Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies

Exploring Jewish Learning and Culture


 

Jewish Studies Links


Contact

Phone 312.322.1700

A variety of classes and public programs take place in the evening and on Sunday. See our calendar of events for more details.

Spertus Faculty

Dean Bell

Dean Bell

Dean Bell is Dean, Chief Academic Officer, and Professor of History at Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies. Dr. Bell earned his BA at the University of Chicago and his MA and PhD at the University of California, Berkeley. He has taught at the University of California, Berkeley, DePaul University, Northwestern University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the Hebrew Theological College.

Dr. Bell has served as President, Vice-President, and Secretary-Treasurer of the Midwest Jewish Studies Association and has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Association for Jewish Studies. He is author of Jews in the Early Modern World; Jewish Identity in Early Modern Germany: Memory, Power, and Community; Sacred Communities: Jewish and Christian Identities in Fifteenth-Century Germany; and, with Stephen Burnett, co-editor of Jews, Judaism and the Reformation in Sixteenth-Century Germany. Dr. Bell is also editor of volume VII and co-editor of volume VIII of The Solomon Goldman Lectures, as well as a special edition of Shofar devoted to Historical Memory and the State of Jewish Studies in Germany. His current research focuses on early modern cultural responses to natural disaster and severe weather.


Spertus is a Jewish institution grounded in Jewish values that invites people of all ages and backgrounds to explore the multi-faceted Jewish experience. Through its innovative public programming, exhibits, collections, research facilities and degree programs, Spertus inspires learning, serves diverse communities and fosters understanding for Jews and people of all faiths, locally, regionally and around the world.

610 S. Michigan Avenue | Chicago, IL 60605 | 312.322.1700