The Jewish Theological Seminary Premieres Visual Judaism, a Summer Lecture Series Hosted by Renowned Scholar Lee I. Levine

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Eve Glasberg
Office: (212) 678-8089
Email: evglasberg@jtsa.edu

June 28, 2011, New York, NY

During the month of July, The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) will inaugurate a summer lecture series entitled Visual Judaism: The Role of Art Among Jews in Antiquity, hosted by renowned scholar and activist in the Masorti/Conservative Movement, Lee I. Levine. Each lecture will center on a cutting-edge topic in the field of Ancient Judaism and feature images of both popular and rare artifacts and architectural finds. The individual lectures will be held on the following Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m.:

July 5: “The Second Commandment and the Myth of the Artless Jew”

July 12: “The Stunning Emergence of a New Jewish Art in the Third Century CE”

July 19: “Why Is a Greek God Depicted on Synagogue Mosaic Floors? The Flourishing of Jewish Art Under Christian Rule”

The program is free and open to the public, but seating is limited; reservations are required for each session. To register, click www.jtsa.edu/LevineLectureSeries, or for additional information, contact Jeanette Bland at (212) 678-8902 or jebland@jtsa.edu. Please arrive at least 15 minutes early to allow sufficient time for registration, and have photo ID available.

Dr. Lee I. Levine received his ordination at JTS in 1965 and his doctorate at Columbia University. He is an erstwhile member of the JTS faculty, professor emeritus in Jewish History and Archaeology at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and the author of numerous works, including The Ancient Synagogue: The First Thousand Years (Yale University Press, 2000) and the forthcoming Visual Judaism in Late Antiquity: Historical Contexts of Jewish Art. Rabbi Levine has served as a visiting professor at JTS, Harvard, and Yale, and lectured widely in the United States, Europe, and Israel. In Israel, he was a founding member of the French Hill Ramot Zion Masorti synagogue, active in initiating TALI schools, and instrumental in the introduction of Jerusalem’s Seminary of Judaic Studies (now the Schechter Institute) for the training of Masorti/Conservative rabbis and educators. He has served as the director of the Foundation for the Masorti Movement; dean, president, and rector of the Schechter Institute (while he was vice chancellor of Israel Affairs at JTS); and chairman of the board of the Schechter Rabbinical School. He is currently chairman of the board at the Hannaton Educational Center.

Visit JTS at www.jtsa.edu
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