Middle Eas tern Languages Culture s NEWSLETTERand

Vol. #3 The University of Texas at Austin Spring 2000

Message from the Chairman departmental mission is not fl r. participate in these events and share our with other departments, which took \,.-/only to teach the major languages excitement in learning with them. place and willtake place, are described and literatures of the Middle East, but The major program scheduled for in the following pages. also to transmit the rich cultural heri- this spring semester is a two-day Sym- Belore closing, I should like to tage of the peoples of the Middle East. posium examining the interplay of Ju- note with gratification the To help fulfill this newly expanded fo- daism and Islam scheduled for March 8 establishment of a new undergraduate cus, we have taken several steps: We and 9. In addition to the faculty from our major in Jewish Studies that will go have introduced many new courses department, Nina Berman (UT, Ger- into effect September 1, 2000. This dealing with the cultures of the Middle manic Studies); Shifra Epstein (formaly undergraduate Jewish Studies major, East and have sponsored programs with UT Folklore); Tamar Rudavsky which is a college-wide, interdisciplinary designed to explore its heritage. (Ohio State University); John Willis major with a faculþ of more than As a further objective, we seek to (Princeton University); Reuven Firestone twenty five scholars, will teach more establish increasing contact our with (Hebrew Union College, Los Angeles, than fifty courses and will be one of the sister departments across the College California); Joseph Ginat (University of most important such programs in the to cosponsor programs with them, and Oldahoma); Carel Bertram (UT, Cenler U.S. by inviting professors in those depart- for Middle Eastern Studies) and Pamela I should also liketo notethe further ments to offer courses with Middle East Sezgin (Georgia Mountains History Mu- development of the existing Islamic content. seum, Gainesville, Georgia). Studies Program and our exploration However, beyond these efforts to Additional programs, sponsored of the possibility of adding an MA provide first rate training to our under- solely by our depariment or cosponsored degree to this program. graduates and reach out to faculþ in Harold Liebowitz other departments, we also wish to reach out to the community at large and share our excitement with the language, literature, and cultures of the Middle East. We no longer live in an age when we could or should isolate ourselves in the ivory tower of academia. The Austin public is sophisticated and well- educated. We wish to share what we know and engage in an enriching dia- logue with this communi!. LiberalArts is after all life enhanc- ing. Our imagination can soar as we engage in study of the art and architec- ture, music and dance, religious and secular literature of the areas. For the reasons given above, we have sched- uled many activities for the Spring se- mester, which provide insight into the exhilarating world of the Middle East to which the broader communitgr is wel- come. We inviie the general public to Harold Liebowitz, openingthe Worlshop on the Teaching of Islamic and Jewish Sürdies Judaism and Islam: Cenfer Auditorium 4.252. This pro- Jewish Studies Major Cross Currents gram is co-sponsored by the College of LiberalArts, College of Fine Arts, the he approved major, which will re place the existing Two Track Con- conference on March 8 and 9 Philosophy Department, Women's Sh-rd- Tnn is inclu- I entitled "Judaism and Islam: Cross- ies, Texas Cowboys and Texas Hillel. centration in Jewish Studies, an Currents" will consist of four panels (See schedule on back page.) sive, college-wlde field of study that will designed to focus on cultural, religious focus on the broadbased Jewish experi- and intellectual values shared by two of ence from the Biblical period until the the worlds great religions. The partici- present. Geographically, it will cover pants include faculty from within the the Middle East, Europe, Asia, North College of Liberal Arts and scholars Africa and the Western Hemisphere. lt from elsewhere in the U.S. and Israel. will cut across disciplines such as his- On the evening of March B we will tory, sociology, anthropology, religion, present a concert, Jewish and Islamic the visual arts, music, literature and Musical Traditions at 8:00 to 9:30 in folklore. Thus, as opposed to the He- the Texas Union Showroom. The first brew Studies Program, which focuses part will include soloists who will sing on the Hebrew language and texts writ- Yiddish, Ladino and Turkish songs. Fol- ten in Hebrew, the new major is far lowing the intermission, the Middle East- broader in scope. ern Ensemble will play a rendition of We seek through the major to im- Middle Eastern music. part a sense of the complex patterns of The department is most pleased to continuity and change, adaptability to open these programs to the broad com- changing political conditions, the inter- munity for two reasons: 1) it is a means play of geographically dispersed Jewish of celebrating the development of Is- communities, the dualiþ of inward and lamic Studies as a major component of outward looking perspectives, and the our department and a means of draw- richness of an age-old, yet continually ing attention to the beginning of a full- self-renewing culture. The areas of study fledged undergraduate Jewish Studies will include a reperloire of more than major to be housed in the department fifty courses distributed over the follow- beginning September 7, 2000. February 8 ing topics: Jewish culture; Jewish life; 2) From all that one reads in the Steinfeld Lectt I Israeli society and culture; fine arts; press, there is nothing but strife be- Jewish literature; Biblical studies; and hveen these two world religions. How- f\ n Februarv 8 Professor Zvi Holocaust studies. program ever, a deeper look at various aspects Lrl Stninfnld, foímer Chair of the Tal- The will include a major (12 of Jewish and Islamic cultural life shows mud department at Bar llan University, (24 semesier hours) and a minor a significant degree of intersection and Israel, andEditorof Sidrc, aJournal for semester hours) and a Jewish Studies crosscurrents, which enriched both re- the Study of Rabbinic Lìterature and Honor Program. Courses included for ligions. Not to deny a history of strife, Talmudic Studies. gave a lecture in the the fall 2000 are Introduction to Jewish Ihere were many periods of mutual Harry Ran.oin Center Auditorium en- Culture and History I; European Juda- enrichment. Perhaps a growing aware- titled "Jewish-Gentile relations in Rab- ism: Past and Present; Hitler, the Holo- ness of the shared cultural elements binic Literature. " Steinfeld, one of the caust and Memory: 1933 to the Present; may encourage a greater spirit of un- leading authcrities in modern Talmudic Modern Jewish Prose and Poetry; Spain derstanding and cooperation. Indeed, studies, shared his vast knowledge of in 7492; Culture in Medieval Spain; we are pleased that in our department early Rabbinic literature with an enthu- and Jewish Women's Writings. we encourage our Islamic Studies and siastic audience. Jewish Studies:tudents to become more The program was sponsored by aware of one another's rich cultural MELC and co-sponsored by the Audre heritage. and Bernard Rapoport Regents Chair We arelherefore delighted to invite of Jewish Studies, the Gale Chair of the generalpublic to attend this seminal Judaic Studies, and the Texas Hillel. event. We wish to thank Professor Robert Both day sessions will take place King and Professor Seth Wolitz, the from 9:30 a.m. - 12 :00 noon and from occupants of these Chairs for their help 1:30 p.m. - 4:00 in the Harry Ransom in making this lecture possible. Undergraduate Shrdent State University on October 75, 7999, MELC Faculty Lectures News sponsored by the Department of Near and Presentations Eastern and Asian Studies in conjunction por the flrst time, the Arabic program with the American Association of Teach- man Attieh hasbeen invited byThe I has six undergraduate majors: ers of Arabic, for his pioneering work and ¿\ I \ University of Washington to give a Jonathan Addison, Jennifer Hollis, David longtime service in the field of teaching presention in a workshop to be held in Kimberly, Christopher Micklethwait, Arabic. The reception was held during a Seattle on April 7 and2,2000 entitled Natasha Omene, and Christoper Young. Symposium entitled "Bridging Past, "Developing Goals for Cultural Profi- Despite the difficulty of Arabic, lhey are Present, and Future: Arabic as a Foreign ciency in Arabic." enjoying the challenge of leaming a sig- Language in the New Millennium." Zilla Goodman presented a confer- nificant nonlatin-based language. Chris- Esther Raizen won a Liberal Arts In- ence paper entitled "The Jewish topher Michlethwait, who willbe gradu- structional Technology Award for devel- Diaspora: Between Exile and Disper- ating this Spring semester, began his oping web-based materials for the UT sion." February 11, 2000, at World Arabic Studies in the fall of 1996. He also Biblical Hebrew language sequence. Her 2000, sponsored by The World History attended two intensive summer pro- Modern Hebrew Project web site won a Association and the National Council for grams, one in Morocco, the Texas- Jewish Agency for Israel Top Ten Award Geography Education Meknes Intensive Summer Program, and in the fall of 1999. MichaelHillmann presented a slide the other in Lebanon, in 7997 and 1998 lecture called "An Aesthetics respectiveþ. of Persian Carpets' at the Center for Middle Eastem Sarah Radin who spent her fall se- Studies at the University of Arizona on mester in Israel, studying at the Hebrew January 27, 2000." Professor Hillmann University, extended her stay to the MELC Faculty Grants will present a paper on "Aspects of spring. Teresa Cigarroa Keck has left for Halez's Popularity among Iranian (- a semester at Haifa Universiþ and will arnranAghaie has received the þ( American)' s" at the 3rd Biennial Confer- rehrm for the fall semester of 2000. I \SRA grant to study the popular ence oÍ Iranian Studies in Bethesda on social aspects of religious identity in turn- the weekend of May 26 to 28. He has of-the-century Tehran. scheduled a minicourse for advanced Zilla Goodman also received the students of Persian at University of Bal- Student Scholarships SRA grant to write two books entitled "Of timore during the week of May 22 To 26 . Demon'sBreath" and " Silent: Voicesof His new textbook called "Vocabulary Ac- MELC shdents were awarded the the Collective and Individual in Modern Jwo quisition" (draft I Hibbs scholarship, Jennifer Hollis Hebrew Literature." manuscript) will consti- tute the syllabus for the course. and Nahid Anjim. Two students in Arabic Michael Craig Hillmann has a On February 17ü Harold LiebowlTz were awarded scholarships from money Dean's Fellowship during the spring lech-rred on Synagogue Art and Architec- provided by the Arab Community of 2000 to support completion of an an- ture in MedievalSpain for the Tracking Austin: Loretto Caitora(Graduate Stu- thology of translations called "Classics of Cultures Program. dent) and Cris Micklethwait (Undergradu- Persian Literahtre,900-2000" and a bib- Esther Raizen conducted a national ate Sh-rdent). The following shrdents have liography called "lran: New Edition", workshop on October 15 and 76,7999 received a Hebrew Shrdies scholarship for World Bibliographical Series (ABC/ to developing Hebrew Ihe 7999-2000 academic year: Joshua CLIO, Oxford). computerized materials for the Web at the University of Ross, Erik Berk, Andrew Friedberg, Akel Kahera was awarded the fall Arizona. The Western Consortium Rachel Lichtman, David Walker, Jaime 2000 Research Grant to write "Omar of Middle Eastern Studies Centers Sasso, Jorge Ordaz, and Teresa Keck. Said's Memoir of Captivity: A Critical orga- nizedthe workshop. On February 23, The Dan C. Danciger Foundation andthe Evoluation and Translation of an Ante- Esther Raizen spoke about "Judaism and Moshana Foundation provided the schol- bellum Slave Narrative. " the Environment: In the Eye of the Be- arships. Congraturlations to all recipients! Harold Liebowitz has received a holder" atthe UTJewish Shrdies Faculty SRG to prepare Iron Age (72ú lo 8'h cen- Forum. On March 2, Esther Raizen gave turies B.C.E.) pottery remains from Tel aworkshop atPrinceton Yin'am for publication. on creating and using web-based materials in Hebrew Esther Raizen has received a Fac- instruction. MELC Faculty Awards ulþ Research Grant for a manuscript on environmental concerns in Hebrew lit- þeTer Abboud was honored along erature. She will spend part of summer t with four other distinguished profes- 2000 in Israel, collecting materials for sors during a specialreception atWayne the manuscript. Faculty Publications and I-eonYudkinto Speak developed a television shrdies track for Other Creative Work ApríI6 Israeli high-school students, and helped initiate several successful Sephardic- I man Attieh has recently produced f he Department will cosponsor a lec- Jewish film festivals in New York City. .{1an anthology entitled Short Fic- I ture by Professor Leon Yudkin en- For over thirty-five years Mr. Shiran tion by Squdi Arabian Women Writ- titled "Straining atthe Leash: NewDi- has dedicated himself to advancing the ers published by Literature East and rections in Israeli Fiction. " Professor representation of Sephardic culture in West. This book includes the literary Yudkin teaches Hebrew and Compara- the Israeli media. Many of his films have works of seventeen female ficiion writ- tive Literature at Universiiy College, focused on the beauþ and complexities ers of the first generation up to ihe mid- London, and is the editor of the Mono- of Sephardic Jewry, giving a deeper 1980s. Most of the 31 stories in this graph Series, Jews in Modern Culture, insight into the heritage, culture, and anthology have not heretofore been Symposium Press. We encourage all to lifestyles of Norih African and Spanish translated. attend this semimal lechrre organized by Jews. Additionally, his work with edu- Harold Liebowitz (with Anne the Gale Chair of Judaic Studies. cational programming has won him Dehnisch) published an article "A Unique high praise, and most recently he suc- Stone Mortar from Tel Yin'am" in Le- cessfully transformed the Inbal Dance vant (2000). Theater into the established Ethnic Arts Esther Raisin's book Modern He- CenTer, of which he has become Gen- brew t'or Beginners has gone to press MichaelMorgan Lechre eral Manager and Art Director. and will be published by the Universiþ Five of Mr. Shiran's films will be of Texas Press in Aprilof 2000. Michael ELC in conjunction with the Phi- screened during the festival, including Hillmann's in-press Tajiki Textbook losophy Department will sponsor thefeahrrefilms "lnPraise of David" and and Reqder (Dunwoody Press) is the a lecture by Michael Morgan entitled "Pillar of Salt, " which won several inter- first textbook of the language written " Kafka, Buber, Benjamin: Themes in the national awards and have been shown for American readers and the core of Modern Jewish Experience. The lecture on a number of European television net- the course syllabus in MELC's Tajiki willbe held on Thursday, March 30, works. Additionally, three documentary Basics and Tajiki Texts courses. 2000 @ 3:30pm in Parlin Hall, Room movies will be shown; "The Mimouna, " 207. "The Jews of Morocco," and "Embroi- dery of Stone and Words. " Each evening during the festival, Mr. Shiran will per- sonally introduce each work and share his insight into the making of the fllms. A Retrospective of Immediately following the screenings, an open question-and-answer discussion Haim Shiran's Films will be held with the producer-director. The Retrospective of Haim Shiran's \Zaron Shemer has arranged for Films is sponsored by The Center for I Haim Shiran to visit Austin for a Middle Eastern and cosponsored by: three-evening event entitled: "Jewish The Consulate General of Israel in life in Morocco, Tunisia, and Spain: A Houston; The Department of Middle Linda Gradstein: Re¡rcrting Retrospective of Haim Shiran's Films." Eastern Languages and Cultures; The The event willbe held at 7p.m., March Department RadioÆelevision/Film from Ground 7æro of ; 27-29 at the University Teaching Cen- The Department of Anthropology ; The ter, room 4.704. Austin Film Society; Texas Hillel; The Tnn Department will cosponsor a Born in Morocco and educated in Jewish Community Association of Aus- I program featuring Linda Gradstein, Paris, Haim Shiran has become one of tin. the Jerusalem correspondent for Na- Israel's foremost personalities in the tional Public Radio. Scheduled for March television and film industry. He helped 6, 2000, Ms. Goldstein will describe creaTe and develop the Israel Educa- her experiences reporting from the tional Television Station of which he Middle East as an American woman was Chief Executive Producer, and his and the developments she observed in films have won acclaim both in Israel the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. and throughout the United States and The talk will take place in the Texas Europe. Mr. Shiran has lectured at vari- Union Santa Rita Room at 7:30p.m.. ous universities in the U.S. and Israel, the earlier (and earliest) Hebrew-speak- the number of students and faculty in ing "children" (who in the meantime Hebrew and Jewish Studies will in- were at a very advanced age), it occurred crease. to him that this would also be a unique historical opportunity to study not only the evolvement of native Hebrew among the children, but also the linguisticaland Workshop on the Teach- socioJinguistical study and documenta- ing of Islamic and tion of the entire revival process of Jewish Studies modern Hebrew, from 1882. And this is what he has been doing in the last twenty-five years. This research has resulted in various articles and several books, including The Rise and Decline of a Diqlect: A Study Tlr. Aaron Bar-Adon, Professor of in the Reuíual of Modern Hebrew I) Hnbr.*,JewishStudies, and Lin- (7975) (which studied the evolvement of guistics, received his Ph.D. in 1959 at a very special Galilean dialeci between the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. 7895-1920) and lS. Y.)A gnon and the His dissertation on "Children's He- Reuíual of Hebrew Yeor (which studied brew in Israel," which won a Best the reflection of the Hebrew revival in Disseriation Prize, constituted the first the different writings of the Israeli Nobel 'Ttnn Department sponsored a mini- linguistic study of Hebrew child lan- Prize Winner S.Y. Agnon and his oral I workshop on teaching Islamic and guage. It explored the evolvement of pronouncement.) Jewish studies. Two guest presenters, native spoken Hebrew among the chil- In recognition of Dr. Bar-Adon's Dr. Zev Garber, the Director of Jewish dren who were born into the recently original research, he was awarded re- Studies at Los Angeles Valley College, revived Hebrew-speech communþ (af- search grants and fellowships, including and Mr. Shabbir Mansuri, the Founding ter 1700 years of dormancy), and their "The the prestigious American Council Director of the Council on Islamic Edu- contribution to its development. of Learned Societies (ACLS) Senior cation presented participants with two What attracted him to this original "The Research Fellowship"; Social Sci- distinct perspectives on teaching about research was the rare opportunity to (SSRC) ence Research Council Grant"; the two civilizations. Dr. Garber focused shrdy a child's individual language-in- and the "Rockefeller Foundation Hu- on issues of methodology and academic the-making within a societal language- manities Fellowship." freedom, and Mr. Mansuri discussed le- in-the-making (ontogeny within phy- In recent years he has been working gal issues pertinent to outreach and logeny), which would provide special on three books, (1) a comprehensive teacher training, particularly at the K-1 2 insights into ihe study of child lan- study on the history (Saga) of the He- level in the state of Texas. The event, guage/language acquisition in general. (2) brew revival; encounters with S.Y. which produced a long, lively discussion Up to the middle of the century, the Agnon on Language and Society; (3) between the participants, marks the study of language acquisition was al- The Struggle for a Uniform Pronuncia- growing cooperation between MELC most exclusively the domain of psycho- tion for Modern Hebrew. faculty involved in the developmeni of logical approaches. This pioneering Prof. Bar-Adon came to U.T., in Jewish and Islamic Studies majors. linguistic study based on extensive field- 1963 as Associate Professor in Linguis- work was thus a contribution to the tics, and sinc e 1966 he has served as full linguistic approach to this important Professor. Within this period he also topic served three times as Visiting Professor The next couple of decades were at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. devoted to the study and teaching of Within the Dept. of Linguistics he was various aspects of child language, both given the opportunity to initiate and Hebrew and general, resulting in nu- develop a Hebrew Studies Program merous papers and a book Studies in which grew from 5 students in 1963 to the Lexicon of lsraeli Children (1967 ) 850 in 1970, in about 25 classes, with and Chil d Lan suaee : A Bo ok o t' Read- 6 full time professors and 8 graduate inss (1977). assistants. It is his hope that now, in the While recording evidence from the favorable environment of MELC and contemporaneous children and from the growth of the student body at U.T. l

Judaísm and Islam: Cross-Currents Harry Ransom Auditorium, Room 4.252

March 8, 2OOO March 9,2OOO WercounYe RnuARKs: Welcounvc Rrunnxs: Harold Liebowitz, Chairman, Middle Eastem Akel Kahera, Professor Middle Eastem Languages & Culfures Languages and Cultures Ir.¡-rRooucnon: Irvrnooucrolv: Teresa Sulliuan, Vice-President and Dean, Graduate Sfudies Richard Lariuiere, Dean, College of LiberalArts

9:3O e.u. Pn¡vnr 1: Travelers 9:3O n.u. PanrEL 3: hu-osopnv, REucnou AND SocleTy Crnn: Abraham Marcus, Director, Center for Middle Chair: Aaron Bar-Adon, Professor, Middle Eastem Languages Eastern Studies and Cultures M.R. Ghanoonporuor,'Naser Khosrow and Farahari: Two Tamar Rudausky,'Creation and Time in Medieval Jewish and Shi'ites on Pilgrimage to Mecca' Islamic Philosophy' Nina Berman, 'Elsa lasker-Shueler's Orient' John Willis,'The Religion of the Semites: Ritual and Doctrine' Zilla Goodmon, 'Medievaland late 19'h Century Middle Reuuen Firestone,'Fall from the Garden in Judaism and Islam: Eastem and Orientalist Travelers' Text and Interpretation in Light of Christianþ's Original Sin' Shifra Epstein,'Contemporary Pilgrimages to Sages by Joseph Ginat,'Ordeal by fire: The Bedouin Lie Detector Test' Middle Eastern and Hassidic Jews'

1:3O p.u. Pnmr 2: Warrior Women in Middle 1:30 p.ru. Pnr.rEr 4: Tse Anrs Eastern Cultures Chair: Charles Roeckle, Dean, College of Fine Arts Cnen: Desley Deacon, Director, Women's Studies Carel Bertram, 'Serving the Sacred: Textile Arts of the Jews in Esther Raizen,'The Biblical Women in War and Siege' the Islamic World' Fawn Shirazi, 'Women in the Military in Contemporary Harold Liebowitz,'Jewish and Islamic Funerary Art' Muslim Societies' Yildiray Erdener,'Sounds from the Muslim World' Komran Aghaie,'Zaynab, the Lioness of Karbala' Pamela Sezgin,'Sephardic Music' Yaron Shemer,'The Woman Soldier in Israeli Cinema: The Absence of Power and the Power of Absence' Cosponsored by: The College of Liberal Arts, The College of Fine Arts, The Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Women's Studies, Department of Philosophy, B'nai B'rith Hillel, the Texas Cowboys

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN

Department of Mddle Eastern Languages and Cultures Austín,Texas 78712

The Deparhnent of Middle Eastem Languages and Cultures

WestMallBuilding S.l20 Phone:(572)477-1365 Fax:(512)477-4197 http,,/www. r¡texa s. eÀv/ depls/ melc/

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