Stolen Judaica
Provenance Research in Israel and Germany
Specialist Symposium (video and audio recordings available, in German and English)
The Jewish Museum Berlin and the New Synagogue Berlin – Centrum Judaicum Foundation held a two-day international symposium on Stolen Judaica – Provenance Research in Israel and Germany. In specialist lectures, workshops, and an evening event, research exploring the origins of Jewish ceremonial objects (Judaica), exclusively in Israel and Germany, took center stage for the first time.
recordings available
Where
Jewish Museum Berlin, Lindenstraße 9-14, 10969 Berlin
and New Synagogue Berlin– Centrum Judaicum Foundation, Oranienburger Str. 28-30, 10117 Berlin
The symposium aimed to provide an overview of methodological approaches and experiences in provenance research in the area of Judaica, thereby creating a basis from which to further develop this branch of research. Speakers from Israel and Germany gave practical reports on their handling of Judaica finds.
Especially small regional museums and collections containing suspicious objects were encouraged to participate in the symposium in order to learn more about recognizing Judaica objects and how to approach their provenance.
Damaged Hanukkah lamp with missing parts, Germany, Late 19th – early 20th century; photo (c) The Israel Museum, Jerusalem by Yair Hovav
Damaged Hanukkah lamp with missing parts, Germany, Late 19th – early 20th century; photo (c) The Israel Museum, Jerusalem by Yair Hovav
Recordings of the Lectures
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Introduction by Léontine Meijer-van Mensch and Keynote Lecture:
Michal S. Friedlander: The Judaica Blind Spot – Nazi-Era Provenance Research in Germany and the “Problem” of Jewish Ceremonial Objects -
Dr. Anna-Carolin Augustin: Judaica Provenance Research Using the Example of the Zvi Sofer Collection – Opportunities and Challenges in Practice, in German
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Dr. Jutta Dick und Uri Faber: “But alas! Foxes entered G-d's temple on the 16th of (Mar)cheshvan 5699 [9 -10 November, 1938]”, in German
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Sharon Weiser-Ferguson: Taking Another Look: Rethinking Provenance Research at the Israel Museum
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Sara Shor: Ceremonial Objects from the Jewish Home: Case Studies from Yad Vashem’s Artifacts Collection
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Alexander Sachse: Jump-Starting Provenance Research: the “First Check” Project in Brandenburg, in German
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Christine Bach M.A.: “Origin Uncertain, Origin Known”: Judaica in Non-State Museums in Bavaria, in German
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Dr. Carolin Lange: Judaica as Accidental Spoils of the Confiscation of Jewish Archive Material, in German
Introduction by Léontine Meijer-van Mensch and Keynote Lecture:
Michal S. Friedlander: The Judaica Blind Spot – Nazi-Era Provenance Research in Germany and the “Problem” of Jewish Ceremonial Objects
Dr. Jutta Dick und Uri Faber: “But alas! Foxes entered G-d's temple on the 16th of (Mar)cheshvan 5699 [9 -10 November, 1938]”, in German
Alexander Sachse: Jump-Starting Provenance Research: the “First Check” Project in Brandenburg, in German
Christine Bach M.A.: “Origin Uncertain, Origin Known”: Judaica in Non-State Museums in Bavaria, in German
Conference Program
Monday 18 June 2018
Specialist Symposium at the Jewish Museum Berlin
| 10.30 am |
Registration and Coffee |
|---|---|
| 11.30 am |
Words of WelcomeLéontine Meijer-van Mensch (Program Director, Jewish Museum Berlin) |
| 11.40 am |
The Judaica Blind Spot – Nazi-Era Provenance Research in Germany and the “Problem” of Jewish Ceremonial ObjectsMichal S. Friedlander (Curator of Judaica and Applied Arts, Jewish Museum Berlin) |
| 12.15 am - 1.15 pm |
Judaica Provenance Research in Germany |
|---|---|
Judaica Provenance Research Using the Example of the Zvi Sofer Collection – Opportunities and Challenges in PracticeDr. Anna-Carolin Augustin (Provenance Researcher, Jewish Museum Berlin) |
|
“But alas! Foxes entered G-d's temple on the 16th of (Mar)cheshvan 5699 [9 -10 November, 1938]”Dr. Jutta Dick (Director, Foundation Moses Mendelssohn Academy) and Uri Faber (Provenance Researcher, Foundation Moses Mendelssohn Academy) |
| 1.15 - 2.45 pm |
Lunch Break |
|---|
| 2.45 - 3.45 pm |
Judaica Provenance Research in Israel |
|---|---|
Taking Another Look: Rethinking Provenance Research at the Israel MuseumSharon Weiser-Ferguson (Curator, The Israel Museum, Jerusalem) |
|
Ceremonial Objects from the Jewish Home: Case Studies from Yad Vashem's Artifacts CollectionSara Shor (Collection Manager, Artifacts Collection, Yad Vashem Museum) |
| 3.45 - 4 pm |
Coffee Break |
|---|
| 4 - 5.30 pm |
“First Check”: The Search for Judaica in German State and Regional Museums |
|---|---|
Jump-Starting Provenance Research: the “First Check” Project in BrandenburgAlexander Sachse (Academic Consultant, Association of Brandenburg Museums) |
|
“Origin Uncertain, Origin Known”: Judaica in Non-State Museums in BavariaChristine Bach M.A. (Provenance Researcher, Office for Non-State Museums in Bavaria) |
|
Judaica as Accidental Spoils of the Confiscation of Jewish Archive MaterialDr. Carolin Lange (Provenance Researcher, Office for Non-State Museums in Bavaria) |
Download the Conference Program
Download (PDF / 1.41 MB / not accessible)Public Evening Event at the New Synagogue Berlin – Centrum Judaicum Foundation
| 6.30 pm |
Admission |
|---|---|
| 7.30 pm |
Words of WelcomeModeration: Dr. Anja Siegemund (Director, New Synagogue Berlin – Centrum Judaicum Foundation) Staatsministerin Prof. Monika Grütters MdB (Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the German Lost Art Foundation) S.E. Jeremy Issacharoff (Ambassador of the State of Israel) |
| 7.45 pm |
The Current Debate on Provenance and Commemoration in Germany and IsraelProf. Dr. Yfaat Weiss (Director, Leibniz Institute for Jewish History and Culture – Simon Dubnow; Professor at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem) PD Dr. Christian Fuhrmeister (Research Fellow, Central Institute for Art History, Munich) |
| 8.10 pm |
Musical Interlude |
| 8.30 pm |
Round-Table: Judaica Provenance Research – Looking AheadDr. Günter Winands (Ministerial Director and Head of Office at the Federal Government Commission for Culture and the Media) Prof. Dr. Gilbert Lupfer (Honorary Board Member, German Lost Art Foundation) Dr. Chana Schütz (Deputy Director and Head of the Research Department, New Synagogue Berlin – Centrum Judaicum Foundation) Moderation: Léontine Meijer-van Mensch (Program Director, Jewish Museum Berlin) |
| 9.30 pm |
Reception with Buffet |
Tuesday 19 June 2018
Specialist Workshops at the Jewish Museum Berlin
| 10 am |
Welcome Coffee in the W. Michael Blumenthal Academy of the Jewish Museum Berlin |
|---|---|
| 10.30 am - 12 noon |
Object Workshop: Jewish Ceremonial Objects for Newcomers (Auditorium, Old Building)Michal S. Friedlander (Curator of Judaica and Applied Arts, Jewish Museum Berlin) Practical Workshop: An Introduction to Provenance Research Practices (Archive Seminar Room, Academy)Dr. Carolin Lange und Christine Bach M.A. (Provenance Researchers, Office for Non-State Museums in Bavaria) Alternatively: Guided Tour of the Exhibition Welcome to Jerusalem |
| 12 noon - 1 pm |
Lunch Break |
| 1.30 - 3 pm |
Object Workshop: Jewish Ceremonial Objects for Newcomers (Repetition) (Auditorium, Old Building)Michal S. Friedlander (Curator of Judaica and Applied Arts, Jewish Museum Berlin) Archive Workshop: Judaica Provenance Research at the Jewish Museum Berlin Archive (Archive Seminar Room, Academy)Aubrey Pomerance (Head of Archives, Jewish Museum Berlin) Alternatively: Guided Tour of the Jewish Museum Berlin Library |
Judaica recovered by the Jewish Cultural Reconstruction, Inc. (JCR) in storage at The Jewish Museum NY. The organization was established in 1947 to collect „heirless Jewish property“ in the American occupied zone of Germany. The JCR was based in Offenbach and later in Wiesbaden. These „orphaned objects“ were distributed to Jewish institutions worldwide; more than 3000 Judaica objects were sent to Israel. Photo: bpk/The Jewish Museum of New York/Art Resource N.Y.
Judaica recovered by the Jewish Cultural Reconstruction, Inc. (JCR) in storage at The Jewish Museum NY. The organization was established in 1947 to collect „heirless Jewish property“ in the American occupied zone of Germany. The JCR was based in Offenbach and later in Wiesbaden. These „orphaned objects“ were distributed to Jewish institutions worldwide; more than 3000 Judaica objects were sent to Israel. Photo: bpk/The Jewish Museum of New York/Art Resource N.Y.
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Audio Recordings: Listen to Past Museum Events (64)
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Listen to Past Museum Events
Lectures, book presentations, theatrical readings, panel discussions, and award ceremonies
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World History in Berlin
The Humboldt Brothers and the Jewish Enlightenment, with Uta Lohmann, Sebastian Panwitz, and Conrad Wiedemann, Humboldt researchers, in German
Lecture/Discussion
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Antisemitism Today – A Challenge for School and Society
Talk by Juliane Wetzel as part of the symposium Actively Countering Antisemitism and Exclusion, in German
Lecture/Discussion
21 Feb 2019 -
Katharina Galor: The Temple Mount
Archaeologist Katharina Galor talks about the historical and archaeological heritage of Jerusalem’s most controversial site – the Temple Mount (Har haBait)
Lecture/Discussion
9 Jan 2019 -
Stolen Judaica
Provenance Research in Israel and GermanyIn this symposium, research that explores the origins of Jewish ceremonial objects exclusively in Israel and Germany, took center stage for the first time, in German and English
Conference
18/19 Jun 2018 -
Rechavia – Grunewald in the Orient
Reading with Thomas Sparr on German-Jewish Jerusalem, in German
Reading/Discussion
28 Feb 2018 -
A Canon of Jewish Renaissance
Bernhard Jensen, author of the first monograph about the Soncino Society in conversation with publisher Thedel von Wallmoden, in German
Discussion
22 Feb 2018 -
Jerusalem for Cowards
Discussion with filmmakers Dalia Castel and Orit Nahmias following the screening of Jerusalem for Cowards
Discussion
19 Feb 2018 -
Who is carrying the Menorah?
Talk by Steven Fine on Jewish Counter-Histories of the Arch of Titus Spoils Panel
Lecture/Discussion
8 Feb 2018 -
The Many Deaths of Jew Süss
Reading with Yair Mintzker on Joseph Süß Oppenheimer – Jew Süss
Reading/Discussion
22 Jan 2018 -
Germanija. How I Became an Adult and a Jew in Germany
Reading and discussion on Dmitrij Belkin’s narrative that also throws light on immigration today, in German
Reading/Discussion
19 Oct 2017 -
IN-/EXCLUSIONS and Self-Empowerment in the Cultural Business
With Max Czollek, Dan Thy Nguyen, Sandrine Micossé-Aikins, and Mutlu Ergün-Hamaz, in German
Panel Discussion
12 Oct 2017 -
Volk, Volksgemeinschaft, AfD (People, National Community, AfD)
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Reading/Discussion
10 Oct 2017 -
Incredibly Clever
Iris Berben reads Paula Buber, in German and English
Reading/Discussion
5 Aug 2017 -
Before the After Party
Reading and talk with the author Molly Antopol, translator Patricia Klobusiczky and actor Katharina Marie Schubert, in German and English
Reading/Discussion
15 Jul 2017 -
Life Pictures. Classical Archaeologists and National Socialism
Gunnar Brands and Martin Maischberger discuss the spectrum of possible behaviors of scientists under the auspices of totalitarian regimes, in German
Discussion
10 Jul 2017 -
Yousef Abad
Eliz Sanasarian and Elham Rokni on video art by Elham Rokni and the situation of Jews in Iran from the 1979 revolution to today
Discussion
6 Jul 2017 -
The New Völkerwanderung. Book Presentation by Asfa Wossen Asserate
Asfa-Wossen Asserate presents his latest book Die neue Völkerwanderung (The New Völkerwanderung) on the grievances of the EU’s Africa policy, in German
Reading/Discussion
3 Jul 2017 -
Peter Schäfer – “Two Gods in Heaven. Concepts of God in the Ancient Jewish World”
Peter Schäfer and Michael Wolffsohn on monotheism in Judaism and Christianity and concepts of a second god, in German
Discussion
12 Jun 2017 -
With Karamba to the Bundestag – My Journey from Senegal to the German Parliament
Karamba Diaby tells of his birth country Senegal, of life in the GDR, his work in the Bundestag, and of his vision of an open and future-oriented society, in German
Reading/Discussion
1 Jun 2017 -
Ariel Sabar: My Father’s Paradise: A Son’s Search for His Jewish Past in Kurdish Iraq
Reading and talk with the writer Ariel Sabar on the story of his father Yona Sabar, professor of the Neo-Aramaic language, and the Kurdish-Jewish history
Lecture/Discussion
11 May 2017 -
The Dress of the Unfaithful Wife
Artist Talk and Discussion on Women and Sexuality in JudaismTalk with Andi LaVine Arnovitz, Amy K. Milligan, Professor for Jewish Studies and Women's Studies, and Emily D. Bilski, art historian, on the role of women in religious Judaism
Discussion
9 May 2017 -
Israelis in Germany
Ideological Debates and Changing IdentitiesTalk and Slideshow with Dr. Dani Kranz and Katja Harbi from the University of Wuppertal on Israeli Jews in today’s Germany, in German
Lecture/Discussion
4 May 2017 -
Im/Possibilities – Perspectives on Refugee Participation
Conference on the situation for refugees in Europe and Germany. Recording of the opening event with a talk by Gurminder K Bhambra, Professor of Sociology at the University of Warwick, UK, followed by a panel discussion, in German and English
Symposium
29 Mar 2017 -
Our Father: A Sinti Family Recounts
Conversation and reading with the German-Sinti civil rights activist and author Anita Awosusi and her daughter Tayo Onutor about their family’s history, in German
Reading/Concert
23 Mar 2017 -
Europe Against the Jews. 1880-1945
Historian Götz Aly and Daniel Cohn-Bendit discuss antisemitism in Eastern and Western Europe from 1880 to the present, in German
Discussion
22 Feb 2017 -
The Acid Test. How Fear of Foreigners is Threatening our Democracy
The Islamic studies and education scholar Lamya Kaddor reads from her book and discusses integration with Minister of State Aydan Özoğuz and Andreas Zick, in German
Reading/Discussion
16 Feb 2017 -
Gottes Körper (God's Body)
Christoph Markschies in conversation with Peter Schäfer about Christian conceptions of God and their roots in other ancient religions, in German
Discussion
13 Feb 2017 -
All Sorts of Stories
The actor Johanna Wokalek reads from Bertha Pappenheim’s German translation of the Maase book, a collection of Yiddish stories, fairy tales, and legends, in German
Reading/Discussion
21 Nov 2016 -
Joshua Cohen: You want a golem?
Reading and conversation with Joshua Cohen and Caspar Battegay about the golem myth in the age of automation
Reading/Discussion
17 Nov 2016 -
A Jew in Neukölln – My Path to Coexistence of Religions
The theology student and writer Ármin Langer reads from his book and talks about Jewish life in Neukölln, in German
Reading/Discussion
19 Oct 2016 -
The Clay Giant's Alive!
Held on 8 and 9 October. A musical reading with the author Anke Kuhl, plus a visit to the golem workshop, for children aged 5 and older, in German
Reading/Concert
8 Oct 2016 -
Reading with Christian Berkel: Tevye the Dairyman
To mark the 100th anniversary of Sholem Alejchem’s death, the actor Christian Berkel will read from the new translation of the book Tevye the Dairyman
Reading/Discussion
9 Jul 2016 -
Herzl reloaded – It’s No Fairytale
Staged reading. Doron Rabinovici, writer and historian, and Natan Sznaider, sociologist, have a fictional email correspondence with Theodor Herzl, the founder of Zionism, in German
Reading/Discussion
7 Jul 2016 -
Ludwig Haas – A Left-liberal Campaigner for Peace and Democracy
Symposium with Evening Lecture by Gerhart Baum on the liberal Campaigner Ludwig Haas (1875–1930) and Perspectives of Left-wing Liberalism Today
Symposium
9 Jun 2016 -
The Holocaust and the Problem of Visual Representation
Talk with artist and exhibition curator Peter Weibel about Boris Lurie and visual representation of the Holocaust, in German
Lecture/Discussion
30 May 2016 -
Helga Krohn: Bruno Asch
Reading and talk with Helga Krohn on the local politician and socialist Bruno Asch
Reading/Discussion
19 May 2016 -
Angst ums Abendland (Fears For the West)
Book Presentation with Daniel BaxTalk with Daniel Bax and Gideon Botsch on Right-wing populist parties, anti-Muslim sentiments, flight and asylum, in German
Discussion
6 Apr 2016 -
Béla Guttmann - The World History of Football in one Person
The writer Detlev Claussen presents his book about the Hungarian-Jewish soccer coach Béla Guttmann, in German
Reading/Discussion
4 Aug 2015 -
Attempts to Describe Anti-Semitism
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Reading/Discussion
22 Apr 2015 -
From a Berlin Farce to a Story of Success
The writer Daniel Bussenius talks with Inka Bertz and Heinrich Wefing, reporter from Die Zeit, about the museum’s development from 1971 to 2001, in German
Reading/Discussion
2 Mar 2015 -
The Realignment of “Education after Auschwitz” in Immigration Society
Book presentation and panel discussion with the author Rosa Fava, Angela Kühner (University of Frankfurt), Selman Erkovan, history teacher in training, and Marco Kühnert, a guide at the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial, Hamburg, in German
Reading/Discussion
27 Jan 2015 -
The Book of Job. Aesthetics, Ethics, Hermeneutics
The editors of a volume of essays about the Book of Job, Leora Batnitzky (Princeton) and Ilana Pardes (Jerusalem), in conversation with Vivian Liska, in German and English
Reading/Discussion
21 Jan 2015 -
What’s your "Heimat"?
W. Michael Blumenthal, Founding Director of the Jewish Museum Berlin, and Monika Grütters, Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, talk about culture, religion, and being at home in a foreign place, in German
Discussion
14 Nov 2014 -
Zimzum. God and the creation of the world
Author Christoph Schulte talks with Micha Brumlik and Vivian Liska about his book on the notion of zimzum (tzimtzum) in Jewish mysticism, in German
Reading/Discussion
30 Oct 2014 -
Hebrew Worlds – On the Presence of Ancient Texts in Modern Ivrith
Anne Birkenhauer, a translator and the August Wilhelm Schlegel Guest Professor of the German Translation Fund and the FU Berlin, gives her inaugural lecture, in German
Lecture/Discussion
27 Oct 2014 -
Forgotten Soldiers?
Historian Tim Grady presents his research on the commemoration of German-Jewish soldiers from the First World War
Lecture/Discussion
3 Sep 2014 -
Modernized, then Tolerated?
Micha Brumlik, Petra Bahr, Kadir Sanci, and Thomas Bauer about religion and navigating between tradition and adaptation, in German
Discussion
10 Oct 2013 -
1933: Denial, Opposition, and Protest
Wolf Gruner about his research into German Jews’ responses to Nazi persecution, in German
Lecture/Discussion
8 Aug 2013 -
Peter Schäfer: The Origins of Jewish Mysticism
Panel discussion between the author Peter Schäfer, Christoph Markschies, and Micha Brumlik about Schäfer’s book on the history of early Jewish mysticism, in German
Reading/Discussion
25 Jun 2012 -
The History of Jews and Dönme in Turkey
The Turkish studies scholar Corry Guttstadt and the historian Marc Baer discuss the history of Jews and Dönme (converts) in Turkey, in German
Lecture/Discussion
31 Jan 2011 -
Perrine Simon-Nahum: Jews in France Today
Talk by Perrine Simon-Nahum about her book on the circumstances of Jews in France, both past and present
Lecture/Discussion
29 Nov 2010 -
W. Michael Blumenthal: Around the World in Eighty Years. My Life
W. Michael Blumenthal, Founding Director of the Jewish Museum Berlin, presents his memoir, in German
Reading/Discussion
30 Sept 2010 -
Jewish Youth Movement in Germany
Talk by Ulrike Pilarczyk and panel discussion with Micha Brumlik, Hans Jakob Ginsburg, Stefanie Schüler-Springorum, and Moshe Zuckermann about the history of the Zionist youth movement in Germany, in German
Lecture/Discussion
22 May 2010 -
Dialogues on Jewish Present: On the Question of Redemption – Messianism and the End of Days
with Moshe Idel, Elliot R. Wolfson, and Micha Brumlik about the Messianic promise of redemption and its relevance in the twenty-first century, in English
Reading/Discussion
10 Dec 2009 -
Walther Rathenau’s Life: Text and Context
Talk by Shulamit Volkov about the life of the writer, politician, and industrialist Walther Rathenau, in German
Lecture/Discussion
15 Oct 2009 -
Migrants Moving History
Saskia Sassen about immigration, diversity, and future prospects for dealing with history and citizenship in multiethnic societies
Lecture/Discussion
25 Oct 2008 -
Self Displaced Person. Peter Szondi’s Problematic Judaism
Talk by Andreas Isenschchmid about the life and work of the literary scholar Peter Szondi, in German
Lecture/Discussion
3 Dec 2007 -
Painted in words. The portrait of a lost time
Reading and conversation with the artist Samuel Bak about his family’s story and his survival as a child in German-occupied Vilnius, in German
Reading/Discussion
10 Oct 2007 -
A synagogue curtain at the Brandenburg Cathedral Chapter
Talk by Vera Bendt about a synagogue curtain that was discovered at the Brandenburg Cathedral Chapter, where it had been listed in records as an altar curtain, in German
Lecture/Discussion
23 Nov 2006 -
Exile in Shanghai
Conversation between W. Michael Blumenthal and Horst Eisfelder about the time they both spent in Shanghai, where 18,000 Jews from Germany had taken refuge, in German
Discussion
14 Nov 2006 -
The place of psychoanalysis in the history of the Jews
Talk by Eli Zaretsky about the influence of psychoanalysis on Judaism and the place of psychoanalysis in Jewish history
Lecture/Discussion
30 May 2005 -
Breaking Ground: Adventures in Life and Architecture
In conversation with Susanne Weingarten, Daniel Libeskind presents his autobiography
Reading/Discussion
25 Jan 2005 -
The Fragile Foundation: The Quest for German-Jewish “Normalcy”
Salomon Korn reads essays from his book about Jewish life in Germany, Jewish culture and remembrance, architecture, and politics, in German
Reading/Discussion
30 Sep 2003 -
Times of Commemoration: On Jewish Histories and Others
Book presentation by the historian Dan Diner about remembering the twentieth century as an era of violence, forced displacement, and genocide, in German
Reading/Discussion
24 Jun 2003
Video Recordings: Watch Past Museum Events (76)
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Watch Past Museum Events
We film select events, such as conferences, panel discussions, book presentations, and our lecture series.
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Hidden in Enschede
Conversation with Contemporary Witness Herbert Zwartz on 16 Apr 2024 at the Jewish Museum Berlin
Eyewitness Talk
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Tolerance of Ambiguity and Antisemitism
Lecture by Ilka Quindeau as part of the series Where Does the Truth Lie? On the Tolerance of Ambiguity by Natan Sznaider (in German)
Lecture/Discussion
13 May 2024 -
Tolerance of Ambiguity and the Jewish Perspective
Opening of the lecture series Where Does the Truth Lie? On the Tolerance of Ambiguity by Natan Sznaider (in German)
Lecture/Discussion
10 Apr 2024 -
The Dream of a Jewish-Arab Orient
Lecture by Sebastian Schirrmeister on the writer M. Y. Ben-Gavriêl, part 5 of the Lecture Series The Imagined Orient, in German
Lecture/Discussion
14 Feb 2024 -
A Time Machine Made of Glass – E.M. Lilien’s View of the Hebrew Orient in Moses (Design for a Glass Window)
Lecture by Shelley Harten, part 4 of the Lecture Series The Imagined Orient, in German
Lecture/Discussion
23 Jan 2024 -
From Yeshiva to Cairo: How Gustav Weil became a Pioneer in the Study of the Qur’an
Lecture by Susannah Heschel, part 3 of the Lecture Series The Imagined Orient
Lecture/Discussion
13 Dec 2023 -
Approaching the “Orient” through pictures – the Life and Work of Jewish photographer Hermann Burchardt.
Lecture by Stefan Litt, part 2 of the Lecture Series The Imagined Orient, in German
Lecture/Discussion
8 Nov 2023 -
“Orient” – A Magic Word? On the German-Jewish History of a Term
Lecture by Kathrin Wittler, Part 1 of the Lecture Series The Imagined Orient, in German
Lecture/Discussion
9 Oct 2023 -
Theodor Herzl. Statesman Without a State
Lecture and Discussion with Derek Penslar on the Occasion of the 75th Anniversary of the Establishment of Israel, in German
Lecture/Discussion
31 May 2023 -
I'm Writing You From Berlin. An Evening with the Lasker-Wallfisch Family
Anita Lasker Wallfisch and Raphael Wallfisch join Maya Lasker-Wallfisch in an evening of music and conversation
Reading/Discussion
7 Feb 2023 -
Vanishing Points of Memory. On the Holocaust and Colonialism in the Present Day
A conversation with Natan Sznaider and René Aguigah, in German
Discussion
31 Jan 2023 -
Reconciliation with Evil: Story of a Survival
Book Presentation with Leon Weintraub, in German
Reading/Discussion
27 Oct 2022 -
Albert Einstein, Hans Kaufmann and Zionism
An unknown letter
Symposium
12 Sep 2022 -
Read the Signs
An evening to mark the 70th anniversary of the Night of Murdered Poets, in Yiddish and German
Reading/Discussion
14 Aug 2022 -
Symposium on the 70th Anniversary of the Night of Murdered Poets
Part of the Summer Program for Yiddish Language and Literature, in Yiddish, English and German
Symposium
14 Aug 2022 -
Mendelssohn Discourses: Media Revolution – Publicity, Celebrity, A Flood of Images
Caspar Battegay and Shmuel Feiner talk with curator Inka Bertz and Frederek Musall.
Panel Discussion
5 Jul 2022 -
Mendelssohn Discourses: Enlightenment – Fake News, Sentimentality, Reason
Philosophers Carolin Emcke and Hannah Peaceman in conversation with Frederek Musall and the curators Inka Bertz and Thomas Lackmann, in German
Panel Discussion
4 May 2022 -
Emancipation and Law
On the history of jurisprudence and Jewish equal rights – book launch and panel discussion, in German
Reading/Discussion
26 Apr 2022 -
“Ich kämpfe gegen alles, was mich niederdrücken will“ (I Fight Against Everything that Tries to Oppress Me)
The diary of Jewish communist resistance fighter Karl Neuhof and correspondence with his family, in German
Reading/Discussion
11 Apr 2022 -
Rafi, Judenbub. Die Rückkehr der Seligmanns nach Deutschland
Book presentation and discussion with Rafael Seligmann, publicist, political scientist and historian, and Hetty Berg, director of the Jewish Museum Berlin, in German
Reading/Discussion
24 Mar 2022 -
Staging Jewishness
Artist talk with the photographer Frédéric Brenner
Artist Talk
2 Mar 2022 -
“The Lonely Living Stars”
Concert for the Memorial Day of the Victims of National Socialism, in German
Concert
27 Jan 2022 -
Shtetl Berlin All-Star Concert
Hanukkah 2021: Candle lighting with Yiddish songs, instrumental music and dance
Concert
2 Dec 2021 -
Iber der grenets / Crossing the Border: Yiddish Literature and Culture Today
Presentation of an extensive collection of Yiddish short stories, in German and Yiddish
Reading/Discussion
20 Nov 2021 -
Jews Don’t Count?
Book launch and talk with the author David Baddiel, Sascha Chaimowicz, Marina Chernivsky and Daniel Donskoy, moderated by Jo Frank
Reading/Discussion
26 Oct 2021 -
Is anyone still waiting for the Messiah? – Jewish and Christian Views
With Prof. Christoph Markschies (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin) and Prof. Daniel Krochmalnik (University of Potsdam), in German
Discussion
24 Aug 2021 -
Yael Bartana – Redemption Now
Digital opening event with Yael Bartana, Hetty Berg, Shelley Harten and Gregor Lersch
Language: mainly in English, with brief sections in GermanExhibition Opening
3 Jun 2021 -
The 2nd DAGESH Art Award goes to Talya Feldman
& Opening of the Installation The Violence We Have Witnessed Carries a Weight on Our Hearts Language: English and German
Exhibition Opening
20 May 2021 -
In Celebration of Daniel Libeskind’s 75th birthday
with Daniel Libeskind, JMB Director Hetty Berg, and film director Axel Fuhrmann, moderated by Sonja Marx of Saarland Broadcasting
Discussion
4 May 2021 -
Shtetl Berlin All-Star Concert
Hanukkah 2020: Candle lighting with Yiddish songs, instrumental music and dance
Concert
12 Dec 2020 -
Shared History
Virtual Conference on 1,700 years of Jewish life in German-speaking lands, in German
Conference
7–9 Dec 2020 -
Conversation with the Artist Wendy Ewald
With Wendy Ewald and Gregor H. Lersch as part of the exhibition This Place
Artist Talk
5 Mar 2020 -
The Last Veit Simons from Berlin
One of Berlin’s oldest Jewish families in a transnational story of class, gender, and sexuality
With: Anna Hájková and Maria von der Heydt
Language: German, no subtitlesReading/Discussion
11 Dec 2019 -
Conversation with the Artist Thomas Struth
With Thomas Struth (photographer) and Theresia Ziehe (curator of photography), related to the exhibition This Place, in German
Artist Talk
5 Dec 2019 -
About a Tea Bowl
Discussion with brief presentations about interwoven experiences of post-Soviet Jewish migration, in German
Lecture/Discussion
27 Nov 2019 -
Ruth Wodak: Swing to the right?!
Ruth Wodak traces how a new “normality to the right” is establishing itself in many European countries, in German
W. Michael Blumenthal Lecture
17 October 2019 -
Karl M. von der Heyden: From Berlin to New York
In his book Karl M. von der Heyden describes his experiences as a child and youth in war-torn Germany and his journey to the USA, where he rose to the boardrooms of Pepsi and Dreamworks, in German
Reading/Discussion
29 Aug 2019 -
“To Know One Religion Is to Know None”
W. Michael Blumenthal Fellow Walid Abdelgawad talks about reflections on Islam and Judaism in the writings of German-speaking Jewish orientalists between 1833 and 1955, in German
Lecture/Discussion
28 Aug 2019 -
Museums, Religion, and the Work of Reconciliation and Remembrance
with the curators Jisgang Nika Collision (Haida Gwaii Museum, Haida Nation & Canada) and Léontine Meijer-van Mensch (Saxonian State Ethnographic Collections)
Lecture/Discussion
9 May 2019 -
Access Barriers. Critical Perspectives on Racism in Schools and Curatorial Practices
Keynote by Bonita Bennett (District Six Museum, Cape Town) at the conference Access Barriers on museums as places of social change.
Lecture/Discussion
20 Mar 2019 -
The Laskers from Breslau (Wrocław) – A Family Reunion in Music and Words
Cellist and contemporary witness Anita Lasker Wallfisch shares the stage with three generations of her family for the first time
Reading/Concert
27 Jan 2019 -
Happy Birthday, Academy Programs!
Welcoming Remarks and Introducing the Academy Programs | Discussion with Performance: Archive of Life. Memory in a Society Shaped by Migration | Panel Discussion: Jewish Fathers – Jewish Children? | Panel Discussion: A Pre-fascist Era? | Reception: 5 Years – 5 Friends – 5 Gifts
Video Recording
2 Dec 2018 -
Polish Perspectives on '68: March Protests
In Poland, the student protests were co-opted by an antisemitic rampage that resulted in 13,000 Jews being forced to leave the country, in German and Polish
Event
22 Nov 2018 -
Living with Islamophobia
The international conference Living with Islamophobia considered how cultural and religious affiliations are constructed and invited experts to enter into discussion.
Conference
11 + 12 Oct 2018 -
Michael Sfard: The Jerusalem Dispute. The Fight for Human Rights in Israeli Courts
Lecture by Michael Sfard, one of Israel’s leading human rights lawyers
Lecture/Discussion
6 Sep 2018 -
Imported Antisemitism?
Is Antisemitism increasing with the number of refugees from Arab countries? We discuss with political, academic, and practical experts which manifestations of antisemitism among Arab migrants and Muslims in Germany exist, in German
Lecture/Discussion
30 Aug 2018 -
Seyla Benhabib: The Global Refugee Crisis and the Challenge to Liberal Democracies
Seyla Benhabib (Yale University) discusses the challenges migration poses to liberal democracies
Lecture/Discussion
26 Jun 2018 -
Stolen Judaica. Provenance Research in Israel and Germany
In this symposium, research that explores the origins of Jewish ceremonial objects exclusively in Israel and Germany, took center stage for the first time, in German and English
Conference
18/19 Jun 2018 -
Ongoing Struggles. Anti-Discrimination Work during the Rise of the Far Right
Opening Session of the academic conference, including Imani Perry's keynote “What Lies Underneath: Difficult Histories and the Resurgence of The Far Right”
Conference
7 Jun 2018 -
Lives in Common: Arabs and Jews in Jerusalem
Author Menachem Klein in Conversation with Cilly Kugelmann
Reading/Discussion
8 May 2018 -
What is the Relationship Between Antisemitism and Islamophobia?
Lectures by David Feldman and Stefanie Schüler-Springorum, in German and English
Lecture/Discussion
20 Mar 2018 -
The Book of Numbers
Reading and talk with the author Joshua Cohen and literary scholar Jan Wilm, in English and German
Reading/Discussion
12 Feb 2018 -
New Judaism – Alliances in Postmigrant Society
Discussion on concepts of being Jewish within the third generation of Jews in Germany, in German and English
Lecture/Discussion
16 Nov 2017 -
Jews in Muslim Majority Countries
International conference for scholars from different continents and academic disciplines, who discuss questions of culture, identity and memory of Jewish life in Arab and Muslim majority countries.
Conference
24 to 27 Oct 2017 -
Future Memories
Discussion on the Importance of Minority Perspectives for European Societies’ Commemorative Cultures, in German and English
Lecture/Discussion
26 Sep 2017 -
Luther, Rosenzweig, and the Script
Book presentation and discussion with Micha Brumlik, Walter Homolka, Christoph Kasten, Irmela von der Lühe, and Gesine Palmer , in German
Reading/Discussion
18 Sep 2017 -
Between the Lines
An evening with Israeli and German poets, in Hebrew and German
Reading/Discussion
9 Sep 2017 -
Religion. Fashion. Empowerment.
Discussion with Reina Lewis and Meriem Lebdiri, in English and German
Lecture/Discussion
29 Jun 2017 -
José Casanova: Secularisation or the Return of Religion?
Discussion on the Relationship Between Religion and Secularity in European Societies, in German
Lecture/Discussion
16 Mar 2017 -
Jews in North Africa During the Second World War
Theme day with lectures by Michel Abitbol, Eric Salerno, Patrick Bernhard, Haim Saadoun, and panel discussion
Language: German, English, and FrenchLecture/Discussion
26 Jan 2017 -
Sites of Memory: Lost and Entangled Narratives
With: Dr. Rosa Fava, Juliane Jurewicz, Prof. Dr. Iman Attia, Olga Gerstenberger, Ozan Keskinkiliç, Anita Awosusi, Ilona Lagrene, Prof. Dr. Michael Rothberg, and Serpil Polat
Language: German and English, no subtitlesConference
16 Sep 2016 -
Time of Crisis
With: Dan Diner, Adam Michnik, Dietmar Herz, Étienne François, and Hans Kundnani
Language: German, no subtitlesDiscussion
7 Sep 2016 -
Antisemitism in the Arabic World – Facts and Myths
With: Michael Kiefer and Omar Kamil
Language: German, no subtitlesLecture/Discussion
26 Apr 2016 -
Post-migrant Society?!
International conference from 12 to 14 November 2015
Recording of the opening event
Language: German and English, no subtitlesConference
12–14 Nov 2015 -
On Life – Working with People Traumatized by the Shoah
With: Giselle Cycowicz, Martin Auerbach and David Becker and Volker Beck
Language: German, no subtitlesLecture/Discussion
1 Oct 2015 -
Kill Me a Son!
Recording of the opening event
With: Prof. Dr. Peter Schäfer and Prof. Dr. Angelika Neuwirth
Language: German, no subtitlesSymposium
3–4 Sep 2015 -
A Shared View of Europe – Jewish and Muslim Experiences as Reflected in Public Controversies
Panel discussion
With: Prof. Nilüfer Göle, Shai Lavi and Gökçe Yurdakul
Language: English, no subtitlesPanel Discussion
19 Jan 2015 -
Contemporary Jewish life in a global modernity
International conference
Recording of the presentation “Future of European Jewry”
With: Dr. Karen Körber and Dr. Diana Pinto
Language: English, no subtitlesConference
11–12 Dec 2014 -
Snip it?!
Presentation of a study followed by a discussion, in German
With: Professor Kerem Öktem, Mounir Azzaoui, Dr. des. Alexander Hasgall, and Dr. des. Hannah C. Tzuberi.Lecture/Discussion
4 Dec 2014 -
A Rebbe for the World
On the 20th Yahrzeit of Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Introductions by Cilly Kugelmann and Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal and lecture by Joseph Telushkin, in German and English
Lecture/Discussion
1 Jul 2014 -
Concepts of Citizenship and Participation in European Comparison
Recording of the keynote by Prof. Dr. Rainer Bauböck and the followed panel discussion
With: Prof. Dr. Rainer Bauböck, Dr. Manuela Bojadžijev, Josip Juratovic and Dr. Monika Lüke
Language: German, no subtitlesConference
7–8 Apr 2014 -
Art and Culture in the Terezín Ghetto
In four lectures, the symposium explores the history of Theresienstadt, the “ghetto of exceptions,” from four different angles.
With: Wolfgang Benz, Anna Hájková and Hanno Loewy
Language: German, no subtitles
Conference
2 Mar 2014 -
The Connected Audience
Conference from 27 February 2014 to 28 February 2014
With: John H. Falk
Language: English, no subtitlesConference
27 Feb 2014 -
Is Higher Education a Safeguard Against Racism and Antisemitism?
Presentation of a study followed by panel discussion
With: Wassilis Kassis, Charlotte Schallié, Iman Attia, Stefanie Schüler-Springorum and Andreas Zick
Language: German, no subtitlesLecture/Discussion
20 Feb 2014 -
“What do we mean when we say ‘antisemitism’?”
Keynote lecture, opening the conference Antisemitism in Europe Today: the Phenomena, the Conflicts With: Brian Klug, in English
Lecture/Discussion
8 Nov 2013 -
Circumcision: Identity Politics and / or Health Issue?
With: Sander L. Gilman, in Englisch
Lecture/Discussion
8 May 2013
