German Professor Honored by Jewish Federation of Arkansas

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Jennifer Hoyer at the Jewish Federation of Arkansas Red Carpet Affair

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Jennifer Hoyer, the acting German section head, was awarded a Tikkun Olam Award by the Jewish Federation of Arkansas for her outstanding contributions to the Jewish community. The federation celebrated volunteers at its Red Carpet Affair Saturday, Feb. 1, at the William J. Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock.

"To be recognized by the UA Hillel and the Jewish Federation of Arkansas for my work is a great honor,” said Hoyer, who is also an associate professor of German in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. “Jewish studies has really been a life-long passion and pursuit for me, and to have the chance to work with my likewise devoted colleagues to build a Jewish studies representation on campus has been a dream come true.”

The Jane B. Mendel Tikkun Olam Awards were established by the Tenebaum Foundation to honor outstanding volunteers at Jewish organizations and congregations throughout Arkansas. The award recognizes Hoyer’s work in pioneering a Jewish studies program at the University of Arkansas, both through winning external funding and establishing a highly successful lecture series appealing to the university community and the wider public. 

"Dr. Hoyer has worked tirelessly to educate students, faculty and staff, and the larger community about Jewish contributions in a wide variety of fields including history, religious studies, music, linguistics and film,” said Kathleen Condray, associate professor of German. “She has done pioneering work in establishing a possible future Jewish studies program at the University of Arkansas with the Legacy Heritage Project grant.  We are extremely proud that she is being recognized."

According to a release by the Jewish Federation of Arkansas, “Tikkun Olam is a crucial concept in Judaism.  It translates as healing or repairing the world and requires that, as a people, Jews have a duty to the world around them, to heal its ills and repair its wrongs, so that the world is a better place for everyone.”

“I want students to be able to discover all the things about Jewish thought, history, and cultures that captivate those of us who work in Jewish studies,” Hoyer said. “I'm very excited that I am able to help this become a reality here at the university."