JSEE: Общая информация
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JEWISH SCHOLARSHIP IN EASTERN EUROPE
Vol. 2, No. 2, February 1998
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CONTENTS
- Educational Projects:
Brandeis University Summer Program on Jewish History (Cracow,
Poland), Yiddish Summer Course (Vilnius, Lithuania)
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EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS
The section comprises special announcements from the hosts of
educational projects on Jewish history and culture Eastern Europe.
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EXPLORE THE JEWISH PAST IN EASTERN EUROPE:
BRANDEIS IN CRACOW
Cracow, Poland, June 29 - August 1, 1998
Join world-renowned Jewish Studies scholars for a 5-week journey
through the rich history, culture, language and literature of
East European Jewry ... and open the Gates of History.
HISTORICAL SETTING
Brandeis in Cracow is based in the heart of historic Kazimierz,
the Jewish Quarter of Cracow. Founded in 1335 by King Kazimierz
the Great, it was home to vibrant Jewish and non-Jewish communities.
As a result, Kazimierz's tangle of narrow streets holds synagogues,
bath-houses, and tombstones, interspersed with magnificent Gothic
and Baroque churches. In the cafes of Szeroka Street, the center of
Kazimierz, klezmer music can be heard throughout the night. There
is no place like it in all of Europe.
Attesting to the tapestry of cultures that was Kazimierz are such
breathtaking architectural masterpieces as the Corpus Christi, Holy
Trinity, and Catherine and Margaret's Churches. Prominent among
the several magnificent Jewish buildings which withstood the
ravages of the Holocaust and retain their poignant beauty to this
day is the 16th-century Remuh Synagogue, built for Rabbi Moshe
Isserles. Adjacent to the synagogue is the Old Jewish Cemetery,
which holds the tombstones of Rabbi Isserles and other towering
sages. The Old City of Cracow, which offers its own architectural
wonders, theaters, pubs, and magical atmosphere, is a brief walk
from Kazimierz's Center for Jewish Culture, a beautifully renovated
19th-century prayer house and the locus of our program.
In this astoundingly rich arena of Polish-Jewish culture, participants
will begin an intense exploration of the past. Modern movements
like Zionism, Socialism, and Yiddish culture once flourished here
amidst a dignified, age-old rabbinic society. By examining what
remains of this vibrant culture, we will come to understand the
human and cultural loss that the Holocaust entailed.
In addition to the academic program, participants attend lectures
and tours conducted by prominent scholars and living witnesses to
the Polish-Jewish past, as well as concerts, films, and stimulating
discussion groups. For three weeks, you will study at the Center
for Jewish Culture. Stepping out of the lectures and onto the
street, monuments to the vanished Jewish past will loom before
your eyes!
PROGRAM OF STUDY
Students can earn up to 2 Brandeis University course credits:
- Modern History of East European Jews
1 course credit (4 sem. hrs.)
Prof. Gershon Hundert (McGill University, Canada)
A comprehensive survey of the history of Jewish communities in
Eastern Europe from the middle of the eighteenth century until
World War Two, with emphasis on the Jews of Poland, Russia and
Romania. Attention will also be devoted to the economic,
socio-political and religious aspects of the life of the Jews
in these countries.
- Polish-Jewish Relations in the Twentieth Century
1 course credit (4 sem. hrs.)
Prof. Jan Gross (New York University, USA),
prof. Slawomir Kapralski (Central European University, Hungary)
Poles and Jews have differed widely in their assessment of the
strength of antisemitism in Poland. This course aims to examine
this problem in a dispassionate manner, starting with the
emergence of mass politics on the Polish lands at the end of
the nineteenth century and tracing the evolution of Polish-Jewish
relations up to the present.
- The Destruction of European Jewry
1 course credit (4 sem. hrs.)
Prof. Gabriel Finder (Susquehanna University)
A systematic examination of the Holocaust in the context of both
Jewish and modern European history. Interdisciplinary approaches
to historical sociology and legal philosophy will be applied.
- Beginning Yiddish
non-credit
This course develops basic conversation and reading skills and
introduces the essentials of Yiddish grammar.
- Intensive Polish
non-credit
This language course, taught by a native speaker, immerses students
in the Polish language and culture and includes in-depth study of
the essentials of grammar, along with the reading of texts.
Students are tested on the first day of class to determine
proficiency.
The program is sponsored by Brandeis University's Department of
Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, the Rabb School of Summer,
Special and Continuing Studies, the Project Judaica Foundation
and Steven Spielberg's Righteous Persons Foundation, and the
Kosciuszko Foundation. Academic director of the program -
prof. Antony Polonsky (Brandeis University, USA).
STUDY TOUR
At the end of the 3-week course, we leave Kazimierz and embark
upon a 9-day guided study tour throughout Jewish Galicia. Led
by the course instructors and local tour guides, this journey
takes us through the towns of Lancut, Rzeszow, Dabrowski,
Lezajsk, Przeworsk, Przemysl, Lesko, Rymanow, Bobowa, Tarnow,
Nowy Sacz, and finally Oswiecim, the infamous home of
Auschwitz-Birkenau. These towns encompass the entire spectrum
of the emotional East European Jewish past, from synagogues,
yeshivot, and Hasidic pilgrimage sites, to cemeteries, work
camps, and death camps. Re-live the joy, creativity, tragedy,
and despair of East European Jewry. The experience is priceless.
ACCOMODATIONS, COST, FINANCIAL AID, APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Participants will be housed in modern dormitories at the
Jagiellonian University. Breakfast is included. Cafeteria
and snack bar are on the premises, with vegetarian options.
During the study tour, all accommodations and meals
(vegetarian included) are provided, as well.
The cost of the program:
- Registration - $50
- One 4 sem. hr. credit course - $1950
- Two 4 sem. hr. credit courses - $3212
- Auditor's fee (all courses) - $2900
- Program fee (includes accommodations,
breakfast, daily shuttle to the
Center for Jewish Culture and 9-day
study tour)
Single room - $455
Double room per person - $355
- Group Airfare - Round Trip - approx.$950
Partial scholarships ($750 - $1500), based on need, are
available to credit students through the Project Judaica
Foundation. Those seeking assistance will be asked to
submit a letter stating their financial need and reasons
for pursuing the Brandeis in Cracow program.
Deadlines:
- Financial Aid Application - April 11, 1998
- Non-Aid Applications - May 1, 1998
- Financial Aid Notification
and Admission Decisions - May 1, 1998
- Student Acceptance, Submission of
Forms and Payment - May 11, 1998
For additional information contact:
Glenn Dynner
Brandeis in Cracow
Tel.: 1-781-736-3425
E-mail: dynner@binah.cc.brandeis.edu
For an application contact:
Address: Brandeis in Cracow,
c/o Rabb School of Summer,
Special and Continuing Studies
MS-084 (Sydeman 4D)
Brandeis University
P.O. Box 9110, Waltham, MA 02254-9110, USA
Tel.: 1-781-736-3424
Fax: 1-781-736-3420
E-mail: dynner@binah.cc.brandeis.edu
Web site: http://www.brandeis.edu/sumsch/Rabb.html
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FIRST ANNUAL VILNIUS PROGRAM IN YIDDISH
Vilnius, Lithuania, July 6 - 31, 1998
The East European Jewish Heritage Project in cooperation with
the Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Vilnius,
Lithuania launches the summer course featuring four levels of
Yiddish and the most prominent scholars of Yiddish language and
literature. The course is sponsored by the Open Society Fund in
Lithuania.
ACADEMIC PROGRAM
Three hours of intensive instruction each morning. There will
be daily written homework and a final examination or term
project. Norht American students may be able to transfer
credits to their university transcripts.
Courses offered include:
- Yiddish I
introductory course for students who have no prior knowledge
of Yiddish.
- Yiddish II
higher introductory course for students with modest knowledge
of Yiddish.
- Yiddish III
intermediate course for students who have completed a one
year university course in Yiddish or the equivalent.
- Yiddish IV
advanced course for students who have copleted a two year
university course in Yiddish or the equivalent.
Faculty:
- Dr. Joel Berkowitz
Fellow, Oxford Center for Hebrew and Jewish Studies,
Oxford University, England;
- Dr. Dovid Katz
Academic Director, East European Jewish Heritage Project;
- Dr. Dov-Ber Kerler
Director of Yiddish studies, Oxford Center for Hebrew and Jewish
Studies, Oxford University, England;
- Miriam Koral
Lecturer in Yiddish, Yiddishkayt L.A. - Yiddish Language and
Culture movement of Southern California, USA;
- Anna Verschik
Lecturer in Yiddish, University of Tartu, Estonia.
Academic advisor - prof. Meiris Shubas (Professor of Jewish Studies,
University of Vilnius, Lithuania). Program director - Dr. Dovid Katz.
Visiting lecturers:
- Prof. David Fishman
Jewish Theological Seminary, New York, USA;
- Abraham Karpinowitz
Yiddish author, Tel Aviv, Israel;
- Prof. John Klier
Chairman, Department of Hebrew and Jewish Studies,
University College London, England;
- Hirsh Reles
Yiddish author, Minsk.
CULTURAL PROGRAM
Extensive selection of afternoon and evening activities,
comprising:
- performances by East European Yiddish singers and musicians,
including: the Jewish Folk Ensemble, directed by Misha Dvilansky
(Lida, Belarus), Fayerlakh Ensemble, directed by Anya Kravetz
(Vilnius), Liora Grodnikaite (Vilnius), Sarah Lapitzkaya
(Vilnius/Tel Aviv), Jacob Magid (Vilnius);
- premiere screening of film footage for a new documentary on
the last village Jews in Lithuania and Belarus, presented by
Vilnius film director Saulius Berzhinis;
- rediscovered film footage of pre-war Jewish life in Eastern
Europe, and a new documentary on Marc Chagall, presented by
Minsk film director Yuri Gorulov.
- talks by leading figures in Jewish cultural life of Lithuania,
including:
S.Alperovitch (Chairman, Jewish Community of Lithuania)
Rosa Bieliauskiene (Archivist, Jewish State Museum)
Fira Bramson (Chief Judaica Librarian, Lithuanian National Library)
Ch.Lemchenas (Yiddish scholar)
Israel Lempert (Chairman, Committee for Lithuanian Jewish Heritage)
J.Levinson (Co-editor, "Yerusholayim d'Lite")
Frida Zimaniene (Secretary, "Yerusholayim d'Lite");
- walking tour of the Old City and the oldf Jewish Quarter, and visits
to the Jewish Museum, led by Rachel Kostanian (Scientific Secretary,
Jewish State Museum of Lithuania);
- walking tour of the pre-eminent sites of the pre-war Yiddish culture,
led by Bluma Katz (veteran of the Vilna Yiddish Teachers' Seminary);
- photographic exhibition by Frank Swartz (Executive Director, East
European Jewish Heritage Project);
- tours of sites of Jewish historical interest in Vilnius (including
the Gaon of Vilna's tomb) and throughout Lithuania.
TUITION FEE, APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Tuition fee is $599. In addition, participants are required to
purchase texts and cover the costs of travel, maintenance and
accommodation. A list of housing options, covering a wide spectrum
of budget requirements, will be provided.
A non-refundable $59 deposit must be paid on submition of the
application. Bookings are already accepted. Each of the four levels
will be limited to fifteen participants, Applications will be
processed on a first-come first-serve basis.
For more information and for an application contact:
Justinas Vancevicius
Coordinator, Vilnius Program in Yiddish
Center for Judaic Studies,
University of Vilnius
Address: Universiteto 3, Vilnius 2734 Lithuania
Tel.: 370-2-624928, 370-2-571984
Fax: 370-2-223563
E-mail: justinas.vancevicius@flf.vu.lt
root@lzb.vno.osf.lt
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JEWISH SCHOLARSHIP IN EASTERN EUROPE: ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER
JSEE International academic editorial board:
Henry Abramson (Florida Atlantic University, USA),
Dmitry Elyashevich (St. Petersburg Jewish University, Russia),
Avraham Greenbaum (Ben-Zion Dinur Institute, Israel),
Rashid Kaplanov (Center "Sefer", Russia),
John Klier (University College London, England),
Antony Polonsky (Brandeis University, USA),
Paul Radensky (Jewish Theological Seminary, USA),
Shaul Stampfer (Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel),
Michael Steinlauf (YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, USA).
JSEE Moderator: Elina Shkolnikova.
Editor of JSEE Vol. 2, No. 2: Vassili Schedrin.
Subscription requests and submissions: heritage@glasnet.ru
Archives: http://www.glasnet.ru/~heritage/jsee.htm
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The JSEE is maintained and moderated by
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Address: Russia 117449 Moscow,
Novocheremushkinskaya Ul., 1/14-3-12
E-mail: heritage@glasnet.ru
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