Courses in Hebrew and Jewish Studies cover the study of Jewish history, culture and relations with other traditions from antiquity to modern times, the study of Hebrew of all periods, and the study of Aramaic and Yiddish. Reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of the field, teaching and research staff belong to various faculties: primarily Oriental Studies, but also Modern Languages and Literature, History, Theology and Religion, and Classics.
In Oriental Studies, syllabuses in the BA in Hebrew and Jewish Studies span the period from biblical times to the present, taking in biblical and ancient Near East studies alongside rabbinic, medieval and modern Jewish studies. The Hebrew course deals primarily with language and literature, with study of Jewish culture and history as the necessary background, while the BA course in Jewish Studies focuses on history, religion and culture while also giving students skills in understanding Hebrew. In the Faculty of Theology and Religion, the BA offers courses on Judaism in all periods. A wide range of Hebrew and Jewish studies courses are also available at Masters level in both faculties, as well as opportunities for study at doctoral level.
Within the Faculty of Oriental Studies, the Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies co-ordinates Jewish studies across the University and has a full programme of research seminars and conferences funded by the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies, housed in the Clarendon Institute.
You can find out more about Hebrew and Jewish Studies at the University of Oxford here.