The Department of Jewish History is an interdisciplinary department, and pursues Jewish social, economic, political, and intellectual history. This unique approach allows the department to offer flexible, diverse, and innovative programs that explore Jewish history and thought from the biblical period to present times.

The study of Jewish history brings the student to an encounter with human culture in all its diversity. As the history of the Jews cannot be understood without a profound knowledge of the varied historical contexts in which they lived, general history cannot be fully understood without an appreciation of the history of the Jews.

The study of history serves both researcher and student as a primary tool for understanding the background of the development of the forces and factors operating in our society.

 Jewish history seeks to understand the processes that shaped and continue to shape the Jewish people, providing a profound perspective with which to approach and analyze contemporary Jewish and Israeli cultures.

In recent years, the study of history has undergone radical changes akin to the changes that have occurred in other areas of the humanities and social studies, incorporating theory and methodology from a variety of disciplines ranging from anthropology and sociology to political science and literary criticism.