How did a classicist's journey through Greco-Roman literature and Arabic studies shape his unique approach to academia? Today's episode features Elisha Russ-Fishbane, associate professor at NYU and research director at the Center for the Study of Antisemitism.

In this engaging conversation, Elisha recounts his academic journey that began with a love for Greco-Roman literature and took him through the high intellectual demands set by mentors like Vatican Latinist Reginald Foster. He shares how the tragic events of September 11 influenced his study of Judaeo-Arabic classics, blending intense scholarly engagement with personal identity as an observant Jew.

Listening to this episode, you'll grasp the historical and contemporary significance of open inquiry and intellectual humility within higher education. Elisha’s reflections promise insight and inspiration for anyone dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge.

In This Episode:

• Influence of classical studies and mentors
• September 11th’s impact on academic and personal identity
• Insights from medieval Jewish-Muslim intellectual interactions
• Maimonides' approach to intellectual humility and cross-cultural truth-seeking
• Reflections on higher education's purpose versus career-focused outcomes
• Challenges and optimism in navigating open dialogue in contemporary academia
• Commitment to teaching and fostering human connections in academia

About Elisha:

Elisha Russ-Fishbane, Associate Professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies at NYU and Research Director of NYU's Center for the Study of Antisemitism, is a scholar of medieval Jewish history focusing on Jewish-Muslim and Jewish-Christian interaction and exchange. His undergraduate courses include the history of antisemitism, Jewish-Muslim relations, and a course on the aims of higher education and the past, present, and future of universities, called "The University: What It Was, What It Is, What It Could Be.” Elisha is currently a participant in the Open Inquiry Workshop at the Heterodox Academy's Segal Center for Academic Pluralism.

Elisha is the author of Judaism, Sufism, and the Pietists of Medieval Egypt: A Study of Abraham Maimonides and His Circle (Oxford University Press, 2015) and Ageing in Medieval Jewish Culture (The Littman Library of Jewish Civilization, 2022), and is currently at work on a book on Islam in the medieval Jewish imagination.

Contact Elisha: elisha.russfishbane@nyu.edu

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