16th Contact Day Jewish Studies on the Low Countries

• 08:30 - 09:00: Registration and coffee
• 09:00 - 09:15: Welcome (Theodor Dunkelgrün, Karin Hofmeester & Veerle Vanden Daelen)
• 09:15 - 10:45: Social Help, Social Mobility and Diamonds from Early Modern History to Contemporary History (Chair: Jessica Roitman)
  • Ronny Reshef, Lucas Meijs, Bart Wallet: Checks and Balances within Jewish Self-help Organisations in the Early Modern Times
  • José Alberto Rodrigues da Silva Tavim: The Virtue of Precious Stones, and the Virtue of their Dealer.  Ishack de Matatia Aboab and his Book of All Precious Stones (1690)
  • Joris Kok: Forming Futures in Facets: Social Mobility of Jewish Diamond Workers’ Children, 1870-1940
• 10:45 - 11:00: Coffee Break
• 11:00 - 12:30: Jewish Interpretations and Representations in the 20th Century (Chair: David Wertheim)
  • Eyal Boers: Weergevonden: The Image of the Jew in a Dutch Silent Film
  • Gaëtan Regniers: Translation as Insulation. The Life and Work of A.E. Boutelje During World War II
  • Louise Counet: Shoah and Autofiction
• 12:30 - 14:00: Lunch with session on the Association of Jewish Studies (Chair: Theodor Dunkelgrün, t.b.c.)
  • Discussion on how to set up a Belgian Association of Jewish Studies, how does it work in the Netherlands? Participants: Karin Hofmeester, Ronny Reshef, Janiv Stamberger, Veerle Vanden Daelen.
• 14:00 - 16:00: The Shoah in the Low Countries: New Perspectives (Chair: Veerle Vanden Daelen)
  • Lola van der Made: The Microcosms of the Holocaust in The Netherlands: the value of comparative microhistory in Holocaust research
  • Ludo Verbist: The Faith of the Jews at the Green Border
  • Janiv Stamberger & Dorien Styven: Jewish Resistance in Antwerp (1940-1944)
  • Richard Menkis: “In that place of evil memory”: A Canadian Reporter Reacts to Breendonk
• 16:00 - 16:15: Coffee Break
• 16:15 - 17:45: Post-Holocaust Jewish life (Chair: Daniël Metz)
  • Sietske van der Veen: Mapping Contested Spaces in Post-War Jewish Amsterdam
  • Geraldien von Frijtag: Ties, knots, community: Jews in the Dutch East Indies and the Holocaust (1933-1945)
  • Rosa de Jong: Arriving in a colony in flux: Jewish WWII Refugees in Suriname
• 17:45 - 18:00: Concluding remarks (Karin Hofmeester & Veerle Vanden Daelen)
• 20:00: Evening lecture: double presentation by 
  • Laurien Vastenhout: 'Joodse Raden' in West-Europa: een vergelijkend perspectief
  • Bart van der Boom: De politiek van het kleinste kwaad. De Joodse Raad voor Amsterdam 

16th Contact Day
Jewish Studies on the Low Countries
Institute of Jewish Studies
University of Antwerp
Thursday 23 May 2024

On Thursday 23 May 2024 the Institute of Jewish Studies organizes for the sixteenth time an interdisciplinary conference at the University of Antwerp concerning Jewish Studies on the Low Countries. The purpose of the conference is to facilitate contacts between researchers working within this area of study.

We especially encourage young researchers to participate in the workshop. We also hope for contributions from more established researchers, in order to create a positive exchange between different research generations. We particularly invite papers and/or sessions that are explicitly comparative in character, and welcome themes and disciplines within Jewish Studies concerning the Low Countries. Proposals need not be limited to a specific historical period and presentations may include work in progress. Both individual and panel proposals are possible. The conference language is English.

Please note that the conference organizers cannot provide financial support to cover travel and accommodation of presenters or participants. 

Please submit an abstract of maximally 400 words and a short CV by 15 January 2024.

For further information please contact:
Karin Hofmeester: kho@iisg.nl
Veerle Vanden Daelen: veerle.vandendaelen@kazernedossin.eu