bˈɔːɹn tʊ ɐ dʒˈuːɪʃ fˈæmɪli, hɪz fˈɜːst dᵻɡɹˈiː wʌz ɪn hˈiːbɹuː ænd ˌæɹɐmˈeɪɪk fˈɜːst klˈæs fɹʌmðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv lˈʌndən ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti.
Born to a Jewish family, his first degree was in Hebrew and Aramaic (first class) from the University of London in 1960.