metro >> on the cover
EMU: Making Its Move
Photo by Randy Ma sc ha r ka / EMU
Eastern Michigan U. raising its profile in the Jewish community and the region.
A Jewish Studies
Lecture Series talk
by Aaron Lansky of
the National Yiddish
Book Center filled
the auditorium with
students as well as
patrons from the Metro
Detroit and Ann Arbor
Jewish communities.
10 May 19 •
2011
Continued from page 1
visible as it should be, especially in the
Detroit Jewish community"
The effort didn't have to start from
scratch. There was already much going on
at EMU to interest and engage prospective
students, alums and nearby Jewish com-
munities. But the discussions helped kick
things into a higher gear.
"Jewish programming is strengthen-
ing and growing exponentially" said Mary
Cooperwasser, development officer for the
College of Business at EMU. She's been
actively involved as a booster and now
board member of Hillel at EMU as well
helping to reconnect Jewish alums.
"The alums didn't have the Jewish oppor-
tunities when they were in school here,' she
acknowledged, "but, right now, they have a
chance to make an impact on Jewish stu-
dents of today and tomorrow as well as the
entire campus community."
She says that under President Martin, "we
finally have some stability" to move forward
in many areas on campus.
Besides the people involved, a crit-
ically important element is the tone
set by "a very longstanding tradition
and engrained values of diversity"
Cooperwasser said. "It's in the DNA
of our student population, program-
ming and faculty:'
"We really open our arms to any
and all students, however and when-
ever they get here, to really support
their education',' she said. That makes
it natural not only to welcome Jewish
input and involvement, but also to
seek it out and help make it happen.
"We've finally found an
administration that under-
stands and appreciates the
Jewish contributions to
Southeastern Michigan's his-
tory and culture, and the fac-
ulty has embraced this with
a great deal of enthusiasm,"
Arthur Horwitz
he said.
As director, Shichtman will
create alliances with EMU's
Jewish community, coordi-
nate EMU's Jewish Studies
Lecture Series and develop
curriculum and classes in
Jewish life and culture as well
Jewish Studies
Last November, Martin Shichtman
as opportunities for study
was named director of Jewish Studies.
abroad and internships.
An English professor at EMU for 26
Rather than developing
years, he's been working to integrate
a separate Jewish Studies
Jewish programming into campus life
department, Shichtman has
for almost a decade. His appointment shows been tasked with developing interdisciplin-
strong institutional support for his efforts and ary courses on the Jewish experience that
those who worked with him.
will allow the university to offer a minor in