*The conference is open to the public

Thursday, April 17^th 4:00-8:30 pm  

James Madison College Library 332 Case Hall, 842 Chestnut Rd. 

4:00 – 5:00 PM: Panel 1: Israel Studies: From the Influence of Israel’s second Mission to the Moon to Influence on Art, Moderated by Professor Yore Kedem 

Emma Cohn, “Jewish and Israeli Influenced Artwork”

I will be sharing the artwork I’ve created that has either been influenced by my Jewish heritage or my interest in Israeli and Jewish artists. A good portion of the work I am sharing is from a larger portfolio that has been ongoing which was influenced by the artist Yaacov Agam and his influencer Max Bill. I will also be able to talk about one of the largest commissions I have done.  

Eric Diskin, “Bereshit 2 and the Israeli Space Industry”

Israel’s second mission to land on the moon is called Bereshit 2. In my paper, I explore many different aspects of the mission, such as the way that Israel funds the mission, how it is designed, and the different experiments within the satellite and two landers. I also explore how the mission improves Israel’s relationship with other countries, because the State of Israel has made partnerships with different countries to help make the mission possible. Additionally, I discuss how these partnerships enable other countries to do groundbreaking research on the moon without having to launch satellites of their own. 

5:00 – 5:45 PM; Keynote address by Samuel Appel, “Building Bridges: How Relationship-Building in Both the Jewish World and Tech Industry Shaped My Career” 

Sam is a professional who transitioned from the Jewish world to the tech industry, drawing on his academic background with a Jewish Studies minor. After completing his studies, Sam worked in Jewish education, where he developed key skills in relationship-building and community engagement. These experiences helped him pivot to the tech industry, where he now fosters collaboration and innovation. Sam’s journey highlights how his Jewish studies background laid a strong foundation for his successful career in technology. 

5:45 – 6:30 PM: Complimentary Dinner  

6:40 – 8:30 PM: Panel 2: Holocaust Survivors’ Lives in America After the War, Moderated by Professor Kirsten Fermaglich 

Simran Kaur, “Holocaust Survivors and the Civil Rights Movement”

The research question I will address in this paper is, “What were the experiences of Holocaust survivors who immigrated to the United States, and how did their experience influence their involvement in the Civil Rights Movement and help shape minority rights in the post-World War II United States?” My paper will address 2 parts of the questions. First, I will talk about the experiences of Holocaust Survivors immigrating to the United States post-World War II. What it was like coming into a foreign country with heavy trauma following the mass genocide? How were they treated in the United States? Did they experience anti-Semitism in the United States? How did they settle? I will then use these questions to address the second part of the question. How their experiences in their home countries and during the Holocaust and in the United States influenced their decisions to or to not be involved in the civil rights movement? What were some of the primary reasons why Survivors did or did not take part in Civil rights activities? 

Ali Oconnor, “The Culinary Legacy of a Holocaust Survivor Honoring Family Traditions”

This paper is on how Holocaust survivors continued their families’ traditions once they came to the United States and about their lives before the war. 

Ethan Seelig, “A Jewish Family’s Emigration and the Following Lives”

The project is about my Jewish family who emigrated from Germany to the United States in 1939. I will talk about what my family went through to get to the United States, the family members who decided to stay in Germany, and the lives led in the United States after arriving. I have created a timeline built from documents passed on by my family members since the early 1900s. I will also have created a slide show presentation to present the information on, and how it connects to secondary source texts about Jewish life in America.