Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism

Jewish Studies. The Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism is a tool to identify, confront and raise awareness about antisemitism as it manifests in countries around the world today. It was developed by a group of scholars in the fields of Holocaust history, Jewish studies, and Middle East studies to meet what has become a growing challenge: providing clear guidance to identify and fight antisemitism while protecting free expression. Daniel Langton was among the signatories.  Further information.

Religions & Theology Research Seminar

Jewish Studies. Dr Katja Stuerzenhofecker (University of Manchester) “An Act of Compassion? Normalizing Online Delivery of Jewish Orthodox Rituals and Female Participation Under COVID-19” 16:00 - 17:30 29 April 2021. Further information.

Blog entry, Rylands

Jewish Studies. Zsofia Buda writes 'A Passover Haggadah painted by an Englishman? Follow us on the trail of a Christian English painter, and discover some unusual iconographical elements in an eighteenth-century Passover Haggadah. The story starts in Northern Germany, then part of the Holy Roman Empire. This is the area where Joseph ben David, a Jew from the Moravian town of Lipník...' Further information.

New appointment, AHRC Project

Jewish Studies. Congratulations to Dr Ion Popa who has been appointed as Research Associate (Feb 2021-Jan 2022) for the AHRC-funded project 'Stefan Heym: A 20th Century German Life project,' led by Prof Cathy Gelbin. He will conduct archival research in Germany, USA, Israel and the Czech Republic, contribute to impact and dissemination events, including the forthcoming conference, and support the compilation of a co-edited special journal issue. He will also contribute a relevant single-author conference paper and research article on the topic of Jewish dissidence in communist Romania.

Post doctoral Fellowship opportunities

Open to Jewish Studies. The University of Manchester offers up to two Simon Postdoctoral Fellowships, 3 years fixed term, £32,816 to £51,034 per annum. These fellowships are for Social Sciences broadly defined, and are open to those working in Jewish history and culture, especially if the project engages with social or socio-political history. Deadline: 19 April 2021. For advice from a Jewish Studies perspective, contact: alex.samely@manchester.ac.uk or daniel.r.langton@manchester.ac.uk. For details on eligibility and on how to apply, see further information.

International Conference

Jewish Studies. Cathy Gelbin is co-hosting an online international conference on 'Jewish Dissidents in the Eastern Bloc', including participants Katja Stuerzenhofecker and Ion Popa. 14-15 April 2021. Further information.

International Women's Day

Jewish Studies. To celebrate International Women’s Day (8 March) we highlight the theological work of Grace Aguilar, discussed in Daniel Langton, 'The Gracious Ambiguity of Grace Aguilar (1816-47): Anglo-Jewish Theologian, Novelist, Poet, and Pioneer of Interfaith Relations' in Melilah: Journal of Jewish Studies 8 (2011). Further information.

Blog entry, 50 Jewish Objects

50 Jewish Objects Artwork. As part of the activities of the 50 Jewish Objects project, creative pieces are commissioned for contemporary artists in response to selected artefacts from the John Rylands Library and the research produced by Dr Stefania Silvestri. In the fifth blogpost by artist Leo Mercer he discusses the collaborations and creative processes behind his 'Scroll' series of animated Twitter poems. Further information.

TV documentary, France

Holocaust Studies. Jean-Marc Dreyfus' documentary film on the Goering catalogue will be previewed by the Shoah Memorial in Paris on 14 March 2021 at 4.30pm (CET), followed by a webinar with the director, Laurence Thiriat and Jean-Marc Dreyfus. The documentary and webinar will be in French. Further information.

Public lecture, Muslim Jewish Forum

Jewish Studies. CJS PhD student Robert Kanter will be giving a presentation for The Muslim Jewish Forum of Greater Manchester on 'Anglo-Jewry’s interactions with converts to Islam 1900-1920' on 21 March at 7pm. Free online event. Register here.

Scriptural Encounters

Reading challenging sacred texts. Scriptural Encounters bring together different faiths to debate and discuss controversial topics. This is a new series on interpersonal relationships in the Abrahamic Faiths. This second session will be led by Dr Rachel Starr (Queen’s Foundation Birmingham) on Domestic Violence from a Christian perspective. Zoom at 12:00-1:30pm, Thu 18 March 2021. Further information.

Ehrhardt Seminar

Hebrew Bible Studies. Dr Samuel Hildebrandt ‘The Bird on the Roof, the City on the Hill: Images of Isolation in the Hebrew Bible’. 14:00 - 16:00. 18 March 2021. Further information.

New publication

Jewish Studies. Lindsey Taylor-Guthartz, Challenge and Conformity: The Religious Lives of Orthodox Jewish Women. Liverpool: The Littman Library of Jewish Civilization, 2021. (Discount price is £21.00 For UK 'and rest of world': enter CHALLENGE30 at the Liverpool University Press site when ordering. For USA and Canada: enter ADISTA5 at global.oup.com/academic. For Israel: email janmar@liverpool.ac.uk). Further information.

New publication

Biblical and Jewish Studies. CJS honorary fellow Helen R. Jacobus, "Aramaic Calendars and the Question of Divination," in Unveiling the Hidden--Anticipating the Future. Divinatory Practices Among Jews Between Qumran and the Modern Period, ed. Josefina Rodríquez-Arribas and Dorian Gieseler Greenbaum. Prognostication in History 5. Leiden: Brill, 2021, 46-100. Further Information.