Imagine that, while browsing in the library, you come across one book unlike the rest, which catches your eye because on its spine is written the name of your family. Intrigued, you open it and see many pages written by different hands in many languages. You start reading it, and gradually you begin to understand what it is. It is the story each generation of your ancestors has told for the sake of the next, so that everyone born into this family can learn where they came from, what happened to them, what they lived for and why. As you turn the pages, you reach the last, which carries no entry but a heading. It bears your name.

Jonathan Sacks, A Letter in the Scroll

We believe:

• that the study of Jewish history adds value and meaning to human existence for both Jews and non-Jews
• that academic Jewish history lectures need not sacrifice content to be entertaining
• that access to high-quality information on Jewish history should be free
• that shared intellectual curiosity about Jewish history is a healthy way to build a community
• that the study of Jewish history is one of many paths that lead to the study of Torah, and that Torah study is enriched by a fuller understanding of Jewish history