The Midwest Jewish Studies Association was founded in 1988 by a group of faculty teaching as individuals or as part of mostly small programs in the midwest and who felt that their teaching and research needs were different from the large programs found  in coastal cities.

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Despite our being founded in the midwest, our membership has never been limited to people who live in the Midwestern part of North America; we currently have members from throughout North America, Europe, and the Middle East.

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The emphasis of the organization from the beginning was on teaching as well as on research.  The organization was not meant to replace other Jewish studies professional organizations, but rather to supplement them with a group that could address issues that small programs and individual Jewish Studies scholars faced.

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The MJSA is keen to welcome graduate students who are studying in areas that are relevant to their teaching and research in the general area of Jewish Studies.

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