Qualifications
MA, MA, PhD (UCL)
Academic Background
I read Theology for my first degree, specialising in the Hebrew Bible but my other strengths include Ancient Greek and Latin patristic literature. In 2002-2003 I spent a year at Paideia, The European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden as a Martin Buber Fellow. In London I obtained a professional qualification in library studies (MA, Information Services Management). I hold a doctorate in Jewish Studies (UCL), specialising in medieval Ashkenazi Bibles.
Professional life
I have worked now for over fourteen years as the Deputy Curator of the Hebrew and Judaica Collections of the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford.
Additionally, I work as the Antiquarian Cataloguer of Hebrew and Judaica Collections in Oxford colleges. Up to now I have worked at Lincoln College (see my blog post about Lincoln’s Hebraica collection), at Merton College (here is the link to an online exhibit of their Hebraica treasures and here is a post about the digitisation of Merton’s Zohar manuscript) and currently am based at Christ Church (here is my profile page).
Fellowships and Awards
John Fell OUP research grant for the project Exploring the Role of the Ge‘ez Language in the Transmission of Literature, History and Culture through the Bodleian’s Ethiopian Manuscripts (2017-2018) European Association for Jewish Studies conference grant (2017) The Rothschild Foundation (Europe) Doctoral Fellowship (2009-2010, 2011-2012) Leo Baeck Fellowship, Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes (2012-2013) UCL Hebrew and Jewish Studies departmental research grant (2014, 2015) Memorial Foundation Doctoral Scholarship (2010) University of Leeds, History of Art departmental small research grant (2010) Estonian Academy of Sciences Student Award for MA thesis ‘Literary Motifs in Different Versions of the Book of Esther’ (2004) Martin Buber Fellow at Paideia, The European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden (2002-2003)
Professional bodies
World Union of Jewish Studies
European Association for Jewish Studies
British Association for Jewish Studies
Oxford Bibliographical Society
Oxford University Society of Bibliophiles
Languages
Aramaic, English, Estonian, French, Gəʿəz, German, Greek (Ancient), Hebrew, Latin, Russian, Swedish