Frankely Judaic: Explorations in Jewish Studies

Historian Jonathan Elukin (Trinity College), visiting fellow at the University of Michigan’s Frankel Center for Judaic Studies, argues that Jewish-Christian relations in the Middle Ages were more complex than a simple story of constant persecution, and that projecting a single, continuous “antisemitism” from antiquity to the present is misleading and constrains how Jewish history is understood. Drawing on David Engel, he explains that “anti-Semitic” originated as a 19th-century Central European political label for movements opposing Jewish emancipation, later becoming the noun “antisemitism” as Jewish observers connected varied anti-Jewish phenomena across time and place. Elukin critiques searches for an ancient origin point (classical “Judeophobia,” early Christian “anti-Judaism”) and shows how Jews often survived, thrived, and were protected despite episodes of violence, expulsions, and accusations. He emphasizes modern antisemitism’s distinct contexts (mass politics, conspiracy thinking), warns against treating antisemitism as an autonomous force, and urges holding broad narratives alongside literal, contextual historical analysis.

Cultural anthropologist Erica Lehrer (Concordia University, Montreal) describes her research on “post-Jewish” objects in Poland, prompted by politicized, oversimplified exhibitions about Polish “Righteous Gentiles” under the 2017–2023 Law and Justice government and by recurring personal encounters with Poles who possess objects that used to belong to Polish Jews. Lehrer argues that objects can reveal a nuanced spectrum of wartime and postwar transfers—from gifts and ongoing intergenerational friendships (e.g., a moulin à légumes used annually to make gefilte fish; replacement Shabbat candlesticks) to barter under starvation, extortionary contracts, and violent expropriation—while highlighting the economics and risks of aid.

This episode explores the research of Uri Schreter, who examines the impact of Jewish LP records in shaping American Jewish identity and culture. Hosted by Jeremy Shere, the discussion delves into 'Olives, Almonds, and Raisins,' an enigmatic 1950s album by Ray Martin, highlighting its multiple versions and regional adaptations. The episode also covers the evolution of recording formats, the marketing of Jewish music, and the role of media in influencing public perception. Through Schreter's insights, listeners gain a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between music, culture, and history in the post-war era.

Historian Ayelet Brin discusses her research on the American Yiddish press during World War I, focusing on government censorship and surveillance. She highlights the immense influence of the Yiddish press, the broad powers of the Espionage Act and Trading with the Enemy Act, and the role of the Bureau of Translation. Brin also examines the complex dynamics between newspapers, the government, and perceptions of Jewish loyalty in the United States, as well as the broader implications for American Jewish history and the relevance of these events today.

In this episode, film scholar Olga Gershenson (University of Massachusetts Amherst; co-head fellow at the Frankel Institute for Advanced Judaic Studies, (University of Michigan) discusses her project, "The Oxford Handbook of Judaism and Film", a 38-chapter Oxford University Press volume available online through library access. She explains why she chose “Judaism and film” over the slippery category “Jewish film,” moving beyond binary in/out definitions to examine production, distribution, reception, interpretation, religion on and off screen, expanded geographies, and non-realist genres like horror. Gershenson contrasts conventional Jews-in-film narratives centered on American Jewish experience and Hollywood with global case studies including Jewish women stars in early Indian cinema, Malayalam films nostalgically reconstructing Kerala’s Jewish past, and the extensive network of Jewish film festivals originating in 1981 San Francisco. She also highlights transnational dybbuk adaptations and Israeli religious-horror television, arguing for curiosity and openness to the field’s breadth.

In this episode we explore Sigal Yona’s research on Tel Aviv’s Eden Cinema, a landmark venue that opened in 1914 on the edge of the Neve Tzedek area, operated with for six decades, and closed in 1974. Yona describes how the cinema began as a contested Zionist-era project that depended on Egyptian distribution networks and multilingual advertising, drew mixed audiences during the silent-film era, and later navigated growing Jewish-Arab tensions and the transition to sound, including live Arabic mediation and early Egyptian sound films. After financial struggles in the 1940s and becoming a workers’ cooperative, it reinvented itself in the 1950s as a major hub for Yiddish films and then Indian and Egyptian films, creating highly participatory collective viewing experiences despite official restrictions. The cinema declined with television and changing film availability, and today the abandoned, graffiti-covered building faces possible renovation.

In this episode, we tell the story of the precursor to The Jerusalem Post--the Palestine Post, with the help of journalist and media historian Gilad Halpern. We delve into the life of Gershon Agronsky and explore how the newspaper navigated the complex terrain of British Mandate Palestine, WWII, and the establishment of the State of Israel. This narrative examines the paper's balancing act between objective journalism and Zionist advocacy, its transformation over the decades, and its impact on media history and journalism ethics.

In this episode, we explore the work of Matt Handelman, Associate Professor of German and core faculty in Digital Humanities at Michigan State University. We delve into his research on German Jewish intellectuals, particularly those linked to the Frankfurt School, and the concept of 'cultural politics.' The narrative traces the origins of this intellectual movement from the Weimar Republic through exile and adaptation in America, focusing on figures such as Siegfried Kracauer and Walter Benjamin. The episode also touches on the lasting impact of their ideas and the current misuse of Frankfurt School theories by the far right.

This episode explores the research of Uri Schreter, who examines the impact of Jewish LP records in shaping American Jewish identity and culture. Hosted by Jeremy Shere, the discussion delves into 'Olives, Almonds, and Raisins,' an enigmatic 1950s album by Ray Martin, highlighting its multiple versions and regional adaptations. The episode also covers the evolution of recording formats, the marketing of Jewish music, and the role of media in influencing public perception. Through Schreter's insights, listeners gain a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between music, culture, and history in the post-war era.

Historian Ayelet Brinn discusses her research on the American Yiddish press during World War I, focusing on government censorship and surveillance. She highlights the immense influence of the Yiddish press, the broad powers of the Espionage Act and Trading with the Enemy Act, and the role of the Bureau of Translation. Brinn also examines the complex dynamics between newspapers, the government, and perceptions of Jewish loyalty in the United States, as well as the broader implications for American Jewish history and the relevance of these events today.