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The Parkes Institute

About us

Learn about our work and heritage.

The Parkes Institute is the world's oldest and most wide-ranging centre for the study of Jewish/non-Jewish relations across the ages, from antiquity through to the present day.

The Parkes Institute carries out a wide range of activities devoted to the study of Jewish/non-Jewish Relations and Jewish history and culture, underpinned by the Parkes library and Jewish archive collections.

Our work includes extensive teaching at undergraduate level, an internationally successful postgraduate programme:

  • Our MA Holocaust Studies: History, Experience, Heritage offers both cutting edge teaching on the Holocaust itself and modules designed to develop students’ understanding of museum work, heritage curation and public history in this field.
  • PhD students are an integral part of the intellectual life of the Parkes Institute, and bring a wealth of research interests to our community.

We have a vibrant public engagement programme for schools and colleges, and the wider community through workshops, events, arts and online resources. Our public engagement programme includes school visits, workshops for educators, lifelong learning courses for adults, cultural events based on our research and public lectures on Jewish history and culture. They are delivered by academics and post-graduate students of the Institute.

The work of the Parkes Institute is underpinned by the unique sources of the Parkes library and Jewish archive collection. James Parkes was an Anglican clergyman, scholar of antisemitism, Jewish history and culture, and a leading figure in the formation of the Council of Christians and Jews. Over the years the Parkes library has expanded to become a resource of global significance. The archive and library contain a wealth of material of interest to the historian of Anglo-Jewry as well as James Parkes's personal papers.

We have strong research partnerships across the world, including particularly in South Africa, Australia, and the United States. These have led to exchange visits as well as international conferences held in Southampton and with our partners abroad. The Parkes Institute's publications include three international journals: Patterns of Prejudice, Jewish Culture and History, and Holocaust Studies.

Make a donation

The Parkes Institute relies significantly on the support and generosity of our donors and gifts of all levels have a real impact, contributing to our success. Every gift made to the Parkes Institute helps us to develop our education and research in Jewish Studies at the University of Southampton, and to build the Parkes Library and Archive collections.

We'd be very grateful if you'd consider making a gift to support our new master's course, MA Holocaust: History, Experience, Heritage.

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