The Jewish Studies program at Ithaca College invites the Ithaca community to attend a lecture by Dr. Marla Brettschneider on the diverse Jewish communities of sub-Saharan Africa at Ithaca College. Come learn about this fascinating phenomenon.
There are potentially as many people involved in Jewish life and Jewishly related communities in sub-Saharan Africa as there are Jews counted in mainstream studies of global Jewry!! Jewishly identified and related communities are found in Uganda (the Abayudaya), in Nigeria (the Igbo), Ghana (the Sefwi Wiawso), in southern Africa (the Lemba), and Ethiopia (the Beta Israel). What is the history of these many communities? How do they understand themselves, their relations to their neighbors in Africa, and their relationships with global Jewry? In what ways are communal practices similar to those of Jews in the north and what are some differences? How does the rise of interest in things Jewish in this region impact Israel, US, and world Jewry?
Dr. Brettschneider's talk is sponsored by the Jewish Studies program at Ithaca College. It is free and open to the public. Dr. Brettschneider, is a professor of political philosophy and feminist theory at the University of New Hampshire. She has a joint appointment in the departments of political science and women’s studies, where she serves as coordinator. Her most recent book is "The Jewish Phenomenon in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Politics of Contradictory Discourses" (Mellen Press, 2016).
For more information, please contact Rebecca Lesses, Coordinator of Jewish Studies, at rlesses@ithaca.edu or (607) 274-3556. Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact Kim Wojtanik at kwojtanik@ithaca.edu or (607) 274-3409. We ask that requests for accommodations be made as soon as possible.
