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How a shared history of persecution brought two communities (back) together: Kurdish-Jewish cooperation in Germany
Opportunity Grant winner Pinar Ulumaskan traces the re-emergence of a historic connection between Kurds and Jews in Germany.
Using Yiddish to fight the “othering” of Jews in Poland
Opportunity Grant winner Kendra Berry explains how studying language builds empathy — especially in places where nationalistic narratives dominate.
How Iraqi Jews are reclaiming their cultural legacy in Israel
Grad Fellow Pablo Maldonado explains how, following their forced migration in the 1950s, Israel's Middle Eastern Jewish community is reconnecting with its heritage through music.
Arts & Culture
François Azar brings folktales and the French Sephardic revival to Seattle Ladino Day
François Azar, a leader of the French Sephardic revival, on writing his own Ladino folktales, censorship, and why he is confident about the future.
Reading Agnon in Indiana
How scholar Adam Rovner's move from Israel to Indiana deepened his appreciation of Hebrew, thanks to one of Israel's most classic authors.
Shem Tov de Carrión: How a Jewish poet from medieval Spain speaks to us today
Shem Tov de Carrión's "moral proverbs" about human nature and right rulership are surprisingly relevant today, Graduate Fellow Vivian Mills writes.
Hebrew & Israel Studies
“Can we discuss Turkey-Israel relations without mentioning this crisis?”: Interviewing foreign policy makers during a crisis
Talking about sensitive issues during a diplomatic crisis is hard but possible, Graduate Fellow Berkay Gulen found, while interviewing Israeli policy-makers during the tense spring of 2017.
“What it’s all about”: Hebrew, the Hokey Pokey, and Rabbi Hillel
The Hebrew version of the popular children's song evokes the famous words of Rabbi Hillel, illustrating the deep resonances of the Hebrew language.
Finding the courage to begin: Reflecting on challenges and growth in Israel
Opportunity Grant winner Marissa Gaston explains how living in Beer Sheva, Israel, has helped her to grow as a thinker and as a person.
Personal History
Finding an intellectual home in Jewish Studies
Dean's Medalist Annie Lewis, '18, a Jewish Studies minor, explains how Jewish Studies expands horizons and builds critical thinking skills.
My journey in Yiddishkeit: Learning Yiddish as an Arabic (& Judeo-Arabic) speaker
Opportunity Grant winner Mohamed Elias explains why he chose to study Yiddish, and what he discovered when he did.
Learning Hebrew, mother and child
How does language connect children to their parents? Hannah Pressman reflects on learning Hebrew as a child and discovering her mother's ulpan notebook.
Jewish History & Thought
Us vs. them: Challenging stereotypes about Judaism in the wake of Pittsburgh shooting
Christian myths about Judaism both feed anti-Semitism and misrepresent the reality of a religion based on the love of God and the other.
An English professor reflects on Pittsburgh
Works of literature speak to the forces behind anti-Semitic violence.
The United States should embrace its legacy of compassion towards immigrants and refugees, not its history of xenophobia
Americans should remember their history as immigrants and refugees, says Prof. Kathie Friedman-Kasaba, and how xenophobic restrictions have targeted many groups in the past.
Sephardic Studies
“Seattle is a Sephardic country:” Behind the scenes of Ladino Day 2018
Makena Mezistrano reflects on the sixth annual Ladino Day celebration.
Aki estamos (we are here): Revitalizing Ladino in Paris and beyond
Molly FitzMorris on this year's Sephardic "summer university" in Paris, and why today's Ladino speakers can say "aki estamos" ("we are here").
François Azar brings folktales and the French Sephardic revival to Seattle Ladino Day
François Azar, a leader of the French Sephardic revival, on writing his own Ladino folktales, censorship, and why he is confident about the future.
Digital Jewish Studies
Jewish Studies Year in Writing, 2017-18
Articles by Stroum Center students and faculty on Sephardic culture, Israel, Hebrew language and literature, and more from the 2017-18 academic year.
Video: Jonathan Israel on Spinoza as a Revolutionary
Professor Jonathan Israel explores Spinoza's role as a revolutionary thinker and precursor to the modern human rights movement in the 2017 Stroum Lectures in Jewish Studies.
Podcast: Violence, Militancy & How Civilians React
Doctoral student Emily Gade discusses her research on radicalization and resiliency against violence, highlighting the work of the Israeli recovery organization ZAKA.
Videos
Stroum Center faculty respond to Pittsburgh synagogue shooting
Jewish Studies faculty share perspectives on anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic violence.
Video: Gary Shteyngart discusses his new novel and “the new dystopia” of America in the 2018 Stroum Lectures
Author Gary Shteyngart shares tales from the world of hedge fund management and Trump's America that informed his new novel "Lake Success."
Video: Gary Shteyngart reflects on immigration, memory, and Russian Jews in the 2018 Stroum Lectures
Author Gary Shteyngart, in conversation with Professor Sasha Senderovich, shares stories from his memoir "Little Failure."