The next generation of cultural entrepreneurs and arts administrators will be trained at George Washington in the university’s new graduate program in Jewish cultural arts, the first of its kind in the nation.
The two-year Master of Arts program--created by Jenna Weissman Joselit, the Charles E. Smith Professor of Judaic Studies and Professor of History--will combine cultural arts research with practical arts training. The multidisciplinary curriculum will be complemented by cultural collaborations and internship opportunities with Washington, D.C. arts organizations, foundations and museums. It will launch this fall.
Dr. Weissman Joselit said the program will expand what traditionally constitutes the study of Judaic studies—mostly examining texts—to draw upon the Jewish culture’s other “rich and vibrant” expressions.
“The new program underscores the primacy of culture in all of its varied expressions—the visual arts, dance, film, music, theater—to Judaic Studies,” said Dr. Weissman Joselit. “Jewish cultural arts are central, even indispensable, to understanding the Jewish historical experience.”
Graduates will emerge with skills ranging from audience development and fiscal management to the seeding and nurturing of new forms of Jewish cultural expression.
“Little by little, the impact of the arts is making itself felt within the academy,” said Dr. Weissman Joselit. “The program will combine the practical with the more theoretical; it will enable artists to create but also equip them with a bank of skills as well as intellectual capital.”
The university and the District are the “perfect setting” to launch such a program, said Dr. Weissman Joselit. The program will draw on “in-house talents” from departments and disciplines around the university—including English, museum studies, theatre & dance and music.
“One of the things that drew me to George Washington was the possibility of creating this program and taking advantage of both what D.C. has to offer and the broad resources at GW,” she said. “GW is well suited for this kind of program as it’s a congenial place for thinking and working. I have a cohort of wonderfully talented people with resources we can draw on.”
Dr. Weissman Joselit cited her experience co-teaching a course with Professor of Theatre Leslie Jacobson titled “On & Off the Rialto: The Merchant of Venice from an Interdisciplinary Perspective” as an example of the kinds of collaboration students should expect in the new Judaic studies master’s program.
“The class brought together historians and theater professionals. Students studied texts, visited the Folger Library and some were even involved with [GW’s Department of Theatre and Dance’s] MainStage production of the play, which Professor Jacobson directed,” said Dr. Weissman Joselit. “That course, in a nutshell, underscores the possibilities of how to think about arts and culture and make use of the university’s resources to expand the parameters of Judaic studies.”
Dr. Weissman Joselit also plans to have guest artists and speakers as well as cultural collaborations and internship opportunities with the Washington, D.C. Jewish Community Center, Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington and Foundation for Jewish Culture.
While she said she has a “certain vision” for the program, Dr. Weissman Joselit said students will have the opportunity to help shape the program. The more passionate they are about their study, the more the program will benefit.
“The program is very fluid at the moment; there are no existing protocols or conventions. I’d like to have students who are open, adventurous and curious,” she said. “They don’t need to have a Judaic studies background; they need to feel strongly that the arts are key to the vitality of our culture.”
The program, said Dr. Weissman Joselit, is not only exciting because it’s the first of its kind but also because it showcases the importance of creating community through culture.
“The arts are vibrant, important and central to our well-being as a nation,” she said. “Hopefully this program will make that case.”