News

Rabbi Rachel Isaacs, on the Center for Small Town Jewish Life, April 25, 2023

On April 25th UMaine Judaic Studies was honored to host Rabbi Rachel Isaacs, Executive Director of the Center for Small Town Jewish Life, spiritual leader of Beth Israel Congregation in Waterville, Maine, and Dorothy “Bibby” Levine Alfond chair in Jewish Studies at Colby Colby. Rabbi Isaacs spoke to a combined in-person and online audience of over […]

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“Landscapes of Remembrance” April 17, 2023

On April 17th we marked Yom HaShoah with a public lecture by Professor Anne Knowles on “Landscapes of Remembrance.” There are now thousands of Holocaust memorials around the world, from the vast grounds of former concentration camps to the palm-size “stumbling stones” that mark where individuals last lived before they were deported or killed. This […]

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Goodbye, Lord February 28th 2023

Rabbi Beth Lieberman takes us on a journey through the history of Jewish translations of the Hebrew Bible, offers a glimpse into the translation process for the forthcoming JPS TANAKH: Gender-Sensitive Edition, and explores its game-changing potential for the next generation. Recorded February 28, 2023. Rabbi Beth Lieberman served as literary editor and a revising […]

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“Bella” a hit with audience at Minsky Hall

Playwright and actress Vicki Summers kept the audience hanging on her every word as her grandmother in “Bella, An Immigrant’s Tale” on the evening of Sunday, December 4th, 2022 in Minsky Recital Hall. 50+ joined the audience from across the greater Bangor area and another 24 watched a live-stream. “Bella,” tells the fascinating story of […]

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Judaic Studies Courses Spring 2023

JST 205-0001 – Jewish History and Antisemitism: From Antiquity to the Founding of the State of Israel – Merrill Hall 335, 2:00-3:15 PM, TTh This course is a history of antisemitism, describing its manifestations from pre-Christian Alexandria to the founding of the State of Israel. Students will be exposed to several academic and popular theories […]

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Sounds from Silence: Rescuing Music Suppressed by the Nazis

On Yom HaShoah Prof. Phillip Silver gave a presentation on his research rescuing music suppressed by the Nazis with a performance by the Silver Duo (Phillip and Noreen Silver), live in Minsky Recital Hall before an audience of 74 and was streamed by another 80+ on Holocaust Remembrance Day. Professor Silver discussed the life and […]

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Leonard E. Minsky 1927-2022

Judaic Studies is saddened to learn of the passing of Leonard E. Minsky on February 21st.   UMaine alumnus, supporter, community member, and donor, Leonard served on the board of the UMaine Alumni Association, and with his wife, Renee, was honored as a life member of the University of Maine Foundation. He was the recipient […]

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