Eric Silverman is a cultural anthropologist who teaches in the American Studies and Human Development department at Wheelock College. He employs a binocular approach to teaching and research that tacks between American culture and other societies--and between local experiences in the US and elsewhere, and globalization. According to Eric, young American Jews have consistently contested and reshaped norms of Jewish gender and identity through ritual and everyday dress. Since the 1970s, novel patterns on prayer shawls, once worn by only men, allow Jewish women to challenge long-standing male privilege in the synagogue while nonetheless asserting a commitment to religious tradition and continuity. More recently, young Jewish clothing plays with the boundary between religious particularity and cultural assimilation. Intrigued by this topic? Join Eric for his presentation to learn more about the contemporary culture of Jew Cool and Generation J.

Location:	Torgersen 3100
Price:	Free
Sponsor:	ASPECT, History Department, WMASLS and Multicultural Programs and Services
Contact:	Tom Ewing etewing@vt.edu
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