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1.0 Introduction
1.1 This report may
be read against the Centre's mission statement, now adopted
in its Constitution:
The Centre seeks
to
(i) maximise the teaching, undergraduate and postgraduate, of
Jewish Studies in the University of Manchester;
(ii) foster collaborative research between staff of the University
of Manchester and others in the region;
(iii) bring the results of academic work in Jewish Studies to
the wider community through various forms of extra mural activity,
and
(iv) maximise the benefit of these various activities through
dissemination of appropriate results on the internet.
1.2 2000/2001 was
the third year of activity of the Centre. A different form of
extra-mural programme was mounted but with a rather indifferent
reaction. There were successful series of Sherman Lectures,
Research Seminars and Rabbinics Seminars. Attention continued
to be paid to maximising the use of teaching resources in Jewish
Studies for the purposes of developing and recruiting to undergraduate
programmes. There was a record intake to the MA in Jewish Studies,
and the number of PhD students in Jewish Studies is healthy.
Serious efforts commenced to devise a collective AHRB research
application. Continuing effort was devoted to long-term fund-raising,
and to the development of the Centre's web site. A Constitution
for the Centre was approved and implemented.
1.3 References to
last year's report are in the form: 2000: §3.1.1.
2.0 Organisational
development
2.1 Staffing
2.1.1 The Centre
now has some 31 Fellows, of whom only five are employed by the
University primarily for Jewish Studies (three more in Bible
and Ancient Near East), while the others (some employed by this
University, some by other universities, some in other employment
or self-employed) assist, often voluntarily, on a part-time
basis. Fellows are appointed initially as Honorary Research
Fellows (without further remuneration); in 2000/01, two of these
appointments were converted into part-time Teaching Fellowships,
with modest remuneration, and as from 2001/02 a third such appointment
will be made (2.1.3 below). The Centre aspires to increase the
number of such Teaching Fellowships, and ultimately to convert
at least two of them into full-time positions, in order to strengthen
the provision particularly of modern Jewish history and modern
Hebrew literature.
2.1.2 Two new Fellows
were appointed in the course of the last year: Dalia Hoshen
(Bar-Ilan University, temporarily in Manchester), who delivered
a rabbinics seminar, and Bina Rubin, who offered a mini-course
in the Centre's extra mural programme, in conjunction with Lucille
Cohen.
2.1.3 In 2000/01
Dr. Irene Lancaster and Dr. Alan Unterman were appointed Teaching
Fellows, offering 2nd year courses respectively on Landmarks
in Jewish History and Jewish Liturgy and Religious Practice.
These were the first such appointments funded by the Centre;
for the coming year Dr. Daniel Langton has also been appointed,
to teach in Jewish-Christian Relations.
2.1.4 In 2000/01,
the Centre was able to secure the services of Dr. Daniel Langton
as part-time Co-Ordinator, concentrating on financial and web
development. This appointment will continue in 2001/02.
2.2 Committee structure
2.2.1 The newly adopted
Constitution formalises previous practice: day-to-day decision-making
is in the hands of the Co-Directors, assisted by the Planning
Committee, which now meets twice per annum. The External Liaison
Committee has assisted both in defining the extra-mural programme
and in deliberating upon the fund-raising strategy.
2.2.2 Under the Constitution,
the initial terms of the Planning Committee expire on 31st August
2001. The Fellows' Committee, in a reserved section of the Annual
General Meeting on July 4th 2001, re-elected the existing members
of the committee to a further three-year term.
2.3 Collaboration with the Shoah Centre
The Centre continues
to enjoy a close relationship with the projected Shoah Centre
in Manchester, having provided the latter with shared office
accommodation at the University. The Shoah Centre's part-time
Secretary (20 hours per week), reciprocally, provides secretarial
services for the Centre for Jewish Studies. The CJS Co-Ordinator
has in the past year devoted substantial time to Shoah Centre
development, and the Shoah Centre has made a 5k contribution
to the CJS budget in recognition of this.
3.0 The 2000/2001 Programme
3.1 Extra-Mural Lectures
Four "mini-courses",
each of either four or five sessions, were offered by Fellows
of the Centre, the first (on Firebrands and Zealots: Jewish
Radicals in Tsarist Russia) held at the Nicky Alliance Centre,
the latter three (Aspects of Jewish-Christian Relations; Ancient
Society in Jerusalem and the Holy Land: An Archaeological Approach;
Anglo-Jewry: Overview 2000) at the Ashburne Hall of Residence
(the Jewish Themes in Opera course had to be cancelled because
of the lecturer's indisposition). The take-up fell substantially
short of financial (and sometimes audience) viability. The response
has been discussed by the External Relations Committee, the
Planning Committee and the Annual General Meeting, with no very
firm explanation emerging. It has been agreed to offer a more
selective programme next year.
3.2 Research Seminars
3.2.1 A series of
four Research Seminars was again organised, this year taking
advantage of the presence in this country of a number of distinguished
overseas visitors from Israel and the US: Gloria Mound, Emily
Budick, Joseph Geiger and David Goodblatt. All were well attended
and greatly enjoyed. In addition, the occasional ad hoc "Rabbinics
Seminar" continued, taking advantage of the presence in
Manchester of other visitors: Dalia Hoshen and Joseph Rivlin
(both of Bar-Ilan University) and a feedback session with the
Sherman Lecturer, Norman Solomon. Attempts are also being made
to institute a rabbinics seminars at which postgraduate students
will deliver papers.
3.2.2 As a result
of a ballot of CJS Fellows, invitations to deliver CJS research
seminars next year have been sent to Jonathan Magonet, Abner
Weiss, Haym Maccoby and Ami Elad-Bouskila. It is anticipated
that Robert Hayward and John Sawyer may also be invited to deliver
papers at the Ehrhard seminars of the Dept. of Religions and
Theology.
3.3 Sherman Lectures
3.3.1 The Sherman
Lectures were delivered in 2001 by Rabbi Dr. Norman Solomon
of Oxford, on the theme "Torah from Heaven". They
attracted a very appreciative audience, of an above average
size. Rabbi Dr. Norman Solomon also gave a rabbinics seminar
and delivered a Community Lecture at Mamlock House. He provided
substantial abstracts of his lectures for the web site.
3.3.2 The Sherman
Lecturer 2002 will be Professor Fred Rosner of New York and
Professor Tony Kushner of Southampton has been invited to deliver
the Sherman Lectures in 2003.
3.4 MMU course
At the invitation
of the Multicultural Studies Programme at Manchester Metropolitan
University, the Centre again provided speakers for a course
at MMU: this year, a four-week, one-evening-per-week, course
on 'Jews in Society: Four Biographical Studies', which took
place between mid-April and mid-May 2001.
3.5 Planning for
2001/02
3.5.1 Bernard Jackson
has offered to provide a 4-5 week mini-course on "Agunah:
The Classical Texts". Discussions are under way as to whether
to hold this at the Yeshurun Synagogue, in conjunction with
the Women's Group there.
3.5.3 At the request
of the Southport Jewish Representative Council, an extra-mural
course consisting of five lectures each by a different Fellow
of the Centre is being arranged on the theme: "Us and Them:
Jewish Identity, Ancient and Modern".
3.5.4 The External
Liaison Committee has suggested holding a one-day conference
on Jewish Heritage at the Rylands, Manchester, probably in association
with the Balfour Trust.
3.5.5 Following discussion
in the Planning Committee, Daniel Langton investigated the possibility
of awarding a University Certificate in respect of the extra-mural
programme. He found that such a Certificate required 120 credits
(10 credits representing 20 hours' tuition). It was generally
agreed that this represented too much work, both for students
and the Centre, to be viable. Consideration is being given to
a possible Certificate of Attendance at CJS extra-mural lectures.
The extra-mural programme (e.g. Bernard Jackson's Agunah course)
would continue to serve as taster courses for the MA.
3.5.6 There has been
initial (positive) discussion of the Centre's collaborating
with the Balfour Trust in next year's Jewish Book Week.
4.0 Archival Activities
4.1 This year has
seen the initiation of a number of projects through which the
Centre might continue its role of enhancing Jewish archives
in Manchester.
4.1.1 Negotiations
are proceeding for the possible 10-year loan of a major collection
of Judaica books to the Rylands Library.
4.1.2 Bill Williams
has agreed to donate 2000 books from his modern Jewish Studies
collection to the Centre, provided that satisfactory arrangements
may be made for secure housing and supervision.
4.1.3 Jackson's Row
synagogue has agreed to donate c.30 books (originally from the
Central Reference Jewish Studies library collection); Noam Livne
has donated c.30 books; and Geoff Price has donated the entire
works of Martin Buber and Ignaz Maybaum.
4.1.4 Elaine Graham
(Head of School) has agreed to look into housing such a Centre
mini-library (4.1.2-3) in the School Reading room, if the costs
of secure-housing prove not to be prohibitive.
4.1.5 The Centre
continues to be active in making available the fruits of archival
work on the internet. Following the mounting of an index of
the papers of Rabbi Israel Yoffey last year, an index of the
oral history tapes of interviews with Manchester-based Holocaust
survivors/refugees at the Manchester Jewish Museum, compiled
by Lynne Jeskey, has also been mounted on the web site (http://www.art.man.ac.uk/reltheol/jewish/survivor.htm).
5.0 Teaching
5.1 The Undergraduate
Programme
5.1.1 Following the
structural changes reported in last year's report (2000: §5.1.1),
the first intake of students on the BA with Honours in Hebrew
and Jewish Studies (in the Department of Middle Eastern Studies)
is anticipated in September 2001.
5.1.2 Initial consideration
has been given to the creation of a full BA with Honours in
Jewish Studies (without a language requirement), but there are
no plans for the immediate introduction of such a degree. The
recruitment situation regarding the various existing Jewish
Studies routes is being kept under review.
5.1.3 The Centre
has reviewed publicity strategies in relation to the teaching
programme. Further to discussions between Daniel Langton and
the university offices concerned with both home and overseas
recruitment, and the Development and Alumni Relation Office,
plans are being developed to produce a new generation of somewhat
more glossy market-specific CJS publications (an undergraduate
brochure, an MA leaflet, and a general information folder);
the Head of School has also indicated that she hopes to set
aside funds for Research Centres to use for publicity, conferences,
etc.
5.1.4 Bernard Jackson
and Daniel Langton have met with University marketing people
with regard to developing a marketing strategy designed to attract
US Junior Year Abroad students; lists of personal contacts in
academic institutions in Israel and the US have been compiled
together with lists of institutions offering Junior Year Abroad
as part of their programme.
5.2 The M.A. in Jewish
Studies
5.2.1 The Centre
recruited eight new students to the M.A. in Jewish Studies in
2000/01 - by far the largest intake to date. Initial indications
suggest a slightly smaller intake in 2001/02.
5.2.2 2000/01 was
the first year of the actual awards of the Lionel Black bursaries.
Of the £3000.00 allocated, only half (supporting two part-time
students) was taken up, since one full-time student to whom
an award had been made did not register. As a result, £4500.00
was available for distribution for 2001/02, and this has been
allocated to two continuing part-time students, one full-time
student from Canada and one full-time student from Italy.
5.3 Postgraduate
Research
Towards the end
of 2000/01, the holder of the current three-year postgraduate
studentship (now towards the end of the second year of her studentship)
was successful in obtaining a university research fellowship,
thus providing welcome relief to the Centre's budget. New income
streams are required to reinstate this form of student support.
However, a survey conducted in the course of the year revealed
some 25 Ph.D. students in different areas of Jewish Studies
(see Appendix).
6.0 Research
6.1 Funded Research
Projects
6.1.1 Members of
the permanent university staff have been concerned in the past
year with the achievement of their personal research targets,
in the context of the coming RAE, for which the cut-off date
for publications was the end of December 2000. Since then, energy
has been devoted to the development of collaborative research
plans. In particular, Philip Alexander, Alex Samely, George
Brooke and Bernard Jackson have held several seminars designed
to highlight areas of collaboration in the analysis of the history
of Jewish hermeneutics. It is hoped to submit a substantial
bid for research funding to the AHRB in the next round.
6.1.2 In March 2001,
Bernard Jackson delivered a lecture in London in which he announced
plans to establish an Agunah Research Unit within the Centre,
should funding be forthcoming. Approaches are currently being
made to private, public (AHRB) and community sources. A budget
of £50,000 for each of five years is sought, to fund a
postdoctoral fellow and several PhD projects.
6.1.3 A successful
application was made by Daniel Langton to the Association of
Jewish Refugees for 18k over three years to fund a PhD project
on German-Jewish refugees in Manchester. The bursary will be
known as the Association for Jewish Refugees Post-Doctoral Studentship.
6.2 Melilah
It was reported
last year (2000: §6.2) that much time and energy had been
devoted in that year to the technical problems of making available
articles with Hebrew script on the internet. Work on this, conducted
largely by Daniel Langton, has been concluded and the journal
has been "launched" with an announcement on the Shamash
Jewish e-mail network. Two article submissions have already
been received and are currently under peer review. Sadly, one
member of the International Advisory Board, Michael Klein, died
before the launch: an obituary will appear on the site.
6.3 A page publicising
Recent Publications of Centre Fellows has been created.
7.0 Web development
7.1 The Centre continues
to maximise the use of its various programmes, for the benefit
of the wider community, by mounting texts generated by those
programmes on its web site, freely available to all. Substantial
abstracts of Rabbi Dr. Solomon's Sherman Lectures are now available
on the site, as is the full text of a lecture on the (poor)
prospects for Jewish-Christian liturgical collaboration, delivered
by Dr. Tomes in the context of one of this year's extra-mural
mini-courses.
7.2 The full text
of Bernard Jackson's March 2001 London lecture on "Agunah
and the Problem of Authority" is available on the web site
(a documented version is in preparation), as is a substantial
library of book reviews of Judaica prepared by Ephraim Nissan,
entitled Tsur.
7.3 During the year,
negotiations were concluded for the hosting by the Centre of
a new web site constructed by Daniel Langton for the British
Association for Jewish Studies, including the mounting of the
BAJS Bulletin.
7.4 Also in collaboration
with the British Association for Jewish Studies, Daniel Langton
has conducted and mounted on the web site a Survey of Jewish
Studies in the UK - the first of its kind on the internet.
7.5 In last year's
report (2000: §7.3) there was discussion of the prospects
for the provision by the Centre of a genuine "distance
learning" facility (for both award-bearing and thus income-generating
courses, and other purposes). It was noted that considerable
investment is required even to pilot such schemes since substantial
deployment of staff time is a necessity. This remains the case,
and the calls on the time of Centre staff leave no scope at
present for such development, much as we might desire it. However,
the gradual increase of the use of WebCT software to enhance
in-house teaching in the university may eventually provide a
wider base of expertise, such as might facilitate provision
of distance learning.
8.0 Relations with the Community
The observations
made in this section last year remain valid. It remains difficult
to secure interest in the Centre from either Jewish school or
chaplaincy authorities, and the response of the community this
year to the extra-mural programme was disappointing. Different
forms of community involvement are being explored, e.g. those
noted above in §§2.3 (Shoah Centre) and 3.5 (Yeshurun,
Southport, Balfour Trust, Jewish Book Week). The Centre now
has an extensive mailing list (and a slightly less extensive
e-mail list), and members of the community regularly attend
research seminars, as well as the Sherman lectures and the extra-mural
programme.
9.0 Finances
9.1 2001/02
The Centre has been
able to carry forward some 17.5k to 2001/02, and to plan a balanced
budget for 2001/02, including the position of Co-Ordinator,
three Teaching Fellowships and 4.5k in MA bursary support. This
is better than the projection in 2000: §9.2. However, the
prospects for the following year are now worse, with some previous
sources of funding no longer remaining available. Continuation
of the current level of activity would accordingly result in
a deficit of some 30k, unless new income streams are found.
9.2 Fundraising prospects
Further to the failure
of a fundraising event reported in 2000: §9.2, efforts
have been directed in 2000/01 to the location of new major income
sources, one of them resulting from the expansion of the group
of people seriously interested in assisting us in fundraising
reported last year. As regards the forms of income generation
highlighted in last year's report (2000: §9.3):
(a) Fundraising for general recurrent purposes remains particularly
important but most difficult to achieve. There has been no progress
as yet towards the institution of a Sponsors/Friends scheme,
though there is renewed discussion of a fundraising social event.
The problems are: (a) the relatively narrow base of those in
the community interested in supporting university as opposed
to communal causes and (b) the need for volunteers to devote
substantial time to organisation. It may therefore prove necessary
to seek basic infrastructural support in a different way.
(b) Discussions proceeded with the Zionist organisations regarding
the possible establishment of a Lectureship in Israeli Studies,
the holder of which might divide his time between the university
and the community, but thus far there are no signs of positive
support from the Embassy. Given the current situation in Israel,
this may not be viewed as a priority, notwithstanding the widely
acknowledged need to improve public knowledge of the situation
in the Middle East.
(c) The Co-Ordinator has devoted considerable time and effort
this past year to applications to appropriate charitable trusts
and foundations for projects close to their known interests.
The response has been almost universally disappointing, with
the notable exception of the research project regarding Jewish
refugees (§6.1.3, above).
(d) Significant preparatory work has been completed this year
towards applications for public research funds and it is hoped
that this may provide new funding in the course of next year
(§§6.1.1-2). However, it is not likely to generate
substantial income for the basic infrastructure of the Centre.
The Centre seeks support both for particular projects and general
infrastructure. A range of sponsorship opportunities in relation
to particular projects has been developed (see http://www.art.man.ac.uk/reltheol/jewish/support.htm)
but general infrastructural support is also vital. The Planning
Committee has agreed to seek a major sponsor whose name may
be attached to the Centre, even for a limited number of years.
B.S. Jackson August 30, 2001
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