Enhancing Jewish Studies in Latin American Universities

A great interest in including Jewish studies in the curricula of a number of universities in Latin America is evident in recent years, and accordingly the International Center has intensified its efforts to promote Jewish studies in universities in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay and Chile. Its program includes an annual workshop in Jerusalem, and special seminars abroad planned jointly with universities in Latin America to cater to the specific needs and interests of the region.

Seminars are devoted to teaching in disciplines such as philosophy, religion, literature and history. Recent seminars have been devoted to The Legacy of Sefarad: A Cultural Dialogue between East and West, and to Language and Identity: "The Multilingualism of the Jews” .

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Supporting Jewish Studies Programs

The International Center has contributed to the efforts of several universities in Latin America that have recently expanded their offerings in Jewish studies to the postgraduate level. These include the National University of Córdoba, the Center of Jewish Studies at the University of Chile , and Anáhuac University in Mexico City .

Several new projects have been initiated during the past year. A major project is the publication of two series, one in Spanish and the other one in Portuguese that we believe will be of great value both to scholars and the lay public. Another project is a series of lectures on Jewish identity , which will be the first of various subjects that will be offered online on the Internet to Latin American universities and institutions.

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Wagner Lins, a doctoral student from Belém (in the Amazon region of Brazil), spent a semester at the Rothberg International School of the Hebrew University, at the invitation of the International Center, pursuing research towards his doctorate.  Mr. Lins completed his MA at the University of São Paulo, in the fields of anthropology, Hebrew Culture and Jewish Literature.  His interest in the ethno-cultural diversity of the Amazon region, alongside his interest in Jewish studies has led him to a doctoral thesis that will focus on Moroccan Jews in Israel and in the Amazon: Differences and Similarities in Ethnic Identity Construction.  Prof. Harvey Goldberg, of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, served as his advisor.