Recent Publication

Typology of Jewish Literature Project. A whole volume of the academic journal Aramaic Studies was recently devoted to the results of the Manchester-Durham Project led by Alex Samely on the literary structures of ancient Jewish texts. Aramaic Studies volume 9 (Autumn 2011) contains articles and analyses by Project team members Philip Alexander, Robert Hayward, Rocco Bernasconi and Alex Samely, and also presents to the scholarly world, for the first time in printed format, the key document arising from this four-year project: a systematic list of all key literary features that shape ancient Jewish literature. This list of literary features, called the "Inventory", occupies the final 50 pages of this 250 page volume. Further information.

Recent Publication

Am ha-aretz in the Mishnah. CJS honorary research fellow Dr. Rocco Bernasconi has published an article in the Revue des Études Juives which considers how the term am ha-aretz is used in the Mishnah. The purpose of the article is to show that despite the different meanings and interpretations connoted by the term throughout the Mishnah, it is possible to find a unifying element across its usages. Further information.

Recent Publication

The Genesis Apocryphon. CJS honorary research fellow Dr. Rocco Bernasconi has published an article in Aramaic Studies which considers the literary structure of the Genesis Apocryphon. The manuscript as it has come down to us is incomplete with both the beginning and the end missing. The article thus tries, on the basis of the extant evidence, to single out what was the original shape and literary genre of the text. Further information. 

Manchester Jewish Museum

‘Wandering Lonely Jews in the English Countryside’. On Tues 21 February, 7.30pm, acclaimed historian Professor Tony Kushner from the University of Southampton will examine the experiences of and responses to 'The Boys' who came to Britain at the end of the Second World War. Through the exploration of place, identity and Englishness, he will analyse how far the experiences of these children have become part of local narratives of the past. Venue: Manchester Jewish Museum, 190 Cheetham Hill Road, Manchester, M8 8LW. Fee £4.00. Booking essential. Email info@manchesterjewishmuseum.com or call 0161 834 9879.

Levinas Reading Group

Open discussions of the Philosophical Oeuvre. The reading group, which was established by Alex Samely, Professor of Jewish Thought, meets fortnightly during term time to discuss the writings of the French-Jewish philosopher Emmanuel Levinas. The close readings, which are engaged with in open discussion, are based on the English translations (although the French original is also recommended) and can be highly technical. For further information, contact alex.samely@manchester.ac.uk.

Open Evening

Thursday 1 March 2012

After our CJS research seminar, led by former Co-director of the Centre, Prof Bernard Jackson, we will be hosting a kosher reception followed by an Open Evening in which we will showcase the activities of the Centre and its staff, including a number of current projects being conducted in the Centre. We would be delighted if you would join us for this event.

16:00–17:30 Bernard Jackson (Liverpool Hope University) 

"Constructing a Theory of Halakhah"
Venue: Room 2.03, Mansfield Cooper Building

 

Please note that Bernard Jackson will give this seminar in place of Karen Adler, who had to cancel for reasons of ill health. Please also note the change of venue for the CJS research seminar series for semester two. All CJS seminars will take place in Room 2.03 in the Mansfield Cooper Building. (Building 65 on the Campus Map). See directions. 

17:30–17:55 Kosher Reception
Venue: North Foyer, Samuel Alexander Building (Building 67 on the Campus Map). See directions. 

18:00–19:10 Centre for Jewish Studies Open Evening

Venue: Room A101, Samuel Alexander Building

 

Introduction (Alex Samely) 

 

Short Presentations on Current Projects conducted in the Centre
Renate Smithuis Rylands Cairo Genizah
Jean-Marc Dreyfus Corpses of Genocide and Mass Violence
Bill Williams Jews and Other Foreigners
Alex Samely Database for the Analysis of Ancient Jewish Literature
Maria Haralambakis Moses Gaster’s Contribution to Jewish Studies 

MA teaching (Daniel Langton)

Plenary Lecture, University of Cambridge

The (Mis) Use of History in Holocaust Theology.  On 22 February, CJS co-director Prof. Daniel Langton will explore the engagement with history among religious commentators on the Holocaust, reflected in their writings about the uniqueness of the Shoah, its challenge to Judaism and the covenant, its connection to the State of Israel, and the problem of evil. He will critique the claim that, ultimately, historical analysis is incapable of explaining the Nazi genocide, and criticise the tendency to trace God’s providential action and revelation in history. Time and Venue: 2.15pm, Divinity Faculty. Further information.

Bill Williams Library Opening Hours

Reference-only library for students and staff of the university, as well as the general public. Bill Williams' personal research library but also includes materials from local synagogues and personal donations. The opening hours (without appointment) for this semester are Tuesdays 10am-12pm. If you wish to use the library at any other time please email an administrator. Further information.

Jewish Chronicle

The Growth of the Charedim. CJS honorary research fellow Dr Yaakov Wise is one of several contributors in a debate concerning Chasidic demographics that is featured in Simon Rocker's article in the JC (9 Feb 2012). The article considers, amongst other things, the estimated population figures of the 'strictly orthodox' communities in the UK, ranging from 33,000 (JPR) to 59,000 (Wise). Further information.

Seminar, University of Oxford

The Significance of Moses Gaster.  Dr Maria Haralambakis, Hanadiv Fellow at the CJS, spoke at the David Patterson seminar series at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies on 8 February 2012 on 'Moses Gaster (1856-1939): The Gaster collection at the John Rylands University Library.' Further information on her research project and the event.