She told J-Wire:
I am deeply distressed at potential changes due to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences’ change proposal as outlined in the Honi Soit article, ‘Up to 250 undergraduate Arts subjects under threat at Sydney Uni in “major attack”’ (6 October).

I have worked for the last 30 years building our department, from 1990 with the Hebrew and Jewish Studies teacher education program, and subsequently, from 1997, the Department of Hebrew, Biblical & Jewish Studies following my appointment as Senior Lecturer, replacing the late Emeritus Professor Alan Crown.

Under Professor Crown, the department had developed four majors in Modern Hebrew, Classical Hebrew, Biblical Studies and Jewish Civilisation. The Modern Hebrew Program started with support from the late Stefan and Felicia Einhorn.

Thanks to a major bequest from Felicia Einhorn to the Fund for Higher Jewish Education (the Fund) following her passing in 2000, as well as annual support from the Roth Foundation and other major donors, we have been able to maintain these majors.

Around four years ago, because of pressures on student numbers, the majors in Classical Hebrew and Biblical Studies were combined, but this made academic sense in that knowledge of Biblical Hebrew is important if a student has a major in Biblical Studies.

Now, as noted, in the Honi Soit article, ‘The DCP outlines that no undergraduate units would be offered in 2022 that have historically attracted fewer than 24 students “unless necessary for student progression and completion.”’

Whilst the numbers quoted in the article are inaccurate, since many of our units are needed for student completion of their majors, a decision such as this would still have a very serious impact on our department.

The reason for community funding three of the five full-time lecturers is our understanding that the community needs to support the small numbers in Hebrew, Classical Hebrew and Jewish Civilisation.

These classes are vital for developing local Jewish studies and Hebrew teachers and ensuring a high-quality program for Hebrew and Jewish Studies in our day schools. Indeed, we are the only department to offer three majors in the English-speaking South Hemisphere.

As well, the proposal suggests moving Biblical Studies out of the department, which would destroy the combined Biblical Studies/Classical Hebrew major. And the proposal to streamline Honours programs, affecting our graduate programs (already partly decimated due to issues of student numbers) is also problematic.

The limiting of electives taken from other departments will also have a deleterious effect.

The university should take advantage of this consultation period to reconsider these possibly deleterious decisions for our department. I would hate to see my life’s work undermined by the stroke of a pen.