Euroasian Jewish News

Conference opening. Left to right: Victoria Mochalova, Anna Shayevich, Semen Goldin

Jewish Studies School and Conference Take Place in Moscow

On July 7-12, the Sepher Center for the University Teaching of Jewish Studies (Director - EAJC General Council Chairman Dr. Victoria Mochalova, Chariman of the Academic Board - EAJC Secretary General, Professor Michael Chlenov) held the XVIII International Youth Conference and Summer School in Jewish Studies. The most important event of the year for Jewish Studies students were held in the Moscow “Cosmos” hotel. Students, graduate students, and young scholars from all over Russia and the rest of the FSU came to Moscow to participate in this event.

The programs were organized by the Sepher Center jointly with the Chase Center of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and with the support of such charity funds as: AVI CHAI, Genesis Philanthropy Group (as part of the charity program Charities Aid Foundation “Jewish Communities”), UJA Federation of NY, RJC, and the Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.

Sefer Director Victoria Mochalova, Coordinator of Educational Programs Anna Shayevich, and Chase Center Director Semen Goldin spoke at the opening ceremony. The lecturers also gave short presentations of their courses. Anna Yampolskaya and V. Shaidurov spoke to the guests and particpants on their latest mnographs, the Executive Director of the Russian Jewish Congress Matvei Chlenov announed the new RJC grant program and also presented the 13 Issue of the Tirosh Journal for Jewish Studies.

The lecture program was quite diverse in topics and heavy in content (from 10 AM to 4 PM daily) . Lectures were held by leading scholars from the FSU and Israel. The program was divided into 5 modules with three lecture courses each: “Jews and Judaism in Antiquity and During the Time of the Second Temple (Sergei Tyschenko, Mikhail Tuval’, Dmitry Bratkin); “History and Historic Memory. Nationalism” (Semen Goldin, Valeriy Dymshytz, Victoria Mochalova); “Jews in Economics (Maksim Gammal, Ilya Barkusskiy, Dmitriy Maryasis); “Jewish Thought” (Mikhail Vogman, Sophia Kopelyan, Anna Yampolskaya); “Jewish Art” (Gillel Kazovsky, Velvl Chernin, Svetlana Pakhomova).

An optional evening entertainment program was also held at the conference: a visit to the “Booknick Birthday Party,” tours of Jewish Moscow, tours guided by leading scholars of the Jewish Museum and the Museum of Jewish History in Russia.

It is good to note that a great many kind words were said during the closing of the summer school. They included many thanks towards the teachers, as they were able to incite true interest in both young scholars who have participated in previous programs many times and those for whom this had been their first school. The professors evaluated the work of their students to be very good, as they showed a high level of preparation and were quite active at the lectures themselves.

Valeriy Dymshytz noted that the regularity with which the Jewish Studies Schools have been held for many years is a true miracle that happens thanks to the organizators and sponsors.

Photo below: a moment in the conference’s work