Stone Lectureship in Judaism

The Stone Lectureship in Judaism was established in 1983 by family and friends of Dr. and Mrs. Alex B. Stone. The purpose of the endowment is to provide a yearly lecture and an expanded program in Judaic studies at Augustana College. The lectures began in 1984.

List of lecturers

1984-85, Herbert Weinberg, Hebrew University, "The Nature of Modern Israeli Society"

1985-86, Jonathan Goldstein, University of Iowa, "God's Wonders in History: Hanukkahs...But Also Holocausts?"

1986-87, David Ussishkin, Tel Aviv University, "Excavations at Tel Lachish"

1987-88, Menahem Mansoor, University of Wisconsin, "The Challenge of the Dead Sea Scrolls: Forty Years Later"

1988-89, Bezalel Porten, Hebrew University, "Elephantine: A Jewish Military Colony in Ancient Egypt"

1989-90, Gary G. Porton, University of Illinois, "Why Jews Do What They Do: Judaism as a Religion of Action"

1990-91, Michael Fishbane, University of Chicago, "Jeremiah and Socrates: Prophet and Philosopher"

1991-92, Seymour Gitin, Albright Institute of Archaeological Research, "Ekron of the Bible"

1992-93, Stanley M. Hordes, consulting historian, "The Sephardic Legacy in New Mexico: A History of the Crypto-Jews"

1993-94, Michael Wise, University of Chicago, "Masada and the Dead Sea Scrolls"

1994-95, Ori Soltes, National Jewish Museum, "Tradition and Transformation: A Definition of Jewish Art"

1995-96, Joel Kraemer, University of Chicago, "Maimonides: Personal Tragedy and Evil, Suffering and Providence"

1996-97, Mayer Gruber, Ben Gurion University, "Body Language and the Bible"

1997-98, Zali Gurevitch, Hebrew University, "Whose Jerusalem?"

1998-99, Gideon Aran, Hebrew University, "Israeli Judaism and Radical Religion"

1999-00, Harold Kasimow, Grinnell College, "Pope John Paul II and the Jews"

2000-01, Daphne Tsimhoni, Israel Institute of Technology, "Peace in the Holy Land?"

2001-02, Marvin Sweeney, Claremont School of Theology, "Paradise Revisited: The Talmud & Jewish Mysticism"

2002-03, Robert Skloot, University of Wisconsin-Madison, "Theater of the Holocaust"

2003-04, Sidnie White-Crawford, University of Nebraska, "What Do the Dead Sea Scrolls Teach Us?"

2004-05, Dean Bell, Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies in Chicago, "The Jews and the Reformation: Luther and Beyond"

2005-06, Philip V. Bohlman, University of Chicago, "Jewish Music: The Journey from Tradition to Modernity"

2006-07, André Aciman, Graduate Center City University of New York, "Memory and Repetition: We Lose Everything At Least Twice"

2008-09, Jonathan Adelman, University of Denver, "Israel Among the Nations"

2009-10, Michael Halpern, journalist and commentator, "Israel and Iran: A Contemporary Chess Game"

2010-11, Sybil Sanchez, director, Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life, "Judaism: A Green Religion"

2011-12, Avivah Zornberg, Torah scholar, educator, writer, "Why Did Sarah Laugh?"

2012-13, Jacob L. Wright, Emory University, "Why Was the Bible Written? A Matter of Politics"

2013-14, Meira Z. Kensky, Coe College, "The Crucifixion, the New Testament, and the Jews"

2014-15, Stephen Wilson, Augustana College, "Making Men in the Hebrew Bible: The Coming of Age of Kings David and Solomon"

2015-16, Rabbi Elliot Dorff, American Jewish University, "God without Ethics, Ethics without God: What Does Judaism Add to Ethics?"

2016-17, Jonathan Petropoulos, Claremont McKenna College, "The "Real" (and Reel) Monuments Men, the Gurlitt Cache, and the Continuing Challenges of Nazi Looted Art." Watch lecture.

2017-18, The Java Jews (Klezmer band concert) Jan. 14

2018-19, Dr. Tamar Rudavsky, professor of philosophy and director of the Melton Center, Ohio State University; "Judaism and Science: Tensions and Accommodations"

2021, Dr. Suzanne Walker-Pacheco, Missouri State University, "Convert, Leave, or Die: Can the Jews of Spain Go Home Again?"

2022, Dr. Janina Ehrlich, Augustana College and the ATLYS string quartet, "And Their Music Survived!"

2024, Dr. Jeremy Dauber, Columbia University, "Jewish Comedy: A Serious History"