Dr. STEPHEN BERK
SCHENECTADY –The Romanovs, the Russians, and the Jews is the theme of the upcoming Berk Lecture Series at Agudat Achim Synagogue, 2117 Union St. Dr. Stephen Berk, professor of history at Union College, will offer presentations on four consecutive Thursdays: Sept. 4, 11, 18, and 25, at 7:30 p.m. The cost of the series is $72 with single tickets at $18, which may be purchased in advance by calling 518-393-9211 or on-site, at the first lecture for the entire series.
Thursday, Sept. 4: The presentation will focus on the rise of the Romanovs, the last imperial dynasty to rule Russia, holding the throne from 1613 to 1917, and the impact of Peter the Great and Catherine the Great on Jewish history.
Thursday, Sept. 11: The Gendarme of Europe, a nickname given to Tsar Nicholas I of Russia who ruled from 1825-1855, suppressing revolutionary movements and upholding autocracy. This period is also marked by significant Russian defeats, which exposed the weaknesses of the Russian military and administration.
Thursday, Sept. 18: The pogroms or anti-Jewish riots that began in the 199h century, after Imperial Russia occupied territories with large Jewish populations from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Ottoman Empire from 1772 to 1815.
Thursday, Sept. 25: The Russian Revolution and the complex relationship with the Jewish population during this period, which changed Jewish and world history.
Berk is the Henry and Sally Schaffer Chairman of Holocaust and Jewish Studies at Union College. He is also the recipient of the Florence B. Scherwood Chair in History and Culture, and a consultant to the Wiesenthal Holocaust Center. He has published books and articles on Russian-Jewish history, anti-Semitism, and American policy in the Middle east. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Pennsylvania, a master’s degree from the University of Chicago and a doctorate. from Columbia University.
