Lecture

Enrichment through the sponsorship of several programming initiatives is the goal of the Center for Judaic Studies and Contemporary Jewish Life. View our event calendar, and stay up-to-date on all of our programming. Learn about the many lecture series and cultural events we have to offer on a wide range of topics!  Our events are always free and open to the public. View full event listings.

Professor Stuart Miller teaching

Expand your knowledge in the literatures and cultures of the Jewish people by taking a few courses, or become an expert in the field by pursuing the Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, or Doctorate in Judaic Studies at UConn. Discover opportunities in study abroad, funding, and other available resources.  Learn about our faculty and alumni. Find out what Hebrew and Judaic Studies has to offer you! Visit our student section. 

The Center’s mission is to advance research and scholarship in the field of Judaic Studies by providing resources and information to faculty and students.  Learn about the latest funding opportunities sponsored by the Center.  Find information on conferences, seminars, fellowships, and grants.  Discover resources for teaching and research.  Stay updated on the publications of our faculty. Find news on faculty research and funding.

Upcoming and Recent Events

Yom Hashoah Commemoration: Standing Together in Remembrance

5 May 2024 / 2:00 pm

UConn Center for Judaic Studies and Contemporary Life is co-sponsoring this Holocaust memorial event along with Mandell JCC Greater Hartford, CT Voices of Hope, and The Holocaust Education Resource and Outreach Center. Click here for more info.

Location: West Hartford Conference Center (Town Hall), 50 S Main St, West Hartford, CT 06107

Avinoam Patt: Book Launch and Farewell Reception

2 May 2024 / 12:30 pm

Please join us as we learn about the latest work from, and bid farewell to, author and former Doris and Simon Konover Chair and Director of our Center for Judaic Studies Avinoam Patt as he journeys to the next chapter of his academic career. Click here for more info.

Location: Babbidge Library, Level 4 - Heritage Room

On April 2, 2024, Richard Sosis, author and the James Barnett Professor of Humanistic Anthropology at the University of Connecticut gave a book talk about his new book The Ping Pong Player and the Professor, a quirky memoir about the adventures of a Jewish anthropologist and his son, an elite player, in the colorful subculture of this extraordinary sport. The event took place in the Heritage Room on Level 4 of the Babbidge Library. It was a conversation, over a light kosher lunch, with students, faculty, and the community.

Upcoming UConn Events

  1. May 2 Avinoam Patt: Book Launch & Farewell Reception 12:30pm
  2. May 5 Yom Hashoah Commemoration: Standing Together in Remembrance 2:00pm

ALEPH Logo

ALEPH: A New Community-Wide Jewish Learning Initiative

Mandell JCC and UConn Judaic Studies renew "ALEPH: The Institute of Jewish Ideas," for a second year of community learning. Under the timely theme "On Jews, Judaism, and the Pursuit of Social Justice," members and organizations are invited to a dive into Jewish history and sources. [Learn more about ALEPH]