Our Research
Research Areas
The ACJC is a research-driven Centre, enhanced by the endowment of several Research Chairs and lectureships.
The ACJC is building its strengths around individual and collaborative research projects contained in the following research clusters:
- Jewish Studies
- Holocaust and Genocide
- Israel and the Middle East
- Interreligious Relations Study
ACJC Research Chairs
The development and establishment of endowed research Chairs in the ACJC represents a remarkable partnership between the university and the community. With this partnership, the ACJC is set to become an international centre in Jewish studies specialising in research, teaching and community education.
Each of the Chairs will support the major lines of Jewish civilisation and lead the Centre in creating a research and teaching environment based on excellence. The Research Chairs are:
- The Pratt Foundation Chair in Jewish Civilisation, currently held by Professor Andrew Markus.
- The Leon Liberman Chair in Modern Israel, endowed through the generosity of Lee Liberman. This Chair is held by Professor Fania Oz-Salzberger and supports a range of visiting academics from Israel, a postdoctoral fellow, and scholarships for students to conduct research in Israel.
- The Loti Smorgon Chair in Jewish Culture and Life, held by Professor Leah Garrett.
Research student supervision is concentrated in areas emerging from these themes and is available at Honours, Masters and Doctoral levels. For further information, contact the Centre’s Research Coordinator, Professor Leah Garrett.
ARC Research Grants
The following research grants are currently held by ACJC staff:
- Andrew Markus – Yiddish Melbourne
- Andrew Markus – Social Cohesion
Research Projects
Research Seminars
Throughout the academic year, the ACJC runs intimate research seminars on a fortnightly basis, covering a wide range of topics that fit within our designated research study areas.
These events are offered as a high level, research oriented academic presentation and discussion, and are open to anyone, from within Monash or externally, who has an academic or research interest in the advertised topic.
Visual History Archive
http://www.vha.lib.monash.edu.au
Monash University is the first Australasian university to provide access to the Visual History Archive of the USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education. With a collection of nearly 52,000 video testimonies of Holocaust survivors and other witnesses, in 32 languages and from 56 countries, this is the largest visual history archive in the world.
The Institute relies upon partnerships in the United States and around the world to provide public access to the archive and advance scholarship in many fields of inquiry. Since March 2007, more than 2000 interviews recorded in Australia are now cached on Monash University servers, and are immediately available for teaching and research. All other interviews are made available within 48 hours of your request.
The Australian Archive of Music
http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/jewish-civilisation/resources/music.php
The only archive in the world concerned exclusively with collecting sound, visual and bibliographic materials on the musical cultures of the Jewish peoples of Australia and South, East and Southeast Asia.
Judaica Collection
http://www.lib.monash.edu.au/matheson/judaica.html
The Laura and Israel Kipen Judaica collection houses materials relating to the history of Jewish civilisation and Judaism.
Yisroel Shtern Project
http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/jewish-civilisation/yisroel-shtern/
Shtern was regarded as one of Warsaw’s most significant Yiddish poets before the War. Much of his work has now become available in English. See http://www.yisroelshtern.org