Call for proposals. Sephardic History and Culture – International Graduate Workshop.
International Workshop
25-26 September 2019
Sephardic History and Culture – Graduate Workshop
Institute for Jewish Studies and Religious Studies, University of Potsdam, and Selma Stern Center for Jewish Studies Berlin-Brandenburg (ZJS)
Organizers: Prof. Dr. Sina Rauschenbach, Dr. Susanne Härtel, Julian Holter, M.A. and Tanja Zakrzewski M.A.
Although Sephardic Studies is already established as a field at Israeli and U.S. universities, it is strongly underrepresented at European universities, where Jewish Studies scholars still tend to focus on Ashkenazic histories and cultures. However, Sephardic Studies scholars have often been forerunners in connecting Jewish and non-Jewish history, introducing new research questions and applying new methodological approaches from other disciplines to Jewish history and thought. The workshop is the first of a series of workshops designed to connect European scholars involved in the study of Sephardic history and culture and to create new networks of scholarly discussion and cooperation. Participants will introduce their research projects in short presentations of no more than 20 minutes, followed by extensive discussions of these projects in an interdisciplinary context and an inspiring scholarly atmosphere. The language of the workshop will be English.
Researchers with projects from all epochs and all geographic areas between Iberia and the so-called Western and Eastern Sephardic Diasporas are encouraged to apply. Whereas the general approach to the research topic of this workshop should be historical, researchers working in the fields of social history, cultural history, religious history, and/or the history of knowledge and ideas are all welcome. Especially welcome are applications from ongoing PhD and postdoctoral projects as well as applications connected with topics of interest to the newly established research group “Jewish-Jewish Encounters in the Ottoman Empire” at the University of Potsdam/ZJS.
The workshop will start with an evening lecture on 24 September 2019 and continue until 26 September at noon. Participants will arrive on 24 September 2019 and leave on 26 September 2019 in the afternoon. They will be provided accommodation for two nights at a Potsdam hotel and a contribution of 200 Euros to their travel expenses.
Please submit, if possible as one pdf document, a short proposal of about 500 words, a CV and – in the case of PhD projects – the contact information of one of your supervisors to Tanja Zakrzewski (tzakrzew@uni-potsdam.de). Applications will be reviewed after 8 April 2019. Successful candidates will receive invitations no later than 30 April 2019.