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Prof David Feldman

Positions held:
  • Professor, School of Historical Studies
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  • Overview

    Overview

    Biography

    David Feldman is Director of the ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú Institute for the Study of Antisemitism and a Professor of History. He joined ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú in 1994 having previously held lectureships at Christ's College, Cambridge and the University of Bristol.

    David specialises in the history of antisemitism, Jewish history, the history of racialization and the history of migration in modern Britain.

    In addition to his work as a historian, David is actively engaged in research which addresses public policy. He led a pan-European project exploring contemporary antisemitism in Western Europe. He has advised international institutions on policy issues connected with antisemitism including the United Nations, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and Human Rights Watch, and in the UK, the All Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism, the Labour Party and the Football Association.

    David provides expertise and advice on antisemitism to a wide range of political, philanthropic and cultural organisations as well as giving briefings and interviews to the media. His writing on the politics of antisemitism has appeared in The Guardian, Financial Times, Haaretz, History Workshop Online and The Independent.  His most recent book, edited with Marc Volovici, is Antisemitism, Islamophobia and the Politics of Definition (Palgrave: 2023).

    Professional memberships

    • Fellow of the Royal Historical Society of England

    • Member of the Association for Jewish Studies 

  • Research

    Research

    Research interests

    • Modern Jewish history
    • Antisemitism
    • Racialization
    • Migration, immigration and emigration in modern British history

    Research overview

    David Feldman is currently writing a book titled "The Meanings of Antisemitism". Here he traces the meanings of the term ‘antisemitism’ – how it was used in political debate and what it was understood to be – from the nineteenth century to the present. Essays emerging from this project have appeared in the American Historical ReviewÌý²¹²Ô»åÌýZion.

    In the last decade or so David's work in Jewish history has followed four overlapping paths. First, he has been a pioneer of the imperial turn in Jewish historiography. Second, he has explored the place of Jews in the nineteenth century ‘culture wars’ and, in particular, the alliance of Jews and evangelical Protestants in their struggles with nineteenth-century Catholicism. Third, he has examined nineteenth-century debates on the extent and nature of the Jews’ difference from non-Jews. Fourth, he addresses historical and contemporary political concerns in his research and writing on the history of boycotts and history of the concept of antisemitism.


    Research Centres and Institutes

    • Director,

    Research clusters and groups

  • Supervision and teaching

    Supervision and teaching

    Supervision

    Supervisions within ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú:
    7

    David welcomes research students interested in the history of antisemitism, Jewish history, the idea of race and the practice of racialization, and the history of immigrants and ethnic minorities.

    Doctoral alumni since 2013-14

    • SUE BLUNN
      Nature of supervision:
      Principal Supervisor,
      Title of thesis:
      Sati and its abolition in British social and political discourses, c. 1832-1895.
      Awarded:
      2024
    • JEMIMA JARMAN
      Nature of supervision:
      Principal Supervisor,
      Title of thesis:
      Evangelical missionaries, Jewish immigrants and welfare provision in London¿s East End: 1859-1909
      Awarded:
      2024
    • EMILIE WIEDEMANN
      Nature of supervision:
      Principal Supervisor,
      Title of thesis:
      Opposing antisemitism: definitions and the contested politics of international anti-antisemitism 1960-2005
      Awarded:
      2024
    • ZELJKA OPARNICA
      Nature of supervision:
      Joint Principal Supervisor,
      Awarded:
      2022
    • JOSEPH RADCLIFFE
      Nature of supervision:
      Principal Supervisor,
      Title of thesis:
      Black Seamen in British Ports c.1851-1939: The Seamen's Boarding House, Migration and Settlement.
      Awarded:
      2025
    • SATYA GUNPUT
      Nature of supervision:
      Principal Supervisor,
      Awarded:
      2023
    • HELEN CARR
      Nature of supervision:
      Principal Supervisor,
      Awarded:
      2018

    Teaching

    David Feldman contributes to teaching in the Department of History, Classics and Archaeology on BA and MA programmes and teaches the MA module on â€˜Jews and Antisemitism in Europe since 1848’. He convenes ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú’s non-credit, short course â€˜Facing Antisemitism: Politics, Culture, History‘.

     

  • Publications

    Publications

    Article

    • Feldman, David and Taylor, B. (2026) . History Workshop Journal ISSN 1363-3554.
    • Feldman, David and Lachs, V. and Valman, N. (2026) . London Journal ISSN 0305-8034. (In Press)
    • Gidley, Ben and Feldman, David and Mcgeever, Brendan (2025) . Political Quarterly blog ISSN 1467-923X.
    • Mcgeever, Brendan and Gidley, Ben and Feldman, David (2025) . Prospect ISSN 1359-5024.
    • Feldman, David and Gidley, Ben and Mcgeever, Brendan (2025) . Vashti
    • Feldman, David (2020) . Zion ISSN 0044-4758.
    • Gidley, Ben and McGeever, Brendan Francis and Feldman, David (2020) . The Political Quarterly 91 (2), pp. 413-421. ISSN 0032-3179.
    • McGeever, Brendan and Gidley, Ben and Feldman, David (2020) . RACE.ED
    • Feldman, David and Gidley, Ben and Mcgeever, Brendan (2020) . The Guardian ISSN 0261-3077.
    • Feldman, David and Gidley, Ben and Mcgeever, Brendan (2020) . The Political Quarterly Blog
    • Feldman, David (2018) . American Historical Review 123 (4), pp. 1139-1150. ISSN 0002-8762.
    • Feldman, David and Mcgeever, Brendan (2018) . Haaretz
    • Feldman, David and Mcgeever, Brendan (2018) . Independent ISSN 0951-9467.
    • Feldman, David (2017) . East European Jewish Affairs 47 (2-3), pp. 134-149. ISSN 1350-1674.
    • Feldman, David (2015) . Jewish Historical Studies 47 (1), pp. 91-104. ISSN 0962-9696.
    • Feldman, David (2014) . The Political Quarterly 85 (3), pp. 348-350. ISSN 0032-3179.
    • Feldman, David (2013) . History Workshop Journal ISSN 1363-3554.
    • Feldman, David (2011) . 19: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Long Nineteenth Century (13), ISSN 1755-1560.
    • Feldman, David (2007) . History Workshop Journal 63 (1), pp. 70-89. ISSN 1363-3554.
    • Feldman, David (2003) . Transactions of the Royal Historical Society 13, pp. 79-104. ISSN 0080-4401.
    • Feldman, David (1999) . Le mouvement sociale pp. 43-60.

    Book

    • Bale, Anthony and Feldman, David (2015) . London, UK: Bloomsbury Shire. ISBN 9781784421380.
    • Feldman, David and Lawrence, J., eds. (2011) . Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521518826.
    • Mazower, M. and Reinisch, Jessica and Feldman, David, eds. (2011) . Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199692743.
    • Lucassen, L. and Feldman, David and Oltmer, J., eds. (2006) . Amsterdam, Netherlands: University of Amsterdam Press. ISBN 9789053568835.
    • Kolonitski, B. and Feldman, David Figes, Orlando and Kolonitsk, Boris, eds. (1999) . New Haven, Connecticut, USA: Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300081060.
    • Green, N. and Feldman, David, eds. (1998) . Oakland, Calafornia, USA: University of California Press. ISBN 9780520201286.
    • Feldman, David (1994) . New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300055016.
    • Feldman, David and Stedman Jones, G., eds. (1989) . Routledge Revivals. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. ISBN 9781138214088.

    Book section

    • Anscombe, Frederick (2023) . In: Feldman, David and Volovici, Marc (eds.) Antisemitism, Islamophobia and the Politics of Definition. Palgrave Critical Studies of Antisemitism and Racism. Palgrave MacMillan. pp. 41-66. ISBN 9783031162657.
    • Feldman, David (2023) . In: Ury, S. and Miron, G. (eds.) Antisemitism and the Politics of History. The Tauber Institute Series for the Study of European Jewry. Brandeis University Press. pp. 295-310. ISBN 9781684581795.
    • Feldman, David (2013) . In: King, S. and Winter, A. (eds.) Migration, Settlement and Belonging In Europe, 1500-1930s: Comparative Perspectives. International Studies in Social History. New York, U.S.: Berghahn Books. ISBN 9781782381457.
    • Feldman, David (2012) . In: Yuval-Davis, N. and Marfleet, P. (eds.) Secularism, Racism and the Politics of Belonging. Runnymede Perspectives. London, UK: Runnymede. pp. 10-12. ISBN 9781906732790.
    • Feldman, David and Lawrence, J. (2011) . In: Feldman, David and Lawrence, J. (eds.) Structures and Transformations in Modern British History. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 1-23. ISBN 9780521518826.
    • (2011) . In: Feldman, David and Lawrence, J. (eds.) Structures and Transformations in Modern British History. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 281-302. ISBN 9780521518826.
    • Pick, Daniel (2011) . In: Feldman, David and Lawrence, J. (eds.) Structures and Transformations in Modern British History. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 210-236. ISBN 9780521518826.
    • Feldman, David and Lawrence, J. (2011) . In: Feldman, David and Lawrence, J. (eds.) Structures and Transformations in Modern British History. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521518826.
    • Feldman, David and Page Baldwin, M. (2006) . In: Green, Nancy L. and Weil, François (eds.) Citoyenneté et émigration: les politiques du départ. Recherches d'histoire et de sciences sociales. Paris, France: Editions de l'Ecole des hautes etudes en sciences sociales (EHESS). ISBN 2713221072.
    • Feldman, David and Rosental, P.-A. and Douki, C. (2006) . In: Chatriot, A. and Join-Lambert, O. and Viet, V. (eds.) Les Politiques du Travail (1906-2006). Presses Universitaire de Rennes. pp. 143-159. ISBN 9782753503922.
    • Feldman, David and Lucassen, L. and Oltmer, J. (2006) . In: Feldman, David and Lucassen, L. and Oltmer, J. (eds.) Paths of Integration: Migrants in Western Europe (1880-2004). Amsterdam, Netherlands: University of Amsterdam Press. pp. 7-23. ISBN 9789053568835.
    • Feldman, David (2003) . In: Fahrmeier, A. and Faron, O. and Weil, M. (eds.) From Europe to North America. Oxford, UK: Berghahn Books. pp. 167-178. ISBN 9781571818126.
    • Feldman, David (2002) . In: Burke, Peter (ed.) History and historians in the twentieth century. British Academy Centenary Monographs. Oxford, UK: OUP/British Academy. pp. 181-206. ISBN 9780197262689.
    • Feldman, David (2001) . In: Daunton, M. (ed.) The Cambridge Urban History of Britain, III, 1840-1950. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 185-206. ISBN 9780521417075.
    • Feldman, David (1999) . In: Brenner, M. and Liedtke, R. and Rechter, D. (eds.) Two Nations: British and German Jews in Comparative Perspective. Tubingen: Mohr Siebeck. pp. 141-161. ISBN 9783161471063.

    Exhibition

    • Bale, Anthony and Volovici, M. and Feldman, David (2019) .
    • Bale, Anthony and Feldman, David (2015) .

    Monograph

    • Feldman, David (2025) . London, UK: Runnymede Trust.

    Other

    • Gordon, M. and Feldman, David and Gidley, Ben and Mcgeever, Brendan (2025) . Vashti.
  • Business and community

    Business and community

    Media

    I am happy to receive enquiries from the media on the following topics:

    • Antisemitism
    • Racism

    Outreach

    David Feldman provides expertise and advice on antisemitism to a wide range of political, philanthropic and cultural organisations. His writing on the Labour Party and antisemitism has appeared in The Guardian, Financial Times, Haaretz, History Workshop Online and The Independent. Together with Ben Gidley and Brendan McGeever his assessment and analysis of the crisis appeared in The Political Quarterly. He has appeared on radio and television in the UK and internationally and his opinion is sought regularly  by journalists both for quotation and background. Â