The Parkes Institute for the Study of Jewish/nonJewish Relations

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.

The 2011-2012 Director of the Parkes Institute is Professor Tony Kushner. The international group of our 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  continue with projects related to our study of “Port Jews” and  “Jewish Maritime Studies” and to develop further our work on “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 the BA History Single Honours Pathway in Jewish History and Culture.

At postgraduate level we offer both an exciting and challenging MA and MRes in Jewish History and Culture, and a flourishing PhD programme. The current MA handbook is available for any further details.

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.