Report: Future of Judaism Studies at Israeli Universities at Risk
Source: Ynet
A new report presented to the Israeli Council of Higher Education warns of a grim future in the field of Jewish philosophy studies, following a drastic decline in research funds and the number of faculty members in the field. While the global interest in Jewish thought has been surging, Israeli universities opt to invest funds in more lucrative departments. The report, authored by a committee headed by Prof. Daniel Dahlstrom of Boston University, was presented to the Israeli Council of Higher Education, which accepted its recommendations.
The committee members noted that while Jewish philosophy has been taught in Israeli universities for decades, and many Israeli researchers gained international reputation in the field – a drastic decline in budgets and faculty members has been reported in the last decade, leading to a severe impact on the quality of research and instruction.
Committee member and Israel Prize laureate Prof. Moshe Idel from the department of Jewish Thought at the Hebrew University said the report paints a gloomy picture of the future of Jewish Thought research and studies in Israel, as long as the trend of cut backs in higher education institutions continues.