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Performing the Idealized Judaism: Processes of Jewish Missionary Work at Franklin and Marshall College Ilana Meira Weiss Hirsh Independent Study for Departmental Honors in Anthropology Spring 2017 May 1, 2017 1 Introduction Sometime in March, I ventured into the Klehr Center for admittedly self-serving reasons - - in search of a vessel for the smoothie I intended to make as an afternoon snack. “Swag,” as it is colloquially known, consists of branded items, such as reusable mugs, cups, stickers, and other commodities. In this case, these items bear Hillel International’s logo. I caught Dean Lewis on his way out the door, and asked, nervously, if there were any cups left. “Of course! We’d love to have you promote us,” he told me, somewhat facetiously. I quickly wrote this phrase down when I returned home to make that smoothie. Previously, I had no understanding as to the motivations behind the seemingly endless “swag” that Hillel extends to its students. The table with these commodities features prominently when one first walks in, and students must pass it on their way to the dining room on Friday evenings. Clearly, students and administrators engage in this project of religious promotion at Hillel. The Jewish Engagement Fellows (JEFs) are tasked with finding unengaged Jewish students, and encouraging these individuals to attend Hillel. While Chabad may seemingly conform better to conceptualizations of missionary work, both organizations engage in distinct processes of missionization, as I will articulate in this thesis. When I first began formulating this project, it looked quite different than it does now. In Spring 2016, I envisioned an ethnographic inquiry into Jewish political thought and identity on Franklin and Marshall’s campus.
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