Carl & Dorothy Bennett Center for Judaic Studies
The Carl and Dorothy Bennett Center for Judaic Studies was founded in 1994 with an initial endowment of $1.5 million from Carl and Dorothy Bennett of Greenwich, Conn. to create a senior faculty position in Judaic Studies within the Religious Studies Department. Since its inception, Dr. Ellen Umansky has served as both the Carl and Dorothy Bennett Professor of Judaic Studies and the Director of the Carl and Dorothy Bennett Center. The progressive mission of Judaic Studies at Fairfield is to be a multifaceted program that studies Judaism as an ongoing religious, historical, and cultural civilization.
The Center's goal is to provide Fairfield University students exposure to and contact with Jewish ideas, culture, and thinking. Throughout nearly 14 years of service, the Center has received support from numerous individuals and foundations, including the Carl and Dorothy Bennett Foundation, Adolph and Ruth Schnurmacher Foundation, The Samuel and Bettie Roberts Endowment in Jewish Art, David and Edith Chaifetz, and the Frank Jacoby Foundation. The Judaic Studies Program and the Bennett Center have also received tremendous financial support from numerous individuals through personal contributions and gifts, and by joining "Friends of Judaic Studies."
Through these generous gifts, the Bennett Center has brought several world-renowned lecturers to the University, including Dr. Deborah Lipstadt of Emory University, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, and Gen. Wesley Clark (ret.), former NATO Supreme Allied Commander. In addition to bringing prestigious speakers to the University campus, the Bennett Center hosts an array of special programs each year. Particularly successful has been the Lunch and Learn series, an annual 10-week course that attracts more than 75 participants from the surrounding community - Jews and non-Jews alike - just weeks after the registration materials hit mailboxes. The series tackles academically challenging themes, such as Jewish Concepts of the Messiah, Jews and Judaism in the American South, and Turning Points in Jewish History.
From the establishment and retention of the Chair and minor in Judaic Studies, to the comprehensive resources and renown outreach programs, the Bennett Center has established a permanent and growing reputation in the Fairfield County community - reaching out to its 70,000 Jewish residents and neighbors effectively and prolifically - as well as others from all denominations. Through the Center, Fairfield University continues to be committed to building a bridge of understanding between the Judaic and Jesuit traditions.