Judaic Studies Council

SAVE THE DATE:
The Judaic Studies Alumni Council Event

4:15 – 8 p.m. | Thursday April 10, 2025
SUNY Global Center | 116 E. 55 St., Manhattan

The Judaic Studies Alumni Council invites you to a lecture by Binghamton University Professor Lior Libman, followed by a networking reception. Dietary laws will be observed. Registration details will follow.

The lecture will be 5:30 - 6:30pm w a reception to follow until 8pm.

The Kibbutz and the State: A Journey to 1948 and Back

Dr. Libman will offer an observation on the present Israeli moment, through an exploration of the relations between the kibbutz and the State since 1948. At the heart of the discussion will be the 1949 play In the Negev Desert staged in HaBima, Israel’s National Theatre, and the scandal caused by it. Analyzing the images of the Kibbutz, Dr. Libman will examine notions of sovereignty and mamlachtiyut (statism) then and now, based on her recently published book State of Shock: The Kibbutz in Israel from Avant-Garde to Fetish, 1948-1955 (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2025).

Dr. Lior Libman is Associate Professor of Israel Studies and the Director of the Center for Israel Studies at Binghamton University. She is a literary scholar and cultural and intellectual historian, specializing in Socialist-Zionism and the kibbutz. Her works were published in English and in Hebrew in different journals, including Iyumin BiTkumat Israel: Studies in Zionism, the Yishuv and the State of Israel, and Mikan: Journal for the Study of Jewish and Hebrew Literature.

About the Judaic Studies Council

The Binghamton University Judaic Studies Council supports the mission of the Judaic Studies Departments and its students’ advancement. The Judaic Studies Council advises the Department in developing strategic partnerships and long-term planning, expanding the network of opportunities for current students and recent graduates, providing learning opportunities for alumni and friends, assisting in recruiting students to Binghamton.

Assisting Department with building partnerships with not-for-profit institutions, developing and achieving long-term goals, identifying additional funding opportunities for students and the Department.

New Student Internship Opportunities (Summer and Winter, funded and credit-bearing)
Mentoring current students and recent graduates
Developing and supporting network of alumni and friends for current students and recent graduates

Executive Mentorship Program

Join Binghamton University Judaic Studies Council’s Executive Mentorship Program! Mentorship gives students the guidance they need to jumpstart their careers.

The Executive Mentorship Program Overview
The Judaic Studies Department Mentorship Program will provide an opportunity for Judaic Studies students to be matched with a professional in their field among Binghamton alumni. The Program includes:
- Three to six 30-60 minute sessions for the mentor and mentee to build a relationship in order to foster the professional and personal development of the mentee
- Check ins with program facilitators for the mentors and mentees
- Sessions may be over the phone, Zoom, or socially distanced outside as mentor and mentee are comfortable
The Sessions:

Over the 30-60 minute sessions, we recommend covering the following topics. Note that it is not mandatory to follow this progression, it is a suggestion.
- Getting to know one another:
  - What are the mentor’s experiences that led them to where they are today?
  - What are the mentees goals and career aspirations?
- Field of Work:
  - What it’s like to work in the field.
  - Why the mentee wants to work in the field.
- Resume: The mentor will guide the mentee in either creating, updating, or fine-tuning their resume.
- Cover Letter: The mentor will guide the mentee in either creating, updating, or fine-tuning their cover letter.
- LinkedIn: the mentor will guide the mentee in either creating, updating, or fine-tuning their LinkedIn profile.
- Networking: The mentor will guide the mentee in building or expanding their network. This can include making new connections, advising on maintaining already existing ones, as well as tips and tricks.
- Plan of Action: the mentor and mentee will work together on a plan for the mentee to move forward. This can include gaining skills, applying for jobs/internships, or working on a network.
Expectations of the Mentor:
- Be ready to guide and lead conversation. Your mentee may not know exactly what to ask or what they are looking for.
- Provide honest and productive feedback for your mentee while also encouraging and nurturing their growth in a positive way.
- Share as much as you can with your mentee - past experiences (successes and failures), connections, and anything else that will help your mentee grow.
Expectations of the Mentee:
- Have an open mind, be open to feedback, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Listen to what your mentor has to say. Always keep in mind that your mentor is here to help you grow!
- Complete the work that your mentor may ask of you in between sessions. Six sessions is not nearly enough, this will thoroughly enhance the mentorship experience.
- Take initiative and express your goals to your mentor. Your time together will be the most productive if it is focused on the direction you want to go in.
Suggestions for your First Conversation:
- Who are you and why did you decide to participate in this program?
- What do you expect to take away or learn from this experience? What are your goals?
- What is your area of expertise and interest?
- What boundaries and norms do you want to maintain in your mentorship relationship?
- How should you continue to stay in touch and communicate?
Students: For more information on the program, and to register, please complete this form.

For more information about becoming a mentor please contact Randy Friedman at friedman@binghamton.edu.

Support Judaic Studies

Thank you for your interest in and support of the Judaic Studies Department. Our endowments are dedicated to support Faculty and students research.

Click here for Giving Options

Council Members

Abby Pitkowsky '89

Bronx, NY | abby.pitkowsky@gmail.com

Director of Israel Education and Westchester region, The Jewish Education Project

Favorite courses in Judaic Studies: All Hebrew classes of Dr. Yedida Stillman z”l and Prof Allan Arkush, Contemporary Zionism
Matthew Becker '07

New York, NY | mjbecker@bdo.com

Audit Director in the Nonprofit and Healthcare Practice in the New York Metro Area offices of BDO

Brief Bio and Job Description: After graduating Binghamton University with a bachelor of science in accounting, Matt has dedicated more than 15 years to providing high-quality accounting and consulting services as well as thought leadership to nonprofit and healthcare organizations. Matt’s range of nonprofit expertise includes Jewish/Israel and Friends of Organizations, Human Service Organizations, Membership and Religious Organizations, International Non-Governmental Organizations and various other nonprofits.

Matt is intimately involved with the BDO-US Israel Desk and serves as a liaison to the Desk for the nonprofit industry. The US-Israel Desk is a platform designed to enable exceptional client service to organizations both in the U.S. and in Israel, attending to their auditing, tax, and advisory needs. Headquartered in New York City and Tel-Aviv, the US-Israel Desk, the Desk seamlessly coordinates a wide range of integrated services.
Illana Ben Ezra '14, MA '15
Yael Brenner '16

yael@baruchhillel.org

Assistant Director, Hillel at Baruch, City, John Jay, Pace, and SVA (Jewish communal field)

Brief Job Description: Oversees operations and programming for a cross campus Hillel in Manhattan - including Baruch College, The City College of New York, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Pace University, and The School of Visual Arts

Favorite courses in Judaic Studies: Sephardi Mizrachi Voices, Early Zionist Thought
Sarah Diamond '98

West Orange, NJ | sarahbdiamond@yahoo.com

Director, New Jersey Jewish Film Festival
Adult Department Program Director, JCC MetroWest

Brief Job Description: Manages a major Jewish film festival i including oversight of committees, sponsorships, film selection and post-screening discussions

Create and implement programming for adults aged 50plus with lectures, trips and other social programming.

Favorite courses in Judaic Studies: History of Jews in America
Cindy Goldstein '92

Livingston, NJ | cindy.goldstein1@gmail.com

Religious school teacher: Congregation Agudath Israel, Caldwell, NJ

Brief Job Description: Judaic Studies teacher (calendar, holidays,etc) for 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders. Also teaching mindfulness classes across all ages from kindergarten through 8th.

Favorite courses in Judaic Studies: Women in the Rabbinate
Linda Grabel '71
Randi Halperin '93
Justin Hayet '15, MPA '16
Joseph Hury '98
Rachel Jacobs Opsal '08

Brooklyn, NY | racheljacobs86@gmail.com

Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf

Brief Job Description: Rachel Jacobs is involved in prosecuting all types of personal injury cases, particularly motor vehicle and medical malpractice cases. Her work includes all aspects of case investigation, drafting and overseeing pleadings, researching and writing motions, preparing and defending plaintiffs’ examinations before trial, court appearances, and trial preparation.

Favorite courses in Judaic Studies: The Holocaust
Jessica Morgenthal
Seth Meyer '07

New York, NY | sethjmeyer@gmail.com

Brown & Altman, LLP, Melville, New York

Brief Job Description: Represents businesses and individuals’ zoning and real estate matters involving various types of commercial and residential properties on Long Island and in New York City. I also represent clients in commercial litigation matters in state and federal courts.
Michael Pitkowsky '89

Bronx, NY | michael@pitkowsky.net

Manager of Enrollment Analytics at St. Francis College

Brief Bio and Job Description: After a career in academia and higher ed that included working with sophisticated learning platforms and data analysis, Pitkowsky decided to make a full transition to the world of high tech and software that eventually led him to dive head first into the Salesforce ecosystem. Within the Salesforce community Pitkowsky found a supportive environment that challenged him to develop his skills in the application of technology towards helping organizations better fulfill their mission. His goal is to help organizations understand how the Salesforce platform can help them become better and more effective at what they are doing.
Yael Rabin '14
Ira Rohde '87

New York, NY | irohde@shearithisrael.org

Rabbi-Hazzan Ira L. Rohde is hazzan-minister (cantor) of Congregation Shearith Israel, the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue in New York—North America’s first congregation—and he holds rabbinical ordination from Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, in New York City

Brief Bio: Rohde has made a special study of the Portuguese liturgical traditions, working closely with Shearith Israel’s esteemed hazzan emeritus, the Reverend Abraham Lopes Cardozo, who came to that congregation from Amsterdam and Surinam.
Maurice Salth '89
Brian Smollett '03
Michael Snow '14
Belle Yoeli '14

Randy L. Friedman

Associate Professor

Judaic Studies

friedman@binghamton.edu

LT 1312

SAVE THE DATE:The Judaic Studies Alumni Council Event