Curriculum Vitae: Jonathan Levitow, Ph.D.
Personal:315 Blossom Valley Drive
Los Gatos, CA, 95032
(h) 408-358-5807
(c) 510-684-3149
Goal: full or part-time employment teachingYiddish language and/or literature,
English composition and/or literature
Education (General):
1982-1986: Ph.D., PrincetonUniversity, English language and literature
Dissertation: "Ulysses and the Possibility of Meaning"
Director: Professor A. Walton Litz
1980-1982: M.A., Princeton University, English language and literature
Major field: British literature, 1800-present
Minor field: History of Criticism in English
1976-1980: B.A., Stanford University, English literature
Education (Yiddish):
June – July, 2013: Tel-Aviv, Israel
Naomi Prawer Kadar International Yiddish Summer Program
June – August, 2008: NYU/YIVO, New York NY
Uriel Weinreich Program in Yiddish Language, Literature, and Culture December 2001-2007: California Institute for Yiddish Culture and Language (with UCLA and the Skirball Center), Los Angeles CA
“Art of Yiddish” Intensive Language Program
2000-2001: Los Angeles “Arbeter Ring” (Workman’s Circle): Yiddish classes
Teaching Experience, Yiddish Language and Literature:
2011 - present: University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz CA, Lecturer
Winter 2011-2015: Introductory Yiddish, First Quarter (HEB 10/YIDD 1)
Spring 2014: Independent Reading in Yiddish (YIDD 99)
Spring 2012, 2013: Introductory Yiddish, Second Quarter (YIDD 2)
2006 – present: Stanford University, Stanford CA, Visiting Scholar
2013-2015: Reading and Writing Yiddish (AMELANG 141 A-C,
as Independent Study: AMELANG 297/395)
2006-2008, 2009-2011, 2013-2014: Introductory Yiddish (AMELANG 140 A-C)
2008-2009, 2011-2013: Intermediate Yiddish(AMELANG 141 A–C/JEWISHST 104 A-C)
J. Levitow CV,pg. 2
Teaching Experience, Yiddish Language and Literature, Cont.:
2012 - present: Congregation Kol Tefila, Santa Cruz, CA
Yiddish Language (intermediate private Yiddish class, ongoing)
2011- present: Congregation Kol Emeth and Congregation Etz Chaim, Palo Alto CA
Reading Yiddish Literature (advanced private Yiddish class, ongoing)
2008 - 2013: Lehrhaus Judaica, Berkeley CA
Introduction to the Yiddish Language
2010, 2012: KlezCalifornia Yiddish Culture Festival, Workshop Leader
Feb. 20, 2012: San Francisco, CA
Workshop: Yiddish Through Its Proverbs
Feb. 15, 2010: Palo Alto, CA,
Workshop: Yiddish in the 21st Century
2007-2008: Stanford Continuing Studies, Stanford CA
Introductory Yiddish
2007: California Institute for Yiddish Culture and Language, Los Angeles CA
December 2007: “Art of Yiddish” Intensive Language Program
Instructor, Yiddish 1
Teaching Experience, English Language and Literature:
1989-1999: Merced College, Merced, CA, Instructor of English
1998-1999:Basic Composition and Reading
Introduction to Literature, Honors
Major English Writers (A and B semesters)
1997-1998:Personal leave -- independent work on novel
1990-1997:Basic Composition and Reading
Composition and Reading
Introduction to Literature
Major English Writers (A and B semesters)
Spring 1996:Sabbatical leave to begin novel
1989-1990:Basic Composition and Reading
Composition and Reading
Introduction to Literature
Humanities After the Renaissance
1988: Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles CA, Lecturer
Fall: Introduction to Poetry
J. Levitow CV, pg. 3
Teaching Experience, English Language and Literature, Cont.:
1988: Los Angeles "Valley" College, Van Nuys CA: Instructor
Fall: Composition
1985-1988: University of Illinois, Chicago, Lecturer
1987-1988: Introduction to Literature
Introduction to English and American Fiction
Freshman Honors Colloquium
1985-1987:Composition (Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced)
1984: Washington College, Chestertown, MD, Visiting Assistant Professor
Fall: Modern British Literature
Forms of Literature (Introduction to Literature)
1982-1984: Princeton University: Assistant in Instruction
Basic Composition (Instructor)
Introduction to American Writers
Research and Publication
2015:"Yisroel Shtern: A Yidish Poet Antdekt Af S'Nay" (Yisroel Shtern: A Familiar Yiddish Poet Rediscovered), in Afn Shvel (On the Threshhold) No. 368-369, Summer-Fall 2015, pp. 64-68. New York:League for Yiddish. (Article is in Yiddish)
2015: Submitted to and currently under consideration at :
“Yisroel Shtern’s ‘Crowns to Adorn the Head of Yiddish Literature’ and the Path of YiddishLiterature” (critical essay)
2006-2015: Translations from Yiddish, “Yiddish Poetry” website,
Monash University, Melbourne Australia: ww.yiddishpoetry.org,
The Yisroel Shtern Project:
Poetry:
“An Orphan Laughs”
“A Daytime Prayer”
“Ostrolenke” (awarded first prize, CA Institute for Yiddish Culture and Literature translation competition,2006)
“Springtime in the Hospital”
Prose:
“Crowns to Adorn the Head of Yiddish Literature,”
“Some Features of a Portrait of Byron,” “The White Smudge on the Wall”
J. Levitow CV, pg. 4
Publications, Cont.:
About Shtern (on
“Yisroel Shtern: Poet,” by H. Leivick
“A Reading by Yisroel Shtern in Ostrolenke (Memories and Thoughts)” by Y. Kahan
“A Tree in the Ghetto (Yisroel Shtern)” by Rachel Auerbach
The Yossel Birstein Project:
Poetry: “The Arisen,”“Signs”
Anthology of Yiddish Poetry:
Poetry by Aaron Zeitlin
“Brindisi,” “Rabia,” “Self-Portrait,” “Poetry,” “Lust,” “Point of
Origin,” “Rains,” “Fragrances,” “Pastoral,” “Unclothed,” “Conjuration, “A JewishBallad,” “And I Die”
1987: International Conference on Narrative Literature, Ann Arbor, MI
April 2-4:Paper Presented
"Narrative and the Possibility of Meaning in James Joyce's Ulysses"
2001: "Der Yidish Forverts" (The Yiddish Forward – article in Yiddish)
January 26, 2001:"Der Vinter-Yidish-Institut in Los Andzsheles"
(“The Winter Yiddish Institute in Los Angeles”)
Other Professional Activities
Public Lectures
June 28, 2015:"Yiddish: So Old It's New Again," presented at Jewish Cultural Festival, Congregation Beth El, Aptos CA
May 3, 2015:"Yiddish Today," Lifelong Jewish Learning Lecture Series,
Congregation Sinai, San Jose CA
Teaching and Research Interests:
Yiddish language;modern and “modernist”literature in Yiddish, Hebrew, and English; Hasidism and Jewish mysticism, Jewish philosophy, history of Jewish literature, Composition
Languages: good reading and speaking skills: Yiddish
good reading, some speaking skills: Hebrew, French, German
limited reading skills: Polish, Russian, Classical Greek, Spanish, Latin,
Old English
J. Levitow CV, pg. 5
Independent Work1999-2010:
- novel (completed but unpublished) - film adaptation of Yiddish Novel“In the PolishForests” by Yosef Opatoshu
(work in progress)
Recommendations
Most recent:
Gabriella Safran, Chair, Slavic Languages and Literature Dept.,
StanfordUniversity: , 650-723-4414
Nathaniel Deutsch, Professor, Dept. of Literature, University of California, Santa Cruz: , 831-459-4146
Erika Staiti, Director of Programming, Lehrhaus Judaica: , 510-845-6420
Dan Colman, Associate Dean and Director, Stanford Continuing Studies: , 650-725-8293
MercedCollege:
Dolores Cabezut-Ortiz, Chair, Humanities Division, MercedCollege
Dr. John Spevak, Dean of Instruction, MercedCollege
Dean Bretz, former Chair, Humanities Division, MercedCollege
Keith Law, Instructor of Philosophy, MercedCollege
Complete dossier also available from PrincetonUniversity:
Department of English, 22 McCosh Hall, PrincetonUniversity,
Princeton, NJ, 08540