U. creates Center for Judaica

A Center for Judaic Studies will be created at the University after administrators agreed to merge the Annenberg Institute with the School of Arts and Sciences. The Annenberg Institute, formerly known as the Dropsie College for Hebrew and Cognate Learning, is world reknown for its research and fellowship program. The Annenberg Institute is located on the 400 block of Walnut Street and will remain in its current location. The merger will be officially complete this summer. "It is the only institute of its kind [in the U.S.]," Barry Eichler, chairperson of University's Jewish Studies Program said last week. Although the Annenberg Institute does not award degrees, it supports a yearly fellowship program, and will continue this policy as University's Center for Judaic Studies. The Annenberg Institute currently offers between 10 and 15 post graduate fellowships each year, the recipients of which are determined through a "competitive" process, Eichler said. Annenberg Institute Administrator Edwin Knapp said this year's fellows will research the Dead Sea Scrolls. "The fellowship program draws professors from other universities to Philadelphia and provides them with an environment where they can pursue their work in Judaic and Near Eastern studies," Knapp said last week. "The program will continue as is now, but we may start offering graduate fellowships to doctoral candidates, as well, in the future," he added. Knapp said the main reason behind the alliance between the institute and the School of Arts and Sciences was to share knowlege with a major school. "As a small academic institution, we found it increasingly more difficult to compete in today's modern world," Knapp said. "It is a great benefit to be affiliated with such a large and prestigious university." The merger has advantages for the University as well, according to Eichler. "As a result, the fellows will be made more accessible to the Penn community and an exciting intellectual atmosphere will be created," Eichler said. "The graduates and the faculty will particularly benefit, but there will be symposiums opened up to the University that will take place under Penn auspices." Eichler also said the University will benefit from acquiring the Dropsie rare book and manuscript collection. "[The merger] adds a new, exciting dimension to the post graduate education in Judaic studies and it will raise the level of integrity of the Jewish Studies Program," Eichler said.

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