SEFER Programs

Moscow Center for University Teaching of Jewish Civilization Sefer was for the purpose of uniting and supporting scholars, researchers, university teachers and students, doctoral students and other individuals who are professionally involved in academic Jewish studies or interested in.

In order to meet these goals Sefer’s activities are carried out in three main directions: scientific and academic research, educational programs, publishing activity.

Academic research programs include:

1)   Academic conferences:

·      Annual International Interdisciplinary Conference on Jewish Studies

It is recognized as one of the most important and large events in Jewish studies in CIS and Baltic States, as well as in the Middle and Eastern Europe. The program includes main subject areas of Jewish Studies, like Biblical and Talmudic Studies, Jewish History, Hebrew and Yiddish Languages and Literatures, Jewish Art, Israeli Studies, the Holocaust Study, Jewish Identity, Ethnology, Sociology etc.

·      International Student (Youth) Conference in Jewish Studies

It  is the traditional meeting of students, post-graduates, young researchers from the FSU region; it provides leading students of Jewish studies in the FSU with the opportunity to present the results of their research in various fields of Jewish studies to academicians, international visitors, and other university students. The participants are selected by a board of leading academics in a competitive selection process.

·      Comparative Jewish-Slavic culture conferences

2)   Educational activities:

·      Summer and Winter students schools (mini-universities with lectures, seminars and different tracks of Jewish studies);

·      Field schools for students (in different CIS and Baltic States, Central and Eastern Europe countries regions with reach Jewish heritage);

·      Visiting Lecturers program – promotion of lecturing tours by scholars both eminent and young to different mostly distant universities;

·      Eshnav program (one month-long courses and research work at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem);

3)   Advanced training program for university teachers in Judaic and Israeli Studies is carried out on the yearly basis together with the Department of Jewish studies at the Moscow State University - one semester study course.