The Parkes Institute for the study of Jewish/non-Jewish relations Annual Review 2009 - 2010 The Rev Dr James Parkes in the fight against antisemitism James Parkes, who died in 1981 aged 85, was a remarkable Christian 1. ‘Towards Jewish Maritime pioneer in the fight against antisemitism. He promoted positive 1 2 Studies’: the Parkes Institute Jewish-Christian relations and the establishment of authentic one day conference at histories of the Jewish people and their relations to non-Jews. Southampton’s National After a lifetime’s work of collecting and preserving records Oceanography Centre. relating to the Jewish experience throughout the ages, the Rev. 2. Parkes Third Year History Dr James Parkes presented the Parkes Library to the University students visit Auschwitz of Southampton in 1964 with the aim of providing, as he put it, ‘a centre for research by non-Jewish and Jewish scholars and 3. Tony Kushner at the Hull students… into the whole field of relations between Jews and memorial to the Jewish other peoples and between Judaism and other religions’. migrations from Eastern Europe Southampton’s links with Anglo-Jewry go back to the beginning of the last century when Claude Montefiore, an outstanding Jewish 4. Sir Roanld Harwood delivers scholar of the Bible and early Jewish-Christian relations, became the 19th Annual Parkes president of the University College of Southampton which was later Lecture chaired by Vice to become the University of Southampton. Much of Montefiore’s Chancellor Professor Don personal library, presented to Southampton, was incorporated Nutbeam into the massive private collection of James Parkes when the 5. Special Collections Report by Parkes Library for the study of Jewish/non-Jewish Relations was Dr Karen Robson created. Since then, the study of Jewish/non-Jewish Relations has developed significantly at Southampton, thanks to the generous 3 support of the University, private donors and public funding. The Rev Dr James Parkes in 1979 The Parkes Institute is a community of scholars, archivists, In this review librarians, students, and activists, whose work is based around Report of the Director the rich resources of the unique Parkes Library and the Anglo- of the Parkes Institute 5 Jewish Archives in the Hartley Library Special Collections. Through our research, publications, teaching, and conservation Outreach 7 work, we seek to bring the vision of James Parkes to new Conferences, Lectures and generations: to provide a world class centre for the study of Seminars in the Parkes Jewish/non-Jewish relations throughout the ages; to study the Institute 10 experience of minorities and outsiders; and to examine the The Poland Trip, report by power of prejudice from antiquity to the contemporary world. 4 5 Dr Karen Auerbach 16 Development 18 Undergraduate Studies in Jewish History and Culture Postgraduate Studies in Jewish History and Culture 19 Reports from our Honorary Fellows and Visiting Fellows 22 Reports by Members of the Parkes Institute 23 Special Collections Report 31 Parkes Library Report 32 Publications and Papers by members of the Parkes Institute 33 Members of the Parkes Front cover Caption: a Babylonian Institute 36 incantation bowl, c. 4-8th century CE, Bowl catalogue number SD 43, courtesy of the Dehays Collection, part of the research work of Dr Dan Levene of the Parkes Institute 2 3 Foreword Report of the Director of the Parkes Institute Dr Bill Brooks Professor Joachim Schlör ‘The proper study of mankind is man’ is a line Guests at the Parkes lecture: Sir Ronald Harwood from the poetry of Alexander Pope that lurks with Southampton’s Lady Mayoress and Mayor consort and (left to right) Tony Kushner, Joachim in my memory. Looking back over a personal Schlör and Vice Chancellor Don Nutbeam and academic life rooted in the dropping of atomic bombs in anger on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (my father was a POW for four years on the Thai railway and would almost certainly have died had the war in the Pacific gone on longer), I can look back on the creation of the state of Israel (well almost!), the Suez crisis, the civil rights movement in the USA, “winds of change” in Africa, the ending of Apartheid, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This The academic year started with a wonderful the former Soviet Union. Claire, whose in the transmigration of Jews (and many calls to mind another prized literary memory and moving event which also brought the dissertation was supervised by my esteemed others) from Eastern Europe via the continent - the words of the French writer/adventurer work of the Parkes Institute to the attention colleague Sylvie-Ann Goldberg in Paris, and the British Isles to the US or South and minister of culture under De Gaulle, of the University’s new management team. began teaching here in October 2009, at both America can help us to understand both the Our new Vice-Chancellor, Professor Don undergraduate and postgraduate level, and we general processes of migration and the many André Malraux: “Il y a dans la condition Bill Brookes introducing Tony Kushner’s Anglo-Jewry humaine une absurdité fondamentale en Since 1066 at its book launch in March 2009 Sir Ronald Harwood gives The Parkes Lecture Nutbeam, chaired the Parkes Lecture by are already most grateful for her contribution. individual experiences of migrants, as Tony meme temps qu’une implacable grandeur”. Ronald Harwood on 20 October, 2009. The Our traditional co-operation with the Isaac Kushner has shown in one chapter of his new The Parkes Institute is sad this year to say A message from Sir Ronald Harwood advertisement for the evening read like and Jessie Kaplan Centre for Jewish Studies book Anglo-Jewry Since 1066. Place, Locality The extremes of violence, intolerance and goodbye to Bill Brooks who, as the chair of the CBE,FRSL, one of the patrons this: ‘ “Playing History”: the eminent Bafta and Research at the University of Cape Town and Memory, which was published with exclusion (pace Pope) that stalk our human Parkes Institute Management Committee has of the Parkes Institute and Oscar-winning author, playwright and was reinforced by the conference on ‘Jewish Manchester University Press in May 2009 societies may, all too easily, appear constant, reigned with great diplomacy and aplomb over It was a great pleasure to give the annual screenwriter will examine the validity of Migration and the Family’ in January 2009 (and had a very successful book launch at the sapping any grounds for hope. The Parkes our twice yearly meetings. Our grateful thanks Parkes Lecture last October. The staff and historical plays and films, particularly those and will be continued with a conference on British Library). Institute, which I have watched develop go out to him for all the work he has done on students form a warm and homogenous team dealing with events leading up to World War ‘Jewish History and the Archive’ in 2011 – and In more general terms, Ronald Harwood and thrive through individual scholarly our behalf. We have benefited from his wisdom, that make you feel welcome and pleased to be 2 and the Holocaust, and reflect on why being another link with South Africa for us is, of as a playwright is concerned with crucial dedication since coming to the University experience and expertise and he has steered the with them. We were treated to a wonderful a Jew has propelled him into playing history.’ course, the work of Dr Shirli Gilbert on Music questions about ‘truth’ in narrating History of Southampton in 1975, is one important meetings with great humour as well as tactical banquet and I and my guests, including one And Ronald Harwood – who has since become in the struggle against apartheid. – and so are we. I would like to take the beacon of hope in a troubling world ensuring skill and the requisite firmness. We will miss him, of my grandchildren, had a wonderfully Sir Ronald, and our many congratulations on From Cape Town, as a 17-year old in 1951, opportunity to thank Ronald, who has also that what has been experienced is not he brought a great element of fun to the job and we enjoyable evening. So when I was asked to that! – indeed achieved something very rare Ronald Harwood took a ship and emigrated become a patron of the Parkes Institute, forgotten and that our human capacity for look forward to seeing him as an honoured guest become a patron of the Parkes Institute I had and precious by combining an account of his to England. Research into all aspects of the once more, not least for his kind words learning from our mistakes may perhaps at our future events. no hesitation in accepting. family’s and his own personal story with his history of Jewish migrations in the 19th and in the remarks he made about us in his one day overwhelm our capacity for thoughts about writing (and ‘playing’) history Professor Joachim Schlör, 20th centuries continues to remain central to contribution to this Annual Review. The misunderstanding out of ignorance. This The work of the Parkes Institute is crucial and his motivation to write the screenplays Director of the Parkes Intitute our work – but there is also a new dimension, background for both him and us is, and will report, in all its rich variety, is a proud record and their renowned research is underpinned for, among many other films, Taking Sides closely connected to the image and the idea remain, the history and the impact of the of the dedicated work and research that the by the impressive holdings of an outstanding in 2001 and The Pianist in 2002.