5 Phoebe Court, Bainton Road, Oxford OX2 7AQ U.K. Tel/fax:
01865 437952
Email: normansolomon@compuserve.com
Curriculum Vitae
PERSONAL: Born in Cardiff, South Wales, 31 May 1933.
Educated at Cardiff High School and St John’s College, Cambridge (Moral
Sciences Tripos Pt I; Music Tripos Pt II). ARCM in Composition (1956); B.Mus.
(London, 1958). Rabbinical Diploma (Jews’ College, London 1961). PhD
(Manchester University, 1966). Widowed (1998); four children, two grandchildren.
Leisure activities include playing chamber music and long distance running
(including New York City Marathon 1999).
RABBINICAL APPOINTMENTS (Orthodox Congregations in the
UK): Whitefield, Manchester (1961-66); Greenbank Drive, Liverpool (1966-1974);
Hampstead, London (1974-1983); Central Synagogue, Birmingham (acting rabbi,
1994).
ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL: Fellow in Modern Jewish
Thought, Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies, and Lecturer in Theology,
University of Oxford (1995-); Founder Director of the Centre for the Study of
Judaism and Jewish/Christian Relations at the Selly Oak Colleges, Birmingham
(1983-1994), and Recognized Lecturer, Department of Theology, University of
Birmingham (1984-); Visiting Lecturer, Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish
Studies (1985-); Koerner Visiting Fellow, Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish
Studies (1994/5); Specialist Adviser to Council for National Academic Awards
(1989-92); Adviser to the International Council of Christians and Jews (1988-);
Specialist Adviser to Open University Validating Service (1994-).
PROFESSIONAL AND OTHER BODIES include: British
Association for Jewish Studies (President 1994); European Association for Jewish
Studies; World Congress of Jewish Studies; World Congress of Faiths
(Vice-President); International Interfaith Centre (Trustee, 1994-);
International Committee for Remembering for the Future; the Council of
Christians and Jews (National Executive); Birmingham Inter-Faiths Council
(President, 1984/5); Interfaith Dialogue Trust (Trustee); Jewish Law
Association; British Interplanetary Society; Rotary International; the Lunar
Society.
PUBLICATIONS: Full-length books: Judaism and World
Religion (Macmillan London and St Martin’s Press New York, 1991); The
Analytic Movement: Hayyim Soloveitchik and his School (Scholars Press,
Atlanta 1993); A Very Short Introduction to Judaism (Oxford University
Press, 1996); Historical Dictionary of Judaism (Scarecrow Press, 1998).
Editor of the quarterly Christian Jewish Relations for the Institute of
Jewish Affairs, London (1985-91) Numerous specialist articles, reviews, and
contributions to dictionaries and encyclopedias, as well as popular writings.
PUBLIC LECTURES AND MEDIA: "Prestige" Public
Lectures include: 1980 St Paul’s Lecture (London Diocesan Council); 1992
Cardinal Heenan Memorial Lecture (Heythrop College); 1994 Sacks Lecture
(University of Essex); Inaugural Gordon Wilson Memorial lecture (World Council
on Religion and Peace) 1994. Forthcoming: Sherman Lectures (Manchester
University) 2001. Also radio, TV and concert platform experience.
INTERFAITH DIALOGUE PARTICIPATION includes all
three Anglican-Jewish Consultations (1980, and co-convenor 1987 and 1992).
Jewish Consultant to the drafting committee for the 1988 Lambeth Conference
document on Jewish Christian relations. Consultations with the United Reformed
Church (1980-); Colloquia of the International Council of Christians and Jews
(Dublin 1985, Salamanca 1986, Montreal 1988, Lille 1989, Prague 1990,
Southampton 1991, Eisenach 1992, Kiev 1999). Consultations on behalf of the
International Jewish Committee for Interfaith Consultations: with the Vatican
Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews (London 1981, Amsterdam 1984,
Rome 1985, Prague 1990, Jerusalem 1994, Vatican City 1998—co-drafter of the
Joint Declaration on the Environment); with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the
Orthodox Churches (Athens 1993, Jerusalem 1998); with the World Council of
Churches (Harvard 1984, Geneva 1986); with the African Council of Churches
(Johannesburg, 1995). Consultation with the Polish Bishops’ Commission on the
Jews (Cracow, 1987). International Conference of Jews, Christians and Muslims on
Jerusalem (May 1993, Glion, Switzerland). The Interfaith Foundation (with HRH
Prince Philip, Crown Prince Hassan of Jordan and Sir Evelyn de Rothschild),
conferences of Jews, Christians and Muslims at St. George’s, Windsor and in
Amman, Jordan. Jewish-Christian Dialogue in the Light of Asian Cultures and
Religions (Cochin, South India, December 1993, with the World Council of
Churches). Recipient of the 1993 Sir Sigmund Sternberg CCJ Award in
Christian-Jewish Relations.
