ERSPECTIVESERSPECTIVES AJSPPThe Magazine of the Association for Jewish Studies IN THIS ISSUE: Martyrdom through the Ages SPRING 2009 AJS Perspectives: The Magazine TABLE OF CONTENTS of the Association for Jewish Studies President Sara R. Horowitz From the Editor . 3 York University From the President . 4 Editor Allan Arkush From the Executive Director . 6 Binghamton University Editorial Board Martyrdom through the Ages Howard Adelman Introduction Queen's University Shmuel Shepkaru . 8 Alanna Cooper University of Massachusetts Amherst Foils or Heroes? On Martyrdom in First and Second Maccabees Jonathan Karp Daniel R. Schwartz . 10 Binghamton University Heidi Lerner Origins of Rabbinic Martyrology: Rabbi Akibah, the Song of Stanford University Songs, and Hekhalot Mysticism Frances Malino Joseph Dan . 14 Wellesley College Vanessa Ochs Radical Jewish Martyrdom University of Virginia Robert Chazan . 18 Riv-Ellen Prell Martyrs of 1096 “On Site” University of Minnesota Shmuel Shepkaru Eva Haverkamp . 22 University of Oklahoma What Does Martyrdom Lore Tell Us? Abe Socher Miriam Bodian . 26 Oberlin College Shelly Tenenbaum “The Final Battle” or “A Burnt Offering”?: Clark University Lamdan’s Masada Revisited Keith Weiser Yael S. Feldman . 30 York University Steven Zipperstein Perspectives on Technology Stanford University Scholarly Communication in the Twenty-first Century: Managing Editor A Changing Landscape Karin Kugel Executive Director Heidi Lerner . 36 Rona Sheramy Diarna: Digitally Mapping Mizrahi Heritage Graphic Designer Matt Biscotti Frances Malino and Jason Guberman-Pfeffer . 42 Wild 1 Graphics, Inc. Remembering Our Colleagues Please direct correspondence to: Joseph M. Baumgarten (1928 – 2008) Association for Jewish Studies Moshe Bernstein . 46 Center for Jewish History 15 West 16th Street Sarah Blacher Cohen (1936 – 2008) New York, NY 10011 Elaine Safer. 47 Voice: (917) 606-8249 Fax: (917) 606-8222 E-Mail: [email protected] Benny Kraut (1947 – 2008) Web Site: www.ajsnet.org Eugene Korn . 48 AJS Perspectives is published bi-annually by the Association for Jewish Studies. AJS Perspectives encourages submissions of articles, announcements, and brief letters to the editor related to the interests of our members. Materials submitted will be published at the The Association for Jewish Studies is an discretion of the editors. AJS Perspectives reserves the right to reject articles, affiliate of the Center for Jewish History. announcements, letters, advertisements, and other items not consonant with the goals and purposes of the organization. Copy may be condensed or rejected because of length or style. © Copyright 2009 Association for Jewish Studies AJS Perspectives disclaims responsibility for statements made by contributors or advertisers. ISSN 1529-6423 FROM THE The Association for Jewish Studies wishes to thank the EDITOR Center for Jewish History and Dear Colleagues, its constituent organizations— am going to keep my column very short this the American Jewish Historical time, and leave it to the guest editor, Shmuel IShepkaru, to introduce the articles that he has Society, the American Sephardi assembled on the history of Jewish martyrdom. All I will note here is that this issue’s main section is Federation, the Leo Baeck followed by two pieces about technology. Heidi Lerner’s regular column this time does not parallel Institute, the Yeshiva University our main topic but explores some of the newest developments in Web technologies and policies and Museum, and the YIVO the resulting implications for Jewish studies. In something of the same vein, Frances Malino and Institute for Jewish Research— Jason Guberman-Pfeffer describe some amazing new ways in which the Internet is being harnessed for providing the AJS with office to study Mizrahi heritage. Our issue concludes, sorrowfully, with the obituaries of three recently space at the Center for departed colleagues. Jewish History. Allan Arkush Binghamton University 3 library, and other government units that cherish academic employees, has put forth an academic freedom,” CCGES asserted its FROM boycott initiative. In three successive intention to “continue to invite drafts of the resolution, revised in outstanding academics from around THE response to widespread criticism from the world, to participate in, and inside and outside the academy, contribute to, its academic activities.” PRESIDENT CUPE called first for a ban on Israeli professors on Canadian campuses The CCGES statement can serve as a Dear Colleagues, unless they pass an ideological litmus general affirmation of the freedom of test; next, for a ban “on Israeli inquiry so fundamental to the work ately I have been thinking a academic institutions, not of the academy. While countries have great deal about the theory individuals”; and finally, for a ban on developed slightly different Land practice of academic Israeli academic institutions that parameters for the idea of academic freedom. Faced with events on my support “either directly or indirectly, freedom and its application to the own and other university campuses in military research or the Israeli state rights and obligations of professors, North America, I observe with alarm military,” encouraging a more students, and universities themselves, the clash between the crucial general, if vaguely defined, “academic the underlying principle is, in the principles of academic freedom and boycott of Israeli academic words of the American Association of the slow but steady growth of the institutions.” Elsewhere, CUPE University Professors (AAUP), that movement to boycott Israeli elaborates: a boycott would include “Freedom of thought and expression academics and academic institutions. refusal “to participate in academic is essential to any institution of This movement, which first began in cooperation, collaboration or joint higher learning. Universities and Great Britain with the University and projects with Israeli universities . colleges . interpret, explore, and College Union’s proposed boycott of conferences in Israel,” and so forth. expand that knowledge by testing the Israel academics and institutions and old and proposing the new. This has spread recently to Canada and Fortunately, this movement has faced mission . often inspires vigorous the United States, is an affront to the resistance from diverse corners of the debate on those social, economic, principles of academic freedom that campus. The Canadian Centre for and political issues that arouse the define our profession. As one German and European Studies strongest passions. In the process, academic organization puts it, (CCGES), a research center at York views will be expressed that may academic freedom is “the lifeblood” University in Toronto, recently seem to many wrong, distasteful, or of the university. The right to express released a public statement affirming offensive. Such is the nature of the full spectrum of views and to the right to free inquiry and freedom to sift and winnow ideas.” subject ideas to interrogation and condemning academic boycotts. While speech on campus is governed discussion from many perspectives is While it does not mention Israel in by the law of the land, subject to at the heart of the work we do in the particular, the CCGES statement was legal restrictions on hate speech, academy. To borrow from the slogan written and released in pointed defamation and libel, the university is of an old television advertisement for response to the CUPE boycott construed as a special place that rye bread, you don’t have to be in initiative. Its opposition to such stretches the acceptable parameters. Jewish studies to oppose an academic boycotts rests on both historically The AAUP notes, “On a campus that boycott of Israel. based sensitivity to exclusionary is free and open, no idea can be practices at universities and banned or forbidden. No viewpoint In Canada, where I teach, the commitment to the value of or message may be deemed so hateful movement to boycott Israeli academic freedom. Explaining that or disturbing that it may not be academic institutions and those who CCGES’s “thematic focus makes it expressed.” Its Canadian correlative, teach and research under their aegis particularly aware of and sensitive to the Canadian Association of has found a proving ground. I use the pernicious effect of the University Teachers (CAUT), the term in two senses: both as subversion and curtailment of expresses similar principles: “Robust testing and as proofing and refining academic freedom and exclusion of democracies require no less.” rhetoric and strategies. In recent researchers and teachers on the basis weeks, the Ontario branch of the of their ‘nationality’ and/or ethnic Still, the selective application of the Canadian Union of Public Employees origins,” CCGES “declares its principles of academic freedom has (CUPE), a large union that includes rejection of any ban or boycott . of me concerned. Today I learned from adjunct university faculty; graduate researchers and other public figures a speaker invited to my campus to students; office and maintenance based on their nationality.” Placing make the case for an academic staff; as well as transit, healthcare, itself in alliance with “other academic boycott of Israel that there are “some 4 things that are more important than openness of campuses to all views As a learned society with an academic freedom.” Some of my and all nationalities is viewed as a international membership that colleagues have argued that speaking potential chill on academic freedom.