The Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies is committed to providing audiences in Philadelphia and beyond with unique opportunities to learn from prominent scholars in Jewish studies. The diverse group of scholars who come to the Center each year from around the world and the richness of the fellowship programs contribute greatly to the range and quality of the Katz Center’s public programing.
2012–2013 Public Programs
The fellowship program on thirteenth-century Judaism presents an exceptional opportunity to explore the historical origins of important contemporary modern issues such as the Jewish curriculum, the tension between Jewish thought and practice, rationalism and mysticism, and anti-Semitism. Developing last fall’s theme, now in medieval robes, we will host a mini-series in fall 2012 on thirteenth-century encounters between Jews, Christians, and Muslims. In the spring, the lecture series will reflect the range and richness of our fellows’ own expertise. Lectures will touch on a broad array of topics from blood libels to Kabbalah, from philosophy to the everyday lives of Jews, Christians, and Muslims who often shared the same urban space. For more information on upcoming programs, keep an eye on this page or contact Etty Lassman at 215-238-1290.
- Penn Lectures in Judaic Studies: Greater Philadelphia — drawing hundreds of people every spring, this lecture series is conducted in local synagogues, community centers, and at the National Museum of American Jewish History. Recent programs dealt with topics ranging from the economic role of Jews in history to secularism in the Modern Jewish world to conversion in Jewish history.
- Programs at Penn Hillel — Katz Center fellows and Penn undergraduates meet in informal conversations on topics devised between them.
- Penn Seminars for Rabbis — through close reading of primary texts, the Penn seminars for rabbis introduce Jewish educators to some of the most exciting findings and recent trajectories in Jewish studies. Led by fellows, past sessions included such topics as modern readings of the Book of Job, the seeming tension between academy and community, and the debate over conversion in the State of Israel.
If you would like to receive emails about upcoming public lectures and events in the area, please send a note with your email address to Etty Lassman (lassman@sas.upenn.edu).
