Faculty Guide

Title

Joseph and Esther Foster Professor in Judaic Studies

Near Eastern and Judaic Studies

Expertise

Contemporary Jewry and American Jewish sociology, Jewish literature, film and popular culture, Jewish and gender studies.

Awards and Honors

Vice President Association for the Social Scientific Study of Jewry (2008)

Marver & Sheva Bernstein Faculty Fellowship (1995 - 1996)

National Jewish Book Award Honor Book, contemporary Jewish life category (A Breath of Life: Feminism in the American Jewish Community) (1994)

Samuel Belkin Award for Distinguished Professional Achievement, Yeshiva University (1991)

Danforth Graduate Fellowship for Women (1974 - 1978)

Courses Taught

FYS	47a	Justice, Self and Society in Jewish Film and Fiction
NEJS	164b	The Sociology of the American Jewish Community
NEJS	165a	Analyzing the American Jewish Community
NEJS	172a	Women in American Jewish Literature
NEJS	173b	American Jewish Writers in the Twentieth Century
NEJS	176a	Seminar in American Jewish Fiction: Philip Roth and Cynthia Ozick
NEJS	182a	Jewish Life in Film and Fiction
NEJS	204a	Theory and Practice in Social Scientific Studies of Jews and Jewishness
NEJS	233a	Gender and Jewish Studies

Scholarship

Fishman, Sylvia. ""Constructing Reform Gender Role Expectations: Foreshadowing Change,"." Women of Reform Judaism: One Hundred Years. Ed. Herman, Dana. New York and Cincinnati: Union of Reform Judaism, 2013 (forthcoming)

Fishman, Sylvia. ""Forward," in Chaya Gorsetman and Elana Maryles Shtokman,." Educating in the Divine Image: Gender Issues in Jewish Day Schools. Waltham, MA: Brandeis University Press HBI Series on Jewish Women, 2013 (forthcoming)

Fishman, Sylvia. "Fathers of the Faith? Patrilineal Descent After Three Decades,". Jerusalem, Israel Annual Assessment of the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI), Jerusalem, Israel,: 2013. (forthcoming)

Fishman, Sylvia. "“Conservative Elite Migration: Fluidity and Reconstruction in a Pan-Denominational Era,”." Contemporary Conservative Judaism: Sociology, History and Halakhah. Ed. Avinoam Rosenak. Jerusalem: Magnus Press, 2010. Manuscript: book chapter is 45 pages.. (forthcoming)

Fishman, Sylvia. "“Encountering the Other: Birthright Israel, Jewish Peoplehood, and the Opportunities and Dangers of Religious Journeys,”." The Relationship of Orthodox Jews with Believing Jews of Other Religious Ideologies and Non-Believing Jews. Ed. Adam Mintz. New York: Ktav Publishing, 2010. Manuscript: chapter is 26 pages. (forthcoming)

Fishman, Sylvia. ""Growth and Challenges in the Contemporary Reform Movement"." The Reform Movement: Philosophy, Education, and Social Trends. Ed. Avinoam Rosenak and Naftali Rothenberg, eds.. Jerusalem: The Van Leer Institute, 2009 (forthcoming)

Fishman, Sylvia. "Cultural Transmission and Ethical Concerns Among Ethnoreligious Minorities." The Child in Religion and Ethics: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Ed. Marcia Bunge. Valparaiso, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 2009 (forthcoming)

Fishman, Sylvia. "Orthodox and Non-Orthodox Jews in Contemporary American Jewish Life." K'vod Harav. Essays in Honor of Rabbi Haskell Lookstein. Ed. Rafael Medoff. K'tav Publishing House, 2009 (forthcoming)

Fishman, Sylvia, Daniel Parmer. Matrilineal Ascent/ Patrilineal Descent: The Growing Gender Imbalance in Contemporary Jewish Life. Waltham, MA.: Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, Brandeis University, 2008. (forthcoming)

Fishman, Sylvia. "Reading from Right to Left: Fundamentalism, Feminism, and Women's Changing Roles in Jewish Societies." Fundamentalism and the Position of Women in World Religions. Ed. Arvind Sharma and Katherin K. Young. Trinity International Press, 2008. 77-112. (forthcoming)

Fishman, Sylvia, Ed. Avrum Ehrlich. "Jewish Contributions to Contemporary Diaspora Culture." Encyclopedia of the Jewish Diaspora. 2007. (forthcoming)

Fishman, Sylvia, Ed. Avrum Ehrlich. "Jewish Feminism and the Role of Women in the United States." Encyclopedia of the Jewish Diaspora. 2007. (forthcoming)

Fishman, Sylvia. "Jewish History." Rev. of History Lessons: The Creation of American Jewish Heritage, by Beth S. Wenger. 2013

Fishman, Sylvia, with Elisheva Baumgarten, ed. Nashim: A Journal of Women’s Studies and Gender Issues 22 (Winter 2011) Special Issue on Gender and Jewish Identity.. Indiana University Press, 2012.

Fishman, Sylvia. ""Cultural transmission and ethical concerns among ethnoreligious minorities"." Children, Adults, and Shared Responsibilities: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Perspectives. Ed. Marcia Bunge. Valparaiso, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 2012. 202-218.

Fishman, Sylvia. ""Forward"." Sharon Faye Koren, Forsaken: The Menstruant in Medieval Jewish Mysticism. Waltham, MA: HBI Series on Jewish Women, 2012

Fishman, Sylvia. "Forward." The Men's Section: Orthodox Jewish Men in an Egalitarian World. Ed. Elana Maryles Sztockman. Waltham, MA: UPNE, HBI Series on Jewish Women, 2012

Fishman, Sylvia. "“The Normalization of Intermarriage Among American Jews,” (Hebrew)." Zehuyot (Hebrew), VanLeer Jerusalem Institute (2012): 57-70.

Fishman, Sylvia, with Emily Sigalow, MA, and Rachel S. Bernstein, MA. "“Re-Imagining Jewishness: Younger American Jewish Leaders, Artists, and Entrepreneurs in Cultural Context,”." The New Leaders: Reshaping American Jewish Life. Ed. Jack Wertheimer. Waltham, MA: Brandeis University Press, 2011. 159-213.

Fishman, Sylvia. ""Forward"." Elana Maryles Sztokman, The Men's Section: Orthodox Jewish Men in an Egalitarian World. Waltham, MA: HBI Series on Jewish Women, 2011

Fishman, Sylvia. ""The Jewish Outreach Enterprise: Rhetoric and Reality"." Continuity and Change. Ed. Steven Katz, PhD and Steven Bayme, PhD. New York: University Press of America, 2011. 105-129.

Fishman, Sylvia. "Doubting the Devout: The Ultra-Orthodox in the Jewish American Imagination." Rev. of Doubting the Devout: The Ultra-Orthodox in the Jewish American Imagination, by Nora Rubel. Nashim: A Journal of Jewish Women’s Studies and Gender Issues Forthcoming 2011: 6.

Fishman, Sylvia. "H-Judaic." Rev. of Tours That Bind: Diaspora, Pilgrimage, and Israeli Birthright Tourism, by Shaul Kellner. Forthcoming 2011

Fishman, Sylvia. "JPS Guide to American Jewish Fiction." Rev. of JPS Guide to American Jewish Fiction, by Joshua Lambert. Shofar vol. 29, no. 2, January 2011 2011: 218-219.

Fishman, Sylvia. ""The Faith-Reason Problem: review essay and interview of Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, 36 Arguments for the Existence of God,"." Rev. of The New York Jewish Week, March 5, 2010: pp. 40-41,1000 words.

Fishman, Sylvia. "“Women’s Transformations of Contemporary Jewish Life,”." Women and Judaism: New Insights and Scholarship. Ed. Frederick Greenspahn. New York: New York University Press, 2010. 182-195.

Fishman, Sylvia, ed. "Policy Implications of the Gender Imbalance Among America's Jews," with Daniel Parmer. Jewish Center for Public Affairs, 2009.

Fishman, Sylvia. ""Jewish Women's Transformations of Contemporary Jewish Life"." Women and Judaism: New Insights and Scholarship. Ed. Frederick Greenspahn. New York: New York University Press, 2009

Fishman, Sylvia. "Nashim: A Journal of Women's Studies and Gender Issues." Rev. of Women Remaking American Judaism, by Riv-Ellen Prell, ed.

Fishman, Sylvia. "Shofar." Rev. of Feminism Encounters Traditional Judaism: Resistance and Accomodation, by Tova Hartman

Fishman, Sylvia, M. Avrum Erlich. ""Jewish Contributions to Contemporary Diaspora Cutlure"." Encyclopedia of the Jewish Diaspora. 2008.

Fishman, Sylvia. Matrilineal Ascent/ Patrilineal Descent: The Gender Imbalance in American Jewish Life (with Daniel Parmer).. Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, 2008.

Fishman, Sylvia, Ed. Avinoam Rosenak and Naftali Rothenberg. Mixed Marriages and Transformed American Jewish Communal Values and Norms. Proc. of Education, Community and Norms. Van Leer Institute, Jerusalem: 2007.

Fishman, Sylvia, Ed. Rifka Blau. Perfect Person Singular: Unmarried Adults in Contemporary Orthodox American Jewish Communities. Proc. of Gender Relationships Inside and Outside of Marriage. New York, New York: The Orthodox Forum, 2007.

Fishman, Sylvia. "Dappled Things: Reading and Analyzing the New Jewish Writing." Shofar 2007 vol. 2

Fishman,Sylvia, Stuart Cohen and Bernard Susser. The Challenge of Transformed American Jewish Communal Values and Norms. New York: Jewish Theological Seminary, 2007.

Fishman,Sylvia. "Generating Jewish Connections: Conversations with Jewish Teenagers, their Parents, and Jewish Educators and Thinkers." Family Matters: Jewish Education in an Age of Choice. Ed. Jack Wertheimer. Dartmouth, New Hampshire: Brandeis University Press/ University Press of New England, 2007. pp. 181-210.

Fishman,Sylvia. The Way Into the Varieties of Jewishness. Woodstock, VT: Jewish Lights Publishing, 2007.

Fishman,Sylvia. Choosing Jewish: Conversations About Conversion. April 2006 ed. New York: American Jewish Committee, 2006.

Fishman,Sylvia. "Choosing Lives: Evolving Gender Roles in American Jewish Families." Cambridge Encyclopedia of American Jewish Life., 2005

Fishman,Sylvia. "Intermarriage in Contemporary American Jewish Societies." Encyclopedia of Judaism, Supplement Volume and Reivised Encyclopedia., 2005

Fishman,Sylvia. "Generating Jewish Connections: Conversations with teenagers, parents of teenagers and Jewish educatiors and thinkers". Report to the AVi Chai Foundation, 2005.

Fishman,Sylvia. Double or Nothing? Jewish Families and Mixed Marriage. University Press of New England/Brandeis University Press, 2004.

Fishman,Sylvia. Jewish and Something Else: A Study of Mixed-Married Families. New York: American Jewish Committee, 2001.

Fishman,Sylvia. Jewish Life and American Culture. State University of New York Press, 2000.

Fishman,Sylvia. A Breath of Life: Feminism in the American Jewish Community. New York: Free Press/Macmillan, 1993.

Fishman,Sylvia. Follow My Footprints: Changing Images of Women in American Jewish Fiction. Brandeis University Press, 1992.

Fishman,Sylvia, co-ed. Gary Tobin & Lawrence Sternberg. Changing Jewish Life: Service Delivery and Planning in the 1990s. Westport CT: Greenwood Press, 1991.