In 1929, Columbia offered Baron a chair in Jewish Studies—the first position of its kind at a secular university in the United States. Though initially hesitant to accept, he ultimately agreed, and his appointment marked a turning point in the academic study of Judaism. The chair was officially named the “Miller Professor of Jewish History, Literature, and Institutions.” A brochure from the year after its founding describes the mission of the chair as promoting the study of Judaism “as a living religion and culture and the Jewish people as a social group in its political, economic, and intellectual history from the Old Testament period to our own days.” Courses offered included “Ancient Jewish history and literature,” “Social and political history of the Jews during the nineteenth century,” and “Jewish religious institutions.” The position was primarily affiliated with the Department of History but was also associated with the Department of Philosophy and the Department of Semitic Languages. 

Baron’s vision for Jewish history was unique. He opposed what he termed the “lachrymose conception of Jewish history,” a view which emphasized Jewish suffering above all else. Instead, Baron emphasized the history of Jews’ creativity and development of culture and literature. For him, the Jewish past was not merely about survival but about vitality under difficult conditions.