History of Jewish Philosophy
The Notre Dame Centre for the History of Philosophy is home to Australia’s leading academic initiative dedicated to Jewish philosophy.
The history of Jewish philosophy is the written record of the Jewish people’s search for meaning and wisdom.
The Jewish philosophical tradition begins in antiquity with Philo of Alexandria, runs through medieval thinkers such as Maimonides (Rambam) and Judah Halevi, and continues into modernity with philosophers such as Martin Buber and Joseph Soloveitchik.
Jewish philosophy explores the deepest questions that Judaism asks – what is the nature of God, what is the meaning of law, what is the relation between reason and revelation, what makes for a good life and a good society?
As one of Judaism’s most significant contributions to world history and culture, Jewish philosophy has profound value for Jews and non-Jews alike.
The History of Jewish Philosophy initiative at the Centre, part of our specialization in Philosophy in the Abrahamic Traditions, seeks to deepen academic and public understanding of this remarkable intellectual legacy.
A page from Maimonides’ Guide of the Perplexed in Samuel Ibn Tibbon’s Hebrew translation, 14th-15th century edition.
Our research
We produce cutting-edge academic research on the history of Jewish philosophy and its interface with wider Abrahamic intellectual traditions.
Our research ranges from philosophical themes in the Hebrew Bible to medieval and modern debates about ethics, metaphysics, and philosophy of religion.
A current major project is David ben Joshua Maimonides’ Abstract of Truths (14th century): An Edition & Translation, funded by the Gross Foundation ($74,000, 2025-2027). Led by Raphael Dascalu, this project will contribute a volume to the Gross Library of Jewish Philosophy, a new, 40-volume series of bilingual editions of medieval and early modern Jewish philosophical works, published with Oxford University Press.
Meet our academic lead
Our Jewish philosophy academic lead is Dr Raphael Dascalu, Senior Research Fellow in the History of Jewish Philosophy.
Raphael is a distinguished scholar of medieval Jewish philosophy, with special expertise in late medieval Judaeo-Arabic texts.
He received his PhD in History of Judaism from the University of Chicago in 2016. He completed prior studies at The Hebrew University (Jerusalem), Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies (Jerusalem), Shalom Hartman Institute (Jerusalem), Yeshivat ha-Kibbutz ha-Dati (Ein Tzurim), and the University of Sydney.
Our activities
- Research projects in the history of Jewish philosophy
- Supervision of research Masters and PhD theses
- Translation projects
- Undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in Jewish philosophy
- Public events that deepen the Australian community’s understanding of the Jewish intellectual tradition – including the annual John and Anna Belfer Oration in the History of Jewish Philosophy
Our books
Our partners
The Centre has partnered with The Great Synagogue Sydney, one of Australia’s leading religious institutions, to advance the public understanding of the Jewish intellectual tradition in Australia.
Our flagship event is the John and Anna Belfer Oration in the History of Jewish Philosophy, an annual public lecture that brings a leading scholar of Jewish philosophy to Sydney. In addition to delivering the Oration, Belfer Orators participate during their stay in academic activities at the Centre.
The Belfer Oration is generously endowed by the Belanna Trust.
Partner with us
We are keen to partner with visionary community members to build our initiative into a world-leading Jewish philosophy academic program.
Come, join us in exploring the rich heritage of Jewish philosophy.
Make a gift
To make a tax-deductible gift in support of CHOP’s Jewish philosophy work, select 'CHOP - Jewish Philosophy' in the Fund dropdown menu of our Donation portal.
Connect with Notre Dame on Social Media
Australia
Fremantle
Broome
Sydney