About
The Center for the Study of the Jews of Spain and Islamic Lands: Past and Present, at the University of Haifa, aim to advance the research of the cultures and languages these Jewish communities developed since their foundation. The Center is also set to investigate the new communities their members established in Israel and other western countries: their organization, the preservation of old traditions and their interaction with modern western cultures.
As such, the Center will act to promote research programs, workshops, conferences and publications that pertain to these communities. In addition, the Center will digitally concentrate and present up-to-date research materials, including recent articles, links to relevant projects and research centers, conference announcements, calls-for-papers and more, in the purpose of becoming a valuable hub for researchers and everyone who is interested in this field.
Research Activity
Execution of the Head of the Jews in Egypt: New Evidence from the Cairo Genizah
A lecture given at the Leeds International Medieval Congress 2024
Lecturer: Dr. Amir Ashur, Center for the Study of the Jews of Spain & Islamic Lands
Date: 4 July, 2024 | Place: University of Leeds, England
The leture discussed the Genizah documentation of the execution of the Head of the Jews in Egypt in 1139.
Read more
The winner of the Annual Award of the Joseph & Racheline Barda Chair for the Study and Research of Jewish Heritage in Egypt, 2022 – Mr. Ofer Gabai
The Samaritan Version of Saadya Gaon’s Translation of the Pentateuch
Author: Prof. Tamar Zewi | Publisher: Brill | Publication Year: 2015
The book is a critical edition of the Samaritan version of Saadya Gaon’s translation of the Pentateuch. It compares this version with other versions of Saadya’s translation as well as with other Samaritan Arabit versions of the Pentateuch.
Lectures and Conferences
The Annual Award Ceremony of the Joseph & Racheline Barda Chair for the Study and Research of Jewish Heritage in Egypt, 2022
Date and time: 7 December, 2022, 4.30pm | Place: Observatory, Rabin Building, University of Haifa
Mr. Ofer Gabai, Tel Aviv University, had won the award for his research titled: “Yaqub Sanu’s Theater as an Instrument for Social Criticism 1870-1872”, supervised by Dr. Mira Ztoreff. Two guest lectures discussed the lives of Jewish-Egyptian artists Souad Zaki and Faiza Rushdi.
Program (Hebrew)
The Humanities and Social Sciences Fund Conference titled the Society of Judeo-Arabic Studies:
JUDEO-ARABIC STUDIES AFTER THE ERA OF JOSHUA BLAU AND NORMAN GOLB
Date: 14-17 August, 2022 | Place: Yad Ben-Zvi Institute, Jerusalem, and University of Haifa
The 20th Conference of the Society for Judaeo-Arabic Studies was funded by the Humanities and Social Sciences Fund, and was held under the auspices of the Joseph & Racheline Barda Chair for the Study and Research of Jewish Heritage in Egypt, the Center for the Study of Jews of Spain and Islamic Lands: Past and Present, and the Center for interdisciplinary Research of the Cairo Genizah at the University of Haifa.