About
Professor Judith H. Newman serves as Professor of Hebrew Bible and Early Judaism at Emmanuel College and the Department for the Study of Religion at the University of Toronto. Her academic career bridges theological education and religious studies within this prestigious Canadian institution.
Her research interests focus on the formation of biblical texts within their liturgical contexts, particularly examining how prayer practices shaped scriptural development in early Judaism. Newman's work explores the intersection of textual transmission, religious ritual, and communal identity formation during the Second Temple period and beyond.
Her publications reveal a consistent focus on how ancient Jewish communities engaged with sacred texts through liturgical practices. Newman's scholarship demonstrates how prayer traditions influenced biblical canon formation and how prophetic texts became integrated into synagogue worship, as seen in her work on Haftarot readings. Her research combines philological analysis with cultural studies approaches to illuminate the participatory nature of early Jewish textual communities.
- Multi-year grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for 'The Participatory Past: Rethinking Time, Text, and Ancestors in Early Judaism'
Professor Newman's scholarly contributions include significant monographs that have advanced understanding of liturgical development in early Judaism. Her current research continues to explore how ancient communities engaged with their textual heritage through ritual practices, offering new perspectives on the dynamic relationship between scripture and worship in formative Jewish traditions.
