12 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022

OUR COMMUNITY

making something happen at
Michigan State that was edu-
cational, not just for Jews but
for non-Jews as well, about the
Jewish people, heritage, about
Israel,
” says Serling, who was
also involved in efforts to rein-
vigorate the Hillel at MSU.
“In those days, if a kid
didn’t get into University of
Michigan, they often would
shun Michigan State and head
for a more friendly Jewish cam-
pus like Indiana or Wisconsin,
and we wanted to reverse that
trend,
” he says.
“We’ve done that in a big way
because Jewish kids really thrive
at Michigan State.
”

Since its inception, the Serling
Institute has hosted 28 visiting
Israeli scholars and had 325 stu-
dents minor in Jewish Studies
over the past 30 years, with a
record 56 minors in 2021-2022.
Some 12,800 students have
taken Jewish Studies courses
since they began, with a record
926 participating in 2021-2022.
In addition, the Institute
sponsors educational events,
including lectures, book talks,
an annual Israeli Film festival
and lectures, and films about
the Holocaust. The Serling
Institute has sent more than 300
MSU students to Israel on facul-
ty-led study abroad programs.

A JEWISH HUB
Dr. Yael Aronoff, the Michael
and Elaine Serling and Friends
Endowed Chair in Israel
Studies, came to MSU in August
2006 and has been directing the
Jewish Studies program since
August 2014.

“We started just teaching
some Hebrew. We didn’t have
our own faculty; this didn’t
exist at MSU before,
” she says.
“Today, we are very interdisci-
plinary. We have faculty from 10
different colleges across campus.

We tackle timely issues in an
interdisciplinary way and with a
Jewish Studies lens.
”
Aronoff says having a Jewish
Studies program to educate
students has become even more
important with antisemitism on
the rise. In addition to all of its
other offerings, the Institute has
taken part in six annual forums
where students share experienc-
es of antisemitism, conducted
training sessions for over 600
residential advisers and inter-
cultural aides, and presented
workshops on antisemitism
across the university.
Since 2018, the Institute has
expanded its scope, feeding into
MSU’s strategic impact goals
while also continuing to focus
on the humanities and social
sciences. More recent develop-
ments include developing tight-
er ties with other universities
in Israel through research, col-
laboration, visiting scholars and
study abroad programs.
“We think MSU is a fantastic
place for Jewish Studies and
Israel Studies,
” Aronoff explains.

Ellie Baden, a Jewish Studies
minor, participated in MSU’s
faculty-led study abroad
program in Jerusalem. She
has also interned with the
Institute, where she attended
faculty meetings, planned social
events and meet-and-greets
for Jewish students and profes-
sors, and helped write a Guide
on Antisemitism for the MSU
Community 2022.

Baden says she enjoys being
part of an established program
with supportive faculty and pro-
gramming that reaches into the
community. Whether attend-
ing classes or social events, it’s
always nice to see familiar faces.
“There really is a sense of
community,
” she adds.
She’ll be attending the Sept.
11 event to help celebrate the
Serling Institute, which she says
has transformed her time at
college. “It has played such an
important role in my experi-
ence, and I can’t wait to share
that with everyone else in atten-
dance and see people just appre-
ciating the program.
”

A RICH HISTORY
Dr. Amy Simon, a professor
of Holocaust Studies and
European Jewish History
who started at MSU’s Serling
Institute in the fall of 2016, says
they’ve doubled their number
of Jewish Studies minors in the
last handful of years, and added
more programming around
antisemitism, with additional
programs when an event in the
country calls for it.

“We really see supporting
our Jewish students in those
moments as a big part of our
job,
” she says, adding that the
Serling Institute provides a
home for Jewish students in
an otherwise big place. “Jewish
Studies is a relatively small place
with friendly, approachable
faculty.
”

Simon adds that she hopes
the programs give all students a
deeper understanding of Jewish
history. “For me, as a Jewish
person, it is very rewarding for
me to teach people who maybe
never even thought about Jews,
maybe never even met Jews,

ON THE COVER

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Students received the Serling Institute Student Achievement Awards with professors who nominated
them at the 6th annual Serling Institute Undergraduate Research Conference where students presented
research papers they had completed for Jewish Studies courses. Pictured are Dr. Laura Yares, student
Leah Welch, Dr. Kirsten Fermaglich, student Troy Distelroth, Dr. Amy Simon, student Sami Chaben and
Dr. Yael Aronoff.