Danielle Stillman

Rabbi/Associate Chaplain

Scott Center for Spiritual and Religious Life

Middlebury College

March 3, 2022

To Whom it May Concern,

I am writing to lend my support for offering Professor Lana Povitz a tenure track position at Middlebury College.  In my work with Jewish students on campus, I come across many students who have taken her classes.  From reports of their experience and presentations I have been invited to, I know that she offers an engaging approach to studying history of all sorts.  Students are energized by and invested in her classes.  Jewish students seeking to learn more about Jewish history are likewise stimulated by her approach and her material, and many of them feel that she compliments existing courses here at the College, in the interdisciplinary subject of Jewish Studies, very well.

I also know Professor Povitz as an excellent collaborator and contributor to co-curricular learning outside of her course load.  While this kind of service is not at all required, she has enthusiastically organized and participated in opportunities for students to enrich their Jewish lives.  Some examples of this are the informal Torah Study she created alongside some students last spring, and a collaboration she did with me for the holiday of Shavuot, sharing about her recent research with a group of students who may not have come across it otherwise.  It is not always the case that faculty members are willing to show up outside of their stated hours for this kind of contribution, and I deeply appreciate Prof. Povitz’s initiative in instances like this.

Please consider offering her a tenure track position, for the sake of the History department and of the Jewish Studies offerings on campus.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Danielle Stillman