The UCL Institute of Jewish Studies is an institute located in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

dedicated to the academic study of all branches of

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

history and civilization. It is a privately funded institute within the Department of Hebrew and Jewish Studies at University College London (UCL), the largest department of Hebrew and Jewish studies in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

. The institute is located at the main UCL campus in

Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London, part of the London Borough of Camden in England. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural institution, cultural, intellectual, and educational ...

, close to the

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. Based in London, it is one of the largest libraries in the world, with an estimated collection of between 170 and 200 million items from multiple countries. As a legal deposit li ...

, the

Wiener Library The Wiener Holocaust Library () is the world's oldest institution devoted to the study of the Holocaust, its causes and legacies. Founded in 1933 as an information bureau that informed Jewish communities and governments worldwide about the pers ...

, the

Warburg Institute The Warburg Institute is a research institution associated with the University of London in central London, England. A member of the School of Advanced Study, its focus is the study of cultural history and the role of images in culture – cros ...

Dr Williams's Library Dr Williams's Library was a small English research library located in Gordon Square, Bloomsbury, London, the contents have now been relocated to Manchester. Historically, it has had a strong Unitarian focus. The library has also been known as ...

, the library of the

School of Oriental and African Studies The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS University of London; ) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury area ...

and the UCL Jewish Studies Collection, which houses the Moccatta Library, the Altman Collection and a substantial collection of unique Yiddish material. The staff and students are mostly Jewish, unlike other UK faculties for Jewish studies in the UK.

History

The institute was founded by Alexander Altmann in

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

in 1954 as the Institute of Jewish Studies. In 1959, following the departure of Altmann as director, the institute moved to UCL. Altmann's justification for the activities of the institute was given in a 1957 lecture to the Hillel Foundation of London : Victor Mishcon became chairman of the institute in 1959.

Activities

Events

The institute organises public lectures, symposia and seminars throughout the academic year, where leading scholars from Europe,

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

communicate the results of their research to scholars, students and the public, thereby creating the opportunity for regular exchange of ideas and interests. The institute also hosts one or more major international conferences annually, which focus on significant themes relating to Jewish civilisation, and bring together eminent scholars from different countries working in the same or allied fields of research.

Research

The institute regularly sponsors research projects by postgraduates and scholars in important academic fields.

Publications

The institute sponsors the publication of its conference proceedings and other academic works in co-operation with publishers, including

Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press was the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted a letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it was the oldest university press in the world. Cambridge University Press merged with Cambridge Assessme ...

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...

, and the Littman Library of Jewish Civilisation.

References

External links

Institute of Jewish Studies, University College LondonUCL Department of Hebrew and Jewish StudiesThe Wiener Library Institute of Contemporary HistoryThe Warburg InstituteDr Williams's Trust and LibraryThe Littman Library of Jewish CivilizationAltmann Papers
at

University College London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...

{{authority control University College London Jewish organisations based in the United Kingdom Jewish studies research institutes Judaic studies