Being "on edge" or "on the edge" signifies a state of heightened uncertainty and anxiety, but also has connotations of new and exciting possibilities. Scholars beginning their careers in Jewish Studies today are entering the field at a time when academia is in a highly precarious position. Core values like academic freedom are under threat; scholars are divided over how to respond to the current political situation in Israel and the Jewish diaspora, and AI is destabilizing research and teaching. At the same time, the field continues to produce exciting cutting-edge research, coming up with new questions and embracing methodological and technological innovation.
Organised as a week of intensive learning and conversation with leading scholars, this year’s summer school for graduate students in Jewish Studies will explore Jewish Studies “at the edge” in this double-edged sense, struggling under new stresses even as it ventures into new territory. Some presentations will explore Jews or Jewish culture, present or past, in moments of extreme challenge or imminent peril. Other presentations will take students to the cutting edge of the field, introducing them to new or experimental modes of research in the field.
The Faculty includes Prof. Omer Michaelis (Tel Aviv University), Prof. Andrea Schatz (King's College London), Prof. Michael L. Miller (Central European University), Asst. Prof. Itamar Ben Ami (Utrecht University), Prof. Haviva Pedaya (Ben-Gurion University), Prof. Vivian Liska (University of Antwerp), Prof. Steven Weitzman (University of Pennsylvania), Prof. Aaron Segal (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem), and Asst. Prof. Theodor Dunkelgrün (University of Antwerp).
The summer school this year will be hosted by the Institute for Jewish Studies at the University of Antwerp, working in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania and the Hebrew University. As in years past, the week will give participants a chance to meet peers in the field from other parts of the world, to explore various subfields within Jewish Studies beyond their own, and to reflect together on the nature of academia as a career and vocation.
Target group
Graduate students at any institution worldwide, in any subfield of Jewish Studies, past or present, are eligible to apply.
Candidates should have a good command of English and general notions of the basic concepts of (sub)fields within Jewish Studies.
Campus
This summer school takes place at Stadscampus (Prinsstraat 13, 2000 Antwerp) of the University of Antwerp. This campus is located in the city centre.
Micro-credential and study credits (ECTS)
Successful completion of the summer school can be awarded with 3 credits according to the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). Credits will be awarded by the University of Antwerp, based on completing assigned readings, full active participation in all sessions, and delivering a presentation.
To include the credits in the curriculum at the home institution, participants need an agreement with the responsible person at their university. University of Antwerp students eligible to include the ECTS credits as part of their study programme must register via Mobility Online and SisA.
All certificates of completion are issued as a micro-credential. Participants who attend the scheduled course contact hours, but don't complete the tasks will receive a certificate of attendance.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this summer school, participants will:
- be able to critically examine moments in Jewish history, culture, and scholarship characterised by crisis, transformation, or innovation, and explain how these moments shape the field today;
- have gained familiarity with new or experimental methodologies - including digital tools, AI-related approaches, and interdisciplinary frameworks—and assess their potential benefits and challenges for the field;
- be able to articulate how issues such as academic precarity, debates over academic freedom, and contemporary political tensions influence scholarly work, teaching, and career development;
- have strengthened the ability to engage in productive academic dialogue, collaborate across institutions and subfields, and situate one’s own research within global conversations in Jewish Studies.