Chicago 2008: Zvi Gitelman, two lectures

The Lucille Gudis Fund of the Jewish Genealogical Society, Inc. of New York (JGSNY) will sponsor two lectures at the Chicago 2008 conference, according to executive committee member Gloria Berkenstat Freund.

Zvi Y. Gitelman, University of Michigan Professor of Political Science and Tisch Professor of Judaic Studies will speak at the 28th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy (August 15-22).

“The Litvak-Galitzianer Wars: The Cultural Geography of East European Jewry”, at 7pm, Wednesday, August 20, will focus on the diversity of religious practices, Yiddish pronunciation, foods, customs, dress and political ideologies among the East European Jews that continues to influence Jewish life in Europe, the Americas and Israel.

“An Uneasy Relationship: Jews, Soviets and Russians,” at 8.15am, Thursday, August 21, will cover the paradoxes and contradictions informing the lives of Russian and Soviet Jews during the course of the 20th Century.

The Lucille Gudis Memorial Fund was created by JGSNY to honor its late Vice President, two-time IAJGS Conference co-chair and Executive Committee Member. Among other activities, the Fund has provided funding for JGSNY all-day seminars and IAJGS Conference speakers.