Personal History - UW Stroum Jewish Studies

A refugee’s journey from the Belgian Congo to Tel Aviv to Seattle

Oscar Olivier was forced to flee the Belgian Congo in search of a stable life. His story weaves together the pursuit of freedom and justice, the power of resistance, and a deepening connection with Judaism.

By Stroum Center for Jewish Studies| 2018-05-25T14:53:23+00:00 June 5th, 2017|Categories: Grad Student Writing, Israel & Hebrew Studies, Personal History|Tags: Africa, American Jewish Community, Graduate Student Writing, Israel, Personal History, Refugees, Student Writing|1 Comment

Expanding My Jewish Studies Horizons in Australia

Yarrow Linden, a Jewish Studies minor, spent last autumn in Australia with the support of an Opportunity Grant. Hear about her adventures!

By Stroum Center for Jewish Studies| 2017-09-19T11:00:02+00:00 January 31st, 2017|Categories: Global Judaism, Personal History, Student Writing|Tags: Opportunity Grants|0 Comments

A Book Lover’s Tour of Judaica Libraries in Los Angeles

Scholar, translator, and librarian Emily Thompson visited Judaica libraries in LA to learn more about their collections and operations.

By Emily Thompson| 2017-09-04T22:41:12+00:00 January 23rd, 2017|Categories: News, Personal History, Sephardic Studies|Tags: Ladino, Opportunity Grants, Sephardic|1 Comment

Crossing the Bosphorus: A Sephardic Memoir in a 100-Year-Old French Notebook

Finding clues to a great-grandmother's migratory life in her notebook from the Alliance Israelite Universelle school.

By Hannah Pressman| 2017-09-04T22:41:16+00:00 December 2nd, 2016|Categories: Featured, Personal History, Sephardic Studies|Tags: France, Hannah Pressman, Ladino, Ottoman Empire, Rhodes, Sephardic|2 Comments

“My Culture is Not in This Language”

Hebrew was the only way Anat Mooreville could communicate with her Romanian-born grandparents. A beautiful reflection on home as "a place beyond language."