WINTER 2005-2006Program in Judaic Studies PERELMAN INSTITUTE PRINCETON UNIVERSITY In this Issue 2 Courses NEWSDIRECTOR’S MESSAGE into the first decade of the new century. The beginning of the As late as Princeton was among its peers 3 Students academic year 2005- in finally establishing a Program in 3 The Class of 2005 2006 saw a change in Judaic Studies, thanks to Froma’s vision 3 2005 Alumni the directorship of and relentless energy, as well as to the 4 Judaic Studies Senior Theses 2005 Princeton’s Program generous support she garnered from the 6 Graduate Fellowships in Judaic Studies. After administration, the Program has become 7 Graduate Students nine years of dedicated not only highly visible on Princeton’s 10 Summer Funding and distinguished campus, but it has developed into one of 16 Sefer Hasidim service, Froma Zeitlin the most active and successful programs Photo: John Jameson, 17 Committee Office of Communications handed over the reins among Princeton’s distinguished under- of the program. We graduate institutions. It is an honor to 17 Support celebrated Froma’s many successful follow Froma as Program Director and 18 Faculty Research & News achievements as Program Director with a charge of great responsibility to build 20 Jewish Studies Quarterly a party last May upon the strong foundations so vigorously 21 Director’s Message (continued) Peter Schäfer becomes and honored her designed and developed by her. 22 Events scholarly contri- new director. butions in early November with NEW BUILDING beautiful view of Chancellor Green a Yom Iyyun, a one-day workshop dedi- We are now safely at home in the Scheide courtyard. Located among related fields cated to her major areas of teaching Caldwell House, Princeton’s newest, and in the Humanities, imbued with vibrant and research. very luxurious, addition to the Andlinger intellectual activities, and at the very Center for the Humanities. We enjoy Froma has left a distinctive mark on the center of Princeton’s campus, we could our office there on the second floor and Program, shaping it in its infancy during not think of a better place for securing the wonderful seminar room with its the nineteen nineties and paving its way Jewish Studies as an integral element within the curriculum of the universitas litterarum. For this is our mission, to further integrate Jewish Studies into the canon of the Humanities and to foster a constant and fruitful dialogue with the BREAKING NEWS: broad spectrum of Humanities’ disci- plines – for the benefit of both Jewish Studies and the Humanities. Jewish We are thrilled to report that Sidney Lapidus ’59, P84, P88, Studies have come a long way, from the first visions of the fathers of the P93, has announced a very significant gift that will establish Wissenschaft des Judentums (Science of Judaism) of the early nineteenth century, “The Lapidus Family Fund for American Jewish Studies.” through the horrors of the first half of the twentieth century, until Jewish Mr. Lapidus will also be donating additional works from his Studies finally gained acceptance as a natural and legitimate presence in the collection on American Jewish history to Firestone Library. European and American university. It is our duty to make sure that the precious More information will follow. and demanding role of Jewish Studies among the Humanities is filled with substance and dignity. (Director’s Message continued on page 21) COURSES 2004-2005 FALL SEMESTER SPRING SEMESTER FALL SEMESTER 2004 2005 2005 Survey Courses: Survey Courses: Survey Courses: Jewish Mysticism: From the Introduction to Judaism: Topics in Hebrew Literature: Love and Beginnings to Kabbala Religion, History, Ethics Death in Hebrew Narrative from the Peter Schäfer James Diamond Bible to Contemporary Israeli Fiction James Diamond Modern Jewish History: 1750-Present Jewish Messianism from the Bible Olga Litvak to the Modern Period Jewish Mysticism: From the Bible Topics in Judaic Studies: Prejudice Peter Schäfer to Kabbala Peter Schäfer on Trial: Antisemitism, the Courts, The Family in Jewish Tradition and the Law Ruth Westheimer Topics in Judaic Studies: Prejudice Jenna Weissman-Joselit on Trial: Antisemitism, the Courts, Transformations of Jewish Culture and the Law in the Early Modern World Antiquity: Jenna Weissman-Joselit The Ancient Near East: (16th-18th Century) From City-State to Empire Andrea Schatz, Society of Fellows Jewish History Through the Middle Ages Beate Pongratz-Leisten Problems in Near Eastern Olga Litvak Religion and Literature of the Jewish History Old Testament: Through the Mark Cohen Antiquity: Babylonian Exile Antiquity: Ancient Near Eastern History: Martha Himmelfarb From City-State to Empire Religion in Culture – Culture in Beate Pongratz-Leisten Studies in Greco-Roman Religions: Religion: A History of Religion Genres of Rabbinic Literature in the Ancient Near East Judaism in the Greco-Roman World Peter Schäfer Beate Pongratz-Leisten Martha Himmelfarb Jews, Gentiles, and Christians in the Rabbinic Judaism: Literature, Studies in Greco-Roman Religions: Ancient World History, and Beliefs The Origins of Jewish Mysticism John Gager Peter Schäfer Martha Himmlefarb and Peter Schäfer 2004-2005 Middle Ages: Studies in Greco-Roman Religions: Middle Ages: Introduction to Judaism in the Jews, Muslims, and Christians in the Jews, Muslims, and Christians Greco-Roman World Middle Ages in the Middle Ages Martha Himmelfarb Mark Cohen Mark Cohen Modern Period: Modern Period: Readings in Medieval Hebrew Literature Jewish Thought and Modern Society Studies in the Philosophy of Religion: Andras P. Hamori Leora Batnitzky Religious Existentialism Leora Batnitzsky Modern Period: Topics in Germanic Culture and Topics in American Literature: Religion and Law Society: “Nation and “Diaspora” American Jewish Writers Leora Batnitzky in German Jewish Literature Deborah Nord Andrea Schatz, Society of Fellows Culture Mavens: American Jews Texts and Images of the Holocaust and the Arts The Jewish Presence in Modern Froma Zeitlin French Fiction and Film Jenna Weissman Joselit David Bellos Holocaust Controversies: Language Courses: Texts and Images of the Holocaust Historiography and Politics Readings in Judeo-Arabic Froma Zeitlin Anson Rabinbach and Jan T. Gross Mark Cohen Language Courses: Between Resistance and Collaboration: Elementary Hebrew The Experience of the Second World Esther Robbins Readings in Judeo-Arabic War in Europe Mark Cohen Jan T. Gross Intermediate Hebrew Esther Robbins Elementary Hebrew Esther Robbins Language Courses: Advanced Hebrew: Aspects of Readings in Judeo-Arabic Israeli Culture Intermediate Hebrew Abraham L. Udovitch Esther Robbins Esther Robbins Elementary Hebrew Advanced Hebrew: Aspects of Esther Robbins Israeli Culture 2 Phillip Hollander Intermediate Hebrew Esther Robbins STUDENTS 2005 ALUMNI Netti Minsker Herman is currently an analyst in the Business Intelligence Group of Goldman Sachs (New York). She began working in July 2005 and so far has been enjoying her experience in the financial industry. Rena N. Lauer has been awarded a Shatil/New Israel Fund Social Justice Fellowship, which supports her for 10 months as she does social justice work of her choice in Israel. She will be working in Jerusalem for a non-profit organization which aids the Ethiopian community in Israel through education and media 2005 Certificate Students. empowerment programs. She will also be living in Jerusalem. Joseph Aaron Skloot is in Israel to begin Hebrew Union THE CLASS OF 2005 College-Jewish Institute of Religion’s Year-in-Israel program. This is the first step on the road to becoming a rabbi. He is living in Jerusalem until approximately June 2006, studying JEWISH STUDIES CERTIFICATE STUDENTS at HUC-JIR’s campus in that beautiful city, attempting to We are proud to congratulate Netti Minsker Herman, master Modern Hebrew and immersing himself in Israeli Rena Nechama Lauer, and Joseph Aaron Skloot, the 2005 and Jewish culture. Princeton University graduates who earned the Certificate in He writes: After a quick post-thesis, post-graduation breather Judaic Studies. in New York City with my family, I headed off to Israel to begin rabbinical school at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. HUC-JIR’s rabbinical program lasts five THE CAROLYN L. DRUCKER, CLASS OF years and begins with a year of intensive Hebrew immersion, 1980, PRIZE text-study and cultural exploration at the college’s campus hrough the generosity of the Drucker family, the Program overlooking Jerusalem’s Old City. There are 40 rabbinical Tawards an annual prize for the best senior thesis in Judaic students here, as well as 10 cantorial and 10 education students. Studies. Before the establishment of the program, the prize Of course, this is a fascinating time to be in Israel with disen- was offered under the auspices of the Committee for Jewish gagement from Gaza only recently completed and campaign Studies, the program’s predecessor. season just beginning. I can’t imagine being in a more exciting or beautiful place, and I feel lucky to have this year to explore The 2005 Drucker First Prize winner was Rena N. Lauer and grow in such a stimulating environment. What has been for “The Second Controversy of Paris: Text, Context, and challenging is making the transition from Princeton, where Intertextuality” in the Department of History. A Second scholarship was at the core of my undergraduate experience, to Prize was shared by Netti M. Herman for “Of Wives and a seminary/professional/graduate program where acquiring Other Demons: A Comparative Analysis of the Tale of the raw skills (from classical Hebrew grammar to homiletics) is Jerusalemite and the Tale of the White Snake,” in the emphasized, but these difficulties are slight when compared to Department of Comparative Literature, and Joseph A. Skloot the simple joy of being in this country and beginning a lifelong for “Moses of Hamilton Terrace: The Hertz Torah dream. What’s also terrific is that I get to share this experience Commentary in Context and Interpretation” in the with two other Princetonians: David Segal ’03 and Geoff Department of History.