Welcome to the Parkes Institute

The Parkes Institute is a unique centre for the study of Jewish/non-Jewish relations across the ages. The Institute, through its research, publications, teaching and outreach work, is based on the library and life work of the Christian scholar and activist, the Reverend Dr James Parkes (1896-1981). The library now consists of over 20,000 printed items – books, pamphlets and journals – and is supplemented by one of the largest collections of Jewish archives in Europe, consisting of many hundreds of individual and institutional records, totalling millions of individual items.

I took over as director of the Parkes Institute from Tony Kushner in October 2008, and I would like to take the opportunity to introduce our newer members of staff. In July 2007, Dr Shirli Gilbert joined us as the replacement for Nils Roemer. Shirli’s research interests are in Modern Jewish History, the Holocaust, Music and Resistance, and Apartheid South Africa. Devorah Baum, Lecturer in English, is our new appointment who replaced Nadia Valman; who continues as editor of Jewish Cultutre and History. Claire LeFoll, a specialist on the history of Jews in Belarus, joins us in September 2009, as the replacement for Natan Meir. So far there has not been a replacement for Tobias Brinkmann, but I hope that we can fill this vacancy soon.

This international group of scholars and their work reflects the global ambitions of the Parkes Institute. We place particular emphasis on our innovative interdisciplinary approaches, including perspectives from history, literature, language, cultural studies, anthropology, geography, music, film and television studies and theology. 

In terms of research, we will continue with projects related to our study of “Port Jews” and create a new research area on “Jewish Maritime Studies”. A second research area we are going to develop further deals with “Archives and Migration”. The Parkes Library and related Jewish archives provide the foundation for our teaching and research programme.

Aside from the extensive range of Jewish History and Culture options available at undergraduate level, we also offer a degree course; the  BA History Single Honours Pathway in Jewish History and Culture.

At postgraduate level we offer an exciting and challenging MA in Jewish History and Culture, and a flourishing PhD programme.

In addition the expertise of each member of Parkes is brought to bear through outreach work which includes regular lectures, seminars, conferences and night classes that are open to the public. From July on, our new Ian Karten Outreach Teaching Fellow, Helen Spurling, will coordinate these activities.

Visiting international scholars and exchanges, including formal links in Eastern Europe, add to the dynamism and diversity of our activities. Our research activities – individual and collective – are extensive and we publish three journals – Patterns of Prejudice, Jewish Culture and History and Holocaust Studies as well as a monograph series.

Professor Joachim Schlör, Director of the Parkes Institute for the Study of Jewish/non-Jewish relations