Thursday, February 21, 2013, 7:30 p.m.
"Out of Left Field: Jews and Black Baseball"
Fairfield University's Dolan School of Business

A fascinating look at the early bonds between Jews and Blacks in organized baseball will open Fairfield University's Carl and Dorothy Bennett Center for Judaic Studies 2013 spring semester season, on Thursday, February 21, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.

Delivered by author and Temple University faculty member Rebecca T. Alpert, Ph.D., the lecture - free and open to the public - is entitled, "Out of Left Field: Jews and Black Baseball," which isalso the title of Dr. Alpert's most recent book, published by Oxford University Press. The event will take place in the Dolan School of Business Dining Room, on the Fairfield campus. To reserve a seat, call (203) 254-4000, ext. 2066.

"While most Jews, and many Blacks, look back fondly on the golden era of the Black-Jewish alliance, recent scholarship suggests a more complicated picture," said Dr. Alpert, associate professor of Religion and Women's Studies at Temple, in Philadelphia. "This presentation will use the experiences of three different groups of Jews (entrepreneurs, sportswriters, and a black Jewish baseball team) in relation to the Negro Leagues and baseball's integration to examine the connections between blacks and Jews."

Extensively published, Dr. Alpert's areas of research touch upon contemporary American religion, religion and sexuality, and religion and sport. Her books include "Whose Torah? A Concise Guide to Progressive Judaism" (The New Press, 2008), and "Lesbian Rabbis: The First Generation," edited with Sue Elwell and Shirley Idelson (Rutgers University Press, 2001), a 2002 Finalist for a Lambda Literary Award.

The event is co-sponsored by Fairfield University's Program in Black Studies , Program in Judaic Studies , and the Bennett Center . For more information about other events, visit http://www.fairfield.edu/judaic/js_lectures.html .

Posted On: 02-04-2013 11:02 AM

Volume: 45 Number: 172