Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 12

Vassar Today
Nearly 100 Vassar students spent spring break outside the united
States this March. In Venice, students in a Jewish Studies class
explored a little-known enclave that has been a part of Jewish
history for five centuries; an International Studies trip to Cuba
offered a chance to witness the rapid pace of change in a country
that is experiencing modernization and increased tourism; and
the men's and women's rugby teams split their time between
sightseeing in and around Barcelona and playing matches against
several local squads. The result? Immersive learning experiences
one can only get by seeing such fascinating places up close.

Discovering a
Lesser-Known Ghetto
While the words "Jewish ghetto" most often
conjure up images of sequestered neighborhoods
where Jews were confined by the Nazis just prior
to World War II, 20 students in religion professor
Marc Epstein's Jewish Studies class learned that
the first such ghetto was established by Venetian
authorities 500 years ago.
Epstein and his students spent 10 days in the
tiny community where Venetian Jews were
required to live from 1516 until 1797, when they
were liberated by Napoleon's army. During their
stay, the students met with scholars of Jewish
history and religion as well as with members of the
small, present-day Jewish community.
As early as the 14th century, Epstein explains,
Jews served as moneylenders for Italian merchants
because Christians were not permitted to charge
interest to other Christians for loans. Venice's
leaders never fully tolerated Jews, however, and in
1516, the ruling council forced all Jews in the city to
live in a small enclave with guarded gates that were
locked every night. The very first "ghetto" was
named after an old foundry, or "geto," that had
existed there, Epstein says.
To prepare for the trip, the students read
historical accounts of life in the ghetto as well as
literary works such as Shakespeare's The Merchant
of Venice, the story of intrigue and betrayal
involving the Jewish moneylender Shylock. Several
guest speakers-from academics to religious
leaders-rounded out the experience.
12

SPRING/SuMMER 2017



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017

Contents
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - Cover1
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - Cover2
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - Contents
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 2
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 3
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 4
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 5
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 6
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 7
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 8
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 9
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 10
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 11
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 12
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 13
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 14
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 15
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 16
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 17
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 18
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 19
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 20
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 21
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 22
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 23
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 24
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 25
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 26
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 27
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 28
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 29
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 30
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 31
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 32
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 33
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 34
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 35
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 36
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 37
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 38
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 39
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 40
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 41
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 42
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 43
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 44
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 45
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 94
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 95
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - 96
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - Cover3
Vassar Quarterly - Spring/Summer 2017 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com