Aaron Koller

Aaron J. Koller (born in Baltimore, Maryland, 1978) is an American scholar of Hebrew and Semitic languages. He was a student of Professor Richard C. Steiner at Yeshiva University's Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies, and later co-edited a volume in honor of Steiner.[1] He also studied Near Eastern Studies at the University of Pennsylvania under Jeffrey H. Tigay and Barry L. Eichler; Arabic and Columbia University; and Egyptian hieroglyphs at the Brooklyn Museum. Lawrence Stager was on his dissertation committee.[2] Koller began teaching at Yeshiva University in 2008, rising to become Professor of Near Eastern Studies.[3][4] In April 2025, he was announced as the next Regius Professor of Hebrew at the University of Cambridge, England.[5] He is the first Jewish person to hold the chair that was established by King Henry VIII.[6][7]

While at Yeshiva University, Koller argued that traditional Jewish law needed to be flexible enough the accommodate the full acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community.[8] His position was condemned by many senior rabbis in the institution[9] but found support among many students.[10] Yeshiva has adopted a policy of barring LGBTQ+ students from forming a student club.[11][12]

Selected works

  • Koller, Aaron J. (2012). The semantic field of cutting tools in biblical Hebrew: the interface of philological, semantic, and archaeological evidence. Catholic Biblical Quarterly Monograph Series. Vol. 49. Washington, DC: Catholic Biblical Association of America. ISBN 978-0915170487.
  • Koller, Aaron J. (2014). Esther in ancient Jewish thought. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1107048355.
  • Koller, Aaron J. (2020). Unbinding Isaac: the significance of the Akedah for modern Jewish thought. Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society. ISBN 978-0827614734.

References

  1. ^ Koller, Aaron (2020). Semitic, Biblical and Jewish Studies in Honor of Richard C. Steiner (co-edited with Mordechai Z. Cohen and Adina Moshavi). Jerusalem and New York: Bialik. ISBN 978-965-536-277-0.
  2. ^ Koller (2009). "The ancient Hebrew semantic field of cutting tools: A philological, archaeological, and semantic study". repository.yu.edu. Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  3. ^ "Aaron-Koller". Yeshiva University. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  4. ^ "Aaron Koller - Curriculum Vitae". yeshiva.academia.edu. 2025. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  5. ^ Escoffery, Naidine (16 April 2025). "Aaron Koller joins AMES". Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. University of Cambridge. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  6. ^ "Aaron Koller breaks barrier as first Jew in historic Cambridge role". The Jerusalem Post. 13 May 2025. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  7. ^ Adams, Richard (2 June 2025). "Cambridge University appoints first Jewish professor of Hebrew". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  8. ^ "On Halakha and LGBT". The YU Observer. 2019-09-10. Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  9. ^ Avrohom Gordimer (12 September 2019). "On Halacha and LGBT – Responding to Dr. Aaron Koller".
  10. ^ Anonymous YC Student (15 September 2019). "Engaging in Serious Debate: A Response to the Reduction of Professor Koller's Position".
  11. ^ Liam Stack (12 May 2025). "Yeshiva University Reverses Itself and Bans L.G.B.T.Q. Club".
  12. ^ Louis Keene (17 June 2025). "A groundbreaking agreement for LGBTQ+ Orthodox Jews collapsed after 50 days. What happened?".
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