World Union of Jewish Studies Prepares for 17th Congress

World Union of Jewish Studies
Image: jewish-studies.org

Since 2000, Yaron Eliav has worked at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor as associate professor of rabbinic literature and Jewish history of late antiquity. He works in the department of Near Eastern studies and conducts research on ancient texts. To help him remain up-to-date with other individuals interested in Judaic studies, Yaron Eliav participates in the World Congress of Jewish Studies.

Founded in 1957, the World Union of Jewish Studies (WUJS) is a nonprofit organization that allows likeminded individuals to band together and promote research in the field of Jewish studies. It also encourages scholars to form foundations and grants to support the research as well as sponsors internationals conferences and congresses focusing on research findings.

The organization hosts the World Congress of Jewish Studies, which is the largest event in the field of Jewish studies worldwide, every four years. It unites thousands of scholars, students, and teachers to share their research. The 17th World Congress, scheduled for August 6 through 10, 2017, occurs at the Mount Scopus Campus at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The previous congress, which took place in 2013, brought together participants from more than 40 countries. It featured almost 1,600 lectures in various fields, an extensive book fair, and several social and cultural events focusing on Jewish culture.

The Temple Mount: A Source of Religious and Political Conflict

Temple Mount
Image: en.wikipedia.org

 

Yaron Eliav is a professor of Jewish and Judaic studies at the University of Michigan. Yaron Eliav’s book, God’s Mountain: The Temple Mount in Time, Space, and Memory, published by Johns Hopkins University Press, won the 2005 Theology and Religious Studies Award by the Association of American Publishers, and the 2006 Salo Baron prize for best first book from the American Academy for Jewish Studies.

The Temple Mount is a hill in the old city of Jerusalem that is one of the holiest places in the world for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Jewish tradition holds that this is the place where god created Adam out of dust, and where Abraham nearly sacrificed his son Isaac as an act of faith. In the Islamic tradition, the place is called Haram al-Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary, and is thought to be the place where the prophet Mohammed ascended on the back of a winged horse, known as the Miraculous Night Journey.

The Temple Mount is a hotspot in Middle East conflicts as both Israel and Palestine both claim sovereignty over it. Both sides rely on history to prove to which tradition the Temple Mount belongs, with both sides believing their traditions have the deepest roots in that piece of land. Archaeological investigation, however, has often been prevented for precisely these religious reasons.

The Society of Biblical Literature – A Leader in Its Field

The Society of Biblical Literature
Image: sbl-site.org

An associate professor at the University of Michigan’s Department of Near Eastern Studies, Yaron Eliav teaches Jewish studies and rabbinic literature. An award-winning author, Yaron Eliav is also a member of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL).

Founded in 1880, the Society of Biblical Literature is a leader in discipline of biblical studies and represents more than 8,000 members worldwide. As a resource to its members, the organization offers several educational tools and publishes dozens of books a year through the SBL Press. Its publications range from style handbooks to works of commentary. Open to anyone interested in biblical scholarship, the Society of Biblical Literature also sponsors a number of meetings for regional and international groups, as well as a major annual meeting for all of its members.

In 2016, the annual meeting will be held in San Antonio, Texas, from November 19th to November 22nd. Designed to help members network and to expose them to the latest books and research in the field, the meeting also hosts a wide range of programs and speakers. Some of the planned programs for the 2016 meeting include Ancient Near Eastern Iconography and the Bible, the Bible and Emotion, and Theological Interpretation of Scripture, among other topics. Although general public members are welcome to attend, only full and student members may present papers.

The AJS Distinguished Lectureship Program

During his time as an associate professor at the University of Michigan, Yaron Eliav has taught a number of courses within the Department of Near Eastern Studies. Aside from his work as an associate professor, Yaron Eliav is a member of the Association for Jewish Studies (AJS).

A professional organization serving educators and researchers in Jewish Studies at universities in the United States, the AJS sponsors a lectureship program designed to facilitate learning and scholarly communication at higher education institutions. Featuring more than 300 lectures on Jewish culture, politics, religion, and history, the AJS Distinguished Lectureship Program includes some of the foremost scholars in the field. Scholars travel to universities across the country, delivering talks on topics ranging from women in Jewish life and Rabbinic literature and culture to modern Jewish thought and theology. The lecture fee paid by a university is donated by the speaker directly to the AJS, thereby enabling the organization to continue offering the program.

To learn more about the Distinguished Lectureship Program at the Association for Jewish Studies, or to find out how to sponsor a speaker today, visit the program’s official website at http://www.ajsnet.org.

Association for Jewish Studies to Host 47th Annual Conference

A specialist in Judaic and Greco-Roman studies, Dr. Yaron Eliav has taught a number of courses on ancient cultures in his role as associate professor of rabbinic literature and Jewish history of late antiquity at the University of Michigan’s Department of Near Eastern Studies. Alongside his work, Dr. Yaron Eliav maintains a membership with the American Association for Jewish Studies (AJS).

Every year, AJS holds an academic conference to bring together more than 1,000 Jewish Studies specialists from around the world. Educators, students, and historians gather to participate in scholarly discussion and attend roundtables on a wide range of Jewish studies topics. On December 13-15, 2015, AJS will host its 47th Annual Conference at Sheraton Boston in Massachusetts.

The conference will welcome both AJS members and graduate students, inviting them to present papers and proposals during a number of 90-minute sessions. These panels will cover a variety of topics ranging from Social Aspects of Jewish Mysticism to Eastern European Jews in Interwar France. More than 400 conference attendees will also participate in the Gala Banquet and Plenary Lecture, where they will have the unique opportunity to connect with other scholars and showcase their work in a private setting.

American Publishers Awards for Professional and Scholarly Excellence

An author and researcher focused on Judaic studies, Yaron Eliav currently serves as an associate professor of Rabbinic literature and Jewish history of late antiquity in the Department of Near Eastern Studies at the University of Michigan. Yaron Eliav is also known for his book God’s Mountain: The Temple Mount in Time, Space, and Memory, which received a number of awards, including the 2005 American Association of Publishers (AAP) award for the best scholarly text on religion.

Every year, the American Publishers Awards for Professional and Scholarly Excellence (PROSE Awards) celebrate the greatest achievements in scholarly and professional publishing by highlighting notable journals, books, and electronic content across more than 40 categories. The PROSE Awards honor an extreme breadth and depth of content, ranging from physical science and mathematics to architecture and urban planning.

Since 1976, judging for the PROSE Awards has been conducted by peer publishers, medical experts, and librarians. After the award winners are announced, authors and publishers gather at the PSP Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., where they are recognized for furthering the conception, design, and production of groundbreaking texts in their fields of study.