In 1976, thanks to the generosity of Samuel M. Melton, the Melton Center for Jewish Studies was founded at The Ohio State University as the first Jewish Studies center at an American public university. Sam Melton was committed to changing the state of Jewish education, and our work continues his legacy. 2026 is the Melton Center’s 50th anniversary. In celebrating this milestone, we honor the Melton family’s legacy at Ohio State and in Columbus. We kicked off our “golden” year with an incredible set of programs and collaborations, and we are gearing up for more festivities during the 2026–2027 academic year. As we celebrate the past 50 years, we are planning for the Melton Center’s continued Jewish Studies leadership in the coming 50 years.
Melton Center members accomplished great things this year through scholarship, artistic production, grants, and awards. We are pleased to welcome Galit Golan (Near Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures) and Diana Sacilowski (Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures) to the Melton Center faculty this fall. We are thrilled to congratulate Melton Center faculty members who were promoted this year: Suzanne Silver (Art) to the rank of Professor, and Ben Folit-Weinberg (Classics) and James Moore (Near Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures) to the rank of Associate Professor with tenure. We congratulate Steven Glaser (Music), Bert Harrill (History), and Michael Swartz (Near Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures) on their impactful careers and bid them good wishes on their retirements and next chapters. We were excited to welcome Tamar Becker to the Melton Center in the role of Community Outreach Representative and Program Analyst. You will find introductions to and celebrations of these center members in this report.
Our students continue to introduce exciting ideas into Jewish Studies. The Melton Center awarded our students multiple scholarships, fellowships, and awards, as we do every year, thanks to the support of our generous donors. You can read descriptions of their fantastic projects over the next few pages.
Our programming and collaborations brought us into dialogue with colleagues on campus, in the field, and across Ohio. We piloted a Jewish arts residency program, brought exciting speakers to campus through our endowed lectures, and hosted symposia.
Our programs explored Israeli history and culture, Jewish dance, film, music, and literature, and Jewish histories across the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas. We began Multi-ethnic Cultural Reproductions in the Middle East, a unique collaboration with Ohio State’s Middle East Studies Center and Center for Ethics and Human Values, and co-hosted the Ohio Jewish Studies Workshop with the Department of Near Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures. We engaged community members on and off campus, in person and online.
Our 50th anniversary celebrations continue throughout the year, with a focus on highlighting faculty, student, emeriti, and alumni research. Save the date of November 15, 2026, for our 50th Anniversary Celebration, where you can see treasures from our Judaica library collections, and hear our faculty and students tell stories about their favorite objects they use in their work. This is an ideal time to visit our library to experience one of the best Judaica collections in the country. Throughout the year, the Mann Symposium will bring our faculty into conversation with scholars in the field about recent projects. We also look forward to welcoming Pamela Nadell (American University and an Ohio State alum) for the Feibel Lecture on Judaism and Law, Elizabeth Imber (Clark University) for the Mann Lecture on Jews, America, and Israel, programs focusing on Jewish music, and many more!
We would love to include your memories of the Melton Center in our 50th anniversary celebrations. Please send your Melton Memory to asc-meltoncenter@osu.edu.
Your support is vital to our work. Attend our programs, visit our website, and tell your friends about us. If you are in Columbus, I am happy to meet you for coffee or a nosh, or to chat with you on the phone from wherever you call home. Do not hesitate to get in touch.
Shanah tovah u’metukah and warmest wishes for a happy, healthy, and sweet year ahead.
— Hannah Kosstrin
Director, Melton Center for Jewish Studies
Staff Update
In July 2025, Tamar Becker joined the Melton Center for Jewish Studies, bringing extensive experience in program management, operations, and communications to support the Center’s academic and public work. Tamar coordinates the development and delivery of the Center’s programs, working across planning, implementation, and evaluation, and supports operations that sustain faculty, student, and public initiatives. She oversees communications and outreach efforts that connect Jewish Studies scholarship with audiences and works closely with campus and community partners.