All posts by Andreas Lehnertz

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.

Conference: Apokryphen in der mittelalterlichen Stadt. Parabiblische Welten im christlichen und jüdischen Regensburg, 12.-14.11.2026

Internationale Jahrestagung des Mittelalterzentrums “Forum Mittelalter” in Kooperation mit dem Centre for Advanced Studies “Beyond Canon_” und der Kath. Erwachsenenbildung (KEB) Regensburg Stadt
gefördert von der Regensburger Universitätsstiftung Hans Vielberth und dem Institutum Liturgicum Ratisbonense
Regensburg, 12.-14.11.2026

Apokryphe Traditionen begegnen in mittelalterlichen Städten auf Schritt und Tritt: in Kunst und Ritual, im literarischen Schaffen und in Gebrauchstexten, in der Verehrung von Heiligen und in Spekulationen über das Jenseits, in der Ausstattung religiöser Gebäude und im öffentlichen Raum. Als Heterotopien religiöser Autorität stiften Überlieferungen jenseits des Kanons Identität und prägen das Leben und Denken von Christen und Juden.
Am Beispiel von Regensburg geht die Tagung der vielfältigen Bedeutung parabiblischer Überlieferungen nach, wobei nach dem Einfluss und den Variationen nicht nur von konkreten Motiven, sondern auch von Themen und Mustern gefragt wird. Als Quellen werden Texte, materiale Kultur und religiöse Rituale gleichermaßen in den Blick genommen.

AAJR Baron Book Prize

According to their call, “[t]he American Academy for Jewish Research invites submissions for the Salo Wittmayer Baron Book Prize.  The Baron Book Prize ($3,000) is awarded annually to the author of an outstanding first book in Jewish studies.

Eligibility:  An academic book in English, in any area of Jewish studies published in calendar year 2026. The work must be the author’s first scholarly book. Authors must have received their Ph.D. within the previous ten years, no earlier than 2016.”

Deadline: 31 January 2027.

Graduate Student Conference – Ways of Knowing: Methodologies in Jewish Studies, February 4–5, 2027

According to their call, “[t]he Jewish Studies Graduate Student Association at Indiana University invites graduate students and advanced undergraduate students to submit presentation proposals for our 15th annual conference. This year’s conference, entitled Ways of Knowing: Methodologies in Jewish Studies, will be held on February 4th – 5th, 2027, in-person on the Bloomington campus of Indiana University. By focusing our attention on the process of research, we seek to name and interrogate how we, as scholars studying Jews, Jewishness, and Judaism, choose and evaluate our sources.”

Deadline: 29 October 2026.

Associate or Full Professor, Judaic Studies Chair of Excellence – Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, College of Arts and Sciences

According to their call, “[t]he successful candidate is expected to have a demonstrated commitment to undergraduate teaching excellence, an established record of scholarship and externally funded research, and evidence of public service and programming.  The Chairs of Excellence program was established by the Tennessee Legislature in 1984 to fund endowed chairs through public-private partnerships. The UTC Judaic Studies Chair of Excellence was established in 1988 and has earned international recognition. Today, it is one of 100 chairs of excellence in Tennessee public universities and one of eleven chairs of excellence at UTC. The chairholder will teach courses in Judaic Studies and support and develop public programs related to the chairholder’s research interests. The chairholder should have a doctorate in Judaic Studies, Religious Studies, or a related discipline. The chairholder will have a teaching load of 3-4 courses per year and will have a budget for research and other approved purposes.”

Researcher of the Week

Emma Bermond

PhD candidate, Université Gustave Eiffel (France) and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich (Germany)

Supervisors: PD Dr Pierre Savy and Prof. Dr Eva Haverkamp-Rott

In 2025, I had the pleasure of beginning a joint PhD programme between Université Gustave Eiffel and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich. My research focuses on the history of Jewish communities in the Late Middle Ages in what is now southern Lower Saxony. Building on my previous research on the medieval Jewish cultural heritage of the imperial city of Goslar, I sought to expand the geographical scope of my research to other cities in the region, including Braunschweig, Hameln, Helmstedt, and Hildesheim. With regard to the establishment of Jewish communities, these cities share several common characteristics: relatively late settlement (from the second half of the 13th century onwards), a comparatively high degree of tolerance towards Jewish communities, and relatively small- or medium-sized communities.

Continue reading Researcher of the Week →

Saarland University, Fellowships at Käte Hamburger Centre CURE

According to their call, “[t]he Käte Hamburger Centre for Cultural Practices of Reparation (KHK CURE) at Saarland University (UdS) is an institute for advanced study, funded by the German Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) since 2024. Each academic year, a new group of international and interdisciplinary fellows joins the centre to pursue research. For the centre’s fourth year (October 2027 to September 2028), we are pleased to invite applications —pending approval by the BMFTR—for up to twelve fellowships with a duration of six to a maximum of twelve months (beginning in October 2027).”

Deadline: 30 November 2026.

Marc Herman presents “The Lives and Afterlives of Maimonides’s ‘Book of Commandments'”

Marc Herman will present “The Lives and Afterlives of Maimonides’s ‘Book of Commandments'” at the Jewish Studies Colloquium on Tuesday, October 13, at 12:45 pm. The event will be held in Lown 302 and live on Zoom. It is free and open to the public. The paper will be available on the Tauber website two weeks in advance. Registration is required for Zoom.

Hidden Identities: The Story of Crypto-Jews and Forced Converts

According to the call, the remore course “explores a pivotal turning point in Iberian Jewish history, beginning with the violent attacks of 1391 that devastated Jewish communities and forced mass conversions to Christianity. These converts, known as Conversos or anusim—lived between identities, often maintaining Jewish practices in secret. Participants will examine the social, religious, and political consequences of these events, including the expulsions of 1492 and 1497 and the rise of the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions. Finally, the course offers insight into the resilience of hidden Jewish communities and the lasting impact of persecution, identity, and survival in early modern Spain and Portugal.”

Date: Thursdays, 15 October to 12 November.

Time 7 to 8:30 PM ET  (**sessions are being recorded and can be sent to participants after the session ends).

Job: College of Idaho – History, Berger-Neilsen Endowed Chair of Judaic Studies

According to their call, “[t]he Department of History at The College of Idaho invites applications for an open-rank tenure-track appointment to the Berger-Neilsen Endowed Chair of Judaic Studies to begin in fall 2027. This position is the first endowed chair in Judaic Studies in the state of Idaho, and one of the few such chairs in the Pacific Northwest and the intermountain region.”