Gift to support Jewish philosophy
Notre Dame receives $200k gift to expand Jewish philosophy program and support teaching and research.
The University of Notre Dame Australia has received a $200,000 philanthropic gift from Robert and Ruth Magid to support the Centre for the History of Philosophy’s Jewish philosophy program.
The Magids’ gift will help the centre advance its academic work in the history of Jewish philosophy, supporting cutting-edge scholarship and new teaching offerings that explore Jewish philosophical thought and its long engagement with other Abrahamic intellectual traditions.
It will also strengthen the centre’s teaching and public education offerings, helping bring Jewish philosophical ideas into the classroom and into community learning settings.
“Jewish philosophy is one of the world’s great wisdom traditions, but Australia has lacked a dedicated university program in the field,” said Centre for the History of Philosophy co-director Associate Professor Nathan Lyons.
“This gift will help to change that. It will support research that deepens understanding of Jewish thought, and it will support teaching and public education that shares that tradition with students and the wider community.”
The Magids said they were pleased to support the growth of Jewish philosophy in Australia and the work done by the centre.
“Jewish philosophy has shaped Jewish life and broader intellectual culture for centuries,” they said.
“We are proud to support the centre’s work to strengthen understanding of this tradition through scholarship and education, and to help bring its insights to new audiences.”
Senior research fellow in the history of Jewish philosophy and convener of the centre’s Jewish philosophy program Dr Raphael Dascalu said the gift would make an immediate and lasting difference.
“Support like this enables the long work of building a program – producing research, training students and creating learning opportunities that invite people into a rich tradition,” he said.
“We’re incredibly grateful to Bob and Ruth Magid for their vision and generosity.”
The centre’s Jewish philosophy program will offer new learning opportunities for students and the wider public in 2026, including an online undergraduate and postgraduate course and a three-session public short course hosted at The Great Synagogue.