Friday, December 18, 2015

Berlin in the Summer too

The final LBSU application deadline is March 1, 2016.

In addition, we are slightly expanding the subject matter to be covered. Please see below.

We'd greatly appreciate your sharing this information and the attached flyer with your students and placing it in any upcoming bulletins / journals.

LBSU Advanced Program in Jewish Studies, June 30 to August 12, 2016:

Leo Baeck Summer University is an annual, six-week summer program in Jewish studies at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, under the auspices of the Zentrum Jüdische Studien Berlin-Brandenburg (Center for Jewish Studies). The program consists of two modules plus intensive project work and is combined with excursions, lectures, and meetings all related to the academic program.

LBSU focuses on Jewish life in Germany from the 19th to 21st century and its relationship to other Jewish communities worldwide. The first module, Modern German-Jewish History, covers the history of German Jewry from the 18th to the early 20th century and from the Nazi to the post-war period. We are adding a special emphasis in 2016, looking at how Germany's Jewish community has been affected by both the post-Soviet Jewish immigration over the last 25 years, and today's massive influx of Muslim refugees.

Our second module also has new focus in 2016: The South American Dream: European Jews in Latin America. This module intends to integrate Latin America into the greater picture of modern Jewish history.

Throughout the program, students will be introduced to current issues in Jewish life in Germany today.

Advanced undergraduate, master's and doctoral students are encouraged to apply. Upon successful completion of the program students are granted 12 ECTS credits, transferable to home institutions.

Applications must be sent to info@lbsu.de and include (in PDF format):
1. a resume
2. a brief (500-word) personal statement elaborating on their interest in the program
3. a letter of recommendation sent directly by a professor / instructor to info@lbsu.de
4. for students who are not native speakers of English, a letter from a professor / instructor attesting to their advanced English language skills
5. for financial aid applicants: a letter from your academic institution affirming your ongoing need for assistance

Thanks to support by the DAAD and the Heinrich Boell Foundation, LBSU will be able to provide financial aid as well as travel subsidies to students with demonstrated need.  The program fee of 2,000 euros covers tuition, student lodging, mass transit within the city of Berlin, group excursions in the Berlin metropolitan area, health insurance and introductory and farewell dinners. We encourage students to discuss tuition assistance / grant possibilities with their home institution.
Please see our flyer, attached, and our website for further information.

Again, thank you in advance for sharing this information with interested students and colleagues.

Kind regards,

Toby Axelrod                                                           
Academic Director, LBSU



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Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
LBSU Leo Baeck Summer University
Sophienstraße 22a
10178 Berlin
Germany

Tel. +49 (30) 2093 66319
Email:  info@lbsu.de
Web:   www.lbsu.de



Wednesday, December 9, 2015

New Pitt Study Abroad Program in Berlin

The Study Abroad Office at the University of Pittsburgh is offering its new “Pitt in Berlin” program, a semester-long study abroad program in Berlin in the fall of 2016. As a member of the Pitt History Department and former resident of Berlin, Gregor Thum will serve as on-site faculty and instructor of two of the courses offered. In addition to taking courses and studying German, students will get the opportunity to explore Berlin—one of the most fascinating and dynamic cities in Europe today—and to take guided field trips to Dresden, Prague, Wrocław, Krakow, and Auschwitz.


Students in Jewish Studies would be most welcome! For those interested in Jewish life in present-day Berlin/Central Europe, as well as questions related to Holocaust and memory, this program has a lot to offer. The application deadline is January 15, 2016, If you might be interested in spending a semester in Berlin next year or have questions about the program, please contact Professor Thum:  thum [at] pitt [dot] [edu]

Location: Berlin, Germany
Terms offered: Fall
On-site faculty: Gregor Thum, History Department, University of Pittsburgh
Academic Areas: History, Political Science, German, History of Art and Architecture,
Jewish Studies, Anthropology, Sociology, Urban Studies
Dates: Early September to mid December 2016
Estimated costs: In-State $15,999; Out-of-State $23,359
Application deadline: January 15, 2016
For more information: http://www.abroad.pitt.edu/berlin