FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY Summer 2013 annual newsletter VOLUME EIGHTEEN • NUMBER ONE A PUBLICATION OF THE CARL & DOROTHY BENNETT CENTER FOR JUDAIC STUDIES AT FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY TABLE OF CONTENTS From the Director of the Bennett Center From the Director of the Bennett Center ..................... 1 Elaine Bowman and I, on behalf of the Bennett Center, continued our tradition of inviting members of the University and Fall 2012 - Spring 2013, general communities to join us for lunch Highlights and Events ................ 2 in the sukkah during the week of Sukkot. Professor Judy Lerner offered workshops Student Spotlight ....................... 4 throughout the year on theological concepts underlying the observance of Kabbalat Shabbat Services ....... 5 several Jewish holidays, while in early December, adults from my “Lunch and Focus on Faculty ........................ 5 Learn” class (annually co-sponsored by the Bennett Center and the Jewish Looking Ahead ............................ 6 Community Center of Eastern Fairfield County) joined undergraduate students in n 2012-2013, the Carl and Dorothy Announcing Lunch & Learn my “Jews and Judaism in America” course Bennett Center for Judaic Studies for 2014 ...................................... 6 for a memorable tour of the Lower East sponsored a record number of lectures I Side of Manhattan. and other special events. Taken as a Course Offerings – Fall 2013 ...... 7 whole, they highlighted specific periods of My thanks to Professors Gavriel Rosenfeld, Jewish history, underscored the changing Philip Eliasoph, Yohuru Williams, Patricia A Year in the Making .................. 7 nature of Jewish religious thought, and Behre, and Orin Grossman for their showcased Jewish participation in the leadership roles in Bennett Center events Honor Roll, arts. At the same time, each revealed the while I was on leave in the spring, and to July 2012 - June 2013 ................. 8 great impact of Jewish interaction with our student assistants, Laura Stakey, Rachel others – from the influence of Christian Sperry, and Maggie O’Brien for their great Judaic Studies theology on medieval rabbis, to the help during the academic year. To our Faculty & Friends ....................... 8 1,000 year old history of Polish Jewry, many donors and enthusiastic supporters of to the coming together of the musical the Bennett Center: we literally could not worlds of klezmer, funk, and hip-hop, to do what we do without you. Last, a special the reverberations from General Grant’s thanks to Elaine Bowman, who in addition decision in the middle of the Civil War to being the best Program Manager anyone to expel all Jews from territories under could ask for, did a superb job of running his command. The Bennett Center and the day-to-day affairs of the Bennett Campus Ministry continued to co-sponsor Center in my absence. Wishing you all monthly Shabbat services and dinners, a wonderful summer. I look forward to with services beautifully led by Rabbi Suri seeing many of you this fall. Krieger. Fr. George Collins once again proved invaluable in helping members of KADIMA, Fairfield’s Jewish student organization, erect their sukkah, while ~ Ellen M. Umansky, Ph.D. www.fairfield.edu/judaicstudies UDAIC STUDIES Summer 2013 Jannual newsletter Fall 2012 – Spring 2013 November 29– “When General Grant Expelled the Jews” – Dr. Jonathan D. Sarna, Braun Professor Highlights and events… of American Jewish History, Brandeis University, and chief historian of the September 19 – Jewish New campus meeting with members of the Dr. Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, National Museum of American Jewish Year Get-Together – Faculty, staff, University and general communities. professor of performance studies, History, presented an insightful talk that delved into this Order, the only Students from “Jews and Judaism in America” class and students gathered in the Bennett Dr. Cooper’s presentations included: NYU, and program director of the University President Jeffrey von Arx, S.J.(left) ; Dr. visit the Bialystoker Synagogue on The Lower East Paula Fredriksen; Dr. Ellen Umansky; and Dr. Paul time in American history that Jews as Center to welcome the Jewish • “Seething a Kid in its Core Exhibition at the Museum of Side, with Lauri Tobias-Cohen (executive director, Mother’s Milk” Lakeland, director of the Center for Catholic Studies. a group were singled out. Over 200 Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy). Year 5773. Dr. Gavriel Rosenfeld, the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw, Twenty Jewish clergy and people attended this lecture. director of Fairfield’s Judaic Studies Religion at Hebrew University, community leaders participated in Jerusalem. Over 150 attended this February 21 – “Out of Left Field: a luncheon study session hosted by event, co-sponsored each year with Jews and Black Baseball” – and held at Congregation Rodeph Fairfield University’s Center for Associate Professor of Religion and Sholom in Bridgeport. Catholic Studies. • “Do Jews Believe in Original Sin?” Women’s Studies, Dr. Rebecca This lecture attracted over 150 Alpert of Temple University, November 12 – Fifteenth annual students and community members. addressed an audience of 100 as she • “Biblical and Post-Biblical Jacoby-Lunin Humanitarian examined the relationship between Concepts of Holiness” Dr. Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett (third from left) Lecture – “Human Rights: Jews and organized baseball in Jim A study session with 30 students in with Dr. Marti LoMonaco; Fr. Jeffrey von Arx, S.J.; Free Press and Democracy” – Dr. Jonathan Sarna (bottom, center); Dr. Derek Crow America. The lecture focused Enjoying the annual Jewish New Year get- Dr. Ellen Umansky; Fred Plotkin of the Adolph McKisick (left); Dr. Gavriel Rosenfeld; Dr. Elizabeth on Jewish entrepreneurs, sportswriters, together are (left to right) Laura Stakey’14; Anna Ellen Umansky’s “Introduction to and Ruth Schnurmacher Foundation; and Dr. Underwritten by the Frank Jacoby Hohl (top row, left) Elaine Bowman, program man- and the integration of teams. Edelman’15; Aidan Wildes’14; Dr. Gavriel Judaism” undergraduate class. Gavirel Rosenfeld. Foundation in collaboration with the ager of the Bennett Center; Dr. Ellen Umansky; Dr. Rosenfeld, director of the Judaic Studies academic • “The Red Heifer, the Healed Bennett Center and Fairfield’s Open Cecelia Bucki; and Dr. Philip Eliasoph. program; and Dr. Patricia Behre. Leper, and Other Biblical Rituals Poland, presented an illustrated talk to VISIONS Forum, Kati Marton, of Purification” an audience of 150 in the Charles F. human rights advocate and reporter. undergraduate program, presented a December 3 – KADIMA Chanukah A Jewish Forum discussion, attended Dolan School of Business. This annual Two hundred people attended this brief explanation of Rosh Hashanah. by 16 faculty and staff. lecture is sponsored by the Adolph and special evening. Party – Members of KADIMA Everyone enjoyed tasting apples dipped Ruth Schnurmacher Foundation. organized and hosted a festive gathering Made possible by a gift from David and for 25 students who enjoyed playing in honey and other foods symbolizing Edith Chaifetz of Fairfield. the hope for a sweet and happy new dreidle and eating potato latkahs October 26 – In celebration of (pancakes) and sufganiyot (doughnuts), year. Daniel Pearl World Music Days – foods associated with the holiday. Dr. Rebecca Alpert, with Dr. Yohuru Williams, chair- “Abraham Inc.” – David Krakauer, man of Black Studies Program at Fairfield University. Fred Wesley, and Socalled October 1 – 7 Sukkot Experience December 4 – Class trip to The – For the twelfth consecutive year, This group of Jewish and African- March 4 – The Samuel and American musicians performed musical Lower East Side, NYC – Students members of KADIMA (Fairfield’s in Dr. Umansky’s “Jews and Judaism Bettie Roberts Memorial Lecture numbers that melded numerous styles, student Jewish cultural organization) in America” class and 12 adult learners including klezmer, hip-hop, spiritual, Jacoby-Lunin Humanitarian Lecturer Kati Marton, in Jewish Art “Facing Jewish erected a sukkah on the plaza between shares a light moment at dinner with David Zieff enjoyed a walking tour of the Lower rap, classical, soul, and rock-and-roll. Identity Through Images: Style, Donnarumma and Canisius Halls. of the Frank Jacoby Foundation. East Side, led by Laurie Tobias Two hundred twenty-five people Color and Content.” – Audrey Throughout the week, members of the Cohen, director of the Lower East Dr. Alan Cooper (middle) with Fr. Jeffrey von Arx, Flack, photorealist, painter, and University community enjoyed having delighted in the evening’s energetic Side Jewish Conservancy. Highlights S.J. (far left) Edith Chaifetz, David Chaifetz, and November 14 – A Taste of sculptor overwhelmed an audience of lunch, visiting, and holding classes in Dr. Ellen Umansky. performance. included a tour of the Bialystoker Judaism – Kadima members over 300 with her intellect and wit. the sukkah. Synagogue, seeing the Henry Street organized and hosted a table in As Ms. Flack discussed various pieces November 5 – Seventh Annual Settlement House and the Forward October 22 – The 2012 Adolph the Barone Campus Center that of her work, she shared her personal October 10 & 11 Annual Judaic Lecture in Jewish-Christian Building, a visit to a stiebl founded by featured various “Jewish foods.” Tasty involvement and motivation with each and Ruth Schnurmacher Lecture Polish Jews in the early 20th century, Studies Scholar in Residence Engagement – “When Christians selections