The department of Hebrew, Biblical and Jewish Studies, founded in 1945, is concerned with a number of major areas: the Classical Hebrew language of the Old Testament of the Bible, bible studies, modern Hebrew, Yiddish language and literature, and Jewish civilisation, thought and culture. The department of Hebrew, Biblical and Jewish Studies has a variety or strengths as we offer expertise in the areas of Biblical Hebrew, Biblical Studies in general, Modern Hebrew, Jewish Civilisation and Yiddish. The department is very research active and has a large number of research students, making it an exciting place to study. We are the only department in Australia that offers studies in the full spectrum of Hebrew, Biblical and Jewish Studies. We have regular research seminars, particularly with the broad range of visiting scholars from key international institutions in the department. These seminars are normally held in conjunction with Mandelbaum House, the Jewish residential college on campus. Mandelbaum House was opened in 1995 and provides support for the department's postgraduate programs. The connection with Mandelbaum House provides us with a unique research opportunity. Mandelbaum's brief is to help promote postgraduate study and research in Hebrew and Jewish Studies at the University of Sydney. Mandelbaum also has its own publication series. It houses the Archive of the Australian Jewish Historical Society, which also published a journal twice a year and supports the Archive of Australian Judaica, located in Fisher Library, a unique resource for students of Australian Jewry.

In general the department offers two main areas of expertise:

1. The Classical Period

The department has a broad range of expertise in Biblical Studies, specifically Hebrew Bible/ Old Testament, with areas of specialization including Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic language, textual criticism of the Hebrew Bible, and prophetic and apocalyptic literature. Within this area, we offer expertise in the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the period of the first to third centuries of Second Temple Writings.

2. The Modern Period

This includes Zionism and Modern Israel, the background to the Holocaust, its history and aftermath, Diaspora Studies, Australian Jewry, and the languages of Modern Hebrew, including pedagogy, and Yiddish. Professor Rif Ebied of the department has published more than a dozen books and eighty articles in academic journals and specialist encyclopaedias.

For information about departmental research strengths, go to this page.

We have graduates working across the field, such as Dr George Athas at Moore College, and others working overseas such as Dr Amelia Klein in New York.

The department also has affiliations with:

• Australian Jewish Historical Society
• Archive of Australian Jewry

The Australian Association of Jewish Studies holds an annual conference, which rotates between four universities: Melbourne, Monash, New South Wales and Sydney. The next conference at the University of Sydney will be in February 2012.