Last spring, after a program organized by my organization, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Sam & Helen Stahl Center for Jewish Studies, a woman in the audience said to me, “Thank you for raising the bar for discussions about important and complicated topics” related to Jewish studies.
The appreciation was particularly welcome because her words summed up how my colleagues and I want the Stahl Center to be seen.
All university departments and programs serve the institution’s students, with courses, mentoring and often extracurricular activities. But ethnic studies programs usually have at least one additional and overlapping mission: to foster beyond the university’s walls an understanding of that group’s history and culture.
Jews and non-Jews alike learn from our programs, and when diverse groups attend our events and interact, particularly interesting and important conversations often ensue.
The Stahl Center grew out of the Milwaukee Jewish community, benefits from it daily, and serves it — and the wider Milwaukee community — in many ways.
We offer a two-track major in Jewish studies that prepares students for graduate study, for careers in Jewish education and service, and for any career involving critical thinking and strong communication skills.
Numerous community members audit our courses every year, learning from our outstanding faculty and enriching class discussions.
Our partnerships with other programs and organizations on and off campus, make it possible to expand the scope of our programming far beyond what we could do on our own.
Our growing list of sister programs includes the Milwaukee Jewish Federation and many of its agencies, Hillel Milwaukee, the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center, the Jewish Museum Milwaukee and some synagogues, in addition to other cultural and educational institutions in the city.
And the community gives back in many ways, including financially. This helps the Stahl Center bring leading figures in Jewish arts and letters to town every year.
In this issue of The Chronicle, we proudly announce our exciting lineup for the coming year. We look forward to seeing many of you at the events.
If at any time you wish to discuss any of the Center’s activities, hineni, I am here: 414-750-3393 or berkowit@uwm.edu.
Joel Berkowitz is director of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Sam & Helen Stahl Center for Jewish Studies.
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