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Department of Jewish Studies
1600 Holloway Avenue
HUM 415
San Francisco, CA 94132
T. 415-338-6075
F. 415-338-6080
jewish@sfsu.edu
Welcome to the Department of Jewish
Studies at San Francisco State University
Rachel Gross named to endowed John & Marcia
Goldman Chair in American Jewish Studies at San
Francisco State University
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 22, 2016 – The San Francisco State University Department of Jewish
Studies has named Rachel Gross the John & Marcia Goldman Chair in American Jewish Studies.
Currently a visiting assistant professor of Judaic studies in the department of Religion and
Culture at Virginia Tech, Gross will join the SF State faculty in August as a tenure-track
assistant professor of Jewish studies.
Gross' scholarly interests in American Jewish studies are varied, ranging from Jewish food and
children's books to American Jewish experiences of genealogy, nostalgia and Jewish heritage
sites. She is currently working on a book manuscript, "Objects of Affection: The Material
Religion of American Jewish Nostalgia."
"With the hire of Rachel Gross as the John & Marcia Goldman Chair in American Jewish
Studies, the department counts its third Goldman family chair," said Marc Dollinger, Richard
and Rhoda Goldman Chair in Jewish Studies and Social Responsibility. "This is an impressive
testament to a family that has established and now solidified Jewish studies scholarship,
education and community engagement in perpetuity at San Francisco State." Eran Kaplan holds
the endowed Richard and Rhoda Goldman Chair in Israel Studies.
"Rachel Gross strengthens the department’s keen interest in the American Jewish experience,"
said Fred Astren, chair of the department of Jewish Studies. "Her interdisciplinary work builds
on SF State Professor Marc Dollinger’s scholarship in American Jewish history. Together, they
offer incredibly strong capacities in American Jewish studies scholarship, teaching and
community involvement."
As John & Marcia Goldman Chair in American Jewish Studies, Gross will expand the
department’s existing areas of expertise in Israel studies, Jewish literatures and Jewish history in
Islamic lands. Her wide-ranging interests will contribute to scholarly conversations and
partnerships with programs across the University as well as in the community.
"I am excited to join the robust and collegial department of Jewish Studies at San Francisco
State," said Gross. "I look forward to teaching about American Jewish religion and culture and to
exploring with students the everyday and extraordinary ways that people have engaged with
Jewish concepts and practices. I am particularly eager to teach about Jewish foodways in the
context of the vibrant Bay Area food scene."
Gross earned a bachelor's degree in Jewish studies at the University of Virginia and master's
degrees in religion from the University of Virginia and Princeton University. She earned a Ph.D.
in religion from Princeton University.
The endowed John & Marcia Goldman Chair in American Jewish Studies was established with a
$1 million gift from the John & Marcia Goldman Foundation in 2013. In 1997, the Richard and
Rhoda Goldman Fund established the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Chair in Jewish Studies and
Social Responsibility with a $1 million gift, which was followed by an additional $500,000 gift
in 2010 to augment the endowment. In 2008, the endowed Richard and Rhoda Goldman Chair in
Israel Studies was established with a $3.75 million gift from the Richard and Rhoda Goldman
Fund. A portion of this gift supported the reorganization of Jewish studies into a University
department.
The department of Jewish Studies is devoted to the history, religion, culture and contributions of
the Jewish people, and attracts a diverse group of students from many racial and ethnic
backgrounds. The department offers a bachelor's degree in modern Jewish studies and a minor in
Jewish studies.
For more information about the work of the John & Marcia Goldman Foundation, visit the
website.
John and Marcia Goldman Chair in American Jewish Studies
San Francisco State University, Department of Jewish Studies, invites applications for the
position of the John & Marcia Goldman Chair in American Jewish Studies to be filled at the
level of tenure-track assistant professor beginning August 2016. Because American Jewish
studies is a scholarly field and not an academic discipline, the department will consider
applications from scholars in a wide array of disciplines, including (but not limited to)
anthropology, art history, cultural studies, education, ethics, history, literature, media studies,
modern Jewish thought, philosophy, political science, religious studies, sociology, and
women’s/gender studies. Since this position reflects the intrinsically interdisciplinary nature of
Jewish studies, broad familiarity with Jewish studies is desirable.
Candidates should have a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in their discipline, with a completed degree
by August 1, 2016. Candidates must have an active record of scholarship related to their area of
specialization in American Jewish studies. Preferred candidates will have teaching experience in
settings with large, diverse student bodies and demonstrate a commitment to excellence in
teaching. The ability to work as a public intellectual in Jewish studies is highly desirable, since
the successful candidate is expected to contribute to the university's mission of community
engagement. Preferred candidates will have strong interpersonal skills, a sense of collegiality,
and the ability to work cooperatively.
The successful candidate will be expected to teach two courses per semester, both lower and
upper division undergraduate courses. These will include both existing department course
offerings and new courses to be developed for the department in the candidate’s area of
expertise. Since 2/2 constitutes a reduced annual teaching load, the endowed chair must
demonstrate correspondingly higher levels of scholarly productivity (by maintaining an active
program of research leading to publication in peer-reviewed journals and other venues in the
field of American Jewish studies, as well as presentations at significant conferences, accolades or
awards, and strong endorsements by referees) and leadership in service outreach activities. Other
duties include advising, curriculum development, and committee service. A detailed position
description is available at the department website: http://www.sfsu.edu/~jewish/.
Salary will be competitive, commensurate with qualifications and experience. The California
State University provides generous health and retirement benefits, as well as domestic partner
benefits. Application: Applicants must submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, copies of relevant
publications, evidence of teaching experience, and at least three letters of reference. Review of
applications and supporting materials will begin September 30, 2015 and will continue until the
position is filled. Please email materials or inquiries to jssearch@sfsu.edu. Printed materials may
also be sent to:
American Jewish Studies Search
Department of Jewish Studies
San Francisco State University
1600 Holloway Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94132
San Francisco State University is a member of the California State University (CSU) system
and serves a diverse student body of 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The
University seeks to promote appreciation of scholarship, freedom and, human diversity through
excellence in instruction and intellectual accomplishment. SF State faculty are expected to be
effective teachers and demonstrate professional achievement and growth through research,
scholarship, and/or creative work.
San Francisco State University is an Equal Opportunity Employer with a strong commitment to
diversity. We
especially welcome applications from members of all ethnic groups, women, veterans, an
d people with disabilities.
A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily
before any candidate can be offered a position with the CSU. Failure to satisfactorily complete
the background check may affect the
application status of applicants or continued employment of current CSU employees who
apply for the position.
Marc Dollinger's American Jewish History Named
Noteworthy Book
Brandeis University Press: Presenting the American Jewish historical experience from its
communal beginnings to the present through documents, photographs, and other illustrations,
many of which have never before been published, this entirely new collection of source materials
complements existing textbooks on American Jewish history with an organization and pedagogy
that reflect the latest historiographical trends and the most creative teaching approaches.
Ten chapters, organized chronologically, include source materials that highlight the major
thematic questions of each era and tell many stories about what it was like to immigrate and
acculturate to American life, practice different forms of Judaism, engage with the larger political,
economic, and social cultures that surrounded American Jews, and offer assistance to Jews in
need around the world.
At the beginning of each chapter, the editors provide a brief historical overview highlighting
some of the most important developments in both American and American Jewish history during
that particular era. Source materials in the collection are preceded by short headnotes that orient
readers to the documents’ historical context and significance.
Congratulation to Eran Kaplan on the publication of Beyond
Post-Zionism
SUNY: Post-Zionism emerged as an intellectual and cultural movement in the late 1980s
when a growing number of people inside and outside academia felt that Zionism, as a political
ideology, had outlived its usefulness. The post-Zionist critique attempted to expose the core
tenets of Zionist ideology and the way this ideology was used, to justify a series of violent or
unjust actions by the Zionist movement, making the ideology of Zionism obsolete. In Beyond
Post-Zionism Eran Kaplan explores how this critique emerged from the important social and
economic changes Israel had undergone in previous decades, primarily the transition from
collectivism to individualism and from socialism to the free market. Kaplan looks critically at
some of the key post-Zionist arguments (the orientalist and colonial nature of Zionism) and
analyzes the impact of post-Zionist thought on various aspects (literary, cinematic) of Israeli
culture. He also explores what might emerge, after the political and social turmoil of the last
decade, as an alternative to post-Zionism and as a definition of Israeli and Zionist political
thought in the twenty-first century.
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