University of Hamburg – Research Associate (PhD) Jewish Studies

​​​​​​Pending approval of external funding Universität Hamburg invites applications for a Research Associate for the project “Jewish Moralistic Writings (Musar) of the Early Modern Period:1600-1800” in accordance with Section 28 subsection 3 of the Hamburg higher education act (Ham-burgisches Hochschulgesetz, HmbHG). The position commences on July 1, 2019.

Duties include academic services in the project named above. Research associates can also pur-sue independent research and further academic qualifications.

Specific Duties: 

The PhD candidate will be a member of the Emmy Noether Junior Research Group “Jewish Mor-alistic Writings of the Early Modern Period: 1600–1800” funded by the German Research Foun-dation. The group’s objective is to compile an inventory that systematically documents musar-writings that were composed between 1600 and 1800. The inventory aims at presenting the di-versity of musar, identifying different schools, literary genres, and literary strategies. The joint project will be supplemented by individual studies that will give the group’s members the op-portunity to evaluate the data brought together in the inventory.

The successful applicant will pursue an individual research project on a topic related to the pro-ject’s thematic focus, and contribute to the preparation of the corpus of musar-writings of the inventory.

Requirements: 

A university degree in a relevant field. Graduate students with an M.A. degree in a relevant field, who focus on Early Modern Jewish History, Jewish Thought, the History of the Hebrew Book, or other subjects related to the project, and who have a keen interest in current theoretical trends in the humanities and social sciences (textual criticism, gender, the study of emotions etc.), as well as interdisciplinary approaches, are encouraged to apply. The successful candidate will have

an excellent knowledge of English, as well as an additional language relevant for the intended individual research project (Hebrew, Judeo-Spanish, Yiddish, or Judeo-Arabic). The candidate should have a high degree of personal responsibility and be willing to work closely with the other members of the group.

Severely disabled applicants will receive preference over equally qualified non-disabled appli-cants.

For further information, please contact Patrick B. Koch or consult our website at https://www.philosophie.uni-hamburg.de/en/jewish-philosophy/forschung/emmy-no-ether.html.

Applications should include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and copies of degree certificate(s), a research proposal (no longer than three pages) that outlines the intended research and its rele-vance for the project, as well as two letters of recommendation (to be sent directly to Patrick B. Koch, see contact below). The application deadline is March 20, 2019. Please send applications to: patrick.benjamin.koch@uni-hamburg.de.