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European Association of Israel Studies
European Association of Israel Studies
The EAIS is committed to rigorous academic scholarship about Israel and high quality research and teaching in this area, as well as increasing the breadth of study of this important part of the Middle East.
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The Sussex Weidenfeld Institute of Jewish Studies at the University of Sussex in cooperation with the Center for Jewish Studies of the University of Graz and the European Association of Israel Studies invite applications for the 2025 Max and Hilde Kochmann Summer School for PhD students in Jewish, Holocaust and Israel studies.
University of Sussex (Brighton, UK) 29 June – 2 July 2025
The Kochmann Summer School brings together early career researchers who are currently working on topics in Jewish history and culture, Israel Studies and digital humanities, giving them the opportunity to present and discuss their projects in an informal and friendly atmosphere with leading scholars in the field. The Summer School continues the tradition of previous events, creating an interdisciplinary network of new scholars engaged in areas of European-Jewish Studies from the early modern period to the present day. In 2025 we particularly encourage scholars exploring the intersection between digital humanities and Holocaust commemoration to apply, as well as those engaged in Israel studies.
Applicants must be PhD students at the time the Summer School commences. Candidates are invited to send, via email, a 500-word proposal outlining their PhD project, a short CV and one reference from their supervisor or relevant scholar in the field. Applications must be in English and sent as one PDF document to:
Diana Franklin d.franklin@sussex.ac.uk
For enquiries please contact:
Gideon Reuveni g.reuveni@sussex.ac.uk / Katrin Steffen K.Steffen@sussex.ac.uk
The Sussex Weidenfeld Institute will offer a travel allowance of up to £300 for candidates coming from Europe. Candidates from Israel, the United States and other non-European countries will be considered but may be asked to contribute towards their travel costs. Accommodation costs will be covered for all students.
Application deadline: 19 January 2025
Project co-financed by the European Commission – Cooperation Partnerships In Higher Education (KA220-HED)
13th EAIS Annual Conference in Potsdam (Call for Papers: EARLY 2025)
12th EAIS Annual Conference, Prague 2024
The 12th Annual Conference of EAIS is behind us and we are thrilled that we had such an intense three days of discussions and exchange of thoughts. It was the biggest event in the history of both EAIS and AIS. We want to thank all participants for their enthusiastic engagement, insightful discussions, and unwavering support. Your contributions made this event truly remarkable. We are also grateful to the Faculty of Arts of Charles University for hosting our conference and the Association for Israel Studies for co-organizing the event.
For the ones who couldn’t attend, you can take a look at a few snippets here and here.
The European Association for Israel Studies (EAIS) and the Association for Israel Studies (AIS) condemn the unwarranted and unjust attacks launched against Professor Derek Penslar, the William Lee Frost Professor of Jewish History at Harvard University, and the co-recipient of the 2022 AIS Lifetime Achievement Award.
In its reasoning to confer on Prof. Penslar the Lifetime Achievement Award, the AIS Award Committee noted: “Derek Penslar is a very distinguished scholar who has achieved an international reputation. He has pioneered integrating Israel Studies with global history and social history. His scholarship on Israel and Zionism, Israeli historical revisionism, and its comparative history with other states, has been influential in the field of Israel Studies and beyond. Through his extensive research, Derek Penslar exposes the relevance of Israel Studies to Jewish Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, and to European Studies. Derek Penslar’s most recent book, Theodor Herzl: The Charismatic Leader (Yale University Press, 2020), won the 2020 Canadian Jewish Literary Award”.
We are deeply dismayed by the recent baseless allegations targeting Professor Penslar, following his appointment as the co-chair of Harvard’s Presidential Task Force on Antisemitism. Derek Penslar, an esteemed scholar with an outstanding track record in Israel Studies and Jewish Studies, has made significant contributions to enhancing the comprehension of antisemitism, Zionism, and the history of Israel, epitomizing academic excellence.
The topic of antisemitism, especially in the context of Israel Studies, is the subject of intense scholarly debate, with a range of diverse perspectives and approaches. While Professor Penslar’s viewpoints on these matters may not align with everyone’s viewpoint, they should not be misconstrued as endorsing antisemitism or anti-Israel sentiment in any way. Professor Penslar’s research is guided by rigorous critical analysis and scholarly integrity, and his contributions have been invaluable in fostering a deeper historical comprehension of antisemitism and modern Israel.
Both the EAIS and the AIS stand by Professor Penslar in these challenging times and unequivocally attest to his unwavering commitment to scholarly excellence, rigorous inquiry, and the pursuit of knowledge in the field of Israel Studies that we hold dear. We trust that Professor Penslar will do his best to fight and hopefully uproot antisemitism at Harvard, and that the task force under his leadership will serve as an operational model for other campuses in the United States and elsewhere.
We are in shock and sorrow learning about the scope of the tragedy caused by Hamas’s terror attack on Israel and the harrowing atrocities the organization perpetrated against civilians, including children, women, and seniors. We express our sympathy and support to all who were directly and indirectly affected by the recent events. We express solidarity with the academic community and EAIS members who have suffered in recent days, many of them grieving their families and friends. The EAIS Board would like to extend its support and solidarity to all our members in Israel and outside. Some of you already contacted us and if any others require further assistance – please do not hesitate to reach out to us. You can mail us at: info@israelstudies.eu We also want to express our deep appreciation and gratitude to the authorities of the Ben Gurion University of the Negev, especially The Simone Veil Research Centre for Contemporary European Studies in Beer Sheva and The Ben-Gurion Institute for the Study of Israel and Zionism in Sde Boker. Part of the EAIS team organizing our annual conference and some of the speakers reached Israel before the attack took place. Our friends from BGU offered help and assistance that was invaluable during this difficult time.
EAIS is alarmed by the new challenges that many contemporary democracies face, also in Europe. The new populism, radicalism, incitement test the boundaries of open, liberal polities and the rule of law. We are additionally concerned that these tendencies may impact academic freedom and independent scholarship. Troubled by the fact that the Israeli political and legal system is facing similar threats today, we fully endorse the AIS statement on the planned reforms in Israel:
„The Association for Israel Studies views with grave concern the recent developments in Israel, including the looming changes in the state’s political and legal system, and the growing support for racism and incitement. As an academic association, we are committed to intellectual integrity and academic freedom—necessary foundations for any healthy and free society, and to the values of freedom, equality and pluralism, which must exclude any discrimination on the basis of religion, ethnicity, or gender. We believe that all efforts should be made to ensure that the rights and responsibilities upon which freedom of expression and the free exchange of ideas are based, and the checks and balances that are the underpinning of democracy—the precondition for free academic discourse—will continue to flourish in the academic study of Israel, in Israeli society, and in the Israeli body politic.”
We strongly condemn Russia’s aggression which started in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea and escalated on February 24, 2022 with the massive invasion of Ukraine. This war is destroying peace in Europe and leading to the destruction of the existing political, economic, and socio-cultural relations globally.
EAIS is in continuous contact with our colleagues in Ukraine who now are defending their families and country from Russian aggression. We acclaim efforts of the Ukrainian Association for Jewish Studies. To show our solidarity and support for their struggles, following the decision of the European Association of Jewish Studies, we announce a temporary membership waiver for scholars based in Ukraine. Scholars representing Ukrainian universities and based in Ukraine who hold a PhD or are PhD students and are engaged in research of Israel will be entitled to a three-year membership waiver (2022, 2023, 2024) after successful application submitted until 31 August 2022. Ukrainian Israel Studies scholars who have left Ukraine since the war began may also be entitled to a membership fee waiver depending on their circumstances. For more information, please contact the EAIS before the deadline (info@israelstudies.eu).
We are committed to rigorous academic scholarship about Israel and high quality research and teaching in this area, as well as increasing the breadth of study of this important part of the Middle East. This commitment is reflected in our vision, mission, and values, and in the range of exciting Israel Studies events, resources, and opportunities. We provide for our members.
Interview with Ruth Halperin-Kaddari [17.01.2024]
Interview with Colin Shindler [20.12.2023]
Interview with Karolina Zielińska [14.06.2023]
Interview with Gal Ariely [15.02.2023]
ANNUAL CONFERENCES IN THE PAST.
ANNUAL CONFERENCES IN THE PAST.
