I
am proud to share that Dr. Eric Mazur, Gloria and David Furman
Professor of Judaic Studies and Center for the Study of Religious
Freedom Fellow, has been awarded the 2017 Maurice L. Mednick Memorial
Fellowship by the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges for his
project, “Portugal & American Jewish History.”
Through his
research, Dr. Mazur seeks to investigate the legacy of Aristides de
Sousa Mendes, who was instrumental in the 1940 rescue of 30,000 European
refugees, including 10,000 Jews. The $2,250 grant will support his
travel to various sites throughout Portugal, including Sousa Mendes'
family home, as research for the preparation of a book-length
manuscript.
Dr. Mazur has been on the faculty at Virginia
Wesleyan since 2007. He teaches courses on Judaism, religion in American
culture, and the academic study of religion. His specific interests
include religion and American law, religion and popular culture, and
Judaism in the American South. He joined the Center for the Study of
Religious Freedom in 2014 as the fellow for religion, law and politics.
The
Maurice L. Mednick Memorial was created in 1967 in honor of a young
Norfolk industrialist who died from accidental causes and whose family
and business associates wished to perpetuate his name by establishing a
memorial that would emphasize his and the donors’ strong interest in
higher education. Administration of the Mednick Memorial Fund is vested
in the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges to encourage the
professional development of college professors and improve their
academic competence through fellowships for research and advanced study.
Please
join me in congratulating to Dr. Mazur on this prestigious award. He
joins an impressive group of Virginia Wesleyan faculty members who have
earned this designation throughout the years. I am honored to work among
such talented individuals who are so strongly committed to excellence
in both teaching and scholarship.
