On Jewish Studies Scholars and Their Political Activism and Public Engagement

Modern ideals of scholarly detachment and objectivity have always existed in tension with political and public engagement. In 1895, for example, Theodore Reinach, the President of the Société des études juives in France, wrote: "The Society of Jewish Studies need not concern itself with the present trials of Judaism, however poignant the interest may be. It dwells in the quieter sphere of history, and it is only by dispelling the accumulated errors about ancient Judaism that it can indirectly contribute to rehabilitating or consoling Judaism today.” Magda Teter (Fordham University, NEH Scholar-in-Residence 2020-21), in conversation with Deborah Dash Moore (University of Michigan), will explore the role political concerns and specific events have played not only in the lives of Jewish studies scholars but also in their scholarship. This event took place on May 13, 2021

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