Meet Reuven Friedman

After a long, successful career as a partner at leading Israeli law firms, an executive at multi-national high-tech companies and a lecturer at Bar-Ilan’s Faculty of Law, Reuven Friedman, 62, has changed course and is pursuing his lifelong passion: the study of the archaeology of the Land of Israel. Now awaiting final formal approval of his doctorate at BIU’s Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology, the New York-born father of eight is a leading scholar on the ancient Jewish presence in Israel’s western Galilee and an authority on ancient Greek and Roman bathing installations. He was awarded the Bar-Ilan University Rector’s Prize for Excellence in Advanced Studies and honored by BIU’s Jeselsohn Epigraphic Center for Jewish History. He was also recognized at a university ceremony for outstanding PhD candidates who have published academic articles in professional journals. “My dream is to use archaeology to explain the Talmud, and use the Talmud to explain archaeological finds dated to the periods of the Mishnah and Talmud,” says Reuven, who is proficient in both areas. The corporate executive/attorney-turned-tour guide/archaeological scholar teaches daily Talmud classes in Karnei Shomron, where he has resided since immigrating to Israel in 1983.

With his doctoral research now awaiting formal approval, Reuven reflects on his Bar-Ilan experience:

Why I chose to study this area:

The same love for Eretz Israel that drew me away from a leading Wall Street law firm to the wonderful olim community in Karnei Shomron, drew me to Land of Israel studies. I believe that archaeology provides scholars with an objective means of learning about the past. Five years ago, with the support of the then Department Chair, Prof. Eyal Regev, I enrolled at Bar-Ilan’s Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology and obtained a master’s degree before commencing PhD studies. I have actually worked on two separate doctoral research papers. While I was completing my dissertation on Greek and Roman Bathing Installations in Eretz Israel, I was encouraged by the Chair of the School of Graduate Studies at Bar-Ilan, Prof. Ariel Bendor, to submit a doctoral research paper based on a series of scholarly articles. I decided to research the borders of the Jewish presence in the western Galilee during the Mishnaic period according to archaeology and the Talmud. I wrote a series of three articles, all of which were accepted for publication in leading peer-reviewed academic journals (i.e. the Israel Exploration Journal – IEJ, the Journal of the German Society for the Exploration of Palestine – ZDPV, and the Journal of Jewish Studies – JJS).

What I enjoy most at Bar-Ilan:

The academic faculty is incredibly knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. Bar-Ilan has both stellar young lecturers and world-renown professors in both the Land of Israel Studies and Talmud departments. I was fortunate to study under the professors-emeritus that made Bar-Ilan great, including Prof. Daniel Sperber, Prof. Ze’ev Safrai and Prof. Joshua Schwartz, as well as under the current professors and lecturers who continue the BIU tradition of academic excellence. The future is indeed a bright and promising one for both departments. The library and administrative staff are always amazingly friendly and helpful. Bar-Ilan succeeds in integrating academic excellence with a friendly informal ambiance to create a wonderful learning environment.

Future Plans:

I hope to continue to research, publish and lecture on subjects related to the intersection of Talmudic texts and archaeology. As a licensed Israeli tour guide, I hope to continue to guide leading business executives, government dignitaries and religious leaders from abroad, and introduce them to the incredible archaeology and history of the Land of Israel.

My favorite corner on campus:

The second floor of the Wurzweiler Central Library – my Bar-Ilan “home” – where the Jewish studies and archaeology collections are situated.

What I will take with me from my Bar-Ilan University studies:

A great deal. Beyond the formal PhD degree, I have acquired valuable knowledge and academic skills. The School of Graduate Studies’ new emphasis on academic writing for publication and Prof. Bendor’s encouragement guided me in a new and exciting direction. My BIU lecturers guided me through the entire process of my first academic journal publication, and now I am successfully and independently researching and writing academic articles worthy of publication in leading journals. I have also learned a lot about how I would like to lecture. Prof. Boaz Zissu, my doctoral supervisor, deserves much more than a mere ‘thank you’ for his academic guidance and advice; Prof. Zissu deserves a medal for his gracious assistance, unlimited patience and unswerving support throughout my entire doctoral research process.