Cis Maisel Center for Judaic Studies and Community Engagement

The goal of the Cis Maisel Center for Judaic Studies and Community Engagement mission is to transmit, interpret and critique Jewish historical, religious, and cultural traditions for the benefit of our students, our campus community, and the extended community beyond the university.

Goals of the Cis Maisel Center for Judaic Studies and Community Engagement are:

• To bring the campus and southeast Michigan community together through dialogue surrounding important issues of public concern. Jewish viewpoints will be highlighted on topics such as income and wealth inequality; punishment and rehabilitation; religion in education and public life; gender, sexuality and equality, and many others.
  
  
• To support efforts to enhance civic engagement and civic literacy by presenting the Jewish perspective while inviting viewpoints and contributions from outside of the Jewish traditions.
  
  
• To work with specific Jewish community organizations in the spirit of sharing scholarly expertise, programming, and other resources to create synergies that will enhance campus and community offerings. Examples of such organizations are the Jewish Community Center, Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit, Holocaust Memorial Center, and local and educational institutions.
  
  
• The center will work with a variety of departments in the College of Arts and Sciences to provide interdisciplinary programming. From the sciences and social sciences, to humanities and the arts, the types of programs available are virtually limitless.

By being part of the conversation related to topics of importance to our local, regional, and statewide communities, we will engage with communities in ways that benefit those same communities as well as Oakland University. The communities and the individuals residing in them will gain knowledge about important issues, which can lead to higher levels of civic discourse and greater cultural, religious, and historical literacy. Oakland will benefit by having our faculty and students in the community sharing their talents and expertise as well as through increased exposure for the institution and more relationships with those communities we serve.  

The many contributions Jews have made to western civilization creates a great number of interdisciplinary opportunities in programming.  Cooperating with multiple college departments and programs, as well as numerous local Jewish agencies, institutions, and scholars, are not only possible but also important for the center to maximize its potential. 

Steering Committee

The board members will serve to guide the CIS Maisel Center for Judaic Studies and Community Engagement at Oakland University.  We welcome all of these members and look forward to their valued input on our programs and future events.

• Ruth Bergman, Education Director at the Holocaust Memorial Center
• Rabbi Joseph Klein, retired rabbi and faculty at Oakland University and Rochester College, Federation, and community synagogues
• Mr. Dan Medow, community leader and member of the Judaic Studies Committee for Oakland
• Michael Silverstein, community leader and Director of Development at Oakland's Business School

Award Purpose:

To provide funding for a faculty program(s) up to $4,000 per academic year by the Cis Maisel Center for Judaic Studies and Community Engagement.  The award is established for a program or event related to the mission of the CM Center. Awarded programs will include any topic relevant to Jewish history, religion, science, and the arts.

To be considered for an award Oakland University a faculty member must submit a proposal, including a rationale for the project and why it is relevant based on the award criteria.  The CM Center director and its faculty board will assess the applications/proposals and award one or more faculty members the funds required for the project up to a maximum of $4,000 per award cycle.

Awarded programs must include public component that will showcase the results of the project and/or research that will be free and open to the public to attend.  The Cis Maisel Center will pledge up to an additional $1,000 for promotional materials or other expenses for the public event in a case-by-case basis as determined by the Center’s Director and faculty advisory board.  The recipient or the recipient’s department (and staff) is responsible for organizing and presenting the event.

Eligibility:
The Cis Maisel Center board will accept applications for the CM program award annually in September from the university’s faculty.  Applications must describe in detail the proposed program, including performances, exhibitions, lectures, and productions, that

• Focus upon topics relevant to Jewish history, culture, religion, arts, science, music, etc.
• Highlight the University’s College of Arts and Sciences’ commitment to the Judaic Studies program and the arts and humanities
• Programs that present the research or creative activity of a specific faculty member are eligible for award/award.
• Any OU faculty member, including full-time, tenured, adjunct, and special lecturers are eligible
• Members of the CM board and its director are also eligible for the program funds. The same selection criteria apply to these faculty.

Application/Selection Process

• The program will be announced from the Cis Maisel Center Director and faculty advisory board.  Faculty must complete the award application form and submit a proposal (not more than 2 pages), and a separate detailed budget for the program by February 28. 
• The Cis Maisel Center Directory and Faculty board (numbering 3-5 members) will assess the applications and determine the award for the program presented and the decisions will be reached by early April.  The program would then be presented during the following academic year.
• The award amount is up to $4,000 per academic year.  One or more programs may be selected up to the total of the award.
• The award can be approved as partial funding for projects that exceed the $4,000 limit but where funding has been secured for the balance.

Award Process:

• Faculty are not eligible to receive a stipend for their work.
• Funding for the Maisel Center awards is done on a reimbursement basis.  The expense will be incurred by the faculty’s home department.  Once the event is completed and expenses have posted to banner, the faculty/dept should send a request for reimbursement to [email protected] and provide backup documentation.  A JV will be completed to reimburse the fund with the expenses.
• Submit the proposal and application to the Center’s Director: Dr. Michael Pytlik, [email protected]

The award application is available here: Cis Maisel Faculty Program Award.

The Center Mission Statement is available here:

If you have any questions concerning this summary or the endowment, contact the Director of the Cis Maisel Center, Dr. Michael Pytlik, [email protected]

Judaic Studies program