Faculty Director's Welcome

Dear colleagues, Stanford community, friends of the Center,

Welcome to Jewish Studies at Stanford! The Taube Center for Jewish Studies explores a wide range of topics related to Jewish peoples, including their cultures, religions, histories, literatures, and languages. Our diverse course offerings span the Humanities & Sciences, the Graduate School of Education, and Stanford Law School. Students of Jewish Studies benefit from access to a world-class faculty and extensive archival collections.

Each year, the Taube Center invites scholars, authors, and artists to present at public events, which are open to all Stanford students. These events engage with important questions about Jewishness in its broadest sense: What makes a historical moment, a work of fiction, a film, or a language "Jewish"?

In the coming year, we are excited to feature international conferences on reading the books of Samuel today, sexuality in early Judaism, and the Jewish thinker Hannah Arendt. We will also explore the intersection of Jewish Studies and the environment and host several speaker series, including "Jewish Storytelling: Creating Communities through Stories" and "How to Think About Antisemitism."

We are particularly attentive to the issue of antisemitism and are developing a central resource hub for education and public engagement with this critical topic, which, unfortunately, remains a significant concern in Jewish life. Our hope is that the challenges we face will be met with a collegial spirit of inquiry and collaboration, fostering continuous learning, reflection, and growth.

We remain deeply concerned about the events unfolding in Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and the broader region. As scholars, our role is vital in providing reliable information, critical analysis, and thoughtful reflection. Our program offers several opportunities to engage with the history and literature of the conflict. For those interested in political and social analysis, we encourage participation in lectures offered by the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.

May this year bring us all closer to peace.

Shana Tova, 

Vered

Vered Karti Shemtov

Faculty Director, Taube Center for Jewish Studies