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Academics launch petition to keep Jewish studies chair at Soas
Position under threat as institution seeks to cut £17 million from its budget
July 28, 2020 13:47
Position under threat as institution seeks to cut £17 million from its budget
July 28, 2020 13:47Jewish studies academics around the country have launched a petition to protect the only chair in the subject at London University’s School of Oriental and African Studies.
The position of Catherine Hezser, professor of Jewish studies at Soas, is understood to be at risk as the institution seeks to cut £17 million from its budget for the next academic year amid the economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis.
Professor Hezser would comment only that “the situation is quite uncertain at the moment – I don’t know whether my position will continue next year.”
Soas said it would not comment on any individual but pledged its commitment to continue teaching Jewish studies within its degree courses.
The petition to protect her post was organised by the British Association of Jewish Studies.
In a statement on Wednesday, BAJS told its members that since the launch of petition, Soas had “affirmed in writing that they retain a broad commitment to Jewish studies”.
But it added that “the potential loss of an important professorship in Jewish studies is detrimental for UK teaching and research in our field.”
It is understood that one suggestion put by Soas to Professor Hezser was to develop a new programme in Jewish studies, which would require raising £100,000 next year for her to retain her post.
A specialist in rabbinic Judaism and the history of Judaism in the Near Middle East, she teaches both undergraduates and graduates courses on Jewish identity, the Holocaust and modern Jewish thought.
In a statement, Soas said the modules would continue and Jewish history would also be covered within modules on the history of the Near Middle East.
“We will be continuing to develop our offering in interdisciplinary Jewish studies, with new opportunities opening up for collaboration across the institution as we transform our curricula and strengthen our international engagement,” Soas said.
As well as Professor Hezser, Soas has a senior lecturer in Israeli studies, a senior lecturer in Jewish music and a Hebrew lector.
Its Hebrew and Israeli studies BA was dropped last year and the BA combining Hebrew with other subjects has now been phased out.
Instead, students will be able to pursue Hebrew – or other languages such as Turkish and Persian – as a “pathway” in the new languages and cultures BA.
Yair Wallach, who is senior lecturer in Israeli studies at Soas and is currently on sabbatical, said “Jewish studies remain part of the curriculum”.
He added, “We've kept almost all the Hebrew/Israeli studies modules, also because they are relatively popular with students who take other programmes. We just recruited a new Hebrew lector, as well as a temporary teaching replacement to run my classes.”
The option of a year abroad in Israel for students taking Hebrew remains, except it will now be at Haifa University rather than the Hebrew University of Jerusalem as before.
But BAJS remains concerned at the future of Professor Hezser’s position. One of the country’s senior figures in the subject, Professor Philip Alexander of Manchester University, said, “The speed, and the lack of transparency and consultation with which Soas is being radically restructured is alarming.”
Soas, he added, was “supported by public funds. It is an important part of higher education in this country. What is happening at Soas should be of concern not only to academics, but to politicians and the wider public."
In response to his comments, Soas said it had “been through consultation on draft change proposals with our staff and with our trade unions on the change proposals. Final proposals have yet to be approved and therefore no final decision has been made.”
Where any posts were at risk, Soas said it would go “through the required period of consultation with our trades unions on such changes affecting individuals”.
