The Judaic Studies Program will be one of the hosts of the two-day Posen Foundation Seminar, “Teaching the Secular Jewish Experience in Multicultural Schools: The Latin American Jewish Experience,” which will take place on February 6-7, 2011. Designed for middle school and high school teachers interested in questions of culture, identity, and multiculturalism, the Posen Foundation Professional Development Seminar emphasizes the history, cultures, and literature of the Jewish people through the lens of Jewish secularism.
The seminar, which has previously been held in Ohio and New York, is the first to be held in Miami, draws special attention to the unique cultural and historical aspects of Latin American Jewish life, both past and present. Latin American Jews have established roots in Miami-Dade County, where they feel at home in a synthesis of secular Jewish and Hispanic cultures. Originating from Cuba, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Chile, and Mexico, they bring histories of their families' immigration, traditions, and rituals to a variety of local institutions, playing an important role in the life of south Florida. The seminar will include the use of oral history techniques to explore the ethnography and experiences of Miami's Latin American Jewish community.
The seminar will take place at the University of Miami, Florida International University, and the Jewish Museum of Florida and will be attended by over 20 educators from across the country.
