Hadassah-Brandeis Institute

April 8, 2025

In the spirit of Passover and the contemporary retelling of Jewish stories, HBI along with campus and community sponsors, joined photographer Hannah Altman from our current art exhibition, As It Were, Suspended in Midair, with online storytelling sensation Miriam Anzovin, currently a JArts/CJP Community Creative Fellow, in conversation to share their processes of harnessing the power of narrative using their unique voices. Anzovin used Altman's photographs as Jewish “text” to encounter and guided us on a tour of some images in HBI's current exhibit, highlighting lesser known female stories she found within. She also shared the story of Serach bat Asher, the focus of her fellowship. Altman and Anzovin both draw inspiration from Jewish folklore and mythology in their storytelling.

After a program in the Kniznick Gallery, the conversation continued in a panel discussion moderated by Maia Lefferman, Brandeis ‘25. Brandeis Hillel, JFAB: Jewish Feminist Association of Brandeis, Combined Jewish Philanthropies, the Jewish Arts Collaborative, and the Vilna Shul cosponsored the event. Read a few reflections from those who attended. 

January 24, 2025

Every year, the HBI gives out over $50,000 worth of research awards to support innovative new work in the field of Jewish women’s and gender studies. Assisted by experts from around the world who volunteer to serve on our Academic Advisory Committee and decision committee, we identify and support important new work. Sometimes this work develops new methodologies, explores new areas of research or creates new theoretical tools for understanding the role of gender in Jewish life. Sometimes, this scholarship engages in projects of reclamation, telling the stories of Jewish women, gender minorities or other communities that have been lost or ignored.

I was thinking about our collective responsibility to remember and retell the stories of Jewish history when I spent a lovely winter break last month travelling around Portugal with our children, now in their teens and 20s. As always, Jewish heritage tours were part of our experience. We learned about the role of Jews in the Portuguese age of exploration, trade and colonization, and the destruction of the community after the adoption of the Inquisition, forced conversion and pogroms.

December 11, 2024

HBI is proud to announce that our director, Lisa Fishbayn Joffe, and several of our current scholars in residence, research associates, and authors will be presenting, leading panels, and participating in roundtable discussions at the upcoming Association for Jewish Studies Conference, Dec. 15 through 19.

October 16, 2024

HBI has several employment opportunities for students. Some work as research assistants for both our resident and affiliated scholars, while others work in the Kniznick Art Gallery during HBI exhibitions, in our office, and on our events. 

August 29, 2024

People often think the summer is a quiet time, but for most academics, it is a hectic season filled with research, writing and meeting up at conferences. What a pleasure it was, this summer, to see and meet many HBI affiliates and research and travel grant recipients, at every stage of their careers, presenting new and exciting work, at the conference on Jews, Gender and Sexuality at the University of Bristol and Canon, Authority and the Creation of Halacha at Harvard Law School. Just last week, we capped off the summer with a talk on Indian Jewish women in Bollywood by HBI Research Associate, Professor Bindu Malieckal, over dinner and a movie at the Vilna Shul here in Boston.

July 31, 2024

During this summer’s Gilda Slifka HBI Summer Internship, HBI hosted a reunion of all 26 years of the program, bringing together a group of interns that included Jewish communal professionals, Jewish studies academics, public policy advocates, and many others. A highlight of the day was hearing about the formative role the internship played in developing and using important skills through all the next steps of their personal and professional lives.

June 17, 2024

Every summer, HBI welcomes interns from across the country and world who complete original research related to the HBI mission of fresh thinking about Jews and gender worldwide and support the work of scholars affiliated with HBI and Brandeis. During the eight-week program, the interns also attend educational lunch sessions with scholars, and visit Jewish sites of interest in the Greater Boston area. The Gilda Slifka HBI Summer Internship is supported by a generous gift from Gilda Slifka. Meet our interns.