Professor Koller to Depart YU, Join Cambridge as Regius Professor of Hebrew
Professor Aaron Koller (YC ‘97, BRGS ‘09), instructor for Near Eastern Studies at Yeshiva University, will join Cambridge as Regius Professor of Hebrew next fall.
Cambridge announced Koller’s arrival on April 16 in a web post. “His vision for Hebrew Studies at Cambridge focuses on the many ways that Hebrew has connected to other languages throughout its three-thousand-year history. This includes linguistic contact as well as inter-religious dynamics. Much of this can be studied through manuscripts held in Cambridge, including but not limited to the Cairo Genizah, and including texts in Arabic, Greek, Latin, Persian, and other languages,” the post stated.
Established by King Henry VIII in 1540, the Regius Professor of Hebrew is the senior academic in Hebrew and Semitics at Cambridge. Koller will be the first practicing Jew to hold the position (Immanuel Tremellius, who held the chair from 1550 to 1553, was a Jewish convert to Christianity).
Koller graduated from YU in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in Jewish Studies. He began teaching as an adjunct professor in 2005 and received his PhD from YU in 2009 in biblical and Semitic studies.
At YU, he is a member of the Bible, Hebrew and Near Eastern Studies department. He teaches courses ranging from Advanced Hebrew, History of the Alphabet and Battle Poems of the Bible at Yeshiva College. He is the director of the Hebrew program. He also serves on various committees at YU, including the University Committee on Academic Technology, University Library Committee and the Yeshiva College Executive Committee.
Koller has completed various fellowships at Oxford University, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Brandeis University. He’s written four books and edited five, with topics ranging from talmudic archaeology to analyses of books in Tanakh. Additionally, he’s written over 25 articles for reviewed journals and edited volumes.
Koller’s activities expand beyond universities as well, as a member at the The Council for Hebrew Language and Culture at the World Zionist Organization and an advisor to the Center of Jewish History. Throughout his studies, Koller has familiarized himself with ancient and modern languages, including Aramaic, Egyptian and Greek.
In a statement to The Commentator, Koller reflected on his time at YU.
“The best part has always been the people,” he said. “To borrow a line from a scholar of long ago, I’ve been blessed to be the student of great teachers and the teacher of great students here. My own professors, especially Richard Steiner, Barry Eichler and Moshe Bernstein — all of whom are now retired — were fantastic mentors and guides. And on a daily basis, the students in the classroom come with energy and an interest in the material that I don’t take for granted.”
Koller cited a shift in academic priorities at YU as contributing to his decision to transfer.
“YU has shifted its priorities over the past decade, pouring more of its resources into pre-professional programs like the business school and computer science major and less into the humanities, including Jewish Studies. When I arrived the administration believed that Yeshiva University ought to have the pre-eminent department of Jewish Studies in North America. It’s still true that my colleagues are all top-tier scholars, but over the past ten years, we’ve lost at least 15 people in Jewish Studies to moves to other universities, retirements and deaths and have hired zero.”
He added benefits to joining Cambridge’s faculty: “Cambridge is a magical place. The lifestyle is as different from New York as you can imagine. Our kids will be biking to school; there’s a market in the middle of the town; the population is about 1/20th the size of the borough of Queens, where we now live. There’s also a small but vibrant Jewish community in town, which has already been warm and welcoming. The university also values academics — both research and teaching — above all, and that is where they put their resources.”
Students reflected on their experience in Koller’s courses.
“I greatly enjoyed and appreciated having Aaron Koller as both an engaging and knowledgeable teacher and a warm and kind person and I hope he has continued career and personal success in Cambridge,” Dov Pfeiffer (YC ‘25) told The Commentator.
“Dr. Koller has been a staple professor in the Jewish Studies department and has a vast knowledge of Jewish texts,” Daniel Brauner (YC ‘27) said. “I’ve enjoyed his classes in Bible and Near Eastern Studies here at YU and I wish him success going forward.”
Photo Caption: Aaron Koller
Photo Credit: Yeshiva University
