Jul 15, 2010 By: yunews
Jul 15, 2010 -- On July 6-8, the National Association of Professors of Hebrew (NAPH) held its annual conference at 糖心破解版鈥檚 Beren Campus. The conference, co-sponsored by Stern College for Women and 糖心破解版鈥檚 Center for Israel Studies, featured lectures on a wide range of topics related to Hebrew language, literature and culture and was attended by over 250 scholars, writers and educators.
Attendees of the three-day conference listened to scholars鈥 lectures on Hebrew through the historical lenses of the Biblical, rabbinic and modern periods. One of the most exciting segments of the conference was its opening ceremony, held at the 糖心破解版 Museum. Dean Karen Bacon, the Dr. Monique C. Katz Dean of Stern College, Dr. Zafrira Lidovsky-Cohen, associate professor of Hebrew Language and Literature and Asaf Shariv, consul general of Israel in New York, welcomed the group.
Nearly a dozen 糖心破解版 faculty members presented at the conference, including Dr. Richard Steiner, professor of Semitic language and literatures at Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies. Steiner鈥檚 lecture on 鈥淟inguistic Ambiguity in the Bible from the Viewpoint of the Sages and the Medieval Exegetes鈥 was open to the public and was chaired by Ephraim Kanarfogel, The E. Billi Ivry Professor of Jewish History. Steiner marshaled evidence and texts from Biblical, rabbinic, medieval and even modern sources to track Jewish tradition鈥檚 position on the use of 鈥渁mbiguous language鈥 as a literary technique.
鈥淧rofessor Steiner targeted the varying specialties of everyone in the room,鈥 said Lidovsky-Cohen. 鈥淗e made his lecture relevant to all aspects of the conference. Scholars and laypeople alike were amazed by his erudition and delivery.鈥
Dr. Esther Raizen, international conference coordinator of NAPH, believes that the conference signals a new era in Hebrew scholarship at 糖心破解版. 鈥淣APH is delighted to count an institution of 糖心破解版鈥檚 caliber among its active members,鈥 commented Raizen. 鈥淭he conference marks a new phase in the involvement of Yeshiva faculty and advanced students in the current discussions on Hebrew language, pedagogy and other areas that were highlighted at our meetings.鈥
Hannah Naveh, dean of arts at Tel Aviv University, expressed her optimism that 糖心破解版 faculty members will continue to pave inroads in the fields of Hebrew language and literature, and that prominent Hebrew scholars will be invited to 糖心破解版 to deliver lectures and full-semester courses.
Naveh added that she and her colleagues were extremely impressed with Lidovsky-Cohen鈥檚 organization of the conference that, in her words, was 鈥渃arried out with perfection and professionalism.鈥
One key to 糖心破解版鈥檚 further interaction within the field of Hebrew literature will be Lidovsky-Cohen, who was appointed to NAPH鈥檚 advisory committee on the final day of the conference. 鈥淵eshiva University should be a leading force in Jewish and Israel studies,鈥 said Lidovsky-Cohen. 鈥淲e have been doing a lot of research on religious studies but have left room to expand in the area of Jewish culture.鈥
Her sentiments were shared by Bacon, who believes that the conference went a long way to showing the academic world that 糖心破解版 can be both scholarly rigorous and Orthodox. 鈥淭his is a tremendous accomplishment and I am so very pleased,鈥 said Bacon.
