ASU Jewish Studies Program Calendar 2026 - 2027
About the Cover Artwork Marc Chagall, “Zion Window,” detail of the angel blowing the shofar, Fraumünster Church, Zurich, Switzerland, 1970.
About the Artist Marc Chagall (1887– 1985) was a Belarusian-born French Jewish artist and one of the leading figures of twentieth-century modern art. Inspired by the Bible, Jewish tradition, and the folklore of his native Vitebsk, he worked in painting, stained glass, printmaking, ceramics, tapestry, and stage design.
Fall 2026 Thursday, Oct. 1 7:00 - 8:30 PM Beth El Congregation
Samson and the Paradoxes of Power: A Lecture and Musical Experience for Hoshana Rabah Link: links.asu.edu/jssamson • Daniel Stein Kokin (Arizona State University)
Sunday, Oct. 18 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Zoom
The Jews of Egypt from Antiquity to Modernity (Part One): “Septuagint, Synagogue and Symbiosis: The Jews of Hellenistic Egypt” Link: links.asu.edu/jsegypt1 • Gary Rendsburg (Rutgers University)
Wednesday, Oct. 21 7:00 - 8:30 PM Zoom and Temple Chai
Why Jewish Humor Counts: American Jews, Humor, and Seeing the Bright Side in Statistics Link: links.asu.edu/jsfunny • Jennifer Caplan (University of Cincinnati)
Sunday, Oct. 25 10:00 - 11:30 AM Zoom
Lowe Family Holocaust and Genocide Lecture: “Cursed: A Social Portrait of the Kielce Pogrom” Link: links.asu.edu/jslowe • Joanna Tokarska-Bakir (Polish Academy of Sciences)
Wednesday, Oct. 28 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM Creighton University Phoenix
Murray and Sabina Zemel, z”l, Educators Conference on the Holocaust Info and registration at: phxha.org
Thursday, Oct. 29 12:00 - 2:00 PM In Person ASU Tempe, West Hall
ASU Humanities Week Faculty Showcase: “Kings, Travelers, and Philosophers: Premodern Perspectives on Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Relations” Link: links.asu.edu/jskings Hannah Barker (Arizona State University) • Han Hsien Liew (Arizona State University) • Ashley Odebiyi (Arizona State University) • Stanley Mirvis (Arizona State University) •
Sunday, Nov. 1 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Zoom
The Jews of Egypt from Antiquity to Modernity (Part Two): “The World of the Cairo Genizah: Medieval Egypt through the Eyes of Egyptian Jews” Link: links.asu.edu/jsegypt2 Elisha Russ-Fishbane (New York University) •
Sunday, Nov. 8 1:00 - 4:30 PM Zoom
The Harold and Jean Grossman Director’s Symposium: “Neighbors and Strangers: New Insights into the History of Black-Jewish Relations” Link: links.asu.edu/jsneighbors Gil Ribak (University of Arizona) - Keynote Speaker • LaNitra Berger (George Mason University) - Panelist • Devin Randolph (University of South Carolina) - Panelist • David Weinfeld (Rowan University) - Panelist •
Thursday, Nov. 12 12:00 - 1:30 PM Zoom
Innovations in Holocaust Education: “Building the Hilton Family Holocaust Education Center” Link: links.asu.edu/jsinnovations Jacob Flaws (Kean University) •
Sunday, Nov. 15 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Zoom
The Jews of Egypt from Antiquity to Modernity (Part Three): “Egyptian Jews in the 19th and 20th Centuries: Between Migration and Social Mobility” Link: links.asu.edu/jsegypt3 Alon Tam (Ben Gurion University) •
Sunday, Nov. 15 3:00 - 5:00 PM Zoom and Temple Chai
Baron Award Winner Lecture: “Undesirables in the Diamond Horseshoe: A Jewish History of the New York Opera Industry” Link: links.asu.edu/jsbaron Samantha Cooper (University of Kansas) •
Spring 2027 Tuesday, Jan. 26 12:00 - 2:00 PM ASU Tempe, University Club
Albert and Liese Eckstein Scholar-in-Residence: “Did American Jewry Have a ‘Golden Age’? And Why the Question Matters” Link: links.asu.edu/jsecksteinfaculty • Beth Wenger (University of Pennsylvania)
Tuesday, Jan. 26 7:00 - 8:30 PM Zoom and Temple Chai
Albert and Liese Eckstein Scholar-in-Residence: “Unsettling American Jewish Histories” Link: links.asu.edu/jsecksteincommunity • Beth Wenger (University of Pennsylvania)
Sunday, Jan. 31 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Zoom
Wednesday, Feb. 3 10:00 - 11:30 AM Zoom Wednesday, Feb. 17 2:00 - 3:30 PM ASU Tempe, Mirabella Tuesday, March 2 4:00 - 5:30 PM ASU Tempe, West Hall Monday, March 15 3:00 - 5:00 PM Zoom and ASU Tempe, University Club
Tuesday, March 30 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Zoom Wednesday, March 31 7:00 - 8:30 PM Zoom and VOSJCC
Tuesday, April 6 Wednesday, April 7 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM ASU Tempe, Coor Hall 4403
New Books from ASU Jewish Studies (Part One): “Shattered Liberation: Sexualized Violence Against Holocaust Survivors” Link: links.asu.edu/jsbt1 • Anna Cichopek-Gajra (Arizona State University) • Stefan Ionescu (Chapman University) • Miranda Brethour (Penn State University) New Books from ASU Jewish Studies (Part Two): “Jewish Environmentalism in the Post-Secular Age” Link: links.asu.edu/jsbt2 Hava Tirosh-Samuelson (Arizona State University) • Jewish Philosophers: “Spinoza and the Origins of Modern Jewish Secularism” Link: links.asu.edu/jsspinoza • Hava Tirosh-Samuelson (Arizona State University) The Writings of Maimonides as an Archive for the History of Slavery Link: links.asu.edu/jsperry Craig Perry (Emory University) • Dr. Michael and Ada Anbar Annual Lecture in Judaism, Science and Medicine and the Judaism, Science, and Medicine Group Symposium: “Being Human in the Technological Age” Link: links.asu.edu/jsscience Annette Aronowicz (Franklin & Marshall College) • Alan Mittleman (Jewish Theological Seminary of America) • New Books from ASU Jewish Studies (Part Three): “American Maccabee: Theodore Roosevelt and the Jews” Link: jewishstudies.asu.edu/jsbt3 • Andrew Porwancher (University of Texas at Austin) The Women Question in Jewish Studies: Reflections and Conversations Link: links.asu.edu/jswomen • Susannah Heschel (Dartmouth College) • Sara Imhoff (Indiana University)
About ASU Jewish Studies ASU Jewish Studies serves as an intellectual resource for all aspects of the Jewish experience, including history, language, religion, culture and thought. We are committed to disseminating credible information, fostering discussion, and encouraging inquiry into the Jewish experience. Our academic offerings and scholarships bring knowledge of Jews and Judaism to our students. Through our free and widely available public programs, we present Jewish Studies as a scholarly complement to lived Jewish identity and as a rigorous academic resource for all audiences.
jewishstudies.asu.edu
Rosenbluth Family Genocide Awareness Week: “Humans, Hate and Hope: Being Different Makes a Difference” Link: links.asu.edu/GAW27
Please Note: All event times are listed according to MST. If you are joining us online, please visit 24Timezones.com to ensure you join us at the correct time.
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Stanley Mirvis, Director of ASU Jewish Studies
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