ASU Jewish Studies understands knowledge is inseparable from identity and it transforms the present and future. To that end we open our research conferences and related events to the public, offering the community opportunities to learn from a variety of scholars on a broad array of Jewish studies topics. These are just some of the events we have made accessible over the years.

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2020-2021

Anti-Semitism in Comparative Perspective: Recent Trends and Research Frontiers

January 25, 2021

Lowe Family Research Workshop

Anti-Semitism in Comparative Perspective: Recent Trends and Research Frontiers

Recent years have witnessed a dramatic rise in anti-Semitic incidents and the growth of anti-Semitic attitudes around the world. New research estimates more than a quarter of the world—1.09 billion people out of more than 4.1 billion people surveyed—harbors anti-Semitic attitudes. This workshop—organized by David Siroky and Lenka Bustikova of the School of Politics and Global Studies at Arizona State University—brings together leading scholars from around the globe to discuss the frontiers in the study of anti-Semitism and to debate critical factors that influence where and when ethnoreligious groups, and Jews in particular, are likely to be targeted and viewed with prejudice.

made possible by The Lowe Family Holocaust and Genocide Education Endowment

learn more about Lowe Family events

Judaism and Climate Change: Science, Theology, and Ethics

February 28, 2021

Judaism, Science and Medicine Group (JSMG)

Judaism and Climate Change: Science, Theology, and Ethics

2021 JSMG Postcard cover

sponsors: ASU Jewish Studies | Harold and Jean Grossman Chair in Jewish Studies, Arizona State University  Irving and Miriam Lowe Professor of Modern Judaism, Arizona State University with support from: Dr. Michael Anbar Memorial Lecture in Judaism, Science and Medicine Endowment, Arizona State University community partner: Valley Beit Midrash

learn more about JSMG

2019-2020

Jewish Healing Through the Ages: theories and practices

March 1-2, 2020

Judaism, Science and Medicine Group (JSMG)

Jewish Healing Through the Ages: theories and practices

2020 JSMG Postcard

The “Jewish Healing through the Ages: Theories and Practices” conference explored:

  • the Jewish physician as a social type
  • the historical factors that shaped the status, function, and impact of Jewish physicians
  • the relations between Jews and non-Jews in the practice of medicine
  • the intellectual, ethical, and theological dimensions of Jewish medicine
  • the role of women and gender in Jewish medical practice

sponsors:  ASU Jewish Studies | Harold and Jean Grossman Chair in Jewish Studies, Arizona State University | Irving and Miriam Lowe Professor of Modern Judaism, Arizona State University with support from: Dr. Michael Anbar Memorial Lecture in Judaism, Science and Medicine Endowment, Arizona State University community partner: Valley Beit Midrash

learn more about JSMG

Jewish Treasures of the Caribbean Exhibit

January 12-March 26, 2020

ASU Jewish Studies presents stunning images by award-winning photographer Wyatt Gallery highlight the fascinating and little-known history of the earliest Jewish communities in the New World, as seen through the remaining historic sites in Barbados, Curaçao, Jamaica, Nevis, St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. Eustatius, and Suriname. These synagogues and Jewish cemeteries—the oldest in the Western Hemisphere—reveal the strength of the Jewish people and the surprisingly diverse cultural history of the Caribbean.

sponsored by: Harold and Jean Grossman Chair in Jewish Studies at Arizona State University | ASU Jewish Studies | Arizona Jewish Historical Society | Rosenbluth Family Foundation

learn more about the exhibit and related events

2018-2019

Judaism and Disability: new genetics, disability studies, and practical interventions

February 17-18, 2019

Judaism, Science and Medicine Group (JSMG)

Judaism and Disability: new genetics, disability studies, and practical interventions

The Judaism and Disability: New Genetics, Disability Studies, and Practical Interventions conference explored:

  • how genetics and genomics help to understand and treat genetic diseases.
  • the diverse conceptions of physical and mental disabilities in the sources of Judaism in light of the new discipline of Disability Studies.
  • the social, cultural and psychological dimensions of disability.
  • the work of Jewish organizations to empower and include people with disabilities.

sponsors: ASU Jewish Studies | Harold and Jean Grossman Chair in Jewish Studies, Arizona State University with support from: Dr. Michael Anbar Memorial Lecture in Judaism, Science and Medicine Endowment, Arizona State University community partners: Gesher Disability Resources | Jewish Genetic Diseases Center of Greater Phoenix | Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center

learn more about JSMG

Jews and Jewishness in the Dance World

October 13-15, 2018 | ASU Tempe campus

Celebrating and examining the impact of Jews and the Jewish experience on the dance field and broader communities. Jews and Jewishness in the Dance World was deliberately inclusive in scope, definition, and audience. The conference featured over 100 movement and dance specialists from eight countries—Argentina, Austria, Canada, England, France, Germany, Israel, and the United States. These include dancers and choreographers, along with videographers, critics, scholars, educators, and dance/movement therapists, among others.

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2017-2018

Judaism and Mental Health: Psychotherapy, Neuroscience, and the Spiritual Life

February 18-19, 2018

Judaism, Science and Medicine Group (JSMG)

Judaism and Mental Health: Psychotherapy, Neuroscience, and the Spiritual Life

2019 JSMG conference program cover

Organized by ASU Jewish Studies at Arizona State University and Schusterman Center for Jewish Studies at The University of Texas at Austin.

This conference explored the intersection of science and spirituality within the realms of psychology and psychotherapy, with an emphasis on Judaism but also a comparative look at that intermingling in Christianity and less well-defined searches for meaning and transcendence. Participants include psychologists, psychiatrists, clergy, as well as humanities and religion scholars. Topics spanned centuries and range from considerations of problems of mental well-being in Rabbinic texts through the contemporary “positive psychology” movement and the findings of neuroscience.

sponsors: ASU Jewish Studies | Gale Family Foundation Annual Lectureship in Jewish Studies, University of Texas | Harold and Jean Grossman Chair in Jewish Studies, Arizona State University | Schusterman Center for Jewish Studies, University of Texas at Austin with support from Dr. Michael Anbar Memorial Lecture in Judaism, Science and Medicine Endowment, Arizona State University

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2016-2017

Sexuality, Gender and the Jewish Family

February 19-20, 2017

Judaism, Science and Medicine Group (JSMG)

Sexuality, Gender and the Jewish Family

2017 JSMG conference postcard

The Sexuality, Gender and the Jewish Family conference explores the psychology of sexual orientation and gender identity; sexual identities in conflict; and sexual addiction, while reflecting on the new perspectives, legal tools and challenges to the Jewish family.

sponsors ASU Jewish Studies | Harold and Jean Grossman Chair in Jewish Studies, Arizona State University | Irving and Miriam Lowe Professor of Modern Judaism, Arizona State University with support from Dr. Michael Anbar Memorial Lecture in Judaism, Science and Medicine Endowment, Arizona State University community partner Valley Beit Midrash

learn more about JSMG

The Future of Jewish Philosophy conference on the Library of Contemporary Jewish Philosophers

September 18-19, 2016

The Library of Contemporary Jewish Philosophers (Brill) showcases outstanding Jewish thinkers who have made lasting contributions to Jewish philosophy in the second half of the 20th century. Each of the 20 volumes is devoted to an individual thinker, in order to show that thinker’s relationship to the Jewish philosophical past and to contemporary Jewish existence. This conference highlighted the diversity and vitality of contemporary Jewish philosophy, focusing discussion on Jewish philosophical response to contemporary challenges, and charting new paths for Jewish philosophy in the 21st century.

2015-2016

Health, Mortality and Morality: Jewish Perspectives

February 21-22, 2016

Judaism, Science and Medicine Group (JSMG)

Health, Mortality and Morality: Jewish Perspectives

2016 JSMG conference program cover

sponsors ASU Jewish Studies; Harold and Jean Grossman Chair in Jewish Studies, Arizona State University; Irving and Miriam Lowe Professor of Modern Judaism, Arizona State University with support from Dr. Michael Anbar Memorial Lecture in Judaism, Science and Medicine Endowment, Arizona State University community partner: Valley Beit Midrash

learn more about JSMG

Comparative Genocide Symposium

October 23-24, 2015

Comparative Genocide Symposium

Comparative Genocide project logo

sponsored by the Institute for Humanities Research a research unit of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, with support from the Center for Jewish Studies and Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict, research units of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; and the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies, an academic unit of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

2014-2015

From Galicia to New York: Salo W. Baron and His Legacy

February 28, 2021

From Galicia to New York: Salo W. Baron and His Legacy

In 2012, ASU Jewish Studies and the Institute of Jewish Studies at Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland inaugurated a formal collaboration, in the interest of paving the way to a new understanding of the Jewish past, in the larger context of western history, religion, and culture. Together, they convened a research symposium examining the revival of Jewish Studies, and the proceedings were published in volume 11 (2013) of the journal, Scripta Judaica Cracoviensia.

“From Galicia to New York: Salo W. Baron and His Legacy” was the next step in this scholarly collaboration: a conference to honor and consider the scholarly work of Salo Wittmayer Baron, whose 120th birthday was celebrated on May 26, 2015. Since Professor Baron’s outstanding scholarship was a joint effort with his wife, Jeannette M. Baron, the conference will honor her memory and her contribution to scholarship, as well. 

organized by ASU Jewish Studies and Institute for Jewish Studies at Jagiellonian University

sponsored by The Knapp Family Foundation; Salo W. and Jeannette M. Baron Foundation; Arizona State University Center for Jewish Studies; Institute of Jewish Studies at the Jagiellonian University; Taube Foundation for Jewish Life & Culture; Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies at Columbia University; and Taube Center for Jewish Studies at Stanford University

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Healing: the interplay of religion and science

October 26-27, 2014

Judaism, Science and Medicine Group (JSMG)

Healing: the interplay of religion and science

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sponsors ASU Jewish Studies and Harold and Jean Grossman Chair in Jewish Studies, Arizona State University

2013-2014

Religion, Science and Sociality: Emergence Theory and Relgion

October 6-7, 2013

Judaism, Science and Medicine Group (JSMG)

Religion, Science and Sociality: Emergence Theory and Relgion

sponsors ASU Jewish Studies and Harold and Jean Grossman Chair in Jewish Studies, Arizona State University

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The Musical Worlds of Polish Jews, 1920-1960: Identity, Politics, and Culture

November 17-18, 2013

The Musical Worlds of Polish Jews, 1920-1960: Identity, Politics, and Culture

This international research conference at Arizona State University focused on the richness of Polish-Jewish music from World War I to the decades after World War II and its relationship to the complex problem of Polish Jewish identity.

sponsors ASU Jewish Studies with additional support from Robert & Shoshana Tancer; The Melikian Center: Russian, Eurasian & East European Studies, a research unit of the College of Liberal Arts & SciencesSchool of Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies, an academic unit of the College of Liberal Arts & SciencesHerberger Institute for Design & the Arts: School of MusicThe OREL Foundation with special thanks to The OREL Foundation for arranging the The ARC Ensemble performance of "Poles Apart: Chamber Music from the Garden of Exile"

conference webpage

2012-2013

Evolution and Traditional Religions / The Obesity Epidemic: a multi-disciplinary examination

September 9-10, 2012

Judaism, Science and Medicine Group (JSMG)

Evolution and Traditional Religions
and
The Obesity Epidemic: a multi-disciplinary examination

sponsors ASU Jewish Studies and Harold and Jean Grossman Chair in Jewish Studies, Arizona State University

This year’s meeting was featured as a part of Project Humanities at ASU.

learn more about JSMG

2011-2012

Phenomenology, Existentialism and the Neurosciences: a Jewish Approach to Medicine

October 30-31, 2011 | held at the Center for Ethics at Emory University, Atlanta

Judaism, Science and Medicine Group (JSMG)

Phenomenology, Existentialism and the Neurosciences: a Jewish Approach to Medicine

sponsors: ASU Jewish Studies; Center for Ethics at Emory University, Atlanta; Harold and Jean Grossman Chair in Jewish Studies, Arizona State University

learn more about JSMG

Reimagining Erwin Schulhoff, Viktor Ullmann & the German-Jewish-Czech World

March 4-5, 2012

Reimagining Erwin Schulhoff, Viktor Ullmann & the German-Jewish-Czech World

This conference sought to reevaluate the musical legacy of Ullmann and Schulhoff and their contemporaries, connecting it with other strands, themes and contexts in European culture. The two-day event featured both scholarly presentations and performances.

2021 Update: new book - "Italian Jewish Musicians and Composers under Fascism: Let Our Music Be Played"

conference page

2010-2011

Judaism, Science and Medicine Group Annual Meeting

October 10-11, 2010

JSMG Annual Conference

sponsors: ASU Jewish Studies and Harold and Jean Grossman Chair in Jewish Studies, Arizona State University

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Rediscovered Masters

2010-2011 Concert and Lecture series

Rediscovered Masters

Their lives cut short by the horrors of war, and their works denied to be heard in the world’s concert halls, World War II affected all walks of life including music composition. Several composers’ vital and passionately lyrical compositions were banned and entire schools of composition were eradicated during the Holocaust while small pockets of music thrived in concentration camps across Eastern Europe. 

series page | related events

2009-2010

Inaugural Meeting of the Judaism, Science and Medicine Group

August 16-17, 2009

Inaugural Meeting of the Judaism, Science and Medicine Group

sponsors: ASU Jewish Studies; Harold and Jean Grossman Chair in Jewish Studies, Arizona State University; and Irving and Miriam Lowe Professor  of Modern Judaism

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The Refugee in the Postwar World

April 8-9, 2010

The Refugee in the Postwar World

The Refugee in the Postwar World was an interdisciplinary conference that explored the causes, consequences, and contemporary interpretations of the refugee crises that followed the end of World War II. The key objective was to gain a better understanding of a pivotal period of global population upheavals, which was also a critical moment in the formation of the international refugee regime.

sponsors: ASU Jewish Studies; The Melikian Center: Russian, Eurasian & East European Studies with additional support from: College of Liberal Arts & Sciences; Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law; School of Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies; School of Politics & Global Studies School of Social Transformation and made possible by: Arizona Humanities Council

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2008-2009

Viewing Mendelssohn, Viewing Elijah

April 29 - May 1, 2009

Viewing Mendelssohn, Viewing Elijah

From child prodigy to the most celebrated composer of his time: Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy was hailed as a genius, reviled as a sentimentalist, beloved as a model of assimilated thinking and attacked for his Jewish heritage. In honor of the 200th anniversary of the birth of one of the greatest composers— and one of the most paradoxical figures—of the Romantic age, Jewish Studies, the Herberger College of Fine Arts School of Music, and Faculty of Religious Studies in the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies at Arizona State University present “Viewing Mendelssohn, Viewing Elijah: assimilation, interpretation and culture.”

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Holy Sites and Holy Wars in the Middle East

March 2-3, 2009 

Holy Sites and Holy Wars in the Middle East

The relationship between holy sites, religion, political conflict, and violence has become a point of great interest and even urgency in scholarship and in the popular press alike.

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Stars of David: the Jewish Experience in American Cinema

November 16-17, 2008 | ASU Tempe campus

Stars of David: the Jewish Experience in American Cinema

In the 20th century, Hollywood films have been central to American popular culture, reflecting and refracting social forces while encapsulating the ambitions, anxieties, and nightmares of American life.  The most enduring ideal of America and especially of Hollywood remains the “American Dream,” the promise of opportunity and material success that shaped the cultural and collective identity of this nation of immigrants. 

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