Amit Levy, "A New Orient: From German Scholarship to Middle Eastern Studies in Israel" (Brandeis UP, 2024)

Feb 21, 2025

Amit Levy, a Spinoza postdoctoral fellow at the University of Haifa, delves into the intersection of German scholarship and Middle Eastern studies in Israel. He examines how Oriental Studies evolved amid the Arab-Jewish conflict, emphasizing scholarly engagement over mere textual study. Levy discusses the founding complexities of the Hebrew University, showcasing interactions between Jewish and Arab intellectuals. He highlights the influence of historical events on academia and the vital role scholars played in cultural diplomacy and the nation-building process in Israel.

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Intro

00:00 • 2min

Journey Through German Orientalism

01:49 • 18min

From Germany to India: Bridging Cultures through Scholarship

19:26 • 4min

Zionism and Academia: The Hebrew University Controversy

23:39 • 11min

Bridging Cultures: The Encounter of German-Jewish Scholars and Arab Intellectuals

35:09 • 4min

Scholarly Collaborations and Geopolitical Shifts

39:11 • 13min

The Intersection of Academia and Diplomacy in Israeli Studies

52:13 • 3min

Academia and Nation-Building in Israel

54:50 • 12min

A New Orient: From German Scholarship to Middle Eastern Studies in Israel (Brandeis UP, 2024) explores the fascinating history of Zionist and Israeli "Oriental Studies" (mizrahanut), particularly the study of Islam, Arabic, and the Middle East, as a field deeply rooted in the academic traditions of early 20th-century German universities. Drawing on rich archival documentation in German, Arabic, English, and Hebrew, it traces the migration of Orientalist knowledge from Germany to Mandatory Palestine. The book examines how research – and researchers – were transformed as their encounter with the Orient shifted from a textual-philological exercise to a direct, physical engagement, marked by contradictions and tensions against the backdrop of the intensifying Jewish-Arab conflict.

Among its key themes, the book reveals how prominent Orientalist scholars extended their work beyond study rooms and libraries, engaging in efforts to foster Jewish-Arab understanding or collaborating with diplomatic and security institutions.

By shedding new light on the development of academic research in Mandatory Palestine and the early years of Israel, the book offers a compelling case study of the intricate relationship between "pure" scholarship and the political, social, and cultural challenges of the time. It also provides a fresh perspective on the roots of the Jewish-Arab conflict and the influential role of knowledge in shaping it.

Amit Levy is a Spinoza postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Israel Studies, School of Regional and Historical Studies, University of Haifa. His research focuses on the history of knowledge and migration and their impact on cross-cultural encounters. He earned his PhD from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2021, and has held postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Oxford, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and the Open University of Israel. His book A New Orient received the Jordan Schnitzer First Book Publication Award, administered by the Association for Jewish Studies.

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