Welcome to the 2024-2025 academic year!

Fall is upon us, and with it a new academic year on campus. The Taube Center for Jewish Studies is eager to continue its deep engagement with Jewish cultures, literatures, languages, religion, politics, and history. We are committed to connecting with students, faculty, and colleagues who seek opportunities to be challenged and inspired. Join us this year as we co-create our vibrant and inviting intellectual community.

The Taube Center welcomes Vered Shemtov as our new Faculty Director. Under Vered's leadership, the Center will continue to promote Jewish scholarship and education—and be an intellectual home for everyone whose interests inflect Jewish Studies. In the coming year, we are excited to feature international conferences on sexuality and early Judaism, as well as a conference focused on the Jewish thinker Hannah Arendt. We will also explore the intersection of Jewish Studies and the environment alongside several speaker series, including "How to Think About Antisemitism" and "Jewish Storytelling: Creating Communities through Stories."

This year, we’re paying particular attention to antisemitism and are developing a central space for resources, education, and public engagement with the concept that unfortunately remains in the foreground of Jewish life. Below we offer highlights of the upcoming year. Our biggest hope is that the tumultuous moments we are sure to encounter will find a countervailing force in the collegial spirit of inquiry and collaboration we tap each year to keep us learning, reflecting, and growing.

We anticipate a fruitful year filled with engaging courses and events in Jewish Studies, and we encourage you to get involved in any way you choose.

If you are a student interested in declaring a major or minor in Jewish Studies or in completing a Jewish Studies Certificate, please contact our Associate Director, Shaina Hammerman, at sjhammer [at] stanford.edu (sjhammer[at]stanford[dot]edu).