By Michelle Hines, University Relations
Contact: (336) 334-5371
Posted 2-25-09
Dr. Henry Levinson
GREENSBORO, NC – UNCG honors Dr. Henry S. Levinson, longtime professor of religious studies, with HENRYFEST Saturday and Sunday, March 28 and 29.
HENRYFEST – sponsored by the Department of Religious Studies and the Program in Jewish Studies – kicks off Saturday with “Henry’s Night at the Movies.” Levinson will introduce a screening of the “The Human Stain” starring Anthony Hopkins, Nicole Kidman and Gary Sinise, and based on the novel by Philip Roth.
Levinson, who started phased retirement in August 2008, will lead a discussion after the film. The movie begins at 7:30 p.m. in Elliott University Center Auditorium; a reception follows.
“Festive Judaism and Strong Democracy,” a conference celebrating Levinson’s contributions as a scholar and teacher, takes place Sunday from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. The morning session runs from 8:30 a.m.-noon in the Virginia Dare Room, Alumni House; the afternoon session takes place in the EUC Auditorium from 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
Lunch will be served from 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m. in Cone Ballroom, EUC. Register before March 10 for lunch.
During the morning, colleagues and former students from around the country will speak about Levinson’s impact on the study of religion in a democratic society and his contributions to Jewish philosophy. After lunch, colleagues and students will roast Levinson with brief and humorous anecdotes.
Levinson holds a bachelor’s degree from Stanford and a doctorate from Princeton. He is the author of three books and numerous articles. He taught at Stanford and Harvard before joining the UNCG faculty in 1982. He headed the Department of Religious Studies from 1990-1999, and was also associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. He has taught courses in American religious thought, modern Judaism and the philosophy of religion.
The Jewish Studies Program is supported by the Henry S. Levinson Program Endowment for Jewish Studies, the Herman and Zelda Bernard Distinguished Professorship in Jewish Studies, the Barbara Colchamiro Endowment and the Judith Rosenstock Hyman Jewish Studies Program Endowment.
HENRYFEST is free and open to the public but registration is required. Free parking will be available in the Walker Street deck.
Register online at https://studentaffairs.uncg.edu/forms/index.php?id=293. Conference details are available at http://www.uncg.edu/rel/web%20page%20edits/HENRYFEST.pdf.
To include a testimonial in a scrapbook for Levinson, email Pat Bowden at pjbowden@uncg.edu no later than March 20.
For more information, visit www.uncg.edu/rel or contact the Department of Religious Studies at (336) 334-5762 or pjbowden@uncg.edu.
