About the Institute
The Institute for Jewish Studies at the University of Hamburg is one of the youngest institutes of Jewish studies in the German-speaking world. It was founded in May 2014 with the appointment of Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Veltri (previously of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg) as “Institute for Jewish Philosophy and Religion.” Since then, it has developed into a leading center for excellent research and teaching.
Since its foundation, an international team of scholars has been working on various third-party funded projects. These include, among others, the long-term project “PESHAT in Context” (2014-2026) funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), the DFG project “Between Two Worlds: The “Light of the Peoples” of 'Ovadyah Sforno” (2015-2020), the DFG Emmy Noether Junior Research Group “Jewish Moral Literature (Musar) in the Early Modern Period” (2017- 2024), the European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant project group “HEPMASITE: Hebrew Philosophical Manuscripts as Sites of Engagement” ( 2022–2027) or the DFG project “Horror and Literary Manifestations of Fear in Early Modern Judaism” (2023–2026). The international fellowship program of the DFG research group “Maimonides Centre for Advanced Studies: Jewish Scepticism” had a lasting impact on the institute’s life between October 2015 and September 2024 and increased its international visibility.
In the winter term 2016/17, the Master’s program in Jewish Philosophy and Religion was introduced and, in the winter term 2024/25, the study program was expanded to include a Bachelor’s program in Jewish Studies.
Until 2023, the institute was part of the Department of Philosophy. In 2023, it has become part of the Department of Religions, together with Alevi, Islamic and Catholic theology and the Academy of World Religions.
The creation of a Hebrew lectureship in 2023 and the establishment of a new Heisenberg professorship for Prof. Dr. Patrick Benjamin Koch in April 2024 have led to a significant expansion of the thematic focus. In October 2024, the tenth anniversary was celebrated by renaming the institute “Institute of Jewish Studies” in order to give expression this increased breadth and depth in research and teaching.
Since its foundation, an international team of scholars has been working on various third-party funded projects. These include, among others, the long-term project “PESHAT in Context” (2014-2026) funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), the DFG project “Between Two Worlds: The “Light of the Peoples” of 'Ovadyah Sforno” (2015-2020), the DFG Emmy Noether Junior Research Group “Jewish Moral Literature (Musar) in the Early Modern Period” (2017- 2024), the European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant project group “HEPMASITE: Hebrew Philosophical Manuscripts as Sites of Engagement” ( 2022–2027) or the DFG project “Horror and Literary Manifestations of Fear in Early Modern Judaism” (2023–2026). The international fellowship program of the DFG research group “Maimonides Centre for Advanced Studies: Jewish Scepticism” had a lasting impact on the institute’s life between October 2015 and September 2024 and increased its international visibility.
In the winter term 2016/17, the Master’s program in Jewish Philosophy and Religion was introduced and, in the winter term 2024/25, the study program was expanded to include a Bachelor’s program in Jewish Studies.
Until 2023, the institute was part of the Department of Philosophy. In 2023, it has become part of the Department of Religions, together with Alevi, Islamic and Catholic theology and the Academy of World Religions.
The creation of a Hebrew lectureship in 2023 and the establishment of a new Heisenberg professorship for Prof. Dr. Patrick Benjamin Koch in April 2024 have led to a significant expansion of the thematic focus. In October 2024, the tenth anniversary was celebrated by renaming the institute “Institute of Jewish Studies” in order to give expression this increased breadth and depth in research and teaching.