Q & A with Prof. Stuart S. Miller: UConn’s Judaic Studies program enters new phase
By Cindy Mindell ~
Stu Miller
STORRS –Stuart S. Miller is a professor of Hebrew, history, and Judaic studies and a member of the Classics and Mediterranean Studies section of the Department of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages at the University of Connecticut. He is currently the associate director of the Center for Judaic Studies and Contemporary Jewish Life and is responsible for the direction of academic offerings in Judaic Studies at the university.
A specialist in the history and literature of the Jews of Roman and Late Antique Palestine, Miller has worked closely with archaeologists, having served for many years on the staff of the Sepphoris Regional Project. He is a renowned scholar recognized for his research on Talmudic Israel and experience on the ancient city of Sepphoris (Tsippori), an archeological site where he has taken students to excavate.
The Center for Judaic Studies and Contemporary Jewish Life recently announced several developments, including the appointment of a new chair. Recently, Miller spoke with the Ledger about these changes, as well as his work at the university and how his own role is changing.
Q: Tell us what’s happening at the Center.
A: This is a very exciting time indeed. We just completed a search to fill the Doris and Simon Konover Chair in Judaic Studies, which includes the directorship of the Center for Judaic Studies and Contemporary Jewish Life. The chair and appointment have been held for the last 35 years by Arnold Dashefsky, professor of sociology, who is retiring. Thanks to our foresighted dean, Jeremy Teitelbaum, and our visionary president, Susan Herbst, who has implemented an ambitious hiring plan, we were able to fill this position and also add another faculty member through a process called an “opportunity hire.”
This fall, we will be welcoming Jeffrey Shoulson as our new director and Konover Chair. Prof. Shoulson comes to us via the University of Miami and is an accomplished scholar in English literature and early modern Jewry. He is the author of an award-winning book, “Milton and the Rabbis,” and has a forthcoming book, “Fictions of Conversion: Jews, Christians, and Cultures of Change in Early Modern England.” At the same time, we are adding another senior scholar, Susan Einbinder, of Hebrew Union College, who is an authority on Medieval European Jewry. Prof. Einbinder’s most recent book is “No Place of Rest: Medieval Jewish Literature, Expulsion, and the Memory of France.”
Q: How do these developments relate to the recent restructuring of Judaic Studies at UConn?
A: Two years ago, “Judaic Studies” at UConn underwent a self-review that included a visit by off-campus consultants. This resulted in a restructuring in anticipation of the hiring of a replacement for Arnold Dashefsky. We could not very well proceed without a plan that addressed the following questions: What field of Jewish studies should the new director specialize in? To which department should he or she belong? Would the role of the associate director – my role – change in any way?
Q: Which fields did you decide to emphasize and why?
A: We decided to focus on Jewish-Christian – and, to some extent, Jewish-Christian-Muslim – relations in the Medieval-to-Early-Modern period. In Prof. Shoulson, we have someone who is interested in the depiction of Jews in English literature and how it informs Jewish-Christian relations. In Prof. Einbinder, we have a scholar who can speak to the predicament of the Jews in Christian Europe and in Muslim Spain. These areas complement my own interests in Jewish society in Talmudic Israel/Roman Palestine. Moving forward into the Medieval period made especially good sense because UConn is strong in Late Antiquity and has a wonderful Medieval studies program, and such a concentration will make us quite unique for any university.
Q: How is your role changing?
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