Debunking the myth of “elite Jews” in medieval Europe
Contrary to the stereotypes, the biggest bankers, traders, and financiers in medieval Europe were Christians, not Jews, writes graduate fellow Kerice Doten-Snitker.
Fences: Jews as Dealers in Stolen Goods in Early Modern Poland
Many "fences" (dealers in illicit goods) in early modern Poland were Jewish. Why? Prof. Shaul Stampfer will explore the reasons Jews entered the field and how Jewish communities dealt with illicit activity.
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.
Spinoza, Industrialization, and the Nineteenth-Century Ethos of Repose
Tracie Matysik explains the controversy around Spinoza's unconventional ideas about God and humanity, and why they suggest we should slow down in a fast-paced world.
How Did the Enlightenment Shape the Jews?
2017 Stroum Lecturer Jonathan Israel explores how Enlightenment thinkers both fueled anti-Semitism and created greater space for Jewish people in society.
What Does It Mean to Be Heard?
Opportunity Grant winner Katja Schatte reflects on her time at the Voice of Witness Oral History training and its impact on her multimedia doctoral project centered on the voices of East German Jewish women.
Prophets at War: Hermann Cohen and German Jews in the First World War
During World War I, philosopher Hermann Cohen argued that Jews could be true and full citizens of the new German nation-state. Many of his contemporaries, including other Jews, disagreed. Professor Michael Rosenthal explains.
The Importance of Welcoming Refugees
What years of interviewing Bosnian War refugees taught Professor Kathie Friedman, a sociologist in the Jackson School at the University of Washington.