The core vision of the Solomon-Tenenbaum Visiting Lectureship in Jewish Studies, which was initially established as the Tenenbaum Visiting Lectureship in 1990, is coming to fruition. The goal of establishing a program in Jewish Studies at the University of South Carolina received a major and decisive boost from Mary Anne Fitzpatrick, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, early in 2006, when she commissioned the formulation of a Faculty Excellence Initiative proposal to jump-start hiring for the planned program. This proposal amounted to a five million dollar investment on the part of Dean Fitzpatrick and the College of Arts and Sciences prior to pursuing support from alumni or the larger community. It also resulted in the hiring of four new faculty - one in Religious Studies, one in English, and two in History - and the appointment of a director of Jewish Studies, Stanley Dubinsky. We are pleased that Jewish Studies here in the College of Arts and Sciences is off to a stronger start than any would have imagined.

It is hoped that Jewish Studies will attain official Program status by the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Solomon-Tenenbaum Visiting Lectureship. We look forward, in the coming months, to inviting a cadre of consulting faculty to participate in the program, and to developing our undergraduate and graduate curriculum with the goal of setting in place an undergraduate minor and a graduate certificate.

In the coming months and years, we hope to expand the academic profile of Jewish Studies on this campus to include:

• Additional faculty and instructor appointments in Philosophy, Political Science, and Languages, Literatures, & Cultures (both Hebrew and German/Yiddish literature)
• Academic conferences on Jewish Studies
• Visiting Scholar and Postdoctoral positions
• Study-abroad scholarships and trips to Israel and Europe
• Public lectures
• Library acquisitions
• Program enhancement support for academic research

To accomplish all these goals will require commitment and financial support from the University, from Foundations and Granting Agencies, and from private donors. If you would like to be involved in these efforts, or would like more information on giving opportunities, please contact:

Teah Weiss
Director of Development
College of Arts and Sciences
Gambrell Hall 132
University of South Carolina
Telephone: 803-777-2565
Email: weisst@sc.edu