The new Leningrad Jewish University was created in 1989 during the new Soviet policy of Perestroika by enthusiasts and Jewish Activists, Ilya Dvorkin (the first Rector of the university), Veniamin Lukin, Khava Korzakova, and others.

Prof. Dmitri Elyashevich became the rector of the institute in 1997, and Prof. Alexander Kobrinsky is the vice-Rector / Provost.

The journal Evreyskaya Shkola ("Jewish School" in Russian) was published in 1992-1996.

The series "Trudy po Iudaike" ("The works on Jewish Studies") are published since 1993.

The Institute for the Studies of Jewish Diaspora organized numerous expeditions and field trips to Ukraine, Belarus, Baltic States, the Central Asia and the Caucasus.