Posen Conference on the Teaching of Secular Judaism/Jewish Secularism in the University
This
annual conference brings together Posen grant recipients throughout
North America who teach courses in the program for the study of secular
Jewish history and cultures. During two intensive days of study and
discussion, attendees examine new scholarly approaches to the study of
secular Jewish cultures and history, pedagogical approaches and the
critical role occupied by secular Jewish life within the wider context
of Judaism and Jewish civilization. In addition to Jewish Studies,
disciplines represented at the conference include American Studies,
Anthropology, Comparative Literature, Gender Studies, German Studies,
Hebrew Literature, History, Jewish Thought, Literature, Philosophy,
Rabbinics, Religious Studies, Sociology, Women’s Studies, Yiddish
Language and Culture, and others. The conference was held for three
years at the University of Miami, and is now moved among different
institutions in the Posen Project. In 2008 the conference was hosted by
Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA; in 2009 it was held at
UCLA and the 2010 conference was held at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA.
The 2011 conference was held at Hunter College in New York City.
Please click here for
pre-circulated materials for the 2011 conference.
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World Congress of Jewish Studies
The
15th Congress, held at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem from August
2-6, 2009, included 1,400 lectures in 380 sessions — the largest
convention in the field of Jewish Studies. Ten sessions at the Congress
focused specifically on the study of Jewish secularisms, reflecting the
increased interest in this field. Many Posen Foundation grant
recipients and advisors were among the presenters, including Professors
David Biale (UC-Davis), Menachem Brinker (Hebrew University), Eli Yassif (Tel Aviv University), Lynn Davidman (University of Kansas), Barry Kosmin (ISSSC),
Laura Levitt (Temple University), Mark Raider (University of
Cincinnati), Naomi Seidman (Graduate Theological Union), David Shneer
(University of Colorado-Boulder), Ariela Keysar (ISSSC), and Azzan
Yadin (Rutgers University).
The
purpose of the World Congress is to present before Congress
participants the latest innovations in the world of Jewish Studies and
a reliable and up-to-date picture of the research in these fields as
well as a point of view on the trends and currents in contemporary
Jewish society. The Congress also provides junior scholars an
opportunity to present their new research alongside senior scholars,
and creates an academic framework in which participants from all levels
of society find an interest.
The Congress takes place every four
years, and is a central event in the world of academic Jewish Studies
with more than 1000 participants from all over the world.
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Conference on Teaching Judaism as Culture in Israeli Universities
Over
30 academics who teach Judaism as Culture at universities and colleges
in Israel took part in this seminar, which was held in 2006. The
speakers discussed the various courses and academic curricula on
Judaism as Culture and many approaches to the teaching of this subject.
A special emphasis was placed on the importance of a multidisciplinary
approach that combines the humanities, the social sciences, and law.
Among the speakers were Professor Menachem Brinker, Professor Richard
Cohen and Professor Avi Ravitsky from the Hebrew University of
Jerusalem, Professor Daniel Gutwein, Dr. Fania Oz-Salzberger and
Professor Shulamit Valler from University of Haifa, and Professor
Menachem Mauntner, Professor Yaakov Malkin and Professor Eli Yassif
from Tel Aviv University.
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Conferences on A New Jewish Time: Jewish Culture in a Secular Age—An Encyclopedic View
In
May 2007, two conferences were organized in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv by
Lamda–Association for Modern Jewish Culture, the Jerusalem Spinoza
Institute, and the Posen Foundation–Israel. The conferences focused on
topics dealt with by New Jewish Time, such as modernization and
secularization, Hebrew culture, nationalism and secularity, Hebrew as a
secular language, and cities of secular Jewish culture. Among the
lecturers were Minister of Education Professor Yuli Tamir, Yair Tzaban,
Professor Meir Buzaglo, Professor Sarah Japhet and Professor Yirmiyahu
Yovel from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Professor Dan Meron,
Professor Sasson Somech, Professor Eli Yassif and Professor Shulamit
Volkov from Tel Aviv University; and authors David Shaham, Haim Beer,
Robik Rosenthal, and Ronny Someck.
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Conference Sessions and Seminars
The
Posen Foundation supports numerous panels and seminars on issues in
Secular Jewish Studies and the study of the secularization of Judaism
and the Jewish secular at academic conferences throughout the world,
including the Association for Jewish Studies (AJS), the Annual Herzliya
Conferences, Jewish Book Week (London), European GA (Budapest), World
Congress of Jewish Studies (Jerusalem), European Association for Jewish
Studies, the Jerusalem Spinoza Institute, the International Conference
of the International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists and
others, as well as many ongoing lecture series, faculty seminars and
public programs at universities in the Posen Project.
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