The Journal of Jewish Studies was founded in 1948. It was conceived soon after the war by the Society for Jewish Study based in London. Its first volume appeared in 1949. Publication of the second volume and administrative responsibilities were transferred in 1951 to Jewish Chronicle Publications, London. In 1976, ownership was taken over by the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies.

Over sixty five years since the conception of the Journal of Jewish Studies, the Journal continues to attracts an international academic readership enhanced by its digital presence.

Origins

Jacob L. Teicher, lecturer in Rabbinics in Cambridge, was the first editor of the Journal. In 1956 this position was taken over by an editorial board, chaired by Rabbi Alexander Altmann, a specialist in Jewish philosophy at the Institute of Jewish Studies in Manchester. On his departure to the United States, Dr Altmann relinquished his chairmanship in 1959 passing the reins of the Journal to Dr Joseph G. Weiss of University College London, an expert on Hasidism. Initially alone, and from 1966 in association with two London colleagues, S. Stein and N. Wieder, and assisted by R. Loewe, Joseph Weiss continued to direct the Journal until his tragic demise in September 1969. The 1970 volume was edited by the remaining members of his team.

During its first twenty years, the Journal established itself as an influential international periodical. A quarterly until 1971, the Journal was subsequently transformed into a half-yearly publication.

Until 1966 the editor was assisted by an advisory board including leading scholars such as Leo Baeck, Martin Buber and Gershom Scholem.

Recent history

A major change occurred in 1970, when David Kessler, chairman of Jewish Chronicle Publications in London, appointed Geza Vermes as editor. The Journal was in crisis. In the preceding years it had been published irregularly. Since then, the Journal has appeared regularly as a biannual. In 1976 the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies became its proprietor.

For the next twenty years Geza Vermes, then the first Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Oxford, edited the Journal single-handedly with clockwork precision.

In 1995, Martin Goodman joined Geza Vermes at the helm. In 2000 Tessa Rajak succeeded Martin Goodman as editor and served for four years. Sacha Stern became her successor in 2004. Geza Vermes continued to edit the Journal for forty-three years until his death in 2013. Sacha Stern continues as its editor. In 2014 Sarah Pearce was appointed as co-editor. Alison Salvesen succeeded as co-editor at the end of 2017.

In 1995 Daniel Frank became the first Book Review editor and held this office till 1998. In 2001 Sarah Pearce took over the position. In 2005 she handed over the office to Jonathan Campbell. He was succeeded by Charlotte Hempel in 2007. Andrea Schatz was the Book Review editor from 2011 to 2014. Benjamin Williams took over the position in 2017.

In 2002 the Journal entered the digital age under the supervision of Margaret Vermes with online access to the archives of the Journal.

In 2011 the Journal launched the first volume of its Supplement series, followed by the second volume in 2013.

For the last thirty eight years, the Journal was managed from its offices in Yarnton Manor. In autumn 2014, the Journal’s offices were relocated, together with the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies, to the Clarendon Institute in central Oxford.