Dr. Naomi Grunhaus

The Drs. Kenneth Chelst, Bertram Schreiber and Fred Zwas Book Grant is designed to foster scholarship among the faculty of Yeshiva College and Stern College for Women by facilitating the publication of scholarly books and enabling faculty to pursue research, engage in collaborative consultations and seek support for editing and publishing their manuscripts. One of this year’s recipients was Dr. Naomi Grunhaus, who is an associate professor in both the Rebecca Ivry Department of Jewish Studies at Stern College for Women and the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies. “My project, Reconsideration and Revision: David Kimhi’s Maturation as an Exegete, analyzes the works of David Kimhi (1160-1232), one of the key figures associated with the medieval Jewish study of Hebrew language,” Dr. Grunhaus explained. Having made his mark as a writer of linguistic compendia, Kimhi later turned to the writing of full-fledged biblical commentaries. “My work examines emendations Kimhi made to his own interpretations of biblical verses, in the interval between the writing of the Book of Roots and the biblical commentaries. I think this study will demonstrate Kimhi’s flexibility as an exegete and shed light on the question of what constraints authors experience when writing multiple works.” The grant will pay for research-related expenses. “I want to express my appreciation to the University for its support in granting me the Chelst Award. I am grateful for this vote of confidence and strive to have my research live up to the high standards the university has set.”