The Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, now celebrating its 30th anniversary, is a renowned intellectual center that is driven by the mission to advance new research, support international scholars, and deepen and broaden the understanding of Jewish history, texts, cultures, ideas, and experiences.
A History of Jewish Scholarship
The Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies is a hub for the study of Jewish civilization and culture
Published: June 12, 2024
“We represent an incredibly rich resource for the Penn community,” says Steven Weitzman, the Center’s Ella Darivoff Director and the Abraham M. Ellis Professor of Hebrew and Semitic Languages and Literatures at Penn Arts & Sciences. “It’s important to have a place that promotes the international collaboration of scholars on topics old and new that can both explore and influence matters relating to the Jewish people,” he adds.
The origin story of the Katz Center is layered. The Center evolved from Dropsie College, which was America’s first degree-granting institution for post-doctoral Jewish studies.
The Center was acquired by the University of Pennsylvania in the 1990s, and in 2008, it was renamed in memory of Herbert D. Katz, a longtime Chair of the Center’s Board of Advisors and a passionate Penn supporter for more than 60 years.
The Katz family’s engagement is now multi-generational. “The Center is devoted to studying the Jewish people and their history,” says Thomas Katz, W’79, PAR’08, PAR’11, PAR’14, one of Herbert’s sons. “It’s an enduring connection between memories of my parents and of an institution that has played an important part in my life. Twenty-five years ago, my father told me that I would enjoy spending time at the Center and attending programs there,” he adds. “[My wife] Elissa and I had a young family and busy careers, but my father wouldn’t take no for an answer. He was right. I’ve been to 18 of the last 25 annual colloquiums and have immensely enjoyed learning and making connections that are still going strong.”
Thomas Katz, W’79, PAR’08, PAR’11, PAR’14, and Elissa Ellant Katz, C’79, PAR’08, PAR’11, PAR’14, are members of the Katz Center Board of Advisors. In 2018, they established the Thomas and Elissa Ellant Katz Fellowship, which is awarded annually to a scholar who is invited to the Center to pursue an individual research project in a collaborative setting. A portrait of Herbert D. Katz is over the shoulder of Mrs. Katz.
The Center is also an important resource for students, offering robust opportunities for intellectual discovery and connection through themed events and scholarly programs. “The Katz Center was a huge draw when I was applying to Penn,” says Alexandra Zborovsky, GR’26, the Stephen F. Cohen-Robert C. Tucker Dissertation Research Fellow in Russian Historical Studies. “I knew the Center was at the cutting edge of Jewish studies and that it would be a transformational place for me.” She emphasized the collaborative nature of 21st-century scholarship, noting, “The Center has provided me with wonderful opportunities for research and connection.”
The Center also co-organizes an Advanced Summer School for graduate students in Jewish studies, thanks to support from Garry Rayant, GD’77, a member of the Katz Center Board of Advisors.
Zborovsky attended the summer program in 2022 when it was held in Jerusalem. “I joined scholars from around the world for a week-long intensive,” she says. “I never would have been able to afford to go as a graduate student without funding. We attended lectures and had lively conversations—it really was career-changing.”
The Katz Center and its offerings benefit from generous philanthropic support. To learn more about supporting the Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, contact Deb Rhebergen, Vice Dean for Advancement.
