Keynotes - the online conference "What’s New, What’s Next?"

We have invited prominent scholars in the field of Jewish Studies to deliver keynotes. Keynotes are part of the online conference "What’s New, What’s Next? Innovative Methods, New Sources, and Paradigm Shifts in Jewish Studies."

• 3-6 October 2021
• Keynotes in English with simultaneous translation into Polish

Key presentations:

• François Guesnet, "The Narcissism of Small Differences? Reflections on Jewish Studies and Jewish Area Studies"
  • 3 October (Sunday), 4.00 – 6.00 pm CET
  • Respondents:
    • Enrico Lucca
    • Dan Michman
    • Harriet Murrav
    • Andrzej Żbikowski
  • Chair: Artur Markowski
  • See the full text of the lecture >>
     
• Havi Dreifuss, "Beyond traditional methods: Five Thoughts of what is New and What is Next in Jewish Studies"
  • 5 October (Tuesday), 4.00 – 6.00 pm CET
  • Respondents:
    • Monika Adamczyk-Garbowska 
    • Valery Dymshits
    • Jeffrey Kopstein
    • Jeffrey Veidlinger
  • Chair: Michał Trębacz
  • See the full text of the lecture >>
     
• Marcin Wodziński, "What's Next in Jewish Studies: Prospects and Challenges"
  • 6 October (Wednesday), 4.00 – 6.00 pm CET
  • Respondents:
    • Natalia Aleksiun
    • Shaul Stampfer
    • Adam Teller
    • Marzena Zawanowska
  • Chair: Michał Galas
  • See the full text of the lecture >>

Keynote lecture

• Gerben Zaagsma, "Exploring Jewish History in the Digital Age"
  • 4 October (Monday), 4.00 – 6.00 pm CET
  • Chair: Michelle Chesner
  • See the full text of the lecture >>
     

    Lecture description (click to see) >>

    
    
    This lecture will explore the intersection of Jewish Studies and Digital Humanities in general, and the myriad ways in which new technologies affect the field of Jewish History in particular. Importantly, the digital turn in Jewish Studies needs to be historicised; as is the case for the humanities in general, applications of computing in Jewish Studies go back at least 60 years.
    
    And as is true for the humanities in general, we should be careful to differentiate engagements with technology in the various (sub-)disciplines that Jewish Studies incorporates, while remaining attentive to common methodological and epistemological questions. In my lecture I will address these broader issues and ask what specific characteristics, if any, Jewish Studies scholars face, before delving into the specific challenges for Jewish historical research. I will then discuss how digital approaches have been, are, and could be harnassed to address these.
    
    As digitisation opens up new avenues for research, and can help overcome the classic problem of dispersal of sources, a crucial question to ask is what (Jewish) heritage is being digitised and which stories about the (Jewish) past can (and cannot) be told using them.
    
    What are the politics of digitisation in the context of Jewish history and how can we ensure that the offline Jewish historical record remains as relevant as its online counterpart in an age where more and more scholars move to using online resources? In short, how does the digital turn affect Jewish historical research and how can we bring about the full potential of the digital turn for research into Jewish history?