The Robert A . and Sandra S. BornsJewishStudies ProgramAnnual Newsletter Volume 28 Fall 2009In Th I s Is s u e2 From the Director • 3 New Faculty Appointments • 4 Fall Events • 5 Initiatives & News 7 IU Press • 8 2008-2009 Lectures and Events • 10 JSP Endowments and Advisory Board11 Graduate Student News • 13 Undergraduate News • 17 Incoming Freshmen Scholarships18 Course Offerings and Workshops • 19 Alumni News • 20 Faculty News26 Donor Honor Roll • 27 Faculty and Staff • 28 Join the JSP FriendsIndiana University 2ISSN: 1930-482XFr o m T h e DI r e c T o rIt is a great honor to have been named the Director of the Robert A. and Sandra S. Borns Jewish Studies Pro-gram (JSP) here at Indiana University (IU). I look forward to the future growth and enhancement of the program and feel privileged to be working with such distinguished faculty, talented students, outstanding staff, accom-plished alumni, and supportive community members.I am pleased to announce that despite the difficult economic times of the moment, the expansion of the Borns JSP under the leadership of my predecessors, Steven Weitzman and Alvin Rosenfeld, has ensured that the program remains healthy, vibrant, and strong. The program has endowed six chairs, which have allowed IU to recruit and retain truly outstanding faculty. With affiliations in seventeen departments, programs, and institutes across the university, our faculty is the model of an interdisciplinary faculty. Our fellowship and scholarship campaign has also already begun to bear fruit: our 2008-2009 freshman class was one of the best I have ever seen, and our graduate applications have soared. Our partnerships across the university, the community, and the nation rein-force the program’s impact not only on our students, but beyond the campus as well.As Associate Director of the Borns JSP since 2003, I have had the opportunity to be a part of this expansion. I now look forward to consolidating these achievements and further enriching our educational offerings. I came to IU in 1999 as Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies (JS) and History. Last year, I had the honor to be named the Alvin H. Rosenfeld Chair in JS; I am truly privileged to hold a chair named for someone I hold in such high regard. My own scholarly work has focused on Jewish history in Russia and Eastern Europe. My first book, The Moscow State Yiddish Theater won a National Jewish Book Award; my second book, Jewish Public Culture in the Late Russian Empire, was recently published by IU Press, and I am currently working on my third book tentatively entitled In the Shadow of the Shtetl: Jewish Memory in Eastern Europe. I am grateful that the Borns JSP has always offered me the type of dynamic, spirited environment conducive to productive work, and I am pleased to be able to extend this environment to others. As Director of the Borns JSP, I will continue to expand the program while providing the personal attention to our students that they have come to expect and deserve. In particular, I look forward to developing graduate degree programs that will provide students with intensive training in those areas of JS in which the Borns JSP excels, and that will prepare students for careers in the professional world. I also plan on overseeing the pro-gram’s move into new facilities that will create an improved physical environment and open up the possibility of innovative approaches to research and education. I hope to develop collaborative learning ventures, providing new forums for students and faculty to interact on research projects outside of the classroom, and affording stu-dents with more hands-on opportunities for instruction and career preparation. Recognizing the impact of global awareness, I plan on increasing our already strong overseas programs in Israel and introducing new initiatives for students to learn firsthand about Jewish communities around the world. I appreciate how the program offers our diverse student body an intimate learning environment within a major research university, allowing our students to take advantage of both a liberal arts education in JS and the manifold resources of the university as a whole. The Borns JSP remains, as always, committed to fostering leadership skills, civic responsibility, and academic achievement through rigorous interdisciplinary study of the Jewish people and civilization. With best wishes for a healthy and satisfying new year,Dr. Jeffrey Veidlinger DirectorAlvin H. Rosenfeld Chair in Jewish Studiesand Professor of Historymo D e r n he b r e w Pr o g r a m we l c o m e s ra c h e l na o rThe Borns JSP’s Modern Hebrew Program strives to offer its approximately 150 students each year the best possible Hebrew language education. Under the dedicated and enthusiastic oversight of its Director, Ayelet Weiss, the program continues to develop, enrich, and expand its courses, maintaining an innovative approach to pedagogy and language acquisition. The IU Modern Hebrew Program offers a 2-4 year language, literature, linguistic, and cultural experience with 2 years of fundamental language-skills development and 2 years of advanced Hebrew - content based - studies. The courses offered provide experience in spoken Modern Hebrew and the structure of the Hebrew language in a complete and comprehensive manner, with a strong linguistic emphasis. Our students are encouraged to develop and use Hebrew computer-skills. While learning Modern Hebrew, IU students are introduced to various aspects of Israeli culture, particularly contemporary issues in Israeli society.Because Modern Hebrew language courses are conducted in small size classes, students immerse themselves in a Hebrew-speaking environment, one that provides individualized attention and immediate feedback. Modern Hebrew students use a variety of language resources, including the Israeli visual, audio, and written media; language computer-based programs; workbooks; and CDs. Hebrew enhancement activities outside the classroom include tutorial and review services, Israeli film showings, and weekly Hebrew Table opportunities. We are pleased that many students include an Israel study experience as part of their IU education.Program graduates possess skills which allow them to work, study, and live with daily use of the Hebrew language. Graduates also have a strong advantage in today’s market which allows them to develop their