Hebrew Sage Shepherds Jewish Studies

The professor at Valley College, with his long gray hair and beard, reminded student Mary Jackson of the biblical “Ancient of Days” sitting on his heavenly throne. Another admiring student compared his appearance to none other than Noah.

But it’s not only his resemblance to a Hebrew sage that brings distinction to 54-year-old professor Zev Garber. He is a pioneer in the concept of Jewish studies at public colleges and his charismatic teaching style and passion for his work have kept the program at Valley College alive for nearly 25 years.

As Jews crowd into synagogues for High Holy Day observances this week, starting with Rosh Hashanah services tonight, Garber and his colleague Jody Myers, who heads a bigger program at Cal State Northridge, stand as leaders of a lesser-known branch of Jewish learning in the San Fernando Valley. For a quarter-century they have exposed hundreds of students to an analytical, secular approach to Judaism and Jewish culture.

“I find that what I do is an absolute threat to the Orthodox community,” said Garber, even though he personally has an Orthodox Jewish perspective. He said Jewish studies courses provoke tensions for many traditional believers when texts, traditions and history are studied in a non-religious setting.

“At first, it’s a shock,” Garber said. “Then, slowly but surely, [students] can see what I’m doing and appreciate that one doesn’t have to give up traditional values if they can appreciate other values too.”

Cal State Northridge’s Myers, a professor of religious studies, added that objective courses in religion can even stir conflict among students who are Jewish but do not observe traditional Jewish law.

“I’ve had Jewish students in my classes who were non-observant, and they’d say, ‘This is sacred, from Moses, and you’re saying it was written later!’ ” said Myers. She was referring to the Torah, the first five books of the Bible that tradition says were written by Moses. However, most biblical scholars say the books were written and edited by many hands after Moses’ lifetime.

Myers noted some students are surprised that Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and the culmination of the High Holy Days on Yom Kippur--Oct. 4 this year--have not always been the high point on the Hebrew calendar.

“In my class last Tuesday, we saw that the Book of Nehemiah mentions the seven days of Sukkot, a harvest festival, but there is no mention of Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur, which are holidays observed today shortly before Sukkot,” she said.

“What students see is the evolution of the religion,” Myers said, noting that Sukkot was probably an older Israelite festival and “Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur may not have been very important in the 5th Century BC,” thought to be the period when Nehemiah was written.

“I encourage students to compare what the rabbis say to what they hear in the classroom,” Garber said. Although religious institutions usually seek to explain supposed contradictions in tradition, public-supported studies of religion tend to be more accepting of ambiguities and contrasts.

Garber completed his doctoral course work and exams at USC but never finished writing his dissertation. He has written and lectured extensively on the Holocaust and served as a visiting professor of Judaic studies at UC Riverside in the 1970s.

Douglas Parrott, a former chairman of religious studies at UC Riverside, praised Garber’s teaching ability.

“Zev has an unusually broad knowledge of Jewish history, a stimulating way of lecturing and a vast enthusiasm for his subject--all of which contributed to his popularity with our students,” Parrott said.

Catholic-raised Mary Jackson, 50, of Lake View Terrace, who transferred this year from Valley College to Cal State Northridge, said she took five courses in Jewish studies from Garber.

“In class, he is a ball of fire--dynamic yet intellectual,” Jackson said. “In some of his Holocaust classes, I had to get up and leave the room because of tears in my eyes.”

Jackson, a religious studies major at CSUN, said she may pursue a master’s degree in the field and specialize in Jewish studies because of Garber’s influence.

Garber’s impact started when he arrived on the Van Nuys community college campus in the fall of 1970 and successfully proposed a Jewish studies major for the spring of 1971.

In praising Garber’s work, Rabbi William Kramer, 75, who taught classes in Jewish history and culture at CSUN for two decades, commented, “When we got a transfer student that had taken classes with Zev, we got someone who was prepared.”

Some 25 years later, however, Garber’s all but one-man effort to perpetuate Valley College’s Jewish studies offerings have not fared as well as the Jewish studies program on the Northridge campus.

Because of a relatively low student demand for Jewish studies courses and long waiting lists for required classes, Richard Moyer, vice president of academic affairs at Valley College, said the program is “leading a tenuous existence at present,” down to three courses this semester.

“We possibly are looking at the demise of Jewish studies in a few years,” Garber said. “I’m gratified that we have about 40 students in my Hebrew class.”