David Ben-Gurion dreamed of creating a Hebrew Oxford in the Negev as a modern Hebrew Yavneh.

Home to the Ben-Gurion Research Institute for the Study of Israel and Zionism, Heksherim – the Research Institute for Jewish and Israeli Literature and Culture, and the Goldstein-Goren Department of Jewish Thought, BGU is uniquely positioned to promote the interdisciplinary study of Israel, Jewish culture and thought.

Ben-Gurion University is leading the way in the academic exploration of the founding and development of the State of Israel, the re-birth of the Hebrew language, and the connection between culture and community in Jewish and Israeli society.

“We ask questions about Judaism the same way you’d ask questions about literature, language and the natural sciences.”
– Prof. Uri Erlich, BGU’s Goldstein-Goren Department of Jewish Thought

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Israel Studies, Culture & Jewish Thought News

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Ben-Gurion’s Diary from May 14, 1948: A Nation is Born

April 30, 2025

Tags: Israel Studies, Culture & Jewish Thought

The Times of Israel –Document found in archives reveals how first Prime Minister worried over Arab invasion, writing on May
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BGU’s Prof. Bar-Asher Siegal Reflects on Pope Francis’ Legacy

April 24, 2025

Tags: Current events, Israel Studies, Culture & Jewish Thought

The Jerusalem Post – “The last pope [Pope Francis] was exceptional in many ways. First and foremost, he was the
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Prof. Schejter’s Journey Through US Campuses and Communities

April 4, 2025

Tags: Israel Studies, Culture & Jewish Thought, Social Sciences & Humanities

After spending a year and a half researching, writing, and lecturing across the United States, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev’s
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