There will be a change of rector at the Heidelberg University of Jewish Studies in the coming winter semester. Prof. Dr. Werner Arnold hands over his duties to his successor Dr. Andreas Brämer at a difficult time
Originally elected for two years, Prof. Dr. Werner Arnold is now leaving the Heidelberg University of Jewish Studies after a total of four years. He is leaving at a very difficult time for the university as well as for other Jewish institutions in Germany.
Arnold's years were initially marked by the pandemic, when the coronavirus forced a complete rethink and all seminars were held online, the return to on-site events and October 7, 2023, which showed how much Germany needs places like the university. "Of course, we members and students are aware of the special institution we work, research and study at," Professor Arnold is convinced. "But this event in particular, the Hamas massacre in Israel, has not only shown us how valuable academic expertise on Judaism and Israel is, but also how unique our inner cohesion is in this painful time afterwards."
In addition to his love of the Arabic language and its dialects, the native Franconian brought a generous sense of solidarity for all his students. It was also thanks to him that the institution's profile continued to crystallize, standing both for strong ties to Israeli academics and for the necessary academic debate.
Prior to his time as Rector, Werner Arnold held the Chair of Semitic Studies at the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at Heidelberg University from 1999 to 2019.
His successor, Dr. Andreas Brämer, also comes from the field. He most recently worked as Deputy Director of the Institute for the History of German Jews (IGdJ) in Hamburg, but still knows the university from the time when he studied here and worked in the library.
For him, it will also not be "business as usual". Due to the increase in anti-Semitic hostility, increased security measures are still in place and the university will continue to address the situation in Germany and Israel in various lecture and seminar formats during the winter semester.
"45 years after its foundation, the Hochschule für Jüdische Studien stands for academic excellence, but as an educational institution it also fulfills an important function towards the Jewish communities," Brämer states and at the same time predicts: "Due to the challenges since October 7, 2023, the Hochschule is gaining additional importance as a think tank by contributing its academic expertise to civil society discourses on Jewish history and the present."
The HfJS teaches Jewish Studies with all facets of Jewish religion, history, cultures and societies. It has ten professorships and one visiting professorship. Around 100 students are currently enrolled, plus around 150 students from Heidelberg University each semester. It is sponsored by the Central Council of Jews and financed by the federal and state governments.