Upcoming Events

The Department of Jewish Thought at UB isn’t just a place to study ideas—it’s where ideas come to life. Through lectures, seminars, and community programs, we bring leading voices in Jewish philosophy, history, culture, and ethics to campus (and to your screen). Whether you’re drawn to big philosophical questions, the legacy of Jewish survival and resilience, or how ancient teachings connect to modern challenges, there’s something here for you.

Elad Lapidot Visits Buffalo

Elad Lapidot Professor for Jewish Thought at the University of Lille, France. His work is guided by questions concerning the relation between knowledge and politics. He is the author of Politics of Not Speaking (Albany: SUNY Press, 2025), as well as, among others, State of Others. Levinas and Decolonial Israel (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, forthcoming 2025), Jews Out of the Question. A Critique of Anti-Anti-Semitism (Albany: SUNY Press, 2020), Hebrew translation of Hegel’s Phänomenologie des Geistes (Tel Aviv: Resling Publishing, 2020) and Heidegger and Jewish Thought. Difficult Others, edited with M. Brumlik (London/New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2018).

Signature Events and Seminar Series

  • David Blitzer Lecture Series
    8/20/26
    This annual series honors the life of David Blitzer (1922–2002), a Holocaust survivor who rebuilt his life in Buffalo with resilience and generosity. Born in Oswiecim, Poland (Auschwitz), David endured forced labor camps, the loss of most of his family, and the upheaval of emigration. After arriving in Buffalo in 1949, he became a successful builder, community leader, and supporter of Jewish life. His legacy lives on through this lecture series, which brings distinguished voices in Jewish studies to UB.
  • Levinas Philosophy Summer Seminars
    3/5/26
    Held at UB, this seminar examines the ideas of Emmanuel Levinas (1906–1995), one of the most original philosophers of the 20th century. Topics range from ethics and responsibility to politics and religion. Past seminars have included excursions such as a study visit to Niagara Falls, combining scholarship with community.
  • Buffalo Week of Jewish Learning
    3/4/24
    The Buffalo Week of Learning is a public project of the Home/Hub Partnership between UB’s College of Arts and Sciences, Hillel and the Buffalo Jewish Community.
  • Visiting Lecture Recordings
    5/6/21
    Urban Farming Guided by Jewish Environmental Ethics and Sustainable Practices
     Adam Weisberg, Executive Director of Urban Adamah in Berkeley, California
    Apr. 15, 2021 

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