Topic: Politics
Beinner Annual Symposium
The annual Beinner Symposium brings together world-renowned scholars from a variety of disciplines – from history to literature, to economics, to sociology and more
Pious Pupils in America Perform Better
Religion is making a comeback in American public schools, and Republicans are leading the charge. In April Ron DeSantis, Florida’s governor, signed a bill to allow clergy in public schools (Texas and Louisiana have passed similar laws). In June Louisiana passed a law requiring that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public-school classroom. A week later Oklahoma’s state superintendent directed all public schools to teach the Bible.
Presentation and Panel Discussion – The End of the Golden Age of American Jews
Presentation and Panel Discussion Regarding Franklin Foer’s recent article, “The Golden Age of American Jews is Ending” with Dr. Ilana Horwitz, Dr. Naomi Yavneh-Klos, and Rabbi Katie Bauman at Touro Synagogue. This goes with the pdf article of the same name.
Dr. Lawrence J. Kanter Lecture – Dr. Mike Cohen Lecture at SJHS
In 2021, Dr. Lawrence J. Kanter made by the largest single philanthropic gift in the society’s history. Dr. Kanter has been a long-time member of the society, as well as an active contributor to Jewish life in the Jacksonville area where he has worked and lived for more than 30 years. His gift will support lectures and research grants through the society, as well as the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience in New Orleans and the Department of Jewish Studies at Tulane University, Larry’s alma mater, to whom he gave similar gifts recognizing our joint desire to impact the future of southern Jewish scholarship. The second Kanter lecture was given in October 2022 by Dr. Michael Cohen during the society’s annual conference in Charleston, SC.
Field Update: Studies on Jewish American Art
When I set out to write this essay, the first thing I did was check for recent dissertations on Jewish American art. I was surprised by what I found—or didn’t find. A keyword search for “Jewish American art” yielded only a handful of results. I had expected to find studies that treat Jewishness as part of a multifaceted picture of American art or of an artist’s oeuvre. But art history departments were producing very few indeed.
