A $1-million donation by the Diamond Foundation will establish
a chair in Jewish Law and Ethics at the University of British Columbia.
The university will match the gift to create a $2-million endowment
in perpetuity.
The chair is intended to enlarge the understanding in Jewish and
non-Jewish communities of the profound and longstanding Jewish involvement
in the development of law and ethics. Its creation also recognizes
the growth in size and significance of the Vancouver’s Jewish community,
third largest in Canada.
“This is an important step at UBC which will have an impact and
resonance far beyond campus,” says Alan Tully, dean of the Faculty
of Arts. “The chair will provide a unique and essential voice and
perspective in discussions of social and political issues at a local,
national and international level.”
The chair will also conduct research and teach Jewish philosophy
and the history of the Jewish experience, adding significantly to
the study of religion in the modern world.
The Diamond Foundation, established in 1984, was created to improve
the quality of life in Vancouver. The foundation’s primary funding
area is to serve the educational needs of the Jewish community and
it supports UBC’s long-standing commitment to Jewish Studies.
By establishing the chair, the Diamond Foundation’s board of directors
hopes to provide opportunities for students to develop a sophisticated
understanding of the Jewish experience as well as offer an important
educational resource to the broader Jewish community.
The endowment will build on UBC’s existing strengths in Jewish
studies, which focus on ancient, medieval and modern Jewish history
and experience. The chair will join faculty in the Dept. of Classical,
Near Eastern and Religious Studies, including associate professors
Richard Menkis and Paul Mosca, and Asst. Prof. Daphna Arbell.
“The creativity and adaptation of ancient laws and ethics has
guided Jewish throughout history and devastating social and political
crises,” says Menkis. “Establishing this chair will enable students
to gain invaluable insights by closely examining contemporary issues
through the lens of traditional Jewish texts.”
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