Annual WJSA Conference 

The WJSA is a nonprofit organization founded in 1995 to organize a Jewish Studies conference every Spring at alternating sites in the western United States and Canada. The conference serves as a forum for Jewish Studies scholars in this region to present their research, discuss pedagogical issues, network with colleagues in their disciplines, and share information about the funding and organization of Jewish Studies programs.

 
Title: Western Jewish Studies Association 24th Annual Conference
Location: California State University, San Bernardino Palm Desert Campus
Date(s) of Event: May 5-6, 2019
Deadline for Submission: November 30, 2018


Description:

Scholars of Jewish Studies, including graduate students, are invited to submit proposals for papers and panels on all areas of Jewish Studies regardless of discipline, geographical focus, or time period. The WJSA encourages papers and panels on Jews in the American West and the Coachella Valley in particular, paradigm shifts in Jewish Studies, pedagogy, Israel, and Jewish historical anniversaries commemorated in 2019:

  • 40th anniversary of the Israeli-Egyptian Peace Treaty 
  • 50th anniversary of Golda Meir becoming first woman Prime Minister of Israel 
  • 70th anniversary of the Knesset 
  • 80th anniversaries of World War 2, the White Paper, and ghettoization of Jews in Poland
  • Centennials of Primo Levi, Mordecai Anielewicz, Treaty of Versailles, Weimar Republic 
  • Bicentennials of Wissenschaft des Judentums, Isaac Mayer Wise, and Rebecca Gratz founding the Female Hebrew Benevolent Society
  • 800th anniversary of establishment of Aljama in Toledo
  • 950th anniversary of Vespasian permitting Yochanan ben Zakkai to establish Yavneh

Paper proposals should be no longer than one double-spaced typed page and should be submitted with a short CV. Organizers of panels should submit a cover sheet with the title of the panel and titles of each of the papers and names and CVs of each presenter. Individuals wishing to chair a session should submit their CV. 

A limited number of modest travel stipends are available for graduate students and overseas scholars who will be presenting papers at the conference. 

Although there is no WSJA membership requirement for participation in the conference, there is, a higher registration fee for non-members. Deadline for submission of proposals: November 30, 2018. E-mail proposals should be sent to Lawrence Baron, lbaron@mail.sdsu.edu. For membership information for the WJSA, see www.wjsa.net or contact Lawrence Baron at lbaron@mail.sdsu.edu