British and Irish Association of Jewish Studies Annual Conference 2026: Space and Place in Jewish Studies

British and Irish Association of Jewish Studies Annual Conference 2026

Space and Place in Jewish Studies

Birkbeck, University of London | July 2026

“For 2026, the theme of the BIAJS annual conference is space and place. Since ancient times, these concepts have been central to Jewish life and thought. Spaces and places can be real or imaginary, micro or macro, shared or separated, boundaried or porous, safe or hostile: the ark, the sukkah, the mikveh, the genizah, the kibbutz, the eruv, the Temple, the concentration camp, the Uganda plan, Babylonian exile, the occupied territories, Eretz Yisrael, di goldene medine, Sepharad, Yiddishland, the heavens and the underworld… From biblical narratives rooted in specific geographies, to sacred architecture and urban neighbourhoods, to diasporic movements and reimagined homelands, Jews have continually negotiated their relationship to space – physical, textual, social, political, and symbolic. Spaces and places are not neutral containers for Jewish life; they shape, reshape and are shaped by Jewish life and practices. How can attention to place and the spatial animate Jewish studies?”

The event will be fully in-person in Bloomsbury, central London, and will include paper panels, round tables, film screenings and walks. Registration options are available for BIAJS members and non-members, and for one day or full attendance. Refreshments and lunches will be strictly vegetarian, with the possibility of certified kosher lunches for those who require it. Contact [email protected] with any queries.