event-archived

Protectors of Pluralism: The Rescue of Jews in the Low Countries During the Holocaust

October 17, 2019

The Rescue of Jews in the Low Countries During the Holocaust

Protectors of Pluralism:
The Rescue of Jews in the Low Countries During the Holocaust

This book argues that local religious minorities are more likely to save persecuted groups from purification...

Hate: The Rising Tide of Anti-Semitism in France and What It Means for Us

November 1, 2019

Marc Weitzmann

Organizer Berkeley Center for Jewish Studies

Unlikely Refuge: Survivors, Aid Organizations and Local Communities in WWII Uzbekistan and Iran

November 4, 2019

Mikhal DekelBeginning in September 1941 and throughout the war, Central Asia and Iran became places of refuge to hundreds of thousand of Jewish and Catholic Polish citizens. Mikhal Dekel, whose father was a child refugee in Tehran, will recount the research and writing process of this epic yet relatively unknown Holocaust story, told in her new book Tehran Children: A Holocaust Refugee Odyssey...

Remembering the Ephemeral: the Ritual Architecture of Sukkot in Contemporary Life

November 12, 2019

Gabrielle A. BerlingerHow can an ancient religious ritual convey current social and political needs? This question emerged from eight years (2007-2015) of documentation of Sukkot, the Jewish festival that annually commemorates the Israelites’ Biblical journey through the Sinai Desert to the Promised Land. This talk explores the holiday’s central rite of building and “...

The Invention of Religion: Jews in Babylon and the Evidence of Language and Literature

November 19, 2019

Jan JoostenAt some time after end of the First Temple period, the religion of ancient Israel became independent of the nation. Language and texts are key to this change. Hebrew turned into a sacred language, not one learned from one’s parents, but from the study of ancient texts. The process didn’t come to full fruition until after the fall of the Second Temple. But its earliest effects can be traced...

Diller Lecture: Neo-Hasidism and Neo-Kabbalah – Privatised Uses of Traditional Lore

January 30, 2020

Neo-Hasidism and Neo-Kabbalah – Privatised Uses of Traditional LoreTomer Persico (UC Berkeley Koret Visiting Assistant Professor of Jewish and Israel Studies; Tel-Aviv University)

To what measure does contemporary popular Kabbalah display an extension of traditional Kabbalah? How much does Neo-...

In the Name of the Cross: Christianity and Anti-Semitic Propaganda in Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany

February 5, 2020

David KertzerDavid Kertzer (Brown University)

In the Name of the Cross: Christianity and Anti-Semitic Propaganda in Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany

Heated debate surrounds the question of the role Christianity and Christian churches played in the Nazi and Italian Fascist demonization of the Jews. This talk brings to light similarities and differences in...

Antisemitism Here and Now

February 13, 2020

Deborah E. LipstadtOver the last decade there has been a noticeable uptick in antisemitic rhetoric and incidents by left-wing groups targeting Jewish students and Jewish organizations on American college campuses.

Where is all this hatred coming from? Is there any significant difference between left-wing and right-wing antisemitism? What role has the anti-Zionist movement...

Cold Case in Constantine: Anti-Jewish Violence and the Colonial Situation in French Algeria

February 11, 2020

Joshua Cole
Joshua Cole (University of Michigan)

Steve Zipperstein
Steve Zipperstein (Stanford University)

Cole’s prize-winning book solves the mystery of the Constantine riots of August...

Tapestry of Tongues: The Multilingual Matrix of Modern Hebrew Literature

February 23, 2020

Tapestry of Tongues:
The Multilingual Matrix of Modern Hebrew Literature

Screening of “Amos Oz”
Selected scenes from a work-in-progress
In “Ha’Ivrim,” a documentary film series (https://ivrim.co.il)

Followed by:
Conversation with Filmmaker Yair Qedar and UC Berkeley Professors Robert Atler and Chana Kronfeld

Cosponsors:
The University of California, Berkeley Magnes Collection of Jewish Art,
The Center for Jewish Studies,
The Berkeley Institute of Jewish Law and Israel Studies,
The Bernie H....