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A Winter of Jewish Studies
In January, two events central to Judaic scholarship are held in Moscow, the city which once represented the denial of Judaic practice and study. Organized by Sefer: The Moscow Center for University Teaching of Jewish Civilization in collaboration with the Chais International Center for University Teaching of Jewish Civilization (Hebrew University of Jerusalem), these scholarly events mark the highlight of a year of academic studies, schools and conferences.
First, over 140 young adults, fledgling scholars from Judaic studies departments in Jewish and non-Jewish colleges and universities throughout the former Soviet Union (FSU), gather for the Sefer Moscow Winter School. Then, these attendees join an additional 350 participants at the Annual International and Interdisciplinary Conference on Jewish Studies. The popularity of both events reflects the dramatic growth of Jewish Studies in the former Soviet Union, and the importance placed upon it. This year marks the fourth Moscow Winter School in Jewish Studies. The school is an intensive weekend of Judaic studies in the company of the most renowned professors and lecturers from the FSU and Israel. Participants have been chosen from an applicant pool that is more than three times its size. Last year, students attended from a total of 26 cities, ranging from Kazan and Krasnodar in Russia, Gorlovka and Chernovtsy in Ukraine, Dzerzhinsk in Belorussia, Vilnus, Lithuania and Riga, Latvia. The Winter School program offers twenty-four mini-courses on a wide range of subjects. It also includes plenary lectures, meetings with Israeli authors and presentation of academic programs in the field of Jewish education, as well as student programs in Jewish Studies. A Beit Midrash -- nightly in-depth small group studies - is also included: last year's included an opportunity for students to suggest their own artistic interpretations of classic Jewish texts, under the guidance of a Theatre Studies expert. The success of the Moscow Winter School has fostered the development of regional winter and summer schools that serve scholars from remote regions, while involving local universities and organizations as co-organizers. Following the Winter School, Sefer hosts the Annual International and Interdisciplinary Conference on Jewish Studies. This year will mark the tenth year of the Conference, an important milestone both for Sefer and Jewish academia in the FSU. The conference attracts a wide range of renowned academics, and this year's attendance has grown markedly, with over 500 participants expected to attend. A wide range of panels, workshops and lectures on major trends in Jewish studies around the world will be included in the program. Together, these events are changing the face of Jewish scholarship in the former Soviet Union. And the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), as founder of Sefer and supporter of these events, is playing a crucial role in this remarkable revival of Judaic studies in the former Soviet Union. |
