3rd Congress of the Society for Jewish Studies (Société des Etudes Juives), Toulouse, 23-25 June 2024

For its third congress, to be held from the 23rd to the 25th of June 2024 at the University of Toulouse in partnership with the Framespa Laboratory and the University of Perpignan-Via Domitia, the Society for Jewish Studies (SEJ) is calling for proposals for individual or ollective contributions (in the form of pre-organised panels) in all fields of Jewish studies: archaeology, ancient, medieval, modern and contemporary history, literature, Jewish languages, philosophy, sociology, art, heritage, music, law, biblical and rabbinical studies, liturgy, etc.

The theme chosen for this year’s conference is “mobilités et passages”. In the course of this meeting, we will be studying and (re)visiting traditional themes in Jewish studies: migration, whether suffered or willed, diasporas, the circulation of books and ideas as much as the circulation of people, social integration during individual and collective journeys, and the importance of networks. Movements will be considered at both individual and collective levels, and from a variety of perspectives: movements from one land to another, passages from one culture to another, translation, the transmission of knowledge and conversion, with particular attention paid to the social dimension. What was the exact nature and scale of these movements? Under what circumstances did they take place? To what extent can we reconstruct the pathways through which objects and ideas were transmitted and circulated, identify the figures of the ‘smugglers’ and retrace their journeys? What were the social, economic, political, linguistic, cultural and religious consequences of Jewish mobility for both Jews and non-Jewish societies? How does this question relate to that of exchanges and cohabitation between Jews and non-Jews? How can the notions of passage and porosity be articulated? What memorial traces did Jewish mobility leave behind, and what artistic works did it inspire? In terms of Jewish thought, how do philosophers and Kabbalists think about movement in the natural, human and divine worlds? How do the dialectics of history (or the passing of time) and eternity, and of nomadism and sedentarism, inform modern and contemporary Jewish thought?

The theme of “mobilités et passages” is a proposal designed to give the conference an overall dimension, but it is by no means binding. All themes are welcome, but the evaluation criteria will remain scientific originality and quality.

Proposals may be submitted by researchers, doctoral candidates, and students in their second year of a master’s degree (the latter must provide a letter of recommendation from their dissertation supervisor).

The official language of the conference is French, but contributions in English may also be submitted.

Presentations will last 20 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of discussion.

The conference will be held on site. Videoconferencing will only be allowed in exceptional circumstances.

The pre-organised panels should include three or four presentations (in the latter case, each speaker will have 15 minutes instead of 20) and a suggestion for a session chair.

Proposals for papers must be sent by 1 December 2023 to the e-mail address: secretariat.sejcongres@gmail.com.

They will be examined by a scientific committee and the answers will be communicated at the beginning of February 2024. Please send the completed registration form with the title of the paper, an abstract of around 2,000 characters and details of your academic status and institution.

The SEJ has a limited number of grants available for doctoral students who do not receive funding from their home institution. Those interested are invited to contact the conference secretariat for the list of required documents.

Papers will only be included in the program if the participants are registered for the Congress and have paid their SEJ membership before 1 March 2024.

Subscription

Members of the SEJ – €30;

Non-members of the SEJ – €70 (including membership);

Students – €10 (including membership).

(Registration fees must be paid after receiving the confirmation message that your paper proposal has been accepted, to ensure your participation in the congress).

Registration form 

Title / Profession: ……

Mrs/Mr Surname: ……

First name: ……

E-mail address: ……

Telephone number: ……

Institution / Research laboratory: ……

Institutional address: ……

Title of proposed contribution (maximum 100 characters including spaces): ……

Title of the panel (in the case of a pre-organised panel): ……

Proposals should be sent to secretariat.sejcongres@gmail.com in the form of individual or collective contributions. They should include a general title and a summary of approximately 2000 characters (including spaces) and should be accompanied by this registration form (one form per participant in the case of collective proposals).


OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
Andreas Lehnertz (October 17, 2023). 3rd Congress of the Society for Jewish Studies (Société des Etudes Juives), Toulouse, 23-25 June 2024. medievalJewishStudiesNow! Retrieved April 14, 2026 from https://doi.org/10.58079/ri8e


About Andreas Lehnertz

As Juniorprofessor of medieval history with a specialization in Jewish history at the University of Trier, Andreas Lehnertz studies the social, cultural, and religious history of Europe. His academic pursuits focus on the nuanced dynamics of everyday Christian-Jewish relations, the study of marginal Hebrew and Yiddish deeds, the study of Jewish and general sealing practices, and the in-depth study of Jewish craftspeople. He wrote a book on "Jewish Seals in the Medieval German Empire: The Authentication and Self-Representation of Jewish Men and Women". His expertise has been further honed through his roles as a postdoctoral fellow in the ERC project "Beyond the Elite - Jewish Daily Life in Medieval Europe" at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and as a member of the Martin Buber Society in the Humanities and Social Sciences, also at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Currently he writes a book about "Jewish Craftspeople in Medieval Germany". Through his research and publications, he aims to make a meaningful contribution to the academic discourse surrounding medieval history and to provide valuable insights into the rich tapestry of European history during this pivotal period.