Accomodations
All students will live at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies (OCHJS) in Yarnton, four miles north of the Oxford city centre. OCHJS is a recognized independent post-graduate center of the University of Oxford. (For OCHJS web site, see www.ochjs.ac.uk.) Its campus offers a modern library with more than 100,000 volumes, common rooms, and housing. The Leopold Muller Memorial Library at OCHJS is open Monday-Friday from 10:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. In addition to its collection and reference materials, Muller Memorial Library has a handful of computer work stations with internet connections.Since the academic year at OCHJS will already have ended, summer program participants will share the OCHJS campus only with its permanent and visiting fellows. Below is a photo of "The Guest House", offering charming accommodations for visiting Faculty and Fellows.
Most students will be housed in Ricardo House in comfortable and clean single bedrooms. In Ricardo House, four single bedrooms form a quad; each quad shares a full kitchen and a bath. The bedrooms are fairly large (about 15’X20’), fully furnished with bed, wardrobe, chest of drawers, desk and desk chair, an easy chair, and bathroom sink. The rooms also have a telephone. Internal calls are free; local calls outside OCHJS cost 6 pence/minute.
Each cluster of 4 bedrooms shares a kitchen equipped with a microwave, full-sized electric range with oven, and a refrigerator with freezer. They also share a bath, equipped with toilet, tub and hand-held shower. On each floor there is a large common room with a dining table and chairs, easy chairs, and a television (although cable TV is not available in Yarnton). Sheets and towels will be exchanged weekly, and maid service will be provided twice each week All pots, pans, utensils, plates, etc. are provided for cooking. Laundry facilities are available on site.
Check-in will be on 11 July between 9:00 A.M and 12:30 P.M. and 2:00 and 4:30 P.M. at the OCHJS reception office in the manor house. If you would like to arrive in Oxford or Yarnton before 11 July, please contact Dr. Irven Resnick (Irven-Resnick@utc.edu).
Travel from Yarnton to Oxford city centre
Upon first arrival at Oxford’s Gloucester Green bus terminal, we recommend that participants take a taxi to OCHJS in Yarnton. Tell the taxi driver to drop you at Yarnton Manor, on Church Lane in Yarnton (a distance of 5-6 miles). The fare will be around £12. City buses also travel from Oxford to Yarnton, although the nearest stop is perhaps ¼ mile away from OCHJS accommodations.
During the summer program, students may use the minibus shuttle from OCHJS. But be aware that the shuttle has a “first come first served” policy. The minibus has only 16 seats. If 25 people try to travel at the same time, many will be disappointed. Try to have a backup travel plan, then.
If you cannot travel on the minibus, consider taking public transportation from Yarnton. Note well the minibus timetable or bus schedule. While travel back and forth is not much of a problem during the day, after 7 PM public bus transportation is limited. Local bus service is provided by the Stagecoach Line. For timetable click here. Service to Yarnton is provided by bus 20/20A. The local stop is Yarnton Village, the Paddocks, about 1/4 mile from OCHJS. After 7 PM until midnight the bus stops each hour at Yarnton, The Turnpike. From there it is a 3/4 mile walk. Please note that the last bus on Sunday drops off at 7:38 PM.
Bus and minibus schedules are even more limited on weekends. If you plan to be out late (past 11:30 PM weekdays and Saturday), a taxi from Oxford will be your only means of transportation, which costs about £12. If travelling in a small group, you can share the cost of a taxi.
If you like to bicycle, it is possible to rent a bicycle by the week at OCHJS or from a bicycle shop in town. The cost is about £10/week. This may be the most efficient means of transportation.
For general travel information from Oxford by rail or by bus click here.
For rail passes, schedules and charges, see http://www.raileurope.com/us/rail/passes/uk_index.htm
For low cost bus service from Oxford to London or Cambridge, see Megabus, at http://www.attitudetravel.com/uk/lowcostbuses/megabus2.html
For information on travel within London via the Tube (subway) or by bus, see http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modalpages/2625.aspx
Computer Facilities
Unless you bring your own laptop, computer access at OCHJS will not be quite as frequent as at home. Nevertheless, there is a Wi-Fi network at OCHJS. If you bring a laptop (recommended) you will have 24/7 access to the internet. If you do not have your own computer, you may use one of the 4 or 5 PCs in the OCHJS library when library patrons are not using them. We also plan to set up one or two laptops for your use in the Manor House, and these will be available from 8 AM until about 10 PM. In addition, when in Oxford you will see numerous internet cafes. A charge of £1/hr. is pretty standard.
Telephones
You will have a phone in your room. For local calls, you will be charged a message unit fee (about 6 pence/minute); this is standard across the UK. For long distance calls, you will be wise to purchase a calling card. These typically offer very inexpensive rates—often no more than the cost of a local call—for calling the US. You can purchase calling cards from most convenience stores, post offices, drug stores, etc. With a calling card, you typically access a long distance network at no charge (i.e. you are not billed the local call message unit rate).
Useful Telephone Numbers
The telephone number for the administrative offices at OCHJS is (01865) 377946. Note that when calling from the U.S., you must first dial the international code (011), then the country code, (44), then the city code (01865), followed by the local number 377946. When calling from the U.S., omit the “0” in the city code (01865). The FAX number at OCHJS is (01865) 375079.
Cell phones from the U.S. will not operate in the UK (or Europe) unless your provider can install an international SIM card. Few domestic cell phone companies offer this. Check with your cell phone provider to determine whether it can offer service in the UK. If not, leave your cell phone at home.
Religious Services
St. Bartholomew's Anglican Church is next to Yarnton Manor at OCHJS. Students are welcome to attend religious services there, should they desire. For times click here.
