XIIIth Congress of the European Association for Jewish Studies
12-15 julio 2026
Alcalá de Henares (Madrid)
Call for Papers
In the tradition of the European Association for Jewish Studies’ quadrennial meetings, the Thirteenth Congress of the European Association for Jewish Studies will convene in Alcalá de Henares (Madrid) from 12 to 15 July 2027. At a moment of profound uncertainty and change in Europe and beyond, the EAJS Congress continues to serve as a central forum for scholarly exchange and a vital point of reference for the advancement of Jewish Studies. The events of 7 October 2023 and the ensuing war have deeply affected our field, disrupting academic collaboration and reshaping intellectual and institutional landscapes. Against this backdrop, the 2027 Congress has adopted as its motto the prophetic words of Isaiah (יַחֲלִיפוּ כֹחַ; Isa. 40:31), rendered here as “Renewing Strength in Jewish Studies.” The theme affirms both the intellectual vitality and the enduring resilience of the discipline.
Committed to reflecting the diversity of disciplines, methodologies, and perspectives that constitute Jewish Studies, the Congress seeks to strengthen the field through rigorous research, intellectual openness, and international collaboration. It will provide a forum for critical engagement with the histories, cultures, languages, literatures, religions, and societies of the Jewish world, while fostering the scholarly networks that sustain and enrich the discipline. In this context, resilience is understood not merely as endurance, but as a capacity for adaptation, innovation, and intellectual renewal.
While remaining fully committed to the broad chronological, geographical, and disciplinary range that characterises Jewish Studies, the Congress takes place in a setting of particular relevance for the study of Sephardic Jewry and the history of Hebrew printing and book culture. The intellectual and historical associations of Alcalá de Henares and its surrounding region provide a distinctive framework for exploring these fields, alongside the many other areas of inquiry represented within the discipline. Scholars from Europe and around the world are warmly invited to submit proposals for individual papers and organised sessions.
The Congress language is English, and all presentations must be delivered in English.
Individual papers are allocated 20 minutes for presentation, followed by 10 minutes for discussion.
Each participant may submit one individual paper proposal. There is no limit on the number of sessions a person may organize or chair.
To submit an individual paper or session proposal, please access the Congress website at http://eajs-2027.es and go to Registration → Proposal Submission. Applicants are required to complete all mandatory fields and select, from the list below, the section most closely aligned with the subject matter of their proposal.
If you wish to submit an individual paper proposal to the Emerge forum (see Emerge Call for Papers), please tick the corresponding box. This option is available only to postgraduate students and emerging scholars.
Key Dates
- Submission deadline: 15 December 2026
- Notification of acceptance: February 2027
- Registration deadline for accepted participants: 31 March 2027
PhD Students
Doctoral candidates submitting individual paper proposals are required to provide a brief letter of support from their supervisor. The letter should be uploaded together with the proposal.
Organized Sessions
Organized sessions should normally consist of either:
- four speakers; or
- three speakers and one respondent.
Proposals for alternative formats, such as round tables, workshops, or panel discussions, are welcome. Please use the session proposal form and include both a rationale for the session and a description of the proposed format.
In keeping with the commitment of the EAJS to fostering a diverse and inclusive scholarly community, organizers are encouraged to consider:
- gender diversity;
- representation from different institutions and countries; and
- the inclusion of at least one early-career researcher.
These considerations will be considered during the evaluation process.
Submission and Review Process
The submission deadline is 15 December 2026 at 23:59 (CET).
All proposals received by the deadline will undergo peer review by specialists in the relevant field of Jewish Studies. Applicants will be notified of the outcome of the review process in February 2027.
Accepted papers and sessions will be included in the final programme only if all participants have completed their Congress registration and paid the applicable fees by 31 March 2027.
Congress fees
- Paid up EAJS Members: €125
- EAJS Student Members: €75
- Non-Members: €225
- Non-Members (PhD Students): €100
Congress Sections
- The Bible and Its Reception
This section welcomes papers on all aspects of the Hebrew Bible and its reception within Judaism, including biblical interpretation, textual transmission, exegesis, and the influence of biblical traditions across time and place.
- Rabbinic Literature and Its Reception
This section adopts a broad understanding of rabbinic literature and welcomes contributions on Mishnah, Tosefta, Talmud, midrashic literature, Geonic writings, and the reception of these traditions throughout history.
- Medieval and Early Modern Hebrew Literature
Papers may examine both religious and secular Hebrew literature, including prose and poetry from the medieval and early modern periods.
- Modern Jewish Literature
This section explores modern Jewish literature in all languages, with particular attention to questions of identity, memory, modernity, migration, religion, politics, and cultural exchange.
- Hebrew and Jewish Languages
Topics may include Hebrew linguistics, the history of study of Hebrew, language pedagogy, and the teaching of Hebrew abroad. The section also welcomes research on Jewish languages and dialects, including Judeo-Spanish, Judeo-Arabic, Yiddish, Jewish Aramaic, Judeo-Italian, and related linguistic traditions.
- History of the Jewish Book
This section encompasses the study of Jewish books and manuscripts in all their dimensions, including codicology, palaeography, manuscript production and circulation, book history, and the material culture of Jewish texts. Particular attention will be given to the early history of Hebrew typography, a theme of special relevance to the host region: The nearby city of Guadalajara was home to the first known Hebrew printing press established on the Iberian Peninsula, whose earliest known imprint recently marked its 550th anniversary. Contributions addressing the transition from manuscript to print and the circulation of printed Hebrew books are especially welcome.
- Jews, Science, and Technical Knowledge
Papers may include studies of scientific, medical, and technical knowledge in Jewish contexts, including its production, circulation, reception, institutional settings, and intellectual frameworks across time and space.
- Ancient Judaism and Archaeology
This section welcomes contributions on ancient Jewish history, archaeology, and material culture from the biblical period through late antiquity, including the Second Temple and Rabbinic eras.
- Medieval Jewish History
This section encompasses all aspects of medieval Jewish history, including Sephardi, Ashkenazi, Byzantine, Mizraḥi, and other regional contexts, as well as rabbinic and non-rabbinic Jewish traditions, movements, and communities.
- Early Modern Jewish History
This section welcomes contributions on all aspects of early modern Jewish history, from the Iberian Expulsions to the Haskalah. Papers may explore cultural encounters, religious transformations, economic activity, intellectual exchange, and relations between Jewish and non-Jewish communities, with particular attention to comparative, transregional, and cross-cultural approaches.
- Modern Jewish History
This section covers Jewish history from the Haskalah to the present, including nationalism, Zionism, the Shoah, migration, globalization, and contemporary Jewish life.
- Jewish Law
This section explores halakhah in all its forms, from classical rabbinic literature to contemporary legal questions and practices. It welcomes contributions on the development, interpretation, and application of Jewish law across different historical periods and cultural settings, as well as on its interaction with non-Jewish legal systems, institutions, and traditions. Particular attention may be given to processes of legal adaptation, exchange, and negotiation in diverse social and political contexts.
- Jewish Liturgy and Ritual
This section welcomes contributions on Jewish prayer, liturgy, ritual practice, and religious life across different periods, regions, and communities. Topics may include liturgical traditions, communal and domestic rituals, lived religion, religious institutions, and the historical development of Jewish devotional and ritual practices.
- Jewish Thought
Papers on all aspects of Jewish thought from antiquity to the present are welcome, including philosophy, theology, ethics, and Musar.
- Jewish Mysticism and Magic
Topics may include Hekhalot literature, Ashkenazi Pietism, Kabbalah, Hasidism, Jewish magical traditions, and other forms of Jewish mysticism, esotericism, and devotional practice across periods and regions.
- Jewish Folklore
Papers may address folklore, ethnography, anthropology, popular culture, and everyday practices in Jewish societies across different historical and contemporary contexts.
- Jewish Art, Museums and Heritage
This section welcomes research on Jewish visual culture, architecture, material culture, artistic production, collecting and patronage, museums, exhibitions, heritage, curatorial practices, and public engagement with Jewish history and culture across all periods.
- Jewish Performing Arts: Music, Theatre, and Film
Topics may include music, theatre, cinema, dance, performance, and other forms of Jewish artistic expression across historical and contemporary contexts.
- Jewish Archives, Libraries and Information Management
This section explores collections, archival practice, digital preservation, cataloguing, and information management relevant to Jewish Studies.
- Gender and Diversity Studies
This section invites papers on gender, sexuality, identity, diversity, and inclusion in Jewish texts, histories, cultures, and communities.
- Digital Jewish Studies
Contributions may present digital projects, methodologies, datasets, tools, and reflections on the digital transformation of Jewish Studies.
- Antisemitism and Resilience
This section invites contributions on historical and contemporary manifestations of antisemitism and their impact on Jewish life. Papers may examine antisemitic ideologies, policies, and practices in their social, cultural, political, and religious contexts, as well as the strategies of adaptation, resistance, and renewal developed by Jewish individuals and communities across time and place.
- Other
Authors are encouraged to select one of the sections above whenever possible. If a proposal does not fit any existing category but represents a significant contribution to Jewish Studies, please select «Other» and suggest an appropriate section designation in your abstract.
For questions regarding submissions, please contact congress@eajs-2027.es
In case of technical problems, please contact technicalsupport@eajs-2027.es
