identity. There will be scope, too, to compare other examples of heritage and memory.

JWST300.04/RELS223.01 Special Topics in Jewish Studies: Religions of the Ancient Near East John Huddlestun T, Th 1:40-2:55pm Education Center, Room 219 This course introduces the student to religious beliefs and practices of those peoples of the ancient Near (or Middle) East, encompassing Mesopotamia, Egypt, Anatolia, Persia, and the Levant (Israel, Lebanon, Jordan), and spanning a period of nearly 3,000 years, from the emergence of writing (ca. 3100 BCE) down to the Hellenistic period. Topics may include the gods, their temples and temple cults, the priesthood, ancient Near Eastern creation mythologies, the role of mankind, divine kingship, prophecy and divination, magic and medicine, popular religion, death and afterlife, the origins of monotheism, responses to evil and misfortune, and holy war. Also, we will consider the impact of the ancient Near Eastern worldview on Judeo-Christian-Islamic traditions and the West.

JWST310.01/HIST213.01 Topics in Jewish History: American Jewish History Adam Mendelsohn MWF 1:00-1:50pm Jewish Studies Center, Levin Library (Room 209) This course will trace the development of Jewish life in America from begrudging reception in the seventeenth century to mainstream acceptance in the present day. We will cover several themes, foremost how Jews have sought to create a viable community within the United States. America has always presented considerable challenges to ethnic and religious minorities. Some, like the Huguenots, have been loved to death: their distinctiveness and separateness has long since disappeared. In this course we will examine how Jews have grappled with the challenges of America and sustained a sense of distinctiveness across centuries.

JWST325.01 Jewish Mysticism Joshua Shanes W 3:30-6:00pm 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.

JWST330.01 Representations of the Holocaust Ted Rosengarten Mondays 5:30-8:15pm, Jewish Studies Center, Levin Library (Room 209) Zucker/Goldberg Chair of Holocaust Studies Despite historical inaccuracies, artistic deficiencies, and commercial motivations, documentary and dramatic films about the killing of the Jews and other groups deemed by the Nazis as “unworthy of life” continue to impress the Holocaust into popular consciousness. Novels and short stories, museum exhibitions and public memorials, works of fine art and site- specific art shape conventional ways of thinking about this tragic past. This class will probe issues in Holocaust representation, Hollywood and the Holocaust, the entertainment value of mass murder, voyeurism and atrocity, memory and mourning. We will analyze what happened to Jews and non-Jews—gypsies, homosexuals, communists, trade-unionists, defiant Christians, individuals with disabilities—through artistic representations of Hitler’s “final solution.” 12 Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program JEWISH STUDENT UNION/HILLEL Andrew Spector, President Fall 2014 at the Jewish Student Union/Hillel has been a noteworthy semester of continued success, persistent growth, and positive visibility on campus and in the community. We kicked off in August at our Welcome Back Cookout and have not stopped since!

Our weekly Meet-to-Eat on Wednesday nights and our Shabbat celebrations consistently bring together more than sixty students for free food and socializing in a Jewish environment. Our community has also come together to celebrate the Jewish holidays, to give back by volunteering with Ronald McDonald House, Carolina Youth Development Center, and One80 Place, and to socialize at Sunday Bagel Brunches, dinners with the Jewish cadets at the Citadel, Israel movie nights, Thursday noshes, and more! We have enhanced our presence on campus by selling challah in Cougar Mall twice a month to raise money for local hunger organizations, we ran a blood drive with the Catholic Student Association, and we organized a panel on hunger and homelessness with the Center for Civic Engagement. We also attracted nearly two hundred students to our 90s-themed Rosh Hashanah party at Joe Pasta!

I am proud to say that the JSU/Hillel continues to be the largest and most active student-led organization at the College of Charleston, and as I reflect on this past semester I am filled with gratitude for all who have helped along the way. I am so thankful for the vision of Marty Perlmutter, the guidance of Dara Rosenblatt and Marsha Alterman, the hard work and endless enthusiasm of my board, and most importantly the students that make the JSU/Hillel a community. Finally, on behalf of the JSU/Hillel and all our students, a huge thank you for the continued generosity of our supporters for making all of this possible. Here’s to the great semester to come! JSU/HILLEL EXECUTIVE BOARD 2014-2015 Presidentesident: Andrew Spector, Bedford, MA JSU/Hillel students Vice Presidentesident: Naomi Nudelman, Columbia, SC enjoying food and Publicity Chair conversation Publicity ChairChair: Mollie Selmanoff, Baltimore, MD during a Israel ChairChair: Kate Scher, Baltimore, MD Wednesday night Education ChairChair: Marla Topiol, Livingston, NJ Meet-to-Eat at Religious Co-ChairCo-Chair: Gabe Davidson, Rockville, MD Hyman’s Religious Co-ChairCo-Chair: Sierra Debrow, Mt. Pleasant, SC Restaurant. Social ChairChair: Elana Malkin, Memphis, TN Social Action ChairChair: Lauren Brami, Rockville, MD WATCHING OUR STUDENTS GROW Dara Rosenblatt, Jewish Student Program Coordinator During the academic year, I am often found running to or from an event, or meeting with students to talk about preparations for the program they are leading the following week. Though my role is often full of late nights and unexpected challenges, this has been and remains the most fulfilling job that I have ever had: I have been blessed to work with and befriend our students, and I have built lasting relationships that are one of a kind.

During a conference call with fellow Hillel professionals, one of my colleagues mentioned that she has a journal that she writes in each day. In it she notes the moments of the day that were most meaningful for her. I have since adopted that practice, allowing me to reflect on the interactions I have daily, and specifically those which demonstrate the powerful growth as adults and Jews which our students experience while at the College.

Recently I had a student come in to talk about what they were interested in doing post-graduation. I was immediately struck by how much that student had matured since our first interaction three years ago. These are conversations and moments I love to have. So much of my role is connecting students to opportunities that will give them the chance to grow and flourish as young Jewish adults. I am grateful and humbled to guide our students and be a support system for them. Moments when I get to do so are the ones that stick out in my mind; they are the ones worth remembering.

Watching students grow during their four years at the College of Charleston has been a highlight of my time here, and continues to be a joy for me. I often feel like I’ve become an older sister to them, lifting them up through difficult and stressful times, and celebrating with them during joyous times. With that said, in the semester to come please don’t hesitate to stop by my office on the second floor of the Jewish Studies Center. Our comfy blue chairs await your arrival! SPRING College 2015 of Charleston, Fall 2004 Page 13 13 THE FEW AND THE MIGHTY Marsha Alterman, Jewish Student Life Advisor

It may not surprise you that there are not many Jewish students attending The Citadel: there are sixteen to be exact, with one Jewish cadet studying abroad. What might come as a surprise is that numbers do not necessarily determine strength.

Though low in numbers, our Jewish cadet’s participation in and commitment to all things Jewish is incredible. As a group, we meet every Monday with community speakers to discuss issues ranging from Jewish holidays to masculinity in Jewish texts. We average about 10 cadets at every meeting. Not bad statistics: 2/3 of the Jewish population on campus.

Once a month we invite CofC’s JSU/Hillel students to join our meeting in a community sponsored meal. The success has been overwhelming! By bringing our two groups of students together, cadet attendance at JSU/Hillel events has increased significantly. They attend our weekly Shabbat dinners on a regular basis and have volunteered with us within the community. The meeting on Monday nights and the participation in Jewish events at the College and in the community have given these few cadets the strength to be Jewish on a campus that is predominantly non-Jewish.

I would be remiss if I didn’t give credit to our local synagogues’ “open door policy,” the rabbis and community educators who have shared their knowledge and talents with the cadets at our meetings, and to the incredibly generous Jewish groups and individuals who have filled our bellies with delicious meals once a month.

I am very proud of our cadets and their commitment to maintaining a connection with their faith as well as their dedication to tikkum olam – repairing our world. I look forward to providing ample future opportunities for Jewish cadets to explore, experience, and express their Judaism. If you are interested in helping in any way, please contact me at [email protected].

CONNECTING WITH PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS Helen Slucki, Jewish Student Recruitment Counselor

What a year this is shaping out to be! Over the summer we developed and launched our new recruitment brochure. This is the first time that we have had a recruitment piece for our program that speaks to prospective students, their parents, as well as college counselors. The brochure has been designed to address myths and misconceptions about the College, and to showcase Jewish life on campus and in the Charleston Jewish community.

Before we knew it, fall recruiting season was upon us. In September, we connected with college counselors at the National Association of College and Admissions Counselors annual convention in Indianapolis. In October we traveled to and New York to meet with prospective students. In late October we hosted a Shabbat dinner and activities for prospective students and their families. The event was a huge success, all thanks to our current students who warmly welcomed our visitors. Our partners in the Office of Admissions also continued the wonderful work they do in their regions to promote Jewish life here at the College.

November 1st was the application deadline for Early Notification, and February 1st is the application deadline for regular decision, so we continue to meet and speak with prospective families from all over the country. It has been an absolute pleasure to get to know these families and present Jewish life at the College. We have a strong applicant base, and the Spring semester will see us working with accepted families with the hope that they will take up our offer, and join us here at the College of Charleston.

We are also going to be hosting fifteen college counselors over Presidents’ Day Weekend. These counselors either work in Jewish schools or schools with large Jewish populations. We are looking forward to partnering with the Office of Admissions to showcase not only Jewish life here at the College, but also everything that the College of Charleston has to offer.

As always, if you know of any families who are considering the College of Charleston, please do not hesitate to put them in touch with me - [email protected] or 843.953.5657. 14 Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program THE PEARLSTINE/LIPOV CENTER FOR SOUTHERN JEWISH CULTURE Adam Mendelsohn, Director After years of planning and anticipation the Pearlstine/Lipov Center for Southern Jewish Culture is finally finding its feet. It has been in the works for a while. Marty’s infectious pitch of a future center housed in the Jewish Studies Program — the only one of its kind in the entire country! — first lured me to the College of Charleston in 2008. I discovered then that his dream had been percolating for a while; I was to be one of the pieces to make it possible. We — Dale, Marty, Enid, and plenty of others — have been working on it in ways large and small ever since. One of the challenges has been to draw all the constituent parts of the future center together: the magnificent archival collection shepherded by Dale, the energies and outreach of the JHSSC, the academic heft and organizational abilities of the Jewish Studies Program. We have experimented with programming, hosting a conference on Jews and the Civil War (as well as the regular gatherings of the JHSSC), organizing walking tours and archival visits, as well as presenting a recent panel co-sponsored with the Avery Research Center on African Americans and Jews on the antebellum stage in Charleston.

But now that the Center has launched, we are returned to a question we often took for granted as we pushed and planned for a permanent home at the College. What exactly is a Center for Southern Jewish Culture? We’re rediscovering that it is what we — us and you — make of it. The programming we plan only succeeds if you find it meaningful and appealing. We want your input and ideas. Is there a theme you’ve always wanted to explore? A family heirloom or cache of letters you want to share or preserve? Or do you merely want to schmooze with others who share your roots? Share your thoughts with us: Dale ([email protected]) and Adam ([email protected]). For the Center to thrive we need to collaborate: this is not an exercise in ivory-tower elitism, but a place for us all.

But even as the Center first spreads it wings and takes flight, I too will be leaving what has been a wonderful nest for me and my family. In July I return to Cape Town to direct what is the only Jewish Studies research center in South Africa, taking with me lessons learned in Charleston under Marty’s fine tutelage. I leave the College with regret that I will not get to see the Center take off at first hand, but know it will thrive under a new director who will soon be appointed. What was once a dream is now a firm reality! I’m proud to have played some small part in its birth. But for it to truly live, it will need all of your help. Shalom y’all. ZUCKER/GOLDBERG CENTER FOR HOLOCAUST STUDIES AUSCHWITZ II: BIRKENAU (continued from Fall 2014 issue…..) Theodore Rosengarten, Zucker/Goldberg Professor of Holocaust Studies Inside Birkenau, Anna F. led us past the site of the women’s camp, and the gypsy camp, and the camp where the children from Theresienstadt were briefly housed before being dispatched to the gas chambers, and at each place the emptiness held fast to its secrets. Why had this happened? Who let this happen and why did nobody try to stop it? We took the road toward the ruins of crematory IV that had been blown up in by the Sonderkommando—the prisoners who removed the bodies from the gas chambers and operated the ovens—when they revolted in 1944. The collapsed passage to the underground gas chambers looks like the ruins you see in a war film or on the news. It’s there, it’s real: it contradicts the deniers who claim these killings never happened, but I see that it leaves young people cold.

Snap to! Anna announces she wants to take us to a place deep on the massive grounds that she has been to only three times. A light rain is falling, there’s lightning in the sky, distant but coming closer. Anna says we better move before the authorities close the “park.” We pass a former bathhouse and disinfection chamber that I want to go in because it contains a breathtaking display of thousands of photographs taken from the luggage of the Hungarian Jews who were slaughtered in the spring and summer of 1944. Anna leads us at a military pace along a muddy path through a grove of birch trees, birches that give Fawn in field at Birkenau, photo by the name to Birkenau. We’re in her company now, she is our indisputable leader. We are Saskia Coenen-Snyder, May 2014 excited because she is excited; we are going to an exceedingly private place in this camp where it had been impossible to hide. The brisk march stops at the opening to a meadow. We are wet by now but the sun is trying to break through, bathing the late spring field in a haze. “In this field there are mass graves,” Anna tells us. We are looking into a void that seems to be made of light. The ground under our feet is sacred and evil. As we venture into the field, a fawn appears at the far end, browsing. The sight of this symbol of innocence feeding in this sinful pasture is too much for some of us, and we start to cry. Wet-eyed or dry-eyed, we are thinking the same thing: how many children met their deaths here? SPRING College 2015 of Charleston, Fall 2004 Page 15 15 NEWS NOTES We report sadly that a number of very good friends of Jewish Studies are no longer with us. • Rose MarkMark, of Beaufort, SC, wife of the late Ernest Mark, a native of Baltimore, long-time pillar of the Beaufort Jewish community, and longtime friend of Jewish Studies. • Ann WarshawWarshaw, of Walterboro, SC, wife of the late Bernard, a Bostonian who adjusted well to small town South Carolina life, and a stalwart for the Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina. • Zev WolfWolf, of Summerville, SC, husband of Jean, volunteer extraordinaire at our Sunday morning brunches. Jewish Studies lives on their shoulders, so their memory is already a blessing.

Adam Mendelsohn’s latest book The Rag Race: How Jews Sewed Their Way to Success in America and the British Empire is the featured book on the cover of the NYU Press brochure highlighting their 2014- 2015 titles in Jewish Studies. Adam has accepted a position to lead the Kaplan Centre in Jewish Studies at the University of Cape Town, his alma mater and in his home town. Adam, Andrea, Sam, and Emma will be returning to Cape Town in June. Their leaving is a source of great sorrow to us, but a wonderful opportunity for them. We wish them all the very best.

On Friday night, April 17, Nick Winton will deliver the sermon at Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim on the life and work of his father, Sir Nicholas Winton. Now 105 years old, Sir Nicholas is a British humanitarian who organized the rescue of 669, mostly Jewish, children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia on the eve of the Second World War, in an operation later known as the Czech Kindertransport. The event is made possible by Beth and Bob Novick, and is co-sponsored by the Jewish Studies Program and the Charleston Jewish Federation’s Remembrance Program.

The Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina will hold its May meeting in Charleston on May 1-2, 2015. The focus will be World War IIII, with distinguished speakers, panel discussions, and an opportunity for registrants to display and discuss World War II memorabilia. The Order of the Jewish Palmettoto, JHSSC’s highest honor, will be awarded to Ann Meddin Hellman and there will be a reception to celebrate the award. The three previous recipients of the honor were Senator Isadore Lourie, Solomon Breibart, and Max Heller. Please reserve the date.

Jewish Studies relies on our Friends of Jewish Life campaign for the bulk of its operating funds. As the Program grows, so too does the need for funds. Happily, the community has been incredibly supportive year after year, matching the Program’s momentum and growth with their generosity. None of what we do is possible without annual support; we are so very grateful to our many donors. We are particularly grateful this season for generous gifts made by Sig Schildcrout and Jerry and Sue KlineKline. WHERE ARE THEY NOW? DOROTHY COHEN ’39 Dorothy “Dutch” Gelson Cohen graduated CofC in 1939 (mathematics with honors) at the age of 20. Follow- ing the death of her father, Dutch’s mother Zelda Rosen Gelson ran a small grocery store and proudly sent all three children to college. Dutch married and moved to Walterboro, but returned to Charleston when her late husband Mortie Cohen became pharmacist at the newly built South Windermere Center, where Dutch worked as the office manager. Dutch continues to live in her home in South Windermere, attends concerts and Jewish Studies events, and cherishes memories of her education, family, and friends.

RABBI PJ SCHWARTZ ’07 Upon graduating from CofC, PJ matriculated at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion where he received rabbinic ordination in 2013. A native of Greenville, PJ credits attending CofC and the Jewish Studies Program as an integral part of his Jewish journey: it was at CofC and the JSU/Hillel that he was first exposed to the diverse expressions of Judaism; it was also where he met his wife, Michelle Schwartz ’10. He is currently the assistant rabbi at Temple Israel in Westport, .

SARAH SHEAFER ’14 Sarah Sheafer graduated from CofC in May 2014 with a degree in Political Science and International Studies. During her senior year, she worked as one of the JSU/Hillel Israel event coordinators. Sarah now lives in Jaffa, Israel as a participant in the program Tikkun Olam. Since October, she has taught English at a Palestinian high school and a mixed middle school, volunteered at a mixed kindergarten and interned at the non-profit peace organization Windows – Channels for Communication. She hopes to attend graduate school in the fall, working toward a masters degree in foreign policy and security studies. YASCHIK/ARNOLD JEWISH STUDIES PROGRAM NON-PROFIT 9616 Wentworth Street Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies ProgramU.S. POSTAGE Charleston, SC 29424 PRE SORTED P - A - I - D phone: 843.953.5682 /cofcjwst fax: 843.953.7624 CHARLESTON, SC web: jewish.cofc.edu PERMIT No. 485 email: [email protected] @cofcjwst

CONTENTS ADVISORY BOARD

2 Reaching Out: Martin Perlmutter Ben Arnold Columbia 3 Embracing Changes, Moving Forward: Anita Zucker Gerry Sue Arnold, life member Columbia 4 – 6 Sunday Mornings in Arnold Hall - Talks now start at 10:00am Norman Arnold, life member Columbia 6 Monday Night at the Movies Amy Foster Bower Charleston 7 Adam Mendelsohn’s Book Talk, March 16, 2015 Jack Brickman Charleston 7 Brown Bag Series: Norman Pereira David Draisen, ex officio Anderson 7 The Milton and Freddie Kronsberg Memorial Lecture: Leo Fishman Charleston Yehuda Kurtzer Jeffrey Foster Charleston 8 Intermediate Reading Hebrew Class : Shula Holtz Mady Friedman Pepper Pike, OH 8 How Happiness Thinks: Rabbi Hesh Epstein Scott Hellman Charleston 8 Rabbi David and Barbara Radinsky Return, February 8 - 9, 2015 Alan Kahn Columbia 9 Three Rabbi Panel: Wednesday, February 18, 2015 Edward Kronsberg Charleston 9 The Stanley and Charlot Karesh Family Fund Larry Lipov Charleston 10 –11 Academic Course Offerings Risa Milbauer West Palm Beach, FL 12 Jewish Student Union/Hillel: Andrew Spector Alan Nussbaum, Vice Chair Charleston 12 Watching Our Students Grow: Dara Rosenblatt Martin Perlmutter, ex officio Sullivan’s Island 13 The Few and The Mighty: Marsha Alterman Michael Rabhan Atlanta, GA 13 Connecting With Prospective Students: Helen Slucki 14 The Pearlstine/Lipov Center for Southern Jewish Culture Alan Reyner Columbia 14 The Zucker/Goldberg Center for Holocaust Studies Gerald Rittenberg Charleston 15 News Notes Jeffrey Rosenblum Charleston 15 Where Are They Now? Arlene Shawinsky Rosenthal Charleston Rachel Kronick Rothbart Los Angeles, CA JSU/Hillel students Debbie Rothschild Charleston and staff planting Regina Shapiro Atlanta, GA bulbs at Addlestone Selden Smith, life member Columbia Library in November Andrew Spector, ex officio Bedford, MA 2014 as part of the Robert Steinberg Charleston national Daffodil Louis Tick Charleston Project, an ambitious Antonio Tillis, ex officio Charleston initiative that is Loren Ziff Sullivan’s Island planting one and a Anita Zucker, Chair, life member Charleston half million bulbs in Laura Funk Zucker Charleston remembrance of the children who perished The Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program Newsletter is in the Holocaust. published twice a year, coinciding with the academic calendar at the College of Charleston. Photo credits: Jack Alterman, Adam Chandler, Leslie McKellar, Jeri Perlmutter, Written by Mark Swick and Martin Perlmutter, with contributions Dara Rosenblatt, and Mark Swick. by others. Design and layout by Enid Idelsohn.