@aronoffy

Faculty Voice: Examining What Is Integral to Jewish American Heritage

May 29, 2025

Yael Aronoff is the Director of the Michael and Elaine Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel, the Michael and Elaine Serling and Friends Chair in Israel Studies, and a Professor of International Relations at James Madison College. She is focused on research and teaching related to Israeli politics, culture, and society, as well as foreign policy. In this faculty voice, original published…

Faculty / International Affairs, Law, and Government / News / Nonprofit, Education, and Social Impact / Uncategorized

MSU’s Serling Institute Celebrates 30 Years of the Jewish Studies Program

September 8, 2022

This year, Michigan State University marks the 30th anniversary of the Jewish Studies Program, part of The Michael and Elaine Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel. The institute prides itself on teaching and mentoring its undergraduate students, as well as providing a rich curriculum and extensive programming — building on strengths in American Jewish history and culture; European Jewish…

Faculty / Faculty Stories / News

Faculty voice: The Legacy of Ruth Bader Ginsburg

September 23, 2020

My family and I were attending a virtual Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) service when our son texted us that Ruth Bader Ginsburg — or RBG, as he and all his young generation knew her — had just passed away. Minutes later, the rabbi, clearly shaken by the news, gave a heartfelt tribute to Ginsburg. My heart dropped at hearing…

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Award / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / News / Programs

Gift Establishes Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel

September 19, 2018

Michigan State University has received a multimillion-dollar gift from Michael and Elaine Serling for the Jewish Studies Program. This gift, a mix of cash and estate giving, will provide a new endowment in Modern Israel in Jewish Studies. It will serve as a catalyst, stimulating activities that join MSU faculty and Israeli colleagues in several fields, including the humanities, social…

Event / News / Programs

Jewish Studies Program to Host Its Largest Conference

July 17, 2018

MSU’s Jewish Studies Program is sponsoring its largest academic conference to date, titled “Israel at 70: Complexity, Challenge, and Creativity,” to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel and reflect on its history. The conference will take place September 16 and 17 at the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center. “The MSU Jewish Studies Program is expanding its focus…

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Donor / News

$1.5 Million Gift To Make MSU a Leader in Holocaust Studies

September 9, 2015

William and Audrey Farber and their family EAST LANSING, Mich. --- Michigan State University’s newly created William and Audrey Farber Family Chair in Holocaust Studies and European Jewish History, funded by a $1.5 million private gift, will be one of just a handful of Holocaust Studies chairs in the country, one of four in the Big Ten and the first…