Tribute to Jim Ross

A TRIBUTE TO PROFESSOR JAMES ROSS ON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT

BY LAUREL LEFF

For years, Professor James Ross, who recently retired, embodied Jewish Studies at Northeastern. He followed in the formidable footsteps of Professors Joshua Jacobson and Debra Kaufman as the program’s chair, first from 1995 to 1998, and then again from 2004 to 2010. He taught Jewish Studies courses, including a memorable “American Jewish Film” class, and “Covering the Conflict,” on the Israeli/Palestinian struggle. He helped establish the Jewish Studies minor and a dual major in Religion and Jewish Studies. His dedication manifested in his having chaired the Holocaust Awareness Committee and steering search committees in Jewish Studies, including the one that hired our current director, Lori Lefkovitz. He was the Stotsky Professor of Jewish Historical and Cultural Studies. He wrote two acclaimed books on Jewish themes, Escape to Shanghai: A Jewish Community in China, and Fragile Branches: Travels Through the Jewish Diaspora. Jim did it all with good cheer and boundless energy.

To me the contribution Jim made that stands out the most is the programming he brought to the Northeastern community. Jim didn’t just bring luminaries to campus to deliver speeches. He always was on top of sensitive societal issues, undoubtedly a result of his journalism background, and developed creative ways to enlighten the community. His approach to the always difficult issue of tensions in the Middle East is illustrative. He hosted top journalists, Americans, Israeli Jews, and Arabs, for an intense panel discussion on covering the conflict. (Jim’s constant reminder was for speakers to discuss the coverage, not the conflict, to head off shopworn arguments about the conflict’s origins.) He invited one of the panelists, distinguished Israeli journalist and historian Tom Segev, to teach a joint seminar with him on the topic. Segev taught another course at Northeastern on Holocaust denial. But Jim didn’t stop there. He obtained a grant from the U.S. Institute for Peace to run a three-week seminar for five Israeli and five Palestinian journalists on ways to improve coverage of the Middle East conflict. The young journalists gathered at Northeastern’s conference center in Ashland to learn about journalism and each other. Assisted by Israeli, Palestinian, and Lebanese journalists, Jim presented a program that combined lectures by experienced journalists, visits to nearby journalism institutions, and fervent, often revelatory, discussions. It was the most remarkable academic session I have ever experienced.

Jim continued his involvement with Jewish Studies once his chairmanship was done. His Middle East journalism course morphed into “Covering Conflicts,” a broader course that became a regular and popular part of Northeastern’s curriculum. Jim now writes an important and timely weekly blog by the same name. Jim served on the Jewish Studies Executive Committee, and on the Holocaust and Genocide Awareness Committee, which he chaired. A continuing interest in Jews and China resulted in his editing and writing a chapter for the book, The Image of Jews in Contemporary China.

Jim took emeritus status last year. Given all he did, and continued to do for Jewish Studies, Jim’s absence has been felt in the program that he did so much to build.

Laurel Leff is Professor of Journalism at Northeastern University, and Core Faculty in Jewish Studies

I will always associate my introduction to Northeastern University with our colleague Jim Ross, who was the most gracious and generous host imaginable, a tireless promoter of Jewish Studies, and for many years, a strong partner in building Jewish Studies at Northeastern. The successes we have enjoyed over the last decade are built on the strong foundation of our founding directors, Jim Ross among them. I am personally enormously grateful to him. The decision he made to bring me to Northeastern moved my career in wonderful new directions. All of us in the Jewish Studies Program wish him a fruitful and joyful retirement. As we say, “until 120!” —Lori Lefkovitz, Ruderman Professor of Jewish Studies