Something to Talk About

Barbara Henry will reveal why she pursued Yiddish.

Jewish Studies, meet TED Talks.

TED Talks, meet Jewish Studies.

In a new public program that may be the first of its kind in the country, the Stroum Jewish Studies Program is hosting the inaugural JewDub Talks on Thursday, November 8th at 7:00 pm. Inspired by the national phenomenon of TED Talks, JewDub Talks will showcase four faculty members giving short lectures on big ideas.

The dynamic format seeks to provide students and community members up-close access to several of our dynamic teachers. At the same time, it allows our faculty to explore topics that are personally and intellectually compelling for them, but maybe never made it onto a course syllabus.

On tap to deliver pocket-sized but deeply fascinating lectures on November 8th are:

Barbara Henry, “So Why Yiddish?” – Examining the connection between personal identity and academic pursuit of an endangered language.

Shalom Sabar, “Where do our rituals come from?” – On the origin of Jewish customs and the changing nature of symbols like a broken glass.

Devin Naar, “Recovering Family Fragments” – The unexpected events that led this Sephardic historian to piece together his own family’s experience in the Holocaust.

Sarah Stroup, “The Tradition Myth” – Archaeology may say one thing, but our narratives say another. A consideration of Jewish adaptation and survival over time.

””

”[typography

JewDub Talks: One room. Four talks. Endless possibilities.”]

Sarah Stroup ponders whether survival requires traditions that change or stay the same.

In recognition of its unique approach and crossover appeal, JewDub Talks received a grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle. JewDub Talks is one among many ways through which the Stroum Jewish Studies Program promotes scholarship that is directly engaged with the community.

Come out on November 8th to experience Jewish Studies in a dynamic new format. This special event is free, but advance registration is appreciated. Click here to reserve your seat and hear what everyone’s talking about!

JewDub Talks

Date: Thursday, November 8th, 7:00 pm-8:30 pm

Location: UW Tower Auditorium (4333 Brooklyn Ave NE)

Cost: Free! Reception will follow.

RSVP: https://jewdubtalks.eventbrite.com/

For coverage of the Stroum Jewish Studies Program’s upcoming public programming, courses, blog posts, and more, check out JewDub.org!

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⇒ Learn more about the Stroum Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Washington, our Sephardic Studies Program, or our Israel Studies Program.

Note: The opinions expressed by faculty and students in our publications reflect the views of the individual writer only and not those of the Stroum Center for Jewish Studies.

About the Author: Hannah Pressman

Dr. Hannah Pressman writes about modern Jewish culture, religion, and identity. A lifelong lover of languages and literatures, she earned her Ph.D. in modern Hebrew literature from New York University. She is co-editor of Choosing Yiddish: New Frontiers of Language and Culture (2012). Her writing has appeared in Tablet, the Forward, Lilith, eSefarad, and My Jewish Learning. Dr. Pressman is the former Communications Director and Graduate Fellowship Coordinator at the Stroum Center for Jewish Studies. She is currently at work on a memoir about her Sephardic family history, connected to explorations of contemporary American Jewish identity.