MEDIA CONTACT: Thai Phi Stone
202-994-6424; tpstone@gwu.edu

GW ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF HISTORIAN
JENNA WEISSMAN JOSELIT AS CHARLES E. SMITH CHAIR IN
JUDAIC STUDIES

WASHINGTON--Nationally renowned historian Jenna Weissman Joselit has been named the Charles E. Smith Chair in Judaic Studies at The George Washington University Columbian College of Arts and Sciences. Beginning this fall, she will join the Judaic studies program and the Department of History, teaching American Jewish history and continuing her research on a number of projects, including the study of America's relationship to the Ten Commandments.

"As a leading authority on American Jewish history and culture, Jenna Weissman Joselit brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise, further strengthening our arts and sciences' programs," said Peg Barratt, dean of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences. "Her ability to look at modern Jewish-American culture through a multi-disciplinary lens will certainly enrich the experiences of our students and bring new perspectives to learning Judaic studies."

Professor Weissman Joselit added, "I'm energized by the prospect of drawing on the wealth of resources at GW and in Washington, D.C. Together, they offer an unparalleled range of people and institutions, and I look forward with keen anticipation to drawing on these resources in and out of the classroom, teaching innovative courses on the Jewish historical experience, training a new generation of students and engaging the local Jewish community."

Professor Weissman Joselit comes to GW from Princeton University, where she taught modern Judaic studies and American studies. A celebrated historian of everyday life, she specializes in the history and culture of America's Jews and in U.S. cultural history from the late 19th century through the 1950s. Her work focuses on the unique relationship between material culture and identity.

Her distinguished career includes teaching posts at Yale University, New York University and Temple University. She is a founding member of NYU's Working Group on Jews, Media and Religion and has been a senior fellow at Princeton's Center for the Study of American Religion and a fellow at Yale's Center for Art and Material Culture and the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Judaic Studies. Most recently, she was a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the John W. Kluge Center of the Library of Congress.

"The addition of Dr. Weissman Joselit to our faculty is going to make American Jewish history one of our strongest subsets in Judaic studies," said Robert Eisen, director of GW's Judaic Studies program and professor of religion and international affairs. "She will be a great fit for the University and our program because of her strength and focus on contemporary American life."

Jenna Weissman Joselit also is a frequent contributor to The New Republic, TNR Online and Gastronomica, as well as a long-standing columnist for The Forward, one of the country's leading Jewish newspapers. She has published eight books and authored more than 70 articles and reviews. Her book, "The Wonders of America: Reinventing Jewish Culture, 1880-1950," received the National Jewish Book Award in History in 1995. She is currently at work on a book about America's embrace of the Ten Commandments, which explores the varied ways the United States lays claim to the ancient biblical text. 

A recipient of several grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Jenna. Weissman Joselit has served as the curator of and consultant to more than 30 exhibitions throughout the United States and Israel. She received her undergraduate degree from Barnard College and earned master's degrees in philosophy and history and a doctorate in history from Columbia University. The Smith Chair in Judaic Studies was established in 1979 by the late Charles E. Smith (1901-95), a nationally renowned real estate developer and leader in the Washington, D.C., community.

Established in 1821 in the heart of the nation's capital, GW's Columbian College of Arts and Sciences is the largest of the University's academic units with more than 40 departments and programs for undergraduate, graduate, and professional studies. Columbian College provides the foundation for GW's commitment to the liberal arts and a broad education for all students. An internationally recognized faculty and active partnerships with prestigious research institutions place Columbian College at the forefront in advancing policy, enhancing culture, and transforming lives through research and discovery.

For more news about GW's Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, visit www.columbian.gwu.edu.

For more news about The George Washington University, visit www.gwnewscenter.org.

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