Karaite Jewish University

Karaite Jewish University
Other name	KJU
Type	Non-profit
Established	2005
Religious affiliation	Karaite Judaism
Location	California, U.S.A., United States
Website	kjuonline.net

The Karaite Jewish University is a non-profit corporation incorporated in California, U.S.A.,^[1]^[2] in November 2005 for the purposes of disseminating the study of Karaite Judaism.

History

The university's first “Introduction to Judaism” class began in February 2006 and ended in May 2007. Fourteen of the graduates from the course converted to Judaism together with their children under the auspices of Congregation Bnai Israel of the Karaite Jews of America in Daly City, California, on July 30, 2007.^[3] The conversions were carried out under the auspices of the Ḳaraite Jews of America and with the approval of the Council of Sages.^[4] These were the first official sanctioned conversions to Judaism according to the Karaite rite since 1465.^{[citation needed]}

On September 2, 2007, the university awarded an Honorary Doctorate degree in Education to Mourad El-Kodsi, historian and author of The Karaite Jews of Egypt^[5] and The Karaites of Poland, Lithuania, Russia & Ukraine.^[6] El-Kodsi was named Dean Emeritus of the university whose function will be to mentor the university's graduate students.

The current Chancellor of the University is Hakham Meir Rekhavi.^[7]

Accreditation

Karaite Jewish University is not accredited as an academic institution.^[8] However, it has been authorized by the Council of Sages of Universal Karaite Judaism to teach an Introduction to Karaite Judaism course,^[9] both for Rabbinic Jews wishing to affiliate formally with Karaite Judaism, as well as potential converts to Judaism according to Karaite practice. Universal Karaite Judaism is the official body recognized by the State of Israel as representing Karaite Jews in matters of personal status.^[10]^[11]

References

^ Mikhail Kizilov, ed. (2009). The Karaites of Galicia: An Ethnoreligious Minority Among the Ashkenazim, the Turks, and the Slavs, 1772-1945. Studia Judaeoslavica / Studia Judaeoslavica. Vol. 1. BRILL. p. 339. doi:10.1163/ej.9789004166028.i-462. ISBN 9789004166028.
^ Steven L. Danver (2015). Native Peoples of the World: An Encyclopedia of Groups, Cultures and Contemporary Issues. Routledge. p. 979. ISBN 9781317463993.
^ Dan Pine, "A Conversion for the Ages", J: The Jewish News Bulletin of Northern California, August 2, 2007
^ "Ḳaraite Jewish University website - About us".
^ el-Kodsi, Mourad (2006). The Karaite Jews of Egypt : from 1882-1986 (2nd ed.). Rochester, N.Y.: The author. ISBN 9780962000591. OCLC 237202663.
^ El-Kodsi, Mourad (1993). The Karaite communities in Poland, Lithuania, Russia and Crimea. Lyons, N.Y.: Wilprint. ISBN 9780962005213. OCLC 38060162.
^ "Karaite Jewish University website - Staff".
^ "The Detroit Jewish News - Karaite Jewish Family Finds Their 'Promised Land' in Michigan - Updated June 22, 2023". 25 February 2019.
^ "Ḳaraite Jewish University website - About us".
^ "IsraelGives.org - The Universal Karaite Judaism".
^ "Pressto.amu.edu.pl - The Karaite Jewish community in Israel (20th and 21st centuries) - Moshe Firrouz - Ben-Gurion University".

External links