Program History
Jewish Studies at KU
1978, Fall |
S. Daniel Breslauer is hired in Religious Studies to teach Jewish studies. He retires in 2003. |
1987-1993 |
Rabbi Morris Margolies offers courses in Jewish history in the History Department. |
1987-2003 |
Professor David Katzman (American Studies) oversees the Jewish Studies Committee. |
2002, Fall |
A minor in Jewish Studies is available to students for the first time, offered within Religious Studies. |
2003, Sept |
The Robert M. Beren Foundation of Wichita gave $500,000 to the Kansas University Endowment Association to create the Beren Professorship; a matching $500,000 gift was provided from the Hall Family Foundation of Kansas City, Mo. Beren is owner and chairman of Berexco Inc., an oil and gas exploration company based in Kansas and is chairman of Beren Corp., an oil and gas production and securities investment company. His foundation provides grants in higher education, human services and Jewish organizations, among others. |
2005, Fall |
Jonathan Boyarin becomes the Robert M. Beren Distinguished Professor in Modern Jewish Studies, Religious Studies. Sari Havis hired to supervise Hebrew Language Program. |
2007, Fall |
Jonathan Boyarin leaves to take a position at UNC |
2007-2010 |
Sergei Dolgopolski is hired by Religious Studies to teach Jewish texts, traditions and thought |
2007-2008 |
Cheryl Lester, Chair of American Studies, is acting director |
2008, Fall |
Molly Zahn becomes Lecturer in Religious Studies |
2008, Fall to Fall 2010 |
Lynn Davidman is appointed as the Robert M. Beren Distinguished Professor in Modern Jewish Studies (joint appointment, Religious Studies and Sociology) and Director of Jewish Studies; she was a professor of Judaic Studies at Brown Renee Perelmutter is hired with Posen grant money to teach Yiddish (appointment is in Slavic Languages & Literatures) |
2010, April 3-4 (Su-Mo) |
Conference on “Narratives of Jewish Life and Jewish Studies” at the Hall Center, six speakers and a keynote address, “Freud, Jewishness and the Development of Psychoanalysis” by Eliza Slavet, University of California, San Diego. |
2010, August 1 |
Sari Havis leaves - Shelley Rissien hired as her replacement Sergei Dolgopolski takes a position at SUNY Buffalo |
2010, October to June 2011 |
Henry Bial, interim director |
2010, Fall |
Molly Zahn appointed to tenure track in Religious Studies |
2011 Fall |
Lynn Davidman, Director of Jewish Studies |
2012, Spring to Fall |
no director of Jewish Studies |
2012, Fall |
Program shifted to the Center for Global & International Studies (CGIS) Nimrod Rosler is Schusterman Visiting Assistant Professor, funded by American-Israeli Cooperative Institute (to Spring 2014) |
2013, Jan 1 |
John Younger, Professor of Classics, becomes Associate Director of CGIS for Jewish Studies |
2013, Fall |
Study Abroad programs to Israel for KU students approved Paul Nahme hired by Religious Studies |
2014, Fall |
Paul Nahme takes a position at Brown University Sam Brody hired by Religious Studies Gal Levy (Sociology, Open University, Israel) is Schusterman Visiting Assistant Professor, funded by American-Israeli Cooperative Institute (to Spring 2015) |
2015, Fall |
A major in Jewish Studies is approved Younger becomes Director of Jewish Studies and Jewish Studies becomes an independent unit Eric Welch is a hired as Visiting Assistant Professor in Jewish Studies JS hosts the 27th annual conference of the Midwestern Jewish Studies Association (Oct 18-19) |
2016, Spring |
Renee Perelmutter, Associate Professor of Slavic Languages & Literatures, moves .25 of her teaching line to Jewish Studies |
2017, Fall |
Renee Perelmutter, Associate Professor of Jewish Studies and of Slavic Languages & Literatures, becomes Director of Undergraduate Studies for JS JS hosts a one-day symposium on "Jews in the Midwest" (Nov 12) |
2018, Spring |
Eric Welch takes position at University of Kentucky |
2018, Fall |
Rami Zeedan hired as Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies and Political Science JS hosts a one-day writing workshop and symposium called "Writing Jewish: Midrash, Myth and Miracle" (Oct 21) |
2019, Summer |
John Younger retires Renee Perelmutter becomes Director of Jewish Studies |