Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies

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Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies is a center for Jewish learning and culture, open to people of all backgrounds. Spertus offers graduate programs in areas that are critical to the Jewish and wider communities—including Jewish studies, leadership training, and nonprofit management. Recognizing that learning is sparked by many points of entry, programming at Spertus also includes public lectures, seminars, exhibits, concerts, and films. Programs are held at Spertus' innovative Michigan Avenue facility and at locations around Chicago and the suburbs.

Recent stories by this author

Germans vs. Russians: The Origins of Chicago's Organized Jewish Community 1859-1923

Apr. 21, 2013
Tobias Brinkmann speaks about Chicago’s Jewish community from the founding of the United Hebrew Relief Association in 1859 to the creation of Jewish Charities of Chicago in 1923, a time when organizations that served “German” (Central European) Jews merged with those that served “Russian” (Eastern European) Jews.

Jews and Magic in Medici Florence: The Secret World of Benedetto Blanis

Mar. 19, 2013
In the 17th century, Jews in Florence’s tiny ghetto struggled to earn a living by any means possible, including loan-sharking, rag-picking, and second-hand dealing. They were often viewed as an uncanny people with rare supernatural powers. Historian Edward Goldberg shares how businessman and aspiring scholar Benedetto Blanis used this mystical misperception to his advantage, seeking a grand position at the Medici Court and winning the admiration of Don Giovanni de’ Medici.

Flashbacks: East German Films on Cold War Screens

Mar. 7, 2013
Two experts on East German cinema, Barton Byg and Ralf Schenk, discuss the international dimensions of German Democratic Republic filmmaking during the Cold War.

The Jewish Origins of Cultural Pluralism

May. 6, 2012
Hear historian Dr. Daniel Greene speak about his new book, The Jewish Origins of Cultural Pluralism. In it, he traces the emergence of cultural pluralism to a group of Jewish college students and intellectuals who faced challenges as they sought to integrate themselves into the early 20th-century American academic and literary circles.

Intertwined Identities: Music of Northern Morocco's Jews

Mar. 18, 2012
Arabic, Hebrew, and Spanish are intrinsically interwoven in the formation of Jewish identity in Northern Morocco. Through a version of Judeo-Spanish called Haketía, language and oral traditions are used to forge the community's hybrid culture. Listen in to Moroccan music expert Vanessa Paloma for a journey into this poetic and multifaceted world.

The State of American Jewish Belief Revisited: At the Edge of a Crisis or at a New Threshold? Part I

Mar. 4, 2012
Recent studies point to declining synagogue membership and denominational identification as signs of a crisis in American Judaism. This symposium focuses attention on theological dimensions of the perceived crisis.

The State of American Jewish Belief Revisited: At the Edge of a Crisis or at a New Threshold? Part II

Mar. 4, 2012
This second part of "The State of American Jewish Belief Revisited: At the Edge of a Crisis or at a New Threshold?" symposium features presentations by Dr. Arnold M. Eisen, Dr. Rachel Adler, and Rabbi Dr. Arthur Green.

The State of American Jewish Belief Revisited: At the Edge of a Crisis or at a New Threshold? Part III

Mar. 4, 2012
This third installment of the "The State of American Jewish Belief Revisited: At the Edge of a Crisis or at a New Threshold?" symposium includes a panel discussion led by Michael Fishbane, Nathan Cummings Professor of Jewish Studies in the Divinity School at the University of Chicago.

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