Jewish Studies Public Scholarship: Challenges and Opportunities

A “death of expertise” culture calls for Jewish Studies experts to engage or re-engage with the public. However, a politically polarized public square means that there are real risks associated with this work. This informal talk will focus on how and why academics in Jewish Studies might do diverse forms of public scholarship. Some of my own adventures in this area and how one’s career stage might impact this work will be included in the talk.

Helene Meyers is Professor Emerita of English at Southwestern University, where she held the McManis University Chair. She is the author of four books, including Identity Papers: Narratives of American Jewishness and, most recently, Movie-Made Jews: An American Tradition. Her essays and reviews have appeared in numerous scholarly journals as well as such venues as Forward, Tablet, Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, Jewish Women’s Archive, and Lilith Magazine.