EAJS Nahmanides Forum & Travel Bursaries
‘7 October 2023 and its aftermath, and European Jewish Studies’
CEU, Vienna, 3 June 2026, 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Deadline for Applications: 14 May 2026
The European Association for Jewish Studies (EAJS) invites members of the EAJS and participants of the CEU conference ‘Jewish Studies at the Crossroads’ to join a Nahmanides-Forum on the impact of the events of and after 7 October 2023 on Jewish Studies. This format of EAJS events addresses matters relating to the teaching of academic Jewish Studies in Europe – earlier iterations of the Forum looked at establishing and managing Jewish Studies programmes, and of Hebrew language teaching.
The Hamas terror attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 and the ensuing military confrontation had a profound impact on Jewish Studies across Europe: academic cooperation with colleagues and institutions in Israel became a contested and hotly debated issue, resulting at widespread forms of academic boycott; Jewish staff and students, engaged or not engaged in Jewish Studies, experienced challenging situations on campus, and their relationship with colleagues and university managements was often placed under considerable stress.. These developments compounded the challenges which Jewish Studies programmes faced as a relatively small field in the Humanities, such as stagnating student numbers and the ensuing threats to Jewish Studies degrees and programs.
The conference on ‘Jewish Studies at the Crossroads’ hosted by the CEU probes the current academic contexts for academic Jewish Studies. The workshop immediately follows this conference, and offers an opportunity to exchange views, encounters and perceptions of scholars actively involved in academic Jewish Studies across Europe. Previous similar exchanges were organized on a national level (in France: EHESS, February 2024; in Germany, hosted by the Fachverband Judaistik/Jüdische Studien/Jüdische Theologie, January 2026), with this Nahmanides-Forum offering a framework to discuss with colleagues from a wider geographical background.
The workshop is open to registered participants of the CEU ‘Jewish Studies at the Crossroads’ conference, and to members of the European Association for Jewish Studies.
A limited number of travel bursaries of £250 GBP each are available for EAJS members from countries with lower than median income.
Each panel of the workshop will be introduced by short and personal prompt, followed by a moderated discussion. Coffee/tea will be provided, and a sandwich lunch including vegetarian options will be included.
Panel 1
9:30-10:15: Institutional responses to 7 Oct and its aftermath
Panel 2
10:15-11: Impact of 7 Oct on academic teaching: individual perceptions
Panel 3
11:20-12:05: Impact on Jewish Studies as an academic field between contestation and resilience
Panel 4
12:05-12:50 pm: Academic networks and associations – potential and limitations
To apply for a travel bursary or to apply to attend the forum, please use the online application form.
Deadline for applications: 14 May 2026
For other inquiries about this event, please contact the EAJS administration