A new center focusing on the study of Jewish life in America opened last fall, giving students and the public opportunities to learn about the role of New York and American Jewry through a variety of contexts. The Jewish Studies Center (JSC) is part of the Mildred and George Weissman School of Arts and Sciences.
Weissman School Dean Jeffrey Peck, who helped create the JSC, said that the center is a “natural extension of the story of Baruch itself, which has historically had a strong connection to the New York Jewish community, educating the sons and daughters of Jewish immigrants.”
The JSC has four components: an academic minor in Jewish studies, arts and culture, community programming, and student life.
In Fall 2011, the first credit-based course will be offered: New York and the Jewish Experience explores the history and richness of New York Jewish culture through literature, museums, food, and walking tours.
Although still in its infancy, the center has already hosted and sponsored programs, including lectures, panel discussions, performances, conferences, and film screenings, with more events planned. According to Dov Schlein (’70, MBA ’75), who helped establish the JSC, “Baruch now joins a number of prominent educational institutions that have responded to the demand of students and the community to address the desire for studies of the rich Jewish cultural heritage.”
Center director and Assistant Professor of English Jessica Lang noted that “the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive . . . . We are gratified and excited at the enthusiasm the center continues to generate. The JSC offers something for everyone.”
For more information about the center and its programs, please visit www.baruch.cuny.edu/campaign/jsc.htm.
—Barbara Lippman