I recently finished teaching a four-class course on the Book of Psalms to medium security inmates of our state ACI (Adult Correctional Institute). The course was organized through a student group at Brown. The reasons I choose to do this are too … [Continue reading] about What I Learned in Prison
Fooling Around with Digital Humanities
I have long been interested in ways in which modern technology can enhance what I do, as a scholar and a teacher. In the classroom I have used podcasts and wikis, and I continue to work on a digital collection of inscriptions from Israel/Palestine … [Continue reading] about Fooling Around with Digital Humanities
A Usable Past
I just finished Albert Baumgarten's engaging biography of Elias Bickerman, Elias Bickerman as Historian of the Jews: A Twentieth Century Tale, which was also recently reviewed by Anthony Grafton in The Jewish Review of Books. In Baumgarten's … [Continue reading] about A Usable Past
Death, and the Modern American Synagogue
I had the pleasure this last week of listening to a lecture by Professor Carlos Eire, of Yale University. (Full dislosure: I was a colleague of Carlos's at University of Virginia, and in addition to finding him a supportive senior colleague, have … [Continue reading] about Death, and the Modern American Synagogue
Larry Axel Memorial Lecture
I just presented the Larry Axel Memorial Lecture at Purdue University. The talk was entitled, "Big Givers: The Origins of Jewish Philanthropy." The publicity paragraph reads: Whether by naming buildings, erecting plaques, or publishing name-lists, … [Continue reading] about Larry Axel Memorial Lecture