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Donors Make Events Possible
Through the years, events such as public lectures, concerts,
film viewings, academic seminars, lunchtime discussions,
and two-day workshops have enriched the student
experience and enlightened and entertained the general
public. The Center has hosted nearly 60 free, public events in
its first six years, bringing an array of international experts
to Chapel Hill.
“These events are funded entirely by private support,”
said Jonathan Hess, director. “We are fortunate to have so
many wonderful friends who understand and value the
importance of bringing prominent speakers, researchers
and entertainers to our campus community.”
The Center has four endowed, named lectureships:
• Eli N. Evans Distinguished Lecture in Jewish Studies;
• Morris, Ida and Alan Heilig Lectureship in Jewish
Studies;
• Sylvia and Irving Margolis Lecture on the Jewish
Experience in the American South; and
• Kaplan-Brauer Lecture on the Contribution of Judaism
to Civilization.
A generous grant from the Charles H. Revson Foundation
in honor of Eli N. Evans, ’58 also provides important funding
for the Center’s public event programming.
In addition, the Uhlman Family Fund supports annual
two-day seminars that delve into
special topics related to Jewish
Studies.
The Sylvia and Irving Margolis
Lecture on the Jewish Experience
in the American South continually
draws record number of attendees
each year. Funded by Alan and
Gail Fields, the lectureship is
named in honor of Gail’s parents
and honors their deep connection
to the Jewish south.
“When the Center was established, I thought that it was
not only important to offer the opportunity for the student
body to be exposed to such a program but also for there to be
outreach to the broader community through an offering of
programs that would explore the role of the Jews through
their history and culture,” said Alan Fields. “The Irving and
Sylvia Margolis lecture series on the Southern Jewish
Experience was endowed in tribute to my in-laws, who
through their values and ideals, were respected civic leaders
in their Eastern North Carolina town while maintaining
their identity as committed and practicing members of the
Jewish community.”
Recent Margolis lectures have included Eric Goldstein’s
discussion about Jewish Merchants and Former Slaves and
Stephen Spector’s lecture on Evangelical Christian Support
of Israel.
This spring’s Margolis Lecture will be a screening and
discussion of Ben Loeterman’s film, The People v. Leo Frank
on Monday, April 19, 2010, 7:30 p.m. Loeterman, a writer and
director, will show his new film which recounts the 1913
legal case of a Jewish pencil factory manager in Atlanta
who was convicted of murdering one of his employees.
Student Profile:
Josh Thompson, '10
Language requirement opens doors
to unique experiences for
medical school hopeful.
Upon entering Carolina three years ago, Josh Thompson had a big decision to make: what to do for the language requirement. He already knew Latin, but he wanted to learn something new.“I thought Modern Hebrew would be the most interesting choice and decided to give it a try. I loved learning the language, the teacher was great, and I made lots of friends in the classes,” said Thompson. So, he ended up making Modern Hebrew a minor. “From that, I became involved in other campus groups, audited another Jewish Studies course, and even traveled to Israel in 2008.”
Now that the Modern Hebrew minor is
completed, this semester he is enrolled in
Biblical Hebrew. “I am really excited to start
reading the Bible in its original language.”
This year, Thompson joined the Center’s
advisory board as its student representative.“Jewish Studies is a huge part of my
undergraduate experience. I am thrilled to
have an opportunity to give input and learn
even more about the program.”
Thompson, a Biology major with a second
minor in Chemistry, worked during his
undergraduate years as a Nursing Assistant
at UNC Hospitals. He spent this past summer
applying to medical schools in the southeast
and plans to go into family medicine. “I want
to really know my patients, not just see
people for one or two visits as a specialist,”
Thompson explained.
“I chose to pursue Modern and Biblical
Hebrew for personal reasons: to help with
my travels to Israel and to allow me to read
works in their original language. I’ve since
learned that it’s also a vibrant culture, giving
me the opportunity to explore both history
and current events. I would recommend
Jewish Studies courses to any student.
Just check it out, you’ll be amazed.”
Donor Profile:
Sandra & Stephen Rich, '64
Traffic Light Changes Future for Couple, and Carolina.
For alumnus Stephen Rich ’64 and wife, Sandra, retiring to
Chapel Hill was a long-term dream, an idea that blossomed before
Stephen even graduated with his degree in Accounting. “We both fell
in love with Chapel Hill and UNC and said we would retire here one
day. None of our friends believed it would happen and as the years
went by, we began to doubt it. Then, we came up for a football game
in 2003 and the feeling returned. When waiting at a traffic light, we
saw the perfect home! Had the traffic light not stopped us we might
have missed it,” said Sandra.
In the 30 years between their Chapel Hill days, Sandra taught elementary
school and Stephen worked for The Coca-Cola Company. They
both also worked on the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. The
couple has one son, a daughter-in-law and two grandsons.
Retirement has not slowed down this couple one bit. Sandra
serves on the Center’s Advisory Board, as well as several other
boards and committees, including the Tickled Pink Cancer Fund and
Kidzu Children’s Museum. Stephen chairs the Town of Chapel Hill
Historic District Commission and serves on the boards for NC Hillel,
Chapel Hill Museum, and North Carolina Botanical Garden. Both
Sandra and Stephen serve on the Carolina Center for Public Service
community advisory board and serve as chair and co-chair, respectively,
for the Preservation Society of Chapel Hill.
The couple has supported the Center for many years with annual
gifts, and has established an endowment supporting the Jewish
Studies program and the Carolina libraries: the Stephen & Sandra
Rich Fund for Jewish Studies.
The Carolina Experience: “We have so many memories,
from Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity,
to quiet afternoons of listening
to the folk music playing in
Graham Memorial. From eating at the Rat or the Dairy Bar, to
browsing in Kemp’s Record Store. But most notibly, the memories of
our first home together, on Shepard Lane.”
Maintaining Ties: “After retiring here, we felt that we could meet
lots of people if we got involved in the community and the university.
We also love the weekday lectures at the Alumni Center, the concerts
on campus and of course the sports and wonderful health care.”
Giving Back: “The University has always put an emphasis on
public service and we feel strongly that this is one of the key reasons
it is so admired. Alumni across the state and nation give back to UNC
in so many unique ways. As a student, Wilson Library was a place
one could get happily lost inside, and Stephen spent many hours
buried in the stacks. When we talked years later about giving to UNC,
the library seemed like a perfect way for us to help the Center, so we
set up a fund to support the growing number of programs in Jewish
studies.”
Tomorrow’s Carolina: “The state of North Carolina has a
Jewish population of well under one percent. It is inspiring to have
Carolina teaching so many students, both Jews and non-Jews, about
our religion, its history, its culture and many related areas of study.
We note that changes are taking place, such as the lighting of a
menorah on campus, and enjoy seeing this increased understanding
return to top
From the Director's Desk:
Jonathan Hess
Jewish Studies is thriving thanks to donor support.
In the current semester, undergraduate
interest in Jewish Studies has surged to an
all-time high. Ninety students are taking
Jonathan Boyarin’s “Introduction to Jewish
Studies” class, the new gateway course for
our Jewish Studies minor. Bennie Reynold’s
lecture course on the Hebrew Bible has 200
undergraduates enrolled; Jodi Magness is
teaching Early Judaism to 290 students;
and 150 are taking Christopher Browning’s
Holocaust course. And that’s not all. More
than 100 undergraduates are studying
Biblical and Modern Hebrew, and scores of
other students are taking intensive seminars
on topics ranging from Jewish women in
America to Israeli culture and society,
Jewish legal literature, and the history of
Jews in the American South.
We’re also in the midst of two searches
for additional Jewish Studies faculty members,
and our public events program is as
vibrant as ever.
None of what we have accomplished in
the past would have been possible without
the generosity of our alumni and friends.
As we move forward toward our goal of
expanding our program to include a B.A. in
Jewish Studies at Carolina, private support
will mean more than ever, particularly given
the challenges that institutions of higher
education across the country are facing
today.
Please know how much we appreciate
your generosity, and let me encourage you to
renew your investment in the future of
Jewish Studies at Carolina today.
A Closing Word: Dean Gil
As the new academic year gets underway, the Carolina
campus is alive with renewed energy and passion for learning.
This is evident across the interdisciplinary Jewish Studies
curriculum, where leading scholars engage students in a range
of courses on Jewish religion, history, culture, literature, and
intellectual thought. The Carolina Center for Jewish Studies
has made remarkable progress over the last few years in
promoting the curriculum, recruiting outstanding faculty
and sponsoring exciting programs for the campus and the
community. We are most fortunate to have friends committed
to the success of the Center.
Despite the economic challenges, the College has increased Jewish Studies course
offerings and faculty, thanks to private funds. We look forward to hiring an expert on
the Hebrew Bible as well as an expert in medieval and early modern Jewish history,
positions that are essential to the ultimate creation of a new major in Jewish Studies.
This curriculum will continue to grow and thrive with the support of our alumni
and friends. I hope you will continue to be a part of the Center’s success. If you have
not made a gift this year, please consider doing so now, by using the enclosed envelope
or by making your gift online at ccjs.unc.edu. If you would like to discuss different
ways of making a gift, please contact Margaret Costley at 919-843-0345 or
margaret.costley@unc.edu.
Sincerely,
Karen M. Gil
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
IN MEMORIAM: Alan Heilig ’53
Several donors have made the Center’s public
programming a reality – and without their dedication
to bringing educational opportunities to the
campus, an imporant part of the Center’s mission
would be impossible. One of these committed
donors was Alan Heilig, ’53, who, together with
his sister, Debra Heilig Schwartz, established The
Morris, Ida and Alan Heilig Lectures Fund to support
an annual public lecture on some aspect of
the historic or contemporary Jewish experience.
Alan passed away this fall, and our thoughts
are with his family and friends.
At the time the gift was made, Alan said,“I have a real love for the university and always wanted to do something to promote understanding of Judaism and Jewish history. The opportunity to promote the university and Judaism at the same time was more than I could resist.”
The brother and sister named the endowment
in honor of their parents, who were very active
in the Kingston, N.C. community. Debra wanted
her brother’s name added to the lectureship
title because of his involvement in the Jewish
community and his love for Carolina.
Recent Heilig community events have included
Zion Zohar’s lecture focused on Mysticism,
Magic and Rabin’s Murder, Derek Penslar’s presentation
on Israel and the Diaspora and Shmuel
Feiner’s discussion of the Jewish Enlightenment.
The Center’s November 16 lecture entitled
Ritual Murder in Norwich, 1144 by Miri Rubin will
be this year’s Morris, Ida and Alan Heilig Lecture
in Jewish Studies. Rubin, professor of Medieval
History at Queen Mary, University of London, will
explore the origins of ritual murder accusations
against Jews in the Middle Ages.
We hope to see many of you at this lecture
as a tribute and thank you to Alan Heilig.
ADVISORY BOARD: The Center
welcomes several new members
of the Advisory Board: Jonathan
Fassberg ’88, JoAnn Pizer-Fox,
Toby Osofsky ’03, Marion Robboy,
and Peter W. Schneider ’78, G’81.
FACEBOOK: The Center is now
on Facebook: 
