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Defining role of Jewish studies scholar
Aaron Hughes, associate director of UB’s Institute of Jewish Thought and Heritage, delivered a public talk yesterday outlining what Jewish studies scholars can and cannot accomplish on a university campus.
Academic programs in Judaism should not take on the functions of yeshivas, synagogues, day camps or other institutions that offer religious instruction, Hughes, a history professor, told the audience of dozens that attended his afternoon UBThisSummer lecture. Faculty members in the field do not generally view or conduct themselves as partisans for particular ideologies, he added.
Instead, Hughes said, the purpose of Jewish studies is to explore the role of Jewish thought and culture within the context of fields that include history, politics, economics and philosophy. The specialty is by nature interdisciplinary: Most experts in Judaism receive their advanced degrees not in Jewish studies, but in other areas focusing on Jewish topics. Hughes holds a PhD in Islamic and religious studies. Richard Cohen, director of the Institute of Jewish Thought and Heritage, earned his in philosophy.
The study of Judaism is “all about context,” Hughes said. It would be impossible, he explained, to understand the influence of Judaism on the Renaissance without first examining the period itself—without knowing Italian and Latin, or appreciating the broader trends that characterized that period in time.
The opposite is also true. A complete understanding of many, broader subjects requires consideration of Judaism, Hughes said. “There is no way to understand western civilization without the Jewish component.” No history department can “do a respectable job” without courses on the history of the Jews, he added. No philosophy department could be adequate, he said, without including Jewish thought in the discussion of ancient, medieval and postmodern philosophy.
The growth of Jewish studies in the United States dates back to the 1970s, corresponding with an era of identity politics on college campuses that saw groups, including women, ethnic minorities and gays and lesbians, demanding that their stories be told and researched.
As scholars specializing in Judaism have found success professionally—establishing academic programs and connecting with think tanks and other private foundations—these scholars often have become aloof from the Jewish community. Academics raise questions that challenge deeply held religious convictions. Other times, the complicated, highly theoretical topics that intrigue intellectuals seem irrelevant to the concerns of the average person. The methodologies, vocabulary and ways of thinking that are popular in the world of academia often make little sense to the general public.
Today, while most Jewish studies professors in America are Jewish, most students in their courses are not, Hughes said. That development is exciting, demonstrating that people of diverse cultures are interested in the Jewish tradition, but also indicates that something is driving young Jews away from the study of Judaism.
“Increasingly,” Hughes said, “my best students in the class are non-Jews.”
Hughes told his audience that UB, which already offers diverse courses on Judaism, is now considering creating a Jewish studies department. As the university moves into the future, faculty members will struggle with the same challenges colleagues across the nation have faced.
Tempering expectations will be difficult. Leaders often hope that Jewish studies programs can do what Hughes said he believes synagogues have failed to do: engage 18- to 22-year-old Jews in their culture and religion, and help put an end to Jewish flight in areas that are losing population.
But, as Hughes pointed out in his talk, academic programs in Judaism have goals and missions of their own—ones that do not necessarily match those of the broader Jewish community.
The UBThisSummer lecture series will continue next Wednesday with a talk by Michael Sheridan, UB Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Department of Geology, titled “From Understanding Volcanic Hazards to Preventing Their Disasters.” For more information and an abstract, click here.
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