Applications are open for conference Jewish Life in the Baltic Region Before, During, and After the Holocaust

The conference will focus on all aspects of Jewish life as it existed in the Baltic region before, during, and after the Holocaust on topics which include, but are not limited to, culture, art, politics, literature, religion, music, photography, history, law, philosophy, restitution, memory, family studies, and material culture. All aspects of Jewish life that existed in the region from the beginning of the 20^th century up until the present will be considered, though emphasis will be given to those topics that address how the Holocaust impacted Jewish life.

Applications will be accepted from scholars ranging from advanced doctoral candidates (aspirants) to full professors. Applications are welcome from those who work in all relevant academic disciplines, including anthropology, archaeology, art history, geography, film studies, history, Jewish studies, law, literature, material culture, philosophy, political science, religion, sociology, and other fields.

Participants will be chosen by a Steering Committee consisting of representatives from the Mandel Center at the USHMM, the Moshe Mirilashvili Center for Research on the Holocaust in the Soviet Union at Yad Vashem, the University of Latvia, the Museum “Jews in Latvia,” and the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania. Participants will have the opportunity to network and interact with representatives from the Steering Committee.

Participants will be expected to submit a finalized paper (no more than 6500 words, not including footnotes) a month prior to the beginning of the conference for circulation among all participants. Daily sessions will include five 45-minute presentations followed by a discussion (up to 45 min), as well as excursions around the Riga area, which explore themes discussed at the conference.

Please submit your applications as follows:

1. Complete the application
2. The application form includes a current Curriculum Vitae outlining the applicant’s qualifications (including research projects, presentations, and publications).
3. The application form also includes an entry for your abstract of no more than 700 words for your proposed paper (including title and discussion of methodological and theoretical issues, and brief bibliography/sources).

All application materials must be received by 15 May 2024. Incomplete applications will not be considered after this date. Late applications will not be accepted. The selected participants will be notified by 15 June 2024.

Please note that applicants will be selected in accordance with the applicable law and policies of the hosting institutions.

The conference organizers are the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM), the Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Latvia, and the Museum “Jews in Latvia.”

The organizers will cover the cost of economy class flights or trains to and from the conference, lodging for the conference’s duration and either a stipend for meals or actual meals. Participants must obtain their own health insurance and visas, if relevant.

The conference will be conducted in English.

Questions should be directed to USHMM Program Officer Dan Newman: danewman@ushmm.org.

This conference has been made possible through the generosity of Sheila Johnson Robbins*, George D. Schwab, Selwyn Haas, and Arkady Suharenko.

* Deceased