The field of Jewish studies considers the history of Jews and Judaism in the ancient, medieval, and modern periods using the methodological tools of textual, historical, philosophical, gender, anthropological, and cultural analysis. Current faculty strengths include Hebrew Bible, Second Temple Judaism, early Jewish-Christian relations, Talmudic and Rabbinic literature, Maghribi halakhic traditions, Eastern European Jewish literature and culture, Orthodox Judaism, and modern Jewish philosophy and thought.
The DSR’s program in Jewish Studies benefits from its close collaboration with the Anne Tannenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies, which supports students through seminars, lectures, and grants and fellowships. Students are expected to pursue advanced study of languages relevant to their research, and U of T offers regular courses in Hebrew and Yiddish, as well as other languages.
With research interests in Jewish Studies