New publication
Holocaust studies. Jean-Marc Dreyfus, 'Filling the Silence: A Study in Corporate Holocaust History and the Nature of Corporate Memory' in The Auschwitz Institute for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities. Further information.
Public event, The Muslim Jewish Forum of Greater Manchester
Jewish-Muslim relations. After briefly covering the wide diversity of languages spoken in Greater Manchester generally, Yaron Matras will focus on the languages of GM’s Muslims and Jews. His talk will be followed by short contributions from two Jewish speakers, including Alex Samely, and two Muslim speakers about their personal linguistic journey through life.The languages of Manchester’s Muslims and Jews Greater Manchester is a very diverse place, where many languages are spoken. That diversity extends to Greater Manchester’s Muslims and Jews, who have a very wide range of languages as either their first or second language. Zoom event, 19:00, Sun 14 Nov 2021. Further information.
Leverhulme Early Careers Opportunity - R&T
Call for proposals in Religions and Theology. The Religions and Theology department is pleased to be able to support applications from prospective applicants to the Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship scheme 2022-23. Potential applicants are invited to submit a draft application to the R&T office by 1 November 2021. Further information.
Leverhulme Early Careers Opportunity - JRRI
Call for proposals in Jewish and Hebrew Studies. The John Rylands Research Institute will support applications to the Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship scheme 2022-23. Projects must demonstrate a strong connection to the University of Manchester Library’s Special Collections, which include extensive Judaica and Hebraica holdings and many other collections relevant to Jewish and Hebrew Studies. Potential applicants are invited to submit a draft application to the JRRI office by 15 November 2021. Further information.
Blog entry, 50 Jewish Objects
50 Jewish Objects Artwork. Juliet Goodden is the new artist commissioned by the Centre to respond with her art and creative practice to the 50 Jewish Objects project and to one or more items held at the John Rylands Research Institute and Library. In her third and final blogpost she leads us through her journey of discovery of the collection. Further information.
Scriptural Encounters
Reading challenging sacred texts. Scriptural Encounters bring together different faiths to debate and discuss controversial topics. This is a new series on Gender Diversity. This session will be led by Rabbi Ariel Abel as the presenter of Jewish texts. 1200-13:30 hybrid event, on campus (University Place 4.214) and on zoom. Thu 28 Oct 2021. Further information.
Public lectures, Judaism and Islam a Shared History
Jewish Studies. CJS Hon. Research Fellow Michael Hilton announces a new course 'Judaism and Islam: A shared history' that he is leading with Dr Harith Ramli of Edge Hill University. The first lecture 'The story of Joseph in the Bible and the Quran: the most beautiful of stories', 12th October 2021, 8.10 – 9.30 pm, hybrid (on Zoom and in-person). Further information.
Screen & Talk
Jewish Studies. The Centre for Jewish Studies at Manchester University is pleased to announce that the next Screen & Talk event will be the streaming of ‘The Black Book’ (2019) by Guillaume Ribot. Drafted while the Second World War was still raging, the Black Book contained numerous testimonies of the atrocities committed by the Nazis against Jews in the Soviet Union. Featuring a wealth of archival footage and told through the voices of the Jewish-Soviet intellectuals who gathered the testimonies, this important documentary sheds new light on the operations of two abhorrent totalitarian regimes, driven by blind hatred and prejudice. 10 – 14 Nov 2021, online as part of the UK Jewish Film Festival 2021. Further information.
Moses Gaster Seminars
Jewish Studies. This academic year (2021-22) the John Rylands Research Institute will complete the online cataloguing of the codices in Hebrew script in the Rylands Library Manchester. Most of these manuscripts once belonged to Moses Gaster, who, with modest resources, assembled one of the most remarkable collections of Hebrew manuscripts of the 20th century. To mark the occasion the John Rylands Research Institute and the Manchester University Centre for Jewish Studies are hosting a series of seminars in autumn 2021 and spring 2022 which will explore aspects of the Rylands Gaster collection, and related collections. The first seminar will be Dr Zsofia Buda “The Rylands Gaster Codices and the problems of cataloguing them” and Dr Maria Cioata,“Moses Gaster: The Man and His Collections”. 2 - 3.30pm 19 Oct 2021, online. Further information.
Blog entry, 50 Jewish Objects
50 Jewish Objects Artwork. Juliet Goodden is the new artist commissioned by the Centre to respond with her art and creative practice to the 50 Jewish Objects project and to one or more items held at the John Rylands Research Institute and Library. In her second blogpost she leads us through her journey of discovery of the collection. Further information.
Research project, BRIC-19
Prayer in the age of COVID. The BRIC-19 project report British Ritual Innovation under COVID-19 is now available to download at (www.tinyurl.com/bric19). It includes Dr Katja Stuerzenhofecker’s case study of two online prayer groups by Orthodox Jewish women and girls that are attracting a global following. The project report aims to share best practice of digital solutions across religious communities that are useful for the duration of the pandemic and beyond.
A Buried Synagogue on Campus
Joint R&T and Archaeology on-campus tour. 'Walk & Talk: A Buried Synagogue on Campus’ with John Piprani (Archaeology) and Tereza Ward (R&T). Organised as part of Welcome Week on Fri 24 Sept 2021. Further information.
New publication
Jewish Studies. Philip Alexander, “‘If they are not Prophets, they are Sons of Prophets’. Folk Religion (Minhag) as a Source of Law in Rabbinic Judaism,” in: The Use and Dissemination of Religious Knowledge in Antiquity, ed. Catherine Hezser and Diana Edelman (Sheffield: Equinox, 2021), 122-144. Further information.
New publication
Jewish Studies. Philip Alexander, “Eschatology in the apocalyptic revival in Judaism (sixth to ninth centuries CE) in its historical context,” in: Eschatology in Antiquity: Forms and Functions, ed. Hilary Marlow, Karla Pollmann, and Helen van Noorden (Routledge: London and New York, 2021), 576-588. Further information.
Reading Group, Book of Esther (Biblical Hebrew)
Biblical and Jewish Studies. Philip Alexander will be leading a reading group focusing on the Book of Esther and Jewish commentaries. The class will meet via Zoom once a week. The primary aim of this non-credit course will be to provide students at BA, MA or PhD levels who have done some Hebrew with the opportunity to advance their knowledge. This semester the focus will be on the so-called Second Targum to Esther, and Prof. Alexander will give an introduction to the Targum in the first session. Knowledge of Hebrew and Aramaic will be a help, but is not necessary. English translations of the relevant texts will be supplied. 11am, Mondays, starting 27 Sept.
Blog entry, Council of Christians and Jews
Jewish Studies. Lindsey Taylor-Guthartz writes on the subject of 'Rosh Hashanah: In the Presence of the King.' 3 Sept 2021. Further information.
Public event, Bric-19
Prayer in the age of COVID. Dr Katja Stuerzenhofecker's ethnographic study of female-only Orthodox Jewish online prayer groups is part of the research study ‘Social Distance, Digital Congregation: British Ritual Innovation under COVID-19’. You are warmly invited to hear and discuss the results of this year-long research project into the ways in which the pandemic has shaped the ritual lives of religious communities of all kinds across the UK. Wed 29 September, 1-5pm BST, Manchester Metropolitan University city centre campus; also streamed online. The event is free and open to the public, but please register in advance. To sign up, see further infomration.
Podcast, Jewish Renaissance
Jewish Studies. 'Peh, Peh, Peh: Spitting at the Evil Eye and other Curious 'Kosher' Customs.' Have you ever worn an amulet? Or 'touched wood'? Or tied red thread on a baby’s cot? Recent research on Jewish women has revealed a wide array of customs that are still being used to protect people and ward off the angel of death. Lindsey Taylor-Guthartz investigates Jewish and anthropological definitions of magic and asks why people... Watch on YouTube.
Public event, Maharat
Jewish Studies. Lindsey Taylor-Guthartz speaks on 'Our Journey towards God: A Walk through the Piyutim of Erev Yom Kippur' as part of the Yeshivat Maharat (NY) 'Power Hour of Torah - High Holiday 5782 Edition'. Starts at 9:40 minutes. Watch on YouTube.
Online seminar
Jewish Studies. Moshe Behar gave a presentation on 'Genealogy of the Two-State solution in Israel/Palestine' at the International Webinar on the Prospect of Two-State Solution in Palestine, the National Institute of Management, Quetta, Pakistan. 19 June 2021. Further information.