About the Center  ||  Programs  ||  History of the Center

At the Center for Cultural Judaism, we recognize the multitude of Jewish traditions, histories, philosophies, languages, literatures, and cultures — which are a source of meaning and connections for secular Jews, who make up the majority of Jews worldwide.

The Center for Cultural Judaism serves as the “eyes and ears” of the Posen Foundation and administers Posen Foundation projects in North America. In addition to administering the Posen Grants for the Study of Secular Jewish History and Cultures to 30 colleges and universities in North America, the Center and its staff are involved in a variety of projects, from planning and hosting academic conferences to publishing educational materials to working with scholars and educators in the middle school, high school, and collegiate levels.

Each March the Center holds the annual Posen Conference, a two-day gathering of Posen Grant recipients that features lectures, seminars, and discussions about the teaching of Jewish secularism in the university. In past years, the Center has also had a presence at the marquee conference for Jewish Studies scholars, the Association for Jewish Studies conference (AJS), where the Center has a booth exhibit with information on Posen Foundation projects, and books and resources on Jewish secularism and secularization, has helped selected the “secular” sessions for the Posen Foundation to sponsor, and has sponsored childcare at the AJS conference since 2005.

In 2009, the Center introduced the inaugural Posen Summer Seminar, a ten-day intensive seminar open to scholars outside the Posen Project. The 2009 Seminar, titled “Approaches to Jewish Secularism,” offered professors, independent scholars and advanced graduate students a rare opportunity to work with senior scholars at the forefront of secular Jewish studies. The Summer Seminar will be held annually.

For 2010, we are introducing the new middle and high school teacher education program with Posen Foundation Professional Development Seminars in two cities, Cincinnati and New York City; the many sessions will examine “The Challenge of Teaching Jewish Studies Topics in Non-Sectarian Multicultural High Schools.” Two-day seminars in the spring will be followed by a week-long seminar in summer 2010. More details will be posted soon.

The Center for Cultural Judaism also publishes resources, both online and in print, about Jewish secularism and secularization. Contemplate: The International Journal of Cultural Jewish Thought is published annually, and collects some of the best writing about secular Jewish culture, history, and contemporary issues from around the world (past contributors have included Amos Oz, Robert Pinsky, Grace Paley, and Susan Jacoby.) The Center also publishes a web journal, Secular Culture & Ideas, which features essays about secular Jews and secular Jewish culture. Both journals, Contemplate and Secular Culture & Ideas, are useful for students, interested individuals, and students at heart.

The Center also developed and maintains an extensive online Bibliography of secular Jewish resources, which has become an important resource for professors and students, and anyone interested in learning more about Jewish secularism and secularization.

For more information, contact us at 212-564-6711.

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