معرفی
Prof. Sacha Stern serves as Professor of Jewish Studies at University College London, where he heads the Department of Hebrew and Jewish Studies. He is Principal Investigator for the Fritz Thyssen Foundation research project 'Qaraite and Rabbanite calendars,' leading significant scholarly work on historical Jewish calendar systems and their communal implications.
Stern holds an M.A. in Social Anthropology from UCL (1988) and a D.Phil. in Jewish Studies from Oxford University, reflecting his interdisciplinary scholarly approach. His academic trajectory demonstrates deep commitment to understanding Jewish history through multiple methodological lenses.
Professor Stern's research specializes in Jewish calendrical systems across historical periods, examining how timekeeping practices shaped Jewish communal identity and religious observance. His work uniquely bridges historical, anthropological, and religious studies methodologies to analyze how ancient and medieval Jewish communities organized time and how these systems evolved across diverse cultural contexts. As editor of the Journal of Jewish Studies, he significantly influences contemporary scholarship in the field.
Stern's scholarly output reveals consistent focus on the intersection of temporal organization, community formation, and religious practice in Jewish history. His publications demonstrate how calendar systems functioned as both practical tools for religious observance and powerful markers of communal identity across different historical periods and geographical settings.
As department head at UCL, Stern oversees academic programs and research initiatives in Hebrew and Jewish Studies. His current research project on Qaraite and Rabbanite calendars represents a significant contribution to understanding sectarian differences within medieval Jewish communities and how these differences manifested in practical religious life.
