Online seminar, Spaces of Treblinka
Holocaust studies. The Centre for Jewish Studies and the Holocaust Centre North at the University of Huddersfield will host an online seminar by Dr. Jacob Flaws (Kean University, New Jersey). Dr. Flaws will present his recently published book, Spaces of Treblinka: Retracing a Death Camp (University of Nebraska Press, 2024). Prof. Jean-Marc Dreyfus will chair the event. Online seminar, Tuesday 3 December 2024, 5pm GMT. Tickets and further information here.
Whitworth Debate on Antisemitism/Anti-Zionism
“Is antizionism antisemitism?” A debate on the controversial topics of antizionism and antisemitism features as the second Whitworth debate at The University of Manchester. Raphi Bloom co-founder and current co-Chair of North West Friends of Israel will share the floor with Abdullah Al Andalusi, co-founder of the discussion forum The Muslim Debate Initiative (MDI). The pair will discuss the opinion that antizionism is the same thing as antisemitism, in a debate chaired by Joseph Timan, politics writer at the Manchester Evening News. The discussion will take place at The University of Manchester’s Whitworth Hall, Oxford Road, on 31 October between 7pm and 9pm. If you are a member of staff or a student and would like to attend the event, register here. Further information.
Ehrhardt Seminars
Dr Jeremy Penner (University of Manchester) ‘What is Ancient Liturgy?’ 5 December 2024, University Place 6.207 and on Zoom. Time and Zoom details TBC.
Scriptural Encounter 2024
A new series of Scriptural Encounter titled, ‘Faith responses to peace-making in the Israel-Palestine conflict’ will begin in October 2024. The first webinar will be presented by Dr Kerim Balci, a Turkish writer, journalist, academic and human rights activist. Thursday 10 October, 4-5.30pm on Zoom. Places are free but you must register here to receive the Zoom details. Further information.
PhD student, learned society committee member
Jewish Studies. Kerry McCall has been awarded the British & Irish Association for Jewish Studies Studentship. This stipend comes with responsibilities for sitting on the BAIJS committee and carrying out projects with the aim of promoting Jewish studies in the UK and Ireland. Further information.
Radio 4, Sunday programme
Jewish education. MA student Yehudis Fletcher was interviewed by Edward Stourton on Radio 4 about her charity’s report on the state of ultra-Orthodox Jewish schooling. 15 September 2024. Interview runs 10:55-15:33. Listen again.
Social Responsibility
Jewish Studies. R&T's MA student Yehudis Fletcher is interviewed in the Jewish Chronicle in relation to her charity's call for further regulation of schools within the Charedi Jewish community, sometimes known as the ultra-Orthodox community. Critical of some aspects of Charedi education she considers the "deliberate denial of secular education" to be a form of "inward-facing extremism," which she believes is detrimental to the community's future. 11 Sept 2024. Further information.
Book Award
Jewish Studies. CJS Hon. Research Fellow Dr Jane Brooks recently published "Jewish Refugees and the British nursing profession" (Manchester University Press, 2024), which has won the Lavinia Dock award. The award is for "outstanding research and writing produced by an experienced scholar in nursing history who submits a book" from the American Association for the History of Nursing. This is a hugely prestigious award in the discipline. Congratulations!
Conference papers
Jewish Studies. The annual conference of the British and Irish Association for Jewish Studies takes place from 8 – 10 July in Bristol. Katja Stuerzenhofecker will deliver a paper entitled ‘The Jew who was there too: Orthodox women claiming mainstream ritual’ and lead a workshop on teaching gender in Jewish studies. She will also participate in a panel discussion ‘Where is the contemporary in Jewish studies?’ together with Centre for Jewish Studies Fellow Lindsey Taylor-Guthartz. Lou Schlagheck will present a paper titled ‘The “verjüdelte” Women’s Movement – Intersecting Antisemitism and Misogyny in the reception of the German Women’s Movement’. Kerry McCall will present a paper titled, ‘“Domestic Servant, Nothing Else”: Jewish Domestic Service Refugees and the Jewish Chronicle in 1930s Britain’.
AHRC Studentship success
Jewish Studies. Rabbi Aaron Lipsey has been awarded an AHRC Doctoral Studentship in the Religious Studies pathway for a project entitled 'The Responses of the Lubavitcher Rebbe to the Holocaust: A Study of His Letters, Talks and Teachings'. The project will be supervised by Alex Samely and Daniel Langton in the Dept of Religions and Theology, commencing in Sept 2024. Michael Hoelzl, lead for the North West Consortium Doctoral Training Programme for the Religions pathway commented "This PhD project represents an excellent opportunity to investigate some fascinating aspects of the so-called ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. I congratulate Aaron, who is an exceptional student and who graduated from our MA degree programme in the Study of Religions and Theology several years ago, on winning this prestigious AHRC award. I hope that this will encourage other mid- and late-career candidates, and even post-career students, to apply for external funding and to undertake a PhD at the University of Manchester."