Jewish studies and thеir interrelations with humanities and social sciences

Abstract

In this essay the author examines the major patterns of the development of Jewish Studies in different countries including the Russian Empire, their elimination in the Soviet era and revival in post-soviet Russia, as well as interactions between Jewish studies and some humanities and social disciplines, i.e. ethnography/ethnology and social and cultural anthropology. She traces the history of the emergence and development of Jewish studies and points out that the above mentioned disciplines never played a significant role in them because of particular historical circumstances; Jewish history of different periods, study ing Jewish languages and literature as well as philosophy and law prevailed in Jewish studies. The author emphasizes that there are certain reasons for that, among them the disruption of academic traditions in ethnology in Russia and the indifference of some academic and university leaders to contemporary research. She also discusses interrelations between Jewish studies and ethnological and anthropological research, especially in contemporarry Russia, and concludes that it is necessary to promote ethnological and anthropological research in Jewish studies both in Russian academic centers and universities where future specialists in Jewish and/or Israeli studies are being prepared. The author also notes that a lack of such specialists leads to a lack of research dealing with Jewish culture and contemporary Jewish communities.