The Association for the Social Scientific Study of Jewry (ASSJ) is a
cross-disciplinary organization of individuals whose research concerns the
Jewish people
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...
throughout the world, founded in 1971.
Purpose
The ASSJ comprises primarily
academics, but also
policy analysts
Policy analysis or public policy analysis is a technique used in the public administration sub-field of political science to enable civil servants, Nonprofit organization, nonprofit organizations, and others to examine and evaluate the available o ...
,
communal professionals, and activists whose research concerns the Jewish people throughout the world. Social scientific disciplines represented include
sociology
Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...
,
social psychology
Social psychology is the methodical study of how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others. Although studying many of the same substantive topics as its counterpart in the field ...
,
social anthropology
Social anthropology is the study of patterns of behaviour in human societies and cultures. It is the dominant constituent of anthropology throughout the United Kingdom and much of Europe, where it is distinguished from cultural anthropology. In t ...
,
demography
Demography () is the statistical study of human populations: their size, composition (e.g., ethnic group, age), and how they change through the interplay of fertility (births), mortality (deaths), and migration.
Demographic analysis examine ...
, contemporary history,
social work
Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social wo ...
,
political science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...
,
economics
Economics () is a behavioral science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services.
Economics focuses on the behaviour and interac ...
, and
Jewish education
Jewish education (, ''Chinuch'') is the transmission of the tenets, principles, and religious laws of Judaism. Jews value education, and the value of education is strongly embedded in Jewish culture. Judaism places a heavy emphasis on Torah ...
. Members work throughout the world but primarily in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
,
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
, and
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
.
The ASSJ encourages and facilitates contact among researchers, supports the dissemination of research, and assists in the cultivation of younger scholars.
[
]
Past presidents
* Mervin F. Verbit (1971-1973)
* Marshall Sklare (1973-1975)
* Samuel Klausner (1975-1977)
* Celia Heller (1977-1979)
* Chaim Waxman (1979-1981)
* Harold Himmelfarb (1981-1983)
*Egon Mayer
Egon Mayer (19 August 1917 – 2 March 1944) was a Luftwaffe wing commander and fighter ace of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was credited with 102 enemy aircraft shot down in over 353 combat missions. His victories were all clai ...
(1983-1988)
* Rela Mintz Geffen (1988-1990)
* Arnold Dashefsky (1990-1996)
* Allen Glicksman (1996-2000)
* Sherry Israel (2000-2005)
* Harriet Hartman (2005-2012)
* Steven M. Cohen
Past vice presidents
* Harriet Hartman
* Shaul Kelner (2005-2008)
* Sylvia Barack Fishman (2008-2012)
* Sergio DellaPergola
Sergio Della Pergola (; born 7 September 1942) is an Italian-born Israeli demographer, statistician, and professor. He is an expert in demography and statistics related to the global Jewish population.
Biography
Della Pergola was born to a Jewi ...
(2012-2016)
* Sarah Benor (2016-2018)
* Judit Bokser Liwerant (2018-2020)
* Laurence Kotler-Berkowitz (2020-2023)
* Ariela Keysar (2023-)
Past treasurers
* Carmel Chiswick
* Gail Glicksman
* Bruce Phillips (2012-2015)
* Leonard Saxe (2015-2016)
* Matthew Boxer (2016-2021)
* Laurence Kotler-Berkowitz (2021-2024)
* Nadia Beider (2024-)
Past secretaries
* Uzi Rebhun
* Benjamin Phillips (2008-2010)
* Theodore Sasson (2010-2012)
* Matthew Boxer (2012-2016)
* Jennifer Thompson (2016-2020)
* Bruce Phillips (2020-2023)
* Ilana Horwitz (2023-2024)
* Amir Segal (2024-)
Past at-large members of the board
* Perla Aizencang
* Tobin Belzer
* Lila Corwin Berman
* Mijal Bitton
* Paul Burstein
* Barry Chiswick
* Steven M. Cohen
* Arnold Dashefsky
* Bethamie Horowitz
* Ari Kelman
* Ariela Keysar
* Helen Kim
* Moshe Kornfeld
* Laurence Kotler-Berkowitz
* Dani Kranz
* Shawn Landres
* Lilach Lev Ari
* Laura Limonic
* Keren McGinity
* Bruce Phillips
* Riv-Ellen Prell
* Uzi Rebhun
* Sherry Rosen
* Leonard Saxe
* Randal Schnoor
* Ira Sheskin
* Jennifer Thompson
* Harriet Hartman
* Ilana Horwitz
* Dalia Wassner
Past student representatives to the board
* Mijal Bitton
* Matthew Boxer
* Shaul Kelner
* Moshe Kornfeld
* Amir Segal
* Meredith Woocher
Contemporary Jewry Journal
The organization publishes a journal, '' Contemporary Jewry'', several times a year with research articles that draw on a range of social scientific fields and methodologies.[
Editor-in-chief: Harriet Hartman]
Associate editor: Adina Bankier-Karp
Book Review Editor: Ephraim Tabory
Research Editor: Ira Sheskin
Book series
Studies of Jews in Society
Published in concert with Springer Nature, Studies of Jews in Society takes a broad perspective on social science to include anthropology, communications, demography, economics, education, ethnography, geography, history, politics, population, social psychology, and sociology. Books may rely on quantitative methods, qualitative methods, or both.
The series is directed to social scientists and general scholars in Jewish studies as well as those generally interested in religion and ethnicity; academics who teach Jewish studies; undergraduates and graduate students in Jewish studies, sociologists interested in religion and ethnicity; and communal professionals and lay leaders who work in Jewish organizations and individuals. The style, while rigorous scientifically, is accessible to a general audience.
Editor: Chaim Waxman
Awards
The Marshall Sklare Award
The Marshall Sklare Award is an annual honor of the Association for the Social Scientific Study of Jewry (ASSJ). The ASSJ seeks to recognize "a senior scholar who has made a significant scholarly contribution to the social scientific study of Jewry." In most cases, the recipient has given a scholarly address. In recent years, the honored scholar has presented the address at the annual meeting of the Association for Jewish Studies. The award is named after sociologist Marshall Sklare.
Mandell L. Berman Service Award
The ASSJ presents the Mandell L. Berman Service Award periodically to communal, civic and business leaders, applied and academic researchers, and philanthropists, for distinguished commitment to the social scientific study of Jews through service or financial support.
Distinguished Early Career Award
The ASSJ Distinguished Early Career Award will be given periodically to a recent PhD (within the past ten years) whose work reflects excellence in the application of social science theories and methods to the study of contemporary Jewry.
Graduate Student Paper Award
This award recognizes outstanding research on contemporary Jewry by graduate students.
References
{{Reflist
External links
ASSJ websiteASSJ full-text publications
on the Berman Jewish Policy Archive @ NYU Wagner
''Contemporary Jewry'' full text articles
on the Berman Jewish Policy Archive @ NYU Wagner
Jewish society
Social sciences organizations
Jewish studies research institutes
Organizations established in 1971
1971 establishments in the United States