Jewish Thought and Culture

The Ben-Gurion Research Institute for the Study of Israel and Zionism.

Established in 1978 by a Knesset law to perpetuate David Ben-Gurion's memory, the Institute continues to examine the Jewish people's renewal in its homeland. It is home to the Ben-Gurion Archives that includes an extensive collection of Ben-Gurion's personal papers, diaries and correspondence. The Institute also just launched Israel's first international Israel studies program for graduate students. Visit this site »

Heksherim: The Research Institute for Jewish and Israeli Literature and Culture

This Institute explores the various connections between culture and community in Jewish and Israeli society. Working with the University's renowned Department of Hebrew Literature, Heksherim studies works created in all languages of Jews and Israelis. It houses the writings of some of Israel's most important writers, including Amos Oz, Aharon Appelfeld, Yehuda Amichai and others. Visit this site »

Goldstein-Goren Department of Jewish Thought

This University department is dedicated to the research and teaching of the primary texts in Jewish thought from the Second Temple period until the present and runs the Goldstein-Goren International Center for Jewish Thought. It is also in the process of developing a searchable online Jewish Liturgy and Prayer Research Database that will include references to prayer found in rabbinic literature and organized according to liturgical, chronological and subject categories. Visit this site »

Center for Yiddish Studies

Many Israelis now realize that the language and culture of their grandparents and great-grandparents are important components of who they are as Jews and Israelis. This Center seeks to understand and preserve Yiddish culture, especially high culture from Eastern Europe – literature, theater, poetry and the press – that is an essential building block of Israeli culture. Visit this site »

Jewish and Israeli Drama and Theater Unit

In Israel's earliest days, drama played a central role in creating a vibrant spoken Hebrew language and it still does today. Drama and theater greatly contribute to the formation of public opinion, reflect national collective perceptions and empower national solidarity in times of hardship. Plans are underway to create a contemporary study program that will foster understanding of the culture of local theater and lay the infrastructure for theoretical research.