ERSPECTIVESERSPECTIVES AJSPPTheThe MagazineMagazine ofof thethe AssociationAssociation forfor JewishJewish StudiesStudies In This Issue: A FORUM ON THE JEWISH STUDIES UNDERGRADUATE MAJOR: What Do We Learn about the Field from How We Educate Our Undergraduates? . 8 ALSO... AJS and Its Publications Steven J. Zipperstein . 7 Perspectives on Technology Heidi Lerner . 32 Sala-Manca: Mediating the Poetics of Translation Jeffrey Shandler . 38 SPRING 2006 ABLE F ONTENTS AJS Perspectives: The Magazine T O C of the Association for Jewish Studies From the Editor. 3 President Judith R. Baskin From the President . 5 University of Oregon Editor From the Executive Director . 6 Riv-Ellen Prell University of Minnesota AJS and Its Publications Editorial Board Steven J. Zipperstein . 7 Ra’anan Boustan A Forum on the Jewish Studies Undergraduate Major: University of Minnesota Marc Brettler What Do We Learn about the Field from How We Brandeis University Educate Our Undergraduates? Jonathan Decter Introduction Brandeis University Riv-Ellen Prell . 8 Steven Fine University of Cincinnati Jewish Studies at Brandeis University Sara Horowitz Jonathan Decter. 9 York University Jewish Studies at Indiana University Oren Kosansky Lewis and Clark College Steven Weitzman. 10 Heidi Lerner Jewish Studies at Rutgers University Stanford University Nancy Sinkoff . 12 Frances Malino Wellesley College Jewish Studies at the University of Pennsylvania Deborah Dash Moore Beth Wenger . 14 University of Michigan Jewish Studies at Vassar College Jeffrey Shandler Andrew Bush. 16 Rutgers University Steven Zipperstein Forum Responses: AJS Vice President for Publications Stanford University Charlotte Elisheva Fonrobert. 20 Managing Editor Paula E. Hyman. 22 Karin Kugel Jeffrey L. Rubenstein . 24 Executive Director Rona Sheramy Benjamin D. Sommer. 28 Graphic Designer Matt Biscotti Perspectives on Technology: Wild 1 Graphics, Inc. Sharing Knowledge: Recent Trends in Search and Delivery Tools for Scholarly Content Please direct correspondence to: Heidi Lerner . 32 Association for Jewish Studies Center for Jewish History Sala-Manca: Mediating the Poetics of Translation 15 West 16th Street Jeffrey Shandler. 38 New York, NY 10011 Voice: (917) 606-8249 Calendar of Conferences in Jewish Studies. 42 Fax: (917) 606-8222 E-Mail: [email protected] Calls for Papers . 43 Web Site: www.ajsnet.org Awards . 43 AJS Perspectives is published bi-annually by the Association AJS Perspectives encourages submissions of articles, announcements, and brief letters to the for Jewish Studies. editor related to the interests of our members. Materials submitted will be published at the discretion of the editors. AJS Perspectives reserves the right to reject articles, announcements, letters, advertisements, and other items not consonant with the goals and © Copyright 2006 Association for Jewish Studies purposes of the organization. Copy may be condensed or rejected because of length or style. ISSN 1529-6423 AJS Perspectives disclaims responsibility for statements made by contributors or advertisers. learning, secular or “sacred,” is still University and Norman Stillman of profoundly underrepresented in the University of Oklahoma kindly FROM Jewish cultures. Also challenging offered excellent illustrations from was what to depict other than the their personal collections. Lyn THE plentiful images of learning in a Slome of the American Jewish religious setting. The diversity of Historical Society and Michael EDITOR the field of Jewish studies that is Grunberger of the Library of discussed in these pages is not Congress generously navigated us Dear Colleagues, readily captured visually. We have through their collections. Kevin selected a variety of images for our Profitt and Camille Servizzi of the ver the last several years special section that is a direct American Jewish Archives kindly Perspectives has focused on outcome of this debate. helped us find a striking image and Oemergent fields within its context from an early issue of the Jewish studies in order to chart the In the reflexive spirit of this issue of American Hebrew. ongoing development of our Perspectives we invited Steven scholarly enterprise. This issue offers Zipperstein, vice president of This issue of Perspectives will be the a different and frankly experimental publications for the Association for last under my editorship. I want approach to this concern. We have Jewish Studies, to comment on the therefore to thank many colleagues taken a two-stage process to bring state of the Association’s journal and who have created our AJS to these pages a broad reflection on newsletter. He notes the new subtitle magazine. The editorial board, the field of Jewish studies today. We in the name Perspectives, now a whose members’ names appear on invited five institutions to tell us magazine, as part of marking the the inside cover, have been partners about their undergraduate major in ways in which these publications have in this endeavor for the past three Jewish studies, and then we invited changed since the founding of AJS. years. Jane Rothstein also served as colleagues from different the student member of the board institutions to “read” these majors We once again address new media until this year. Their ideas, opinions, for what they might tell us about and new technology in this issue. and good judgment have made how Jewish studies scholarship Heidi Lerner’s column surveys Perspectives not only a far more looks today as it is reflected in search engines and open content interesting publication, but one that undergraduate teaching. Our nine repositories, among other reflects considerable diversity writers shaped their assignments to technologies that aim to open up among our colleagues. their perspectives in ways we hope new channels of distribution of offer some very interesting scholarly content. Lerner asks what Thanks to Steven Zipperstein who observations and will create further impact this is having on Jewish has served on the editorial board in conversations on these topics. studies scholars and how to become his capacity as vice president of more involved in these partnerships publications. I appreciated his The problem of how to represent that are opening scholarly work to invitation to me, a scholar from one Jewish studies visually in this issue unprecedented numbers of us. of the newer fields of Jewish gave rise to a great deal of studies, the anthropology of discussion. It is both predictable Jeffrey Shandler offers a review of contemporary Jews and Judaism, to and surprising that the most Sala-Manca, an Israeli performance be editor of this magazine. He has common images of learning and group that combines live consistently offered me a sounding study from medieval Jewish texts to performers, digital slides, and other board on a whole series of issues, Yiddish film were of children. state-of-the art technologies. Sala- and I have particularly valued our Although the transmission of Manca’s performance is a collegiality. Thanks also to knowledge and culture occurs for meditation on language and Lawrence Schiffman and Judith the entire life of a Jew, it is territory in Israel and incorporates Baskin, past and current presidents overwhelmingly signified as an act some of the central issues explored of AJS, who value this publication between a teacher (or a parent) and by Jewish studies scholars. and have supported its expansion. a child. Larry asked Steve Fine to bring We are indebted to many colleagues Perspectives back to life, and they It was equally challenging to find and libraries who helped us find have done AJS a great service. suitable images of women or even suitable images for this issue. girls as learners. It is useful to be Shalom Sabar of Hebrew University Two staffs and directors have reminded that the inclusion of once again offered us wonderful worked on Perspectives over the last women into any form of Judaic images. Jeffrey Shandler of Rutgers three years—first Aaron Katchen 3 and Miranda Winer at Brandeis, and to work with. His sense of design officially begin his term with the now Rona Sheramy and Karin has made Perspectives a more Fall 2006 issue. Allan is director of Kugel. I appreciate all of their interesting publication to look at. I Judaic studies at Binghamton efforts. Karin Kugel, over the last include this list of thank-yous to University where he serves on the two years, has taken ever-increasing indicate the extent to which faculty. Among his many responsibility in soliciting Perspectives is a collective enterprise, publications and translations is his advertising, working effectively on made all the better because of the well-known book, Moses the visuals for the magazine, and debates and multiple ideas that Mendelssohn and the Enlightenment. managing many other create every issue. Many people, our It is a pleasure to leave Perspectives responsibilities. Lisa Meyerowitz has writers above all, bring energy and in such good hands. served as copy editor for most of commitment to this publication. our issues, and has helped us to Riv-Ellen Prell achieve consistency in our style. I am pleased to inform our readers University of Minnesota Finally, Matt Biscotti of Wild 1 that Allan Arkush has assumed the Graphics has been truly a pleasure editorship of Perspectives and will December 17 – 19, 2006 38th Annual Manchester Grand Hyatt Conference of the San Diego, California Association for Jewish Studies Conference Information Now Online at www.ajsnet.org Join the AJS for more than 140 sessions devoted to the latest research in all fields of Jewish studies. • Major exhibit of leading publishers of Jewish studies scholarship • Film screenings and performances free and open to the public • AJS Gala Banquet, Sunday, December 17, 2006 (stay-tuned for information on subsidized banquet tickets) • Evening receptions sponsored by Jewish studies programs and research institutions • Gourmet kosher meals catered by the Hyatt hotel: See AJS website for menus Special reduced room rates at the 4-star Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel ($119.00 single and double occupancy; $99.00 student rate) available through November 15, 2006.