Jul 15, 2010 -- On July 6-8, the National Association of Professors of Hebrew (NAPH) held its annual conference at Yeshiva University’s Beren Campus. The conference, co-sponsored by Stern College for Women and YU’s Center for Israel Studies, featured lectures on a wide range of topics related to Hebrew language, literature and culture and was attended by over 250 scholars, writers and educators. Attendees of the three-day conference listened to scholars’ lectures on Hebrew through the historical lenses of the Biblical, rabbinic and modern periods. One of the most exciting segments of the conference was its opening ceremony, held at the YU Museum. Dean Karen Bacon, the Dr. Monique C. Katz Dean of Stern College, Dr. Zafrira Lidovsky-Cohen, associate professor of Hebrew Language and Literature and Asaf Shariv, consul general of Israel in New York, welcomed the group. Nearly a dozen YU faculty members presented at the conference, including Dr. Richard Steiner, professor of Semitic language and literatures at Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies. Steiner’s lecture on “Linguistic Ambiguity in the Bible from the Viewpoint of the Sages and the Medieval Exegetes” was open to the public and was chaired by Ephraim Kanarfogel, The E. Billi Ivry Professor of Jewish History. Steiner marshaled evidence and texts from Biblical, rabbinic, medieval and even modern sources to track Jewish tradition’s position on the use of “ambiguous language” as a literary technique. “Professor Steiner targeted the varying specialties of everyone in the room,” said Lidovsky-Cohen. “He made his lecture relevant to all aspects of the conference. Scholars and laypeople alike were amazed by his erudition and delivery.” Dr. Esther Raizen, international conference coordinator of NAPH, believes that the conference signals a new era in Hebrew scholarship at YU. “NAPH is delighted to count an institution of Yeshiva University’s caliber among its active members,” commented Raizen. “The conference marks a new phase in the involvement of Yeshiva faculty and advanced students in the current discussions on Hebrew language, pedagogy and other areas that were highlighted at our meetings.” Hannah Naveh, dean of arts at Tel Aviv University, expressed her optimism that YU faculty members will continue to pave inroads in the fields of Hebrew language and literature, and that prominent Hebrew scholars will be invited to YU to deliver lectures and full-semester courses. Naveh added that she and her colleagues were extremely impressed with Lidovsky-Cohen’s organization of the conference that, in her words, was “carried out with perfection and professionalism.” One key to Yeshiva University’s further interaction within the field of Hebrew literature will be Lidovsky-Cohen, who was appointed to NAPH’s advisory committee on the final day of the conference. “Yeshiva University should be a leading force in Jewish and Israel studies,” said Lidovsky-Cohen. “We have been doing a lot of research on religious studies but have left room to expand in the area of Jewish culture.” Her sentiments were shared by Bacon, who believes that the conference went a long way to showing the academic world that Yeshiva University can be both scholarly rigorous and Orthodox. “This is a tremendous accomplishment and I am so very pleased,” said Bacon.