The subject History of the Jewish People deals with the history and culture of the Jewish people over a period of more than two and a half thousand years

from the era of the Second Temple to contemporary history,
in its entirety as well as in its manifold manifestations,
in continuity and change in the various epochs and spaces.

The illustration above shows the title page designed by Artur Szyk for "Visual History of Nations, Israel (1948)" (© CC The Arthur Szyk Society, Burlingame, CA).

Events

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Past events

Contemporary Witnesses in Conversation

24 June 2025 Colorful Event History of the Jewish people Lecture Open

Eva Szepesi remained silent about her experiences in Auschwitz for fifty years. It was not until 1995 that she spoke about it for the first time in an interview with the Shoah Foundation. Inspired by a visit to Auschwitz, she began to tell her story as a contemporary witness at schools and memorial sites. in 2011, she published her autobiography A Girl Alone on the Run. in 2017, the book Meine Nachmittage mit Eva (My Afternoons with Eva) was published, based on conversations with Bärbel Schäfer. Szepesi has received numerous awards for her commitment, including the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. On January 31, 2024, she spoke as a guest of honor in the Bundestag on Holocaust Remembrance Day.

When Szepesi spoke about Auschwitz for the first time, her daughter Anita Schwarz remained silent. Until the panic attacks came.

We thank the Friends of the Heidelberg University of Jewish Studies for their generous support!

HfJS Heidelberg

Date 24 June 2025
Time 17:30 - 19:30 UTC+02:00
Participation On-site
Language German
Contact HfJS
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Location Intercultural Center
Registration? Yes Go to register

News

20 September 2025Announcement

Public holidays and the university's opening hours

The Heidelberg University of Jewish Studies remains partially closed during the Jewish holidays, seminars do not take place then

19 September 2025Press Release

New framework agreement with Winter Verlag

Ilse Blank-Mezger-Hesselberger Foundation enables digitization of the previous HfJS publication series

Stempel des Rabbinerseminars in Budapest

19 September 2025Press Review

The university in the New York Times

The New York Times article mentions our university as an outstanding institution whose commitment has attracted international attention

17 September 2025Announcement

On the 50th anniversary of Felix Weil's death

Tomorrow, September 18, is the 50th anniversary of Felix Weil's death. We took the opportunity to talk to Dr. Hans-Peter Gruber, research assistant at the HfJS.

Winter Term 2024/25

Most courses could be taught in English as well. Please get in touch with the respective lecturer. For some classes, however, it may be impossible to switch to English (e.g. due to source material).

Tutorial: Introduction to Academic Work

Lecturer: David Lüllemann M. A., Maximilian Kathan M. A.

Wednesday, 9.15-10.45 a.m., S 1

Lecture: History of Zionism until the Foundation of Israel