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Undergraduate Departmental Representatives

Near Eastern and Judaic Studies

Elizabeth (Shevy) Baskin ('11)

Hi, my name is Shevy Baskin, I'm from New Jersey and one of the NEJS undergraduate department representatives (UDR). Before coming to Brandeis, I spent a year in Jerusalem, volunteering and studying Judaic studies. Now, I'm a junior studying sociology and NEJS, and I think the two disciplines work well together in studying Jews and Jewish society. I've also interned at the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute which is housed in the Women's Studies Research Center, and I'm an active member of the Brandeis Orthodox Organization (BOO).

I wanted to be a NEJS UDR because I love the department and think that it has such an open and caring faculty, and an especially passionate student body. I'm hoping as an UDR I can share with other students all the opportunities they can have as NEJS majors or minors. Please feel free to email or just come up and speak with me about any of your NEJS questions, thoughts or concerns.

 Sara Miller ('11)

Hello!  I’m Sara Miller, one of the NEJS UDRs for the 2009-10 school year.  I’m a junior majoring in NEJS and minoring in Music.  I come from the Washington, DC area (Northern VA).  On campus, I’m involved in many Hillel member groups (BaRuCH, HTG, and Generations, to name a few!), performance groups, and Eta Beta Rho, the Hebrew Honor Society.  In what little free time I have, I spend it listening to music, singing, dancing, and hanging out with friends.

If you have any questions about NEJS, please feel free to ask me!  I can usually be contacted by email, although I am often found in Lown, where the department is housed.

Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies

Elizabeth Bowman ('10)

Beth Bowman hails from the suburbs of Rochester, New York and is majoring in International and Global Studies in addition to Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies. On campus she is involved with the Equestrian Team, Project Nur, the Muslim Student Association and Greek life. She's spent time studying Arabic in Yemen and as a Sorensen Fellow working with Palestinians in the Israeli-controlled portions of the West Bank. When she's not writing her thesis, you can find Beth incessantly taking pictures or driving around Boston, most likely lost.

Tiffany Roberts ('11)

My name is Tiffany Roberts and one reason I am interested in the study of Islam and the Middle East is because I feel both the people and religion are often misunderstood in the West. After having spent the past three summers traveling and working in Israel, Turkey and Bangladesh, I have gained a new perspective on what it means to live in different Muslim societies throughout the world, which has consequently enriched my academic understanding.  I look forward to working as the IMES Undergraduate Department Representative this year and further delving into this fascinating field of study.

Hilla Shimshoni ('10)

Hilla Shimshoni is currently a senior at Brandeis. She originally hails from Tel Aviv, Israel; and prior to Brandeis she was a soldier in the Israeli Air Force. In addition to Islamic and Middle Eastern studies; she is also studying Politics, with a minor in economics. An interesting fact about her; immediately after her forthcoming graduation in December she will be moving to Egypt.

Hebrew Language

Marnina Cowan ('10)

Marnina Cowan is a native of Rockville, Maryland, double majoring in Hebrew Language and Literature and minoring in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies.  She has studied Hebrew for 17 years and has spent an extended period of time living in Israel.  Most notable, was her participation in the Honor’s Program in Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Haifa last fall.  While she is not a native Israeli, Marnina prides herself in being nearly fluent in Hebrew and hopes to reach a similar level of proficiency in Arabic by continuing her language studies after graduation.  She is currently writing her Honor’s Thesis in Hebrew on issues of language and identity specifically concerning Arab citizens of Israel’s attitude towards the Hebrew language.  Marnina aspires to some day use her language skills in the conflict resolution field.  Outside the Hebrew Department, you can find Marnina Israeli dancing and running B’yachad (Brandeis’ semi-professional Israeli dance group) and organizing “A Coming Together…Musika Rox,” a cross-cultural coexistence performance in early March 2010, where Israeli and Palestinian music and dance will unite the Brandeis campus.  Marnina is extremely excited to be the Hebrew department UDR and is looking forward to a wonderful year!

Yiddish

Amy Mandel ('10)

Amy Mandel grew up in Miami, Florida and started her study of Yiddish her first semester at Brandeis. Aside from her minor in Yiddish, Amy is double majoring in History and Politics and is hoping to attend law school next year. Amy has worked for the Office of Development and Alumni Relations since her sophomore year at Brandeis. Amy is also a member of the Student Union Senate as the Senator for the Foster Mods.