The Center for Judaic and Holocaust Studies a YSU and the Jewish Studies Program at Kent State University collaborated on a lecture series in Spring 2021, “Jews around the World.” The videos—save one, in process—are up! Watch them here.
Moshe Bernstein, “The Jews of Kaifeng, China: Identities Then and Now” (2/23/2021)
Galia Sabar, “Ethiopian Jews: The Long Quest for Zion” (3/23/2021)
Alma Rachel Heckman, “The Sultan’s Communists: Moroccan Jews and the Politics of Belonging” (4/20/2021)
CONTACT: Meetings and Movements of Jewish People & Artifacts across Cold-War Boundaries
We are seeking participants for a three-day symposium in Youngstown, Ohio to deliver papers exploring the meetings and movements of Jewish people, organizations, and artifacts across Cold-War boundaries. We intend for the proceedings to form the basis of an edited volume and are already in discussion with a university press.
Sunday, May 22 – Tuesday, May 24, 2022
Youngstown State University, Youngstown, Ohio
Organizers
Rebekah Klein-Pejšová (Purdue) and Jacob Ari Labendz (YSU)
Sponsors
The Center for Judaic and Holocaust Studies at YSU
The Jewish Studies Program at Purdue University
The Center for Judaic and Holocaust Studies at Youngstown State University proudly calls your attention to this conference. We will be sponsoring a Jewish-studies panel and invite proposals.
Robert W. Reeder I Symposium: Transportation, Movement, and Mobility
October 27-28, 2022
The History Program at Youngstown State University invites proposals for the 2022 Robert W. Reeder I Symposium: Transportation, Movement, and Mobility.
This symposium seeks to bring together a variety of emerging and established scholars whose work investigates the themes of transportation, movement, and mobility in U.S. history. Proposals from all eras and fields relative to U.S. history are welcome. We will give due consideration to all proposals submitted, whether from faculty, graduate students, independent scholars, or undergraduate students. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
We especially invite paper and panel proposals related to Jewish studies for a panel sponsored by the YSU Center for Judaic and Holocaust Studies. Accepted participants (a maximum of 4) will each receive a travel grant of $500.00. Funds will be awarded by mail after the conclusion of the conference.
We invite proposals for individual papers and for panels.
Presentations should be no more than 15 min in length.
Through the Robert W. Reeder I and Charles Darling Memorial Endowments and the YSU Center for Judaic and Holocaust Studies, we are pleased to offer a number of travel grants in conjunction with the symposium. Find out more here. Funds will be awarded by mail after the conclusion of the conference.
Sponsored by Youngstown State University & The Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor, Youngstown, Ohio
The Jambar, the student newspaper at YSU, ran a story on its front page which included a quote linking vaccine mandates to the Holocaust. A student participating in an anti-mandate protest commented,
“I view it as this is the same way the Holocaust started. I mean, I know that’s putting it into very blunt terms, but this is exact the same way—it didn’t all happen at once—it was slowly by slowly. He [Hitler, presumably] took things away and this is exactly what they’re trying to do to us.”
Dr. Jacob Ari Labendz, director of the Center for Judaic and Holocaust Studies, responded with a letter to the editor, which you may read here. He stressed that his intent was not to single out the student—who remained unnamed in his letter—but to address a fairly common trope among anti-vaccine (and lockdown) activists.
We would like to extend deepest gratitude to Dr. Stephanie Pridgeon of Bates College, who visited Youngstown this week to screen and discuss “El último traje” for the Youngstown Area Jewish Film Festival and YSU’s celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Dr. Pridgeon also joined Dr. Labendz’s Jewish History course on Tuesday to offer a fantastic, film-driven lecture about Jewish identity and integration in South America.
Our thanks to the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor, the Youngstown Area Jewish Community Center, Emelia Sherin, Ana Torres, Dr. Diana Palardy, Dr. Alicia Prieto Langarica, Grimilda Ocasio, and the film festival screening committee.
