Diaspora and Comparative Immigration
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News fromzerici the Jewish Studies Program and the Center for Israeli Studies Fall 2002 From the Directors our years ago, when we conceived of this joint newsletter of American University’s Center for Israeli Studies and Jewish Studies Program, we did not imagine how different the context would be—then Fand now. More than ever, this altered context has highlighted the importance of having these two programs at American University, not only for the campus but also for the wider Washington, D.C., com- munity. As we remain committed to our core university missions, we have also responded to the chal- lenges of a changed environment. The pages of this year’s YediAUt testify to the enhanced importance of Pamela Nadell, these two academic ventures today. Director, Jewish We thank you, our readers, for your past support and welcome your continuing financial contributions. Studies Program There is a donation form on the next-to-last page of the newsletter. More than ever, your help is vital to meet the new demands placed on us and to ensure that we have sufficient resources to continue to mount our ambitious programming at American University. Diaspora and Comparative Immigration he Center for Israeli Studies held its fourth and most ambitious conference in May 2002, T“Diaspora and Comparative Immigration: Howard Wachtel, The Jewish Experience.” Sixteen papers were pre- Director, Center for sented by scholars, about half each from Israel and Israeli Studies the United States. The keynote dinner speaker was syndicated Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer, whose address was entitled “Diaspora Jewry: The Challenge of Survival.” Conference participants and attendees at lunch heard from Frank Sharry, executive director of the National Immigration Forum. The theme of the conference was the explo- ration of Jewish migrations to Israel and the United Inside States in a comparative perspective. Historians, ■ Speakers sociologists, demographers, and cultural anthropol- Syndicated columnist and keynote speaker Charles ■ Pres. Ladner's letter ogists from Israel and the United States explored Krauthammer, seated, discussing his remarks with AU to Hebrew University the migration and incorporation experiences of literature professor Myra Sklarew, to his left, and other ■ Notes from the Jews who left their homelands for the United States dinner guests Jewish Studies Program and Israel from the late nineteenth century to the North Africa (Sephardic). Panelists were asked to ■ Spotlight on Our present. address several thematic questions: Donors The conference panels were organized by • How do gender differences affect migrants’ ■ Teach-Ins Jewish migration flows from particular countries or experiences of national integration? regions: from eastern Europe, Russia, Ethiopia, and See Diaspora page 2 Diaspora from page 1 national cultures that are themselves being homogenized by AU President Benjamin Ladner’s Letter after Exhibit of Photography • How do specific employment occu- globalization? pations shape the integration experi- • What has been the impact of Jewish migration from particular Hebrew University Bombing In a second collaboration with the American University’s ence in each society? parts of the globe on the politics of their host country? Watkins Art Gallery (the first was an original installation The following is the text of a letter sent to the president of Hebrew University, by the Israeli sculptor Nahum Tevet in 1998), the • How have these migrants affected • How successful was the host country’s educational system in the Menachem Magidor, by presidents of universities throughout the world after the Center for Israeli Studies sponsored a photographic the arts and culture in each society? integration process? Experiences in the military? bombing on the campus of the university. It was signed by American University exhibition, “Conversations through Photography,” organ- • How has the homogenizing influ- We are now collecting conference papers to be published in a President Benjamin Ladner: ence of globalization imperiled book. The complete conference program, with lists of participants Institutions of higher learning, and in particular universities, reflect the core values ized by the Israeli art curator Nella Cassouto. Jewish identity and distinctiveness? and conference papers, is available on the Center for Israeli Studies of their respective societies. All great universities share certain characteristics that Consisting of photographs by Israeli and Palestinian photographers depicting each others’ lives in a conflict- • How has each host society—Israel Web site: <www.centerforisraelistudies.org>. shape their academic and scientific directions: they are committed to pluralism, Former commissioner of the ed land, the exhibit was created to initiate a dialogue and the United States—integrated The conference was organized by the Center for Israeli Studies diversity, multiculturalism and uphold the tenets of democracy and mutual co-exis- Immigration and Naturalization through visual art when individuals find it difficult to newcomers sharing a common Service Doris Meissner and cosponsored by American University’s Jewish Studies Program, tence. For these reasons and many more, institutions of ■ Jewish heritage and different dias- with additional support from the Memorial Foundation for Jewish higher education in North America cannot remain silent. meet to exchange words. ■ poric experiences into their own Culture. We, the undersigned, denounce terrorism and, in particular, condemn the attack at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem on July 31st that claimed seven lives and injured scores of people. We express our solidarity with the academic pursuits of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Universities serve as intellectual meeting places that should ideally invite dialogues between people from all backgrounds. Throughout its history, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has played a critical role in promoting co-existence between Israelis and Benjamin Ladner Palestinians and amongst peoples of all nationalities, Uri Ben-Eliezer,University of Haifa, right, religions and cultures. The murderous act that took place and Adriana Kemp, Tel Aviv University, Judith Shuval,Hebrew on the Mount Scopus campus was intended to prevent the type of human interaction left, reviewing their notes before their University, speaking while and discourse that can facilitate change and a more complex understanding of our presentation panelists Sanford J. Ungar, challenging world. Zvi Gitelman, University of president, Goucher College, Michigan, speaking on the right, and Calvin Goldscheider, We join The Hebrew University—and all universities—in a global quest to create Demographer Sergio DellaPergola speaking impact of Russian immigration Brown University, middle, productive avenues to peace and progress. We send our condolences to the families on Sephardic migration on a panel with on Israel’s society and politics await their turn to speak who mourn the loss of their loved ones and wish those who were injured a com- Russell Stone, American University plete recovery. ■ Nella Cassouto and Israeli scholar in residence Yoram ■ Center for Israeli Studies and Jewish Studies Program Speakers “The Beginnings of Jerusalem’s Sanctity in the Hebrew Peri discuss the Bible” was the title of a lecture by Yair Zakovitz, profes- exhibit. ■ Yoram Peri, Israeli scholar in residence, spoke at a dinner hosted by ■ Author and screen writer Arnost sor and dean of Hebrew University’s Faculty of Humanities Rhea Schwartz and Paul Wolff at their home in Washington, D.C. Lustig, professor, Department of and a visiting professor at the University of California at President of the New Israel Fund and a distinguished Israeli public Literature, spoke at a screening of Berkeley. His Center for Israeli Studies lecture was cospon- intellectual whose career straddles academic and public affairs, Dr. Peri the award-winning documentary sored by the American University Hillel, Jewish Studies spoke on the current state of the conflict in the region. ■ film Fighter, in which he has a prin- Program, University Chaplain, and Embassy of Israel. cipal role. The winner of numerous literary awards for his score of nov- Yair Zakovitz Arnost Lustig, right, and Jan els, Lustig most recently published Wiener, left, in a scene from ■ The Center for Israeli Studies, the School of The Bitter Smell of Almonds and the film Fighter International Service, and the Embassy of Lovely Green Eyes. Israel cosponsored a lecture by Yossi ■ Frances W. Schwartz, lecturer at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Olmert, professor, Bar-Ilan University, on Institute of Religion in New York and coauthor of The Jewish Moral Israel and the current international crisis in Virtues, delivered a lecture, “The Yetzer—Inclination to Good and the Middle East. Photo by Rina Castelnuovo Evil in the Jewish Ethical System,” cosponsored by the Jewish The Israeli photographer Rina Castelnuovo borrowed a Rhea Schwartz, deputy director of the Center for From left, dinner guests Harriet Kelman, Judith Walter, Studies Program and the Department of Philosophy and Religion. studio from a Palestinian photographer in Ramallah and Paul Wolff, with Yoram Peri in the rear Israeli Studies, left, Yossi Olmert, middle, and and allowed her subjects to select a pose. Yoram Peri Russell Stone, right, professor, Department of Sociology 2 3 News from the Jewish Studies Program Faculty Notes Marvin Bash, Department of Philosophy during his sabbatical academic year of