The main goal of the Center is to advance the study and research of Jewish languages and of the literatures written (or orally transmitted) in these languages. The Center aims to promote comparative research between different Jewish languages and the study of the contact between Jewish languages and Hebrew.
The Center encourages scientific activity by organizing research seminars and inter-university and international scientific conferences. For more than 20 years the Center has been organizing a Jewish Languages and Literatures Lecture Series, consisting of three to four lectures each academic year. Until now more than 75 lectures were given in this series by experts from Israel and abroad. The lectures addressed a variety of Jewish languages: Judeo-Arabic, Judeo-Spanish (Ladino, Judezmo, Hakitiya), Yiddish, Judeo-Italian, Judeo-French, Judeo-Provençal, Judeo-Aramaic, Judeo-Persian as well as lectures on comparative Jewish linguistics.
The Center for the Study of Jewish Languages and Literatures, together with the Jewish Oral Traditions Research Center, publishes the journal "Massorot: Studies in Language Traditions and Jewish Languages". 14 volumes of "Massorot" have been published so far. The Center also publishes books in the field of Jewish languages and literatures (often in cooperation with other institutions).
The Center promotes the teaching of Jewish languages at the Hebrew University through the Unit for the Teaching of Jewish Languages and Literatures, both on an undergraduate level and on the graduate level. Undergraduate students may choose a minor concentration in Jewish languages and literatures focusing on Judeo-Spanish, Judeo-Arabic or Yiddish. Graduate students may choose an individually designed Masters program in Jewish languages and literatures focusing on one or more Jewish languages. Five PhD dissertations and five MA theses have been written so far under the auspices of the Center. Several more PhD dissertations and MA theses are currently in progress. The list of courses is available online.
Dr. Ofra Tirosh-Becker
Department of Hebrew Language & Center for the Study of Jewish Languages and Literatures
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem 91905
Israel
Telephone: (972) 02-5883558 (Department)
Fax: (972) 02-5881206 (Department)
Email: otirosh @ mscc.huji.ac.il