Sep 21, 2021 By: yunews
It was a great honor and deeply humbling to succeed Dean David Berger in July 2020 and take the reins as the Dean of the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies.
When I signed on to do so in late February 2020, I was not expecting to spend much of my first year sat in a home office becoming an amateur epidemiologist. Yet, despite the challenges this presented, thanks to Revel鈥檚 indefatigable faculty, staff, and students, we continued to progress on all fronts.
Necessity, it is often said, is the mother of invention, and the enforced move to remote platforms that we all experienced this year enabled Revel to engage new audiences both nationally and internationally. This past academic
year, our student numbers increased by almost 40%, our internationally renowned faculty continued to produce outstanding scholarship, and we were able to put on events that reached audiences the size of which Revel has never seen before.
This 鈥淵ear in Review鈥 newsletter highlights some of the best of this past year for you, emphasizing Revel鈥檚 continued commitment to superior academic achievement and communal engagement.
As we move into the academic year 2021鈥22, we hope to be able to share more exciting developments with you as Revel continues to build for the future.
With all best wishes,
Daniel Rynhold, PhD Dean, Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies
It is my pleasure to share some highlights of a very successful academic year at the BRGS PhD program. Despite the hardships that Covid created, our Ph.D. students enjoyed an intellectually stimulating year with significant
accomplishments. In the opening event of the fall 2020 semester, advanced PhD students presented summaries of their dissertation research to their peers. Over the course of the academic year, we had a number of Zoom gatherings where PhD students interacted with leading scholars in a range of fields, including Dr. Susan Weissman, Dr. Jordan Finken, Dr. Cedric Cohen Skalli, and Dr. Lawrence Schiffman.
I am honored to recount the accomplishments of our students. Several articles published by our students are listed later in this publication. BRGS is especially proud of our two most recent PhD graduates who both successfully defended their first-rate dissertations. Dr. Asher Oser鈥檚 dissertation, 鈥淲hen an American Jew Produced: Judah David Eisenstein and the First Hebrew Encyclopedia,鈥 tells the story of the publication of the first modern Hebrew encyclopedia, Ozar Yisrael, by Judah David Eisenstein, an amateur scholar and entrepreneurial immigrant to New York City. Dr. Jeong Mun. Heo鈥檚 dissertation, 鈥淚mages of Torah From the Second Temple Period Through the Middle Ages,鈥 tracks the ramifications of the development of conceptions of Torah across a long historical period. We wish Drs. Oser and Heo great success in their future academic endeavors. We are looking forward to building on this year鈥檚 successes in the year to come.
Jonathan V. Dauber, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Jewish Mysticism Director of the Ph.D. Program
Events
JULY 3, 2020 How Will We Remember Covid? A View from the Archives Presented by Shulamith Berger and Prof. Steven Fine FEB 10, 2021 On the Margins of Medieval Jewish Society in Halakhah and History: the Ger Toshav and the Apostate Presented by President Ari Berman and Prof. Ephraim Kanarfogel celebrating the publication of Prof. Kanarfogel鈥檚 Brothers from Afar: Rabbinic Approaches to Apostasy and Reversion in Medieval Europe FEB 16, 2021 Shabbetai Zvi and the Most Successful Messianic Movement in Jewish History after the First Century Presented by Prof. David Berger Sponsored by a Revel supporter and hosted by Young Israel of Great Neck READ MORE MARCH 17 2021 Crisis and Hope: Ambassador Dan Shapiro and Rabbi Yosef Blau in Conversation Presented by Prof. Jess Olson APRIL 20 2021 Book Launch: Contextualizing Jewish Temples Presented by Prof. Shalom Holtz in celebration of the publication of his new book, Contextualizing Jewish Temples READ MORE APRIL 27, 2021 Antisemitism, White Nationalism and Racism in America Today Presented by Eric Ward and Prof. Jess Olson MAY 5, 2021 Magefah: Pandemics throughout Jewish History Presented by Prof Richard Hidary, Prof. Ronnie Perelis and Prof. Jess Olson Sponsored by a Revel supporter and hosted by DAT MinyanChinese-Jewish Conversation
Names in Hebrew and Chinese from a Kaifeng Jewish prayer book. Courtesy of the Klau Library in Cincinnati.Publications
DAVID BERGER
BOOK CHAPTERS- 鈥淪cholarship and the blood libel: Past and present.鈥 In A. Lange, K. Mayerhofer, D. Porat, & L.H. Schiffman (eds.), Confronting anti-semitism in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism (pp. 71-85). De Gruyter. (2020).
- 鈥淭he problem of exile in medieval Jewish-Christian Polemic. In Y. Berger & C. Milikowski (eds.), In the dwelling of a sage lie precious treasures: Essays in Jewish studies in honor of Shnayer Z. Leiman (pp. 189-204). KTAV Publishing House. (2020).
- 鈥淢etamorphoses of the concept 鈥榓ntisemitism鈥: A response to David Engel鈥檚 article.鈥 In S. Ury & G. Miron (eds.), Antisemitism: Historical concept, public discourse (pp. 363-373). Zion: A Quarterly for Research in Jewish History.
MORDECHAI Z. COHEN
BOOK- The Rule of Peshat: Jewish constructions of the plain sense of scripture and their Christian and Muslim contexts, 900-1270. University of Pennsylvania Press.
STEVEN FINE
EDITOR- Miller, S., Swartz, M., Fine, S., Grunhaus, N., & Jassen, A. (eds.). (2020). Scrolls to traditions: A Festschrift honoring Lawrence H. Schiffman. Brill.
- (2020). 鈥淭he treason of Yosa Meshita (Genesis Rabba 65:27): A rabbinic reflection on the fate of the Temple Lampstand.鈥 In S. Fine, N. Grunhaus, A. Jassen, S. Miller, & M. Swartz (eds.), Scrolls to traditions: A Festschrift honoring Lawrence H. Schiffman, (pp. 254-275). Brill.
- (2020). Review of Abraham Tal, ed., Tib氓t M氓rqe: The ark of Marqe: Edition, translation, commentary. In Review of Biblical Literature Online. (2020).
- Review of Ross Shepard Kraemer: The Mediterranean diaspora in late antiquity what Christianity cost the Jews. In Review of Biblical Literature Online.
NAOMI GRUNHAUS
EDITOR- Miller, S., Swartz, M., Fine, S., Grunhaus, N., & Jassen, A. (eds.). (2020). From Scrolls to traditions: A Festschrift honoring Lawrence H. Schiffman. Brill.
JEFFREY S. GUROCK
BOOK CHAPTER- (2020). 鈥淭he dilemmas of immigrant 鈥榯weeners鈥: An exploration of age and Americanization.鈥 In Y. Berger & C. Milikowsky (eds.), In the dwelling of a sage lie precious treasures: Essays in Jewish studies in honor of Shnayer Z. Leiman, (pp. 281-296). KTAV Publishing House.
- (2021). Jewish geography in New York neighborhoods. In D. Soyer (ed.), The Jewish metropolis: New York from the 17th to the 21st century, (pp. 205-228). Academic Studies Press.
- (2020). 鈥淚n memoriam: Moses Rischin.鈥 Perspectives of History. Historians.
RICHARD HIDARY
BOOK CHAPTER- (2021). 鈥淎 Tale of Two or Three Witnesses: Oral Testimony in Greco-Roman, Qumranic and Rabbinic Court Procedure.鈥 In Miller, S., Swartz, M., Fine, S., Grunhaus, N., & Jassen, A. (eds.), Festschrift in Honor of Lawrence Schiffman (pp. 296-324). Brill.
- 鈥淲hy Are there Lawyers in Heaven?: Rabbinic Aggadot on the Divine Courtroom鈥 In Mehkerei Yerushalaim be-Sifrut Ivrit 31 (2020), 65-90.
- 鈥淭almud as Rhetorical Exercise: Progymnasmata and Controversiae in Rabbinic Literature鈥 In Mada`e Ha-Yahadut (2021), 81-113.
- (2021). 鈥淟ove, loathing, and the law of return.鈥 Tablet.
SHALOM HOLTZ
EDITOR- (2020). Contextualizing Jewish temples. The Brill Reference Library of Judaism. Brill.
- 鈥淔estschrift: Preliminary Observations on Trial Procedure in the Al-Yahudu Texts鈥 In Koller, A., Cohen, M., & Moshavi, A. (eds.), Semitic, Biblical and Jewish Studies in Honor of Richard C. Steiner (pp 27*-37*). Bialik Institute and 麻豆区 Press.
- 鈥淩eview of David A. Bosworth, House of Weeping: The Motif of Tears in Akkadian and Hebrew Prayers (2018)鈥 In The Journal of Religion 100 (2020), 270鈥271.
EPHRAIM KANARFOGEL
BOOK- (2020). Brothers from afar: Rabbinic approaches to apostasy and reversion in Medieval Europe. Wayne State University Press.
- (2020). 鈥淯nderstanding the trajectory of medieval Jewish studies.鈥 In D. Sorkin (ed.), A commitment to scholarship (pp. 119-32). American Academy for Jewish Research. (2020).
- 鈥淕ishot la-nevu鈥檃h be-Zefon Zarefat ve-Ashkenaz bimei ha-Benayim.鈥 In A. Koller, M.Z. Cohen, & A. Moshavi (eds.), Biblical, semitic, and Jewish studies in honor of Richard C. Steiner (pp. 158-75). Mosad Bialik and YU Press. (2020).
- 鈥淧rognostication in medieval Jewish law and legal thought.鈥 In M. Heiduk, K. Herbers, & H.C. Lehner (eds.), Prognostication in the medieval world: A handbook (vol. 2, pp. 944-47). De Gruyter. (2020).
- 鈥淎ssessing the (non-) reception of Mishneh Torah in medieval Ashkenaz.鈥 In Y. Berger & C. Milikowsky (eds.), Essays in Jewish studies in honor of Shnayer Z. Leiman (pp. 123-45). Ktav. (2021).
- 鈥淭a`amei ha-Mizvot in Medieval Ashkenaz.鈥 In J. Brown and M. Herman (eds.), Accounting for the Commandments in Medieval Judaism: Studies in Law, Philosophy, Pietism and Kabbalah (pp. 177-90). Brill. (2021).
- 鈥淭he Role of the Tosafists in Jewish-Christian Polemics鈥 In C. Cluse and J. R. Muller (eds.), Medieval Ashkenaz: Studies in Honor of Alfred Haverkamp, (pp. 241-53). Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz. (2020).
- 鈥淯nderstanding the Trajectory of Medieval Jewish Studies.鈥 In D. Sorkin (ed.), The American Academy for Jewish Research Centenary Volume (pp. 119-32.) American Academy for Jewish Research. (2020). 鈥淕ishot la-Nevu鈥檃h be-Parshanut Zefon Zarefat ve-Ashkenaz Bimei ha-Benayim.鈥 In A. Koller, M. Cohen, & A. Moshavi (eds.), Mehqarim be-Safot Shemiyyot, Miqra, u-Madda`ei ha-Yahadut, (pp. 158-75). Bialik Institute and 麻豆区 Press.
AARON KOLLER
BOOK- (2020). Unbinding Isaac: The significance of the Akedah for modern Jewish thought. University of Nebraska Press, The Jewish Publication Society.
- Koller, A., Cohen, M., & Moshavi, A. (eds.) (2020). Semitic, Biblical, and Jewish studies: Festschrift for Richard Steiner. Bialik Institute and 麻豆区 Press.
- (2020). 鈥淗ebrew and Aramaic in contact.鈥 In: R. Hasselbach-Andee (ed.), A companion to Ancient Near Eastern languages (pp. 439-455). Blackwell.
- (2020). 鈥淩ichard Steiner: An appreciation.鈥 In: A. Koller, M. Cohen, & A. Moshavi (eds.), Semitic, biblical, and Jewish studies: Festschrift for Richard Steiner (pp. 7-14). Bialik and 麻豆区 Press.
- (2020). 鈥淭hrones and crowns: On the regalia of the West Semitic Monarchy.鈥 In: L. Naeh & D. Brostowsky (eds.), The throne in art and archaeology from the dawn of the Ancient Near East until the Late Medieval Period (pp. 123-134). Institute for Oriental and European Archaeology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences.
- (2020). 鈥淭ree and wood, polysemy and vagueness: Detangling the branches of the Hebrew word 注抓 . In: A. Koller, M. Cohen, & A. Moshavi (eds.), Semitic, biblical, and Jewish studies: Festschrift for Richard Steiner (pp. 164-181). Bialik Institute and 麻豆区 Press.
- 鈥淩eview of James A. Diamond, Jewish Theology Unbound.鈥 In AJS Review 44 (2020), 411-413.
- 鈥淩eview of Yosef Ofer, The Masora on scripture and its methods.鈥 In 尝别拧辞苍茅苍耻 82 (2020), 432-436.
ARI MERMELSTEIN
BOOK- Power and Emotion in Ancient Judaism: Community and Identity in Formation, Cambridge University Press.
DANIEL RYNHOLD
BOOK CHAPTERS- (2020). 鈥淢aimonides鈥檚 theology.鈥 In S. Kepnes (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Jewish Theology (pp.105-31). Cambridge University Press
- (2021). 鈥淭he nature of good and evil.鈥 In Dan Frank and Aaron Segal (eds.), Maimonides鈥 Guide of the Perplexed: A Critical Guide (pp. 60-77). Cambridge University Press.
- Response to Kepnes: Theology and Aesthetics.鈥 In Journal of Textual Reasoning Volume 12:1 (2021).
Of Note
- Dr. Joshua Karlip was awarded a generous book grant from SEFER, an institute of Jewish history in Moscow, for research on his book project, Rabbis in the Land of Atheism: The Struggle to Save Judaism in the Soviet Union. 鈥 READ MORE
- Dr. Ronnie Perelis hosted a conference, Translating Americas, sponsored by the American Academy for Jewish Research. 鈥 READ MORE
- Rabbi Tzvi Sinensky, a Ph.D. student, wrote an article in the forthcoming edition of Tradition. 鈥
- Rabbi Yaakov Taubes, a Ph.D. student, published an article, 鈥淎 Fresh Approach to Nahmanides and Aggadah at Barcelona,鈥 in Jewish Quarterly Review 110 (2010), 769-701.
- Binyamin Goldstein, a Ph.D. student, published an article, 鈥淓ncountering the Grotesque,鈥 in (Anna Krau脽, Jonas Leipziger and Friederike Sch眉cking-Jungblut, eds.) Material Aspects of Reading in Ancient and Medieval Cultures (pp 233-250). De Gruyter.
- Miriam Zami, a Ph.D. student, published an article, 鈥淵efet, Shem, and the New Dead Sea Scrolls,鈥 in Tradition. 鈥
- Dr. Daniel Rynhold, dean, participated in the podcast 鈥淭he Philosophical Legacy of Jonathan Sacks鈥 and a panel discussion with the London School of Jewish Studies on The Life Changing Ideas of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"L. 鈥 鈥
- Rabbi Dr. Yosie Levine, a recent Revel Ph.D. graduate, wrote this important article about COVID vaccines. 鈥
Recent Graduates
Jeong Mun Heo recently completed his Ph.D. His dissertation is titled 鈥淚mages of Torah from the Second Temple Period Through the Middle Ages.鈥 He also holds a B.Sc. in Mathematics and Computer Sciences from Kosin University and an M.Div. from Korea Theological Seminary in his native South Korea, and an M.A. in Jewish Education from the Hebrew University Jerusalem as well as a Th.M. in Biblical Studies from Boston College. He hopes to continue research in the area of phenomenology of religion, and the philosophical and theological discourse between Judaism and Christianity. He would like to establish an academic center for Jewish Studies and Jewish-Christian Dialogue in South Korea, which would contribute to not only promoting a mutual and positive understanding of their ancient roots that preserve academic, religious, and cultural Jewish-Christian heritages but also broadening the understanding of the interreligious dialogues between Jewish-Christian faiths, as well as other religious faiths.
鈥淟ooking back at great memories of my time at YU, I can say that it was the most fortunate, blessed, and rewarding experience in my academic life.鈥
鈥淚 was particularly privileged to have had the opportunity to meet and learn from Revel鈥檚 faculty. I enjoyed the classes which were taught by the excellent professors who have contributed to my experience and intellectual development鈥攅nriching and empowering my knowledge and understanding of a broad range of academic areas鈥O]ne of the major highlights of my experience during the first year at YU鈥攈ow, in an individual tutorial with my supervisor, Dr. Jonathan V. Dauber, I enjoyed reading the Hebrew original texts of the Nefesh HaChaim, written by Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, who discusses the idea of Torah lishmah, Torah for Torah鈥檚 Sake.鈥
鈥淢y experiences and studies at YU provided me with immense joy of learning. I was empowered by the spirit of integrating faith and scholarship鈥︹
Asher Oser recently completed his Ph.D. His dissertation is titled 鈥淲hen an American Jew Produced: Judah David Eisenstein and the First Hebrew Encyclopedia鈥 and tells the story of the publication of first modern Hebrew encyclopedia, Ozar Yisrael, by Judah David Eisenstein, an amateur scholar and entrepreneurial immigrant to New York City.
Aron White is originally from the U.K., and has a B.Sc. in Politics and International Relations from the University of London. After studying at 麻豆区t Hakotel, he began his semikha studies at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS), which he completed in 2020. During his semikha studies, he also earned a certificate in Mental Health Counseling through the RIETS/Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology as well as an M.A. in Jewish History through the Bernard Revel Graduate School. Aron made aliya with his family in October 2020 and now works as the Torah Projects Coordinator for Mizrachi USA/RZA.
鈥淚 feel that my time in Revel has made me a better Jew, and enabled me to be a better Rabbi and teacher. Through the range of courses I was enabled to study, all taught by genuinely world leading professors, I felt I both deepened and broadened my understanding of Jewish history, heritage and learning. By combining the best of academic scholarship with an institution that celebrates a commitment to Jewish life, Revel has given me something invaluable that I will take with me for the rest of my life.鈥
Denise Zami currently teaches Tanakh to 9th and 11th grades at SAR High School in Riverdale. She just completed her M.A. in Bible Studies at Revel. Denise also received her B.A. in Jewish Education from Stern College for Women, where she was a Legacy Heritage Scholar. Denise previously taught Jewish Studies at Gann Academy, an innovative pluralistic high school in the Boston area. Denise lives in Manhattan with her husband Jason and
new baby girl, Regina.
Rebecca Zami completed her M.A. in Ancient Jewish History. Currently, Rebecca is the Leon Charney Research Associate at the YU Center for Israel Studies working on the upcoming exhibition, Samaritans: A Biblical People. Rebecca has a particular interest in Biblical archaeology and has participated in archaeological excavations in Israel and hopes to pursue a degree in archaeology following her graduation from Revel.
Incoming Ph.D. Students
Mendel Breitstein holds a bachelor鈥檚 in English literature from the University of Maryland an M.A. in Medieval Jewish history from BRGS. He is a teacher at 麻豆区t Bne Akiva Netivot Haim in Pisgat Zev and also teaches in Israeli colleges. He is pursuing a doctorate in Jewish philosophy.
Avishag Damari has a joint B.Ed. in Judaic Studies and Educational technology from Michlala Jerusalem College and an M.A. in Leadership and Educational System Management from Bar-Ilan University. After teaching Middle School Judaic Studies and Media Communications for several years in Israel, Avishag came to New York as a Shlicha for the World Zionist Organization whereby she taught Hebrew Language, Israeli Culture, and Zionism, at both Barkai 麻豆区 in Brooklyn and SAR Academy in Riverdale. Avishag received an MA in Jewish philosophy at the Bernard Revel Graduate School, where she is now engaged in Ph.D. studies in the same discipline.
Roy Feldman holds a B.A. in History and Linguistics from Columbia University, an M.A. in Jewish Philosophy from BRGS, and Rabbinic Ordination from RIETS. He is currently Associate Rabbi at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun. Roy is pursuing a doctorate in Jewish History and has a particular interest in American Jewish History.
Elisha Fine is a doctoral student in Jewish History of the modern period at the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies of 麻豆区.
Having recently completed his M.S.W. at the Wurzweiler School of Social Work, his work focuses on the cultural history of death and dying.
Noam Kornsgold holds a B.A. in History from Columbia University and a B.A. in Talmud and Rabbinics from JTS. He also earned an M.A. in Talmud and Rabbinic and rabbinic ordination from JTS.
Noam currently serves as the Director of Education and Programming at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires. He is pursuing a doctorate in medieval Jewish history with a particular interest in the development of halakhah in medieval Ashkenaz.
Annie Nagel holds a B.A. in Biology from Stern College and a J.D. from UCLA School of Law. Annie practiced law in Los Angeles for several years and currently teaches Tanach at YULA Girls High School.
She is pursuing a doctorate in Bible and has a particular interest in the biblical commentaries of Ramban.
David Selis is the Leon Charney Doctoral Fellow at the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies of 麻豆区, and a research fellow of the YU Center for Israel Studies.
His particular interests are the history of the Hebrew book and Modern Jewish cultural history.
