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“Climbing the Family Tree”: A Celebration of Jewish Family History limbing the Family Tree,” a full day of films and workshops exploring Jewish family history, was “ presented at the Center, November 4, 2001. During the course of the day several award- winning documentary films, focusing on genera- tions of diverse Jewish families, were screened. No. 7 Art Cworkshops enabled children and their parents to creatively Fall/Winter 2001–2 reconstruct the family tree, while the American Jewish Historical Society and the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research offered work- shops based on the holdings in their respective collections. Reminiscence and International Scholars Conference Foundation storytelling workshops for all ages with the Roots & Branches Intergenerational Celebrates Center’s First Year Grants Theater brought the generations togeth- Conservationist Stanley Bergman er around their shared past. leads a workshop entitled “Jewish The Center Genealogy Institute Life in Eastern Europe: Creating o celebrate the inauguration of the Center for Jewish History in New Fund New a Visual Narrative.” was open all day to help with the nuts- York City as a major resource in Jewish studies, an International and-bolts of family history research. A family works together, in the Scholars Conference was convened, October 28 to 29, 2001, hosted by Programs “Climbing the Family Tree” culminated Yeshiva University Museum the Center’s Academic Council. The conference, entitled “Centers of Children’s Discovery Center, to Two generous foundation grants with a feature film, Barry Levinson’s Modern Jewish Studies,” brought together Judaic scholars from create their family tree. recently awarded will fund new Avalon, about three generations of an around the world and featured individual sessions for both academic and innovative programming and American Jewish family. ■ Photos by Marty Heitner and general audiences. T help to expand the Center’s role Major sessions included “Contemporary Jewish Scholarship: International in the community. Perspectives” with speakers from Israel, France, England, and Spain; “Creating Modern Jewish Studies”; “Jewish Museums: The Creation and Dissemination of A five-year grant from the Knowledge”; and “Modern Jewish Studies and the American Context.” Taken Samberg Family Foundation will together, the sessions provided a panoramic sweep through the academic discipline make possible a groundbreaking of Jewish studies, offering many perspectives and diverse points of view. program to strengthen the nonprofit organization A distinguished panel of academics coordinated arrangements for the conference. Jewish identity of high school U.S. POSTAGE They included Elisheva Carlebach, Queens College; Robert Chazan, New York students. “The Samberg PAID University; Henry Feingold, Baruch College; Jane Gerber, City University of New Foundation Family History New York, NY York; Michael Meyer, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion; Pamela Project,” which is co-sponsored Permit #04568 Nadell, American University; Alvin Rosenfeld, University of Indiana at by the American Jewish Bloomington; Lawrence Schiffman, New York University; Chava Weissler, Lehigh Historical Society, will be devel- University; Beth Wenger, University of Pennsylvania; and Steven Zipperstein, oped as a two-week intensive 15 West 16th Street Stanford University. summer workshop offering up New York, NY 10011 The proceedings of the International Scholars Conference will be published in to 20 teens the opportunity to 2002 and made available to the public. Details will appear in the next issue of the research their own family his- Center Newsletter. tory at the Center, utilizing Continued on page 3 original source material in the collections of the five partner (left to right) Dr. Robert institutions Chazan, S. H. and Helen R. Scheuer Professor of In addition to increasing the Hebrew and Judaic Studies at New York University, who students’ knowledge and under- chairs the Academic standing of Jewish history, the Council of the Center for program will teach historical Jewish History; the Council’s Co-Chair, Dr. research skills that will be valu- Jane Gerber, Professor of able for future studies, espe- History and Director of the cially as the students enter Institute for Sephardic Studies, Graduate Center of college. Included in the pro- the City University of New gram will be seminars taught York; and Bruce Slovin, at the Center by genealogists, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Center for Continued on page 2 Marty Heitner Jewish History. Continued from page 1 Center to Commission The Center for Jewish History News Published by the Center for Jewish History International Scholars Conference Great Hall Artwork 15 West 16th Street New York, NY 10011 Celebrates Center’s First Year ith the support of a benefaction from The Joseph S. and 212-294-8301 Diane H. Steinberg Charitable Trust, a “call for entries” has Fax: 212-294-8302 gone out to more than 80 prominent artists, inviting proposals Website: www.cjh.org Sharing an informal to create a permanent artwork for the two-story-high wall in Board of Directors moment during the the Center’s Paul S. and Sylvia Steinberg Great Hall. A conference are (left to Bruce Slovin, Chair Selection Committee, comprised of arts professionals and right): Dr. David Kenneth J. Bialkin, Vice Chair Myers, Professor of Center representatives, will convene in early 2002 to review all submitted applica- W Erica Jesselson, Vice Chair Jewish Studies, tions. Five finalists will be selected based UCLA; Dr. Ada Joseph Greenberger, Secretary Rapaport-Albert, on the quality, creativity and appropriate- Department of ness of his/her proposal. Michael A. Bamberger Hebrew and Judaic The Steinberg Great Hall is a familiar Joseph D. Becker Studies, University College, London; and site to everyone visiting the Center, as all George Blumenthal Dr. Michael Brenner, visitors must pass through this elegant, Marlene Brill Professor of Jewish versatile space to access the Reading History and Culture, Eva Cohn University of Munich. Room, the Genealogy Institute, exhibition Henry L. Feingold halls, the Leo and Julia Forchheimer Michael Jesselson Auditorium, and staff offices. It also is fre- Leon Levy quently used for dinners and receptions. Sidney Lapidus The five artists selected as finalists will Theodore N. Mirvis each be awarded a stipend to create a Nancy T. Polevoy plan for the Great Hall artwork. The Robert Rifkind Selection Committee then will reconvene, and one artist will be chosen for the The Center for Jewish History commission. It is anticipated that the final Joseph D. Becker artwork will be installed at the Center by Executive Director (Interim) ■ the end of 2002. Ira Berkowitz above and below: Dr. Jon Butler, William Robertson Coe Associate Executive Director Professor of American History, Professor of American Studies and Professor of Religious Studies at Yale A major work of art soon will be Chief Financial Officer University, and Dr. Deborah Dash Moore, Professor of commissioned for this two-story Suzanne Maltz Jewish Studies at Vassar College, offered their perspectives wall in the Paul S. and Sylvia on “ Modern Jewish Studies and the American Context.” Steinberg Great Hall. Dennis Cowley Director of Development Barbara Goldberg Director of Public Relations Continued from page 1 The second grant, from the David Lynne Winters Berg Foundation of New York, is fund- Program Coordinator Among those representing the international scholarly community were (left) Dr. Angel Saenz-Badillos, Departmento de Hebreo, historians, and archivists from the ing “Jews and Justice,” a series of Michael Winter Universidad Complutense de Madrid, and (right) Dr. Moshe five partner institutions; possible lectures and colloquiums that will Director of Operations Rosman, Department of Jewish Studies, Bar-Ilan University, guest lectures by faculty from area explore the Jewish contribution to Israel. In his presentation, Dr. Saenz-Badillos pointed out, “Jewish history and language are taught in most Spanish universities. universities; field trips to local institu- the development and practice of law American Jewish Historical Society Judaism is one of the most important factors to contribute to tions that are critical to Jewish and legal institutions. Co-sponsored Spanish culture and life.” Michael Feldberg, Executive Director genealogical and historical research, by the Louis Stein Center for Law and such as the American Family Ethics of Fordham University Law American Sephardi Federation Vivienne Roumani-Denn, Immigration History Center at Ellis School, the series will begin with an Executive Director Island and the National Archives; and evening program, May 2, 2002, the study of primary materials focused on the life of Justice Leo Baeck Institute Carol Kahn Strauss, Executive Director housed in the collections of the Benjamin Cardozo, co-sponsored by Center, including documents, person- the American Sephardi Federation Yeshiva University Museum al papers, letters and diaries, arti- and the American Jewish Historical Sylvia Herskowitz, Director facts, ritual objects, and artwork. Society. YIVO Institute For Jewish Research Carl J. Rheins, Executive Director Prof. Pierre Birnbaum, Institut d’Etudes Politiques, Each student’s research will focus on University of Paris, spoke on “Contemporary Jewish a topic of interest within his or her Jews and Justice was developed in Scholarship: International Perspectives” in a family history, such as a particular close cooperation