Jews have come to play an oddly sober role in the standard story of the Middle Ages. Jewish men are intellectuals, philosophers, physicians—and the self-erasing middlemen between Muslim and Christian culture, never mind acknowledging their own.
Category Archives: News
New Post of the Genizah Research Unit: Fragment of the Month March 2025
Read the new Post of the Genizah Research Unit with the Fragment of the Month March 2025 on a Lost Manuscript, A Forgotten Tradition, and the Power of Modern Technology by Zvi Stampfer
The Three Religions of Medieval Spain
Online Medieval Studies Course at Medievalists.net
This six-part course introduces nearly 1,000 years of innovation, collaboration, and conflict in the Iberian Peninsula (today’s Spain and Portugal) from 711 to the 17th century.
- Course begins March 29, 2025
- Weekly live sessions with the instructor
- Sessions from 11:00am – 12:30pm Eastern U.S. time
Visiting Ph.D. Fellowships, Israel Science Foundation, “Contending with Crises: The Jews in XIVth Century Europe” deadline March 15
The Israel Science Foundation sponsored research project Contending with Crises: The Jews in XIVth Century Europe at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem under the direction of Prof. Elisheva Baumgarten is offering up to 2 visiting fellowships for Ph.D. students in the fields of History, Jewish Studies, Religious Studies, Literature, or Art History starting in October 2025. It is possible to apply for a full year or for part of one.
Continue reading Visiting Ph.D. Fellowships, Israel Science Foundation, “Contending with Crises: The Jews in XIVth Century Europe” deadline March 15From Provence to Jerusalem: Israel receives rare Medieval Jewish manuscript
National Library of Israel curator says rare 12th-century text authored by Rabbi Joseph Kimhi gives glimpse into rich Jewish intellectual activity in late Medieval France.
New Post of the Genizah Research Unit: Fragment of the Month January 2025
Read the new Post of the Genizah Research Unit with the Fragment of the Month January 2025 on Rabbi Isaiah HaLevi ben Mishaʾel: The Rambam’s Brother-in-Law and His Two Works.
Antisemitic Graffiti targeting the Maribor Synagogue in Slovenia
Statement by Boris Hajdinjak, Director of the Maribor Synagogue

Jews have always been a small minority in Slovenian history. That is why it is exceptional that a medieval synagogue has been preserved in Maribor. Namely: there are not many European cities that have a preserved medieval synagogue. This exceptionality is confirmed by the title of Cultural Monument of National Importance awarded to the Maribor synagogue in 2015. The renovated building of the medieval synagogue houses the Center of Jewish Cultural Heritage Synagogue Maribor, which is the smallest public cultural institution in Slovenia.
Continue reading Antisemitic Graffiti targeting the Maribor Synagogue in SloveniaEuropean Days of Jewish Culture 2025 central theme: “People of the Book”
The AEPJ has officially announced the theme for the 2025 European Days of Jewish Culture: “People of the Book”. This theme was selected by the EDJC Committee after careful consideration of its rich potential to explore Jewish heritage, foster interfaith dialogue, and inspire innovative programming across Europe.
“People of the Book” highlights the profound role of the written word in Jewish tradition, encompassing sacred texts like the Torah, literary contributions, and the broader cultural and historical context shared with Christianity and Islam. It underscores the transformative power of words to connect communities, preserve memory, and foster mutual understanding. The theme “People of the Book” invites local organisers to explore the shared heritage of Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions, promoting interfaith dialogue and cultural understanding. Through this lens, the EDJC 2025 will celebrate the diversity of Jewish culture while emphasizing universal values of justice, compassion, and the pursuit of knowledge.
Boston College Visiting Scholar Fellowship in Jewish Studies
According to their call, “the Jewish Studies Program at Boston College invites applicants for a Visiting Scholar Fellowship in Jewish Studies. The fellowship is for a one-week residency during the Spring 2025 semester, the exact dates of which will be determined in consultation with the fellow. During their time at Boston College, the fellow will present their research in a public lecture and separately join two class sessions of Jewish Studies courses at the university. Fellows will also have opportunities to meet with faculty and students informally. $3000 will be provided as a stipend, along with a meal allowance. Fellows will be responsible for their own travel, housing, and insurance. Fellows will be provided with office space, computer, printer, and library privileges.”
Deadline: 15 January 2025.
Saadiah Gaon and the Transmission of his Tafsīr
Read Ronny Vollandt’s new article about “Saadiah Gaon and the Transmission of his Tafsīr,” Manuscript Cultures 24.1 (2024): 141–93.