Origins of the Institute
In 1950 Professor Salo Baron founded the “Center for Israeli Studies,” what would eventually become the current Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies. “Israeli Studies” was hardly a widely recognized academic field as the State of Israel had been founded only two years prior and the name was something of a misnomer. Nonetheless, an article in The Spectator records that the goal of the institute was “the training of students as regional specialists in various professional fields and the development of an understanding of Israel and its people.” This included studies of both the ancient and modern history of the Jewish people and their connection to the land of Israel. The Center emphasized that it was not only designed for students specializing in Jewish studies. The director of the School of International Affairs hoped that the center would eventually become part of the projected Near and Middle East Institute. Shortly after he began, Baron then curated an exhibition featuring "The Modern Near-East":
Grayson Kirk to Salo Baron, July 13, 1950, Appointing him Director of the CIS
- Collection
- Central Files, Box 407, Folder 20, University Archives
"Modern Near East Exhibition" (Overall layout)
- Collection
- RBML Office Files, Box 339, Folder "Exhibitions"
- Date Created
- 1951
Modern Near East: Israel
- Collection
- RBML Office Files, Box 339, Folder "Exhibitions"
- Date Created
- 1951
The Center quickly started hosting academic programs to enrich the study of Jewish history. In 1952 Professor Baron announced the beginning of a series of six lectures entitled “Israel in the Arab Environments,” delivered by Professor Shlomo Goitein, director of the School of Oriental Studies of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and hosted by Columbia’s “Center of Israeli Studies.” Course listings from the years 1953-4 include a class called “Introduction to Judaism,” and “The prophets and sages of Israel.” By 1955 the Center had been renamed as the “Center for Israel and Jewish studies,” a name which more accurately described its aims.
Arthur Jeffrey to Richard Logsdon, April 11, 1951, Regarding Hebrew Manuscript Cataloging Project
One of many new initiatives that began once the CIS was formed. This initiative later moved to Israel, and is still active at the National Library of Israel
- Collection
- CUL Office Files, Box 146, Near East Collections, University Archives