∙ Yaakov Ariel ∙ Flora Cassen
∙ Marcie Cohen Ferris ∙ David Lambert
∙ Evyatar Marienberg ∙ Ruth von Bernuth
Yaakov Ariel
Professor, Department of Religious Studies
A prolific scholar with a diverse body of interests, Professor Ariel's work has addressed the enigmatic relationship between the Jews and the Evangelicals.
"I learn from anthropologists, from scholars of literature, from Holocaust scholars. I learn all the time. I'm not just a teacher or scholar - I'm a student."
Read the profile. Publish Date: Spring 2012
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Flora Cassen
MA and Sonja van der Horst Fellow in Jewish History and Culture, assistant professor, Department of
History
As a child growing up Jewish in Belgium, Flora Cassen was naturally curious about European history. She now explores the rich history of Jews in Europe.
"I am interested in how Jews lived during the 15th and 16th centuries. They were subjected to a whole series of religious and legal restrictions, but in spite of that, they achieved remarkable success. Their resourcefulness was very impressive."
Read the profile. Publish Date: Fall 2011
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Marcie Cohen Ferris
Associate professor, Department of American Studies
Professor Ferris's academic and research contributions have helped create Carolina's expertise in the history of the Jewish South.
"By tracing the history of Jewish southerners from the colonial era to the present, we're exploring Jewish contributions to the intellectual, political, economic, artistic
and religious culture so we can better understand what it means to be Jewish in this unique American region."
Read the profile. Publish Date: Winter 2010
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David Lambert
Assistant Professor of Hebrew Bible, Department of Religious Studies
For Professor Lambert, studying the Hebrew Bible means much more than simply reading the ancient text. He extends his study to explore how the Bible is interpreted through the ages, and how different cultural assumptions alter how people approach the Bible.
"My hope is that students in my classes will learn to identify some of the different ways in which our cultural background affects how we read the Bible and to contrast our initial, instinctual readings with possible alternatives."
Read the profile. Publish Date: Fall 2010
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Evyatar Marienberg
E.J. and Sara Evans Assistant Professor of Jewish
History and Culture, Department of Religious Studies
A historian of religions, with a particular focus on the study of the beliefs and practices of lay Jews and Christians, Professor Marienberg joined Carolina with the driving goal to expand course offerings.
"I am happy to be at such a beautiful campus, with outstanding students and faculty colleagues. I hope to give students some new learning opportunities and help this impressive program continue to grow."
Read the profile. Publish Date: Fall 2009
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Ruth von Bernuth
Assistant professor of early modern German Studies Department of Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures
Professor von Bernuth's focus on Germany's early modern period (15th - 18th Centuries) has filled a special academic niche in UNC's German department, and her new research focus on Yiddish literature is likewise filling an important curricular need for Jewish Studies.
"There are so few people working on old Yiddish, but my current research project is introducing me to wonderful colleagues around the world and exposing me to remarkable writers and publishers from centuries ago."
Read the profile. Publish Date: Spring 2011
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