MIRIAM Kochan, who has died aged 88, was an inspiring teacher, author and leader in the Oxford Jewish community.

Mrs Kochan pioneered the ceremony of Bat Mitzvah for girls aged 12 and over in the orthodox Jewish community across the UK.

She taught youngsters at the Oxford Jewish Community for more than 45 years.

Her son Nick said she made a ‘lasting and considerable’ contribution to Oxford Jewish life but was characteristically modest about her achievements.

Miriam Buchler was born in north London in 1929 to parents Martin Buchler and Bessie Bradlaw, both children of orthodox rabbis from central and eastern Europe.

After graduating from the University College of the South West (later Exeter University), she joined Reuters as its first female graduate and was promoted from editorial assistant to journalist.

In 1951 she married the historian Lionel Kochan and the couple moved around according to his academic career, first to Edinburgh and then to Norwich.

The family moved to Oxford in 1969 and she became heavily involved with the Oxford Jewish Community, where she introduced the O-Level (later GCSE) syllabus for the Cheder (Hebrew class).

She took on both an educational and organisational role.

They settled in the city with their three children, Anna, Benjamin and Nick and Mrs Kochan continued to teach and earn the respect and affection of her pupils for the next 45 years.

Professionally she was a French translator and published a number of translations.

She also wrote a number of history books including Life in Russia Under Catherine the Great (1969), Prisoners of England (1980) and Britain’s Internees in the Second World War (1983).

She died on January 1 and is survived by her children, Anna, Benjamin and Nick, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.