Jewish-Muslim Studies: Approaches, Challenges, Perspectives
Internationale Conference
Registration
External participation is possible to a limited extent. If you are interested in joining, please send an email to Dr. Hakki Arslan: arslan(at)dubnow.de
The relationship between Judaism and Islam is marked by significant structural similarities and a long shared historical experience. Since the second half of the nineteenth century, the obvious parallels between the Islamic and Jewish legal and religious traditions have led Jewish scholars in particular to undertake comparative analyses of the two systems from various angles, exploring mutual influences and common sources. These scholarly inquiries have since expanded beyond legal studies to include fields such as philology, poetry, dogmatics, mysticism, and ethics.
In recent years, the study of Jewish-Muslim relations has increasingly become the focus of academic research. Numerous research centers, programs, and projects have been established to explore different periods and facets of these interactions. The planned conference aims to bring together interdisciplinary approaches to Jewish-Muslim relations, incorporating insights from Jewish and Islamic studies as well as other social sciences. The aim is to develop and discuss both common and novel questions that transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries.
Program
Tuesday, May 6, 2025
16.00
Opening Session
Yfaat Weiss/Jan Gerber
Opening Words
Hakki Arslan
Introduction
16.30
Digital Keynote Lecture
Miriam Frenkel
The Jewish Gaze upon Islam: From Haskalah to recent scholarship
Discussant: Lukas Mühletaler
18.00
Coffee Break
18.30
Sociological Perspectives on Muslim-Jewish Encounters
Arndt Emmerich
An Ethnographic Study of Yiddish-Speaking Muslims and Turkish-Speaking Jews in Urban Germany
Johannes Becke
Learning from the Enemy? Ambivalences of Jewish-Arab Relations in Israel/Palestine
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
10.00
Legal Studies and Jewish Orientalism
Hakki Arslan
Comparing Jewish and Islamic Law: Approaches and Challenges
Gregor Schwarb
Jewish Law in Arabic: A Transdenominational Approach
Amit Levy
Jewish Orientalism and Zionist Realities: Studying Arabic and Islam in Jerusalem
11.30
Coffee Break
12.00
Comparative Approach in Intellectual History
Ronny Vollandt
Jewish Literature in Arabic: A Comparative Approach
Ufuk Topkara
Interwoven Journeys: The Quest for Meaning and Responsibility in Victor Frankl‘s Thought and Islamic Ethical Thought
13.30
Lunch Break
15.00
Keynote Lecute
Philip Lieberman
Exotic, Exceptional or Ordinary: Studying the Jews in the Middle East
Discussant: Birgit Schäbler
16.30 Final Discussion
The Future of Jewish-Muslim Studies
Speaker
Dr. Hakki Arslan, Dubnow Institute, Leipzig | Prof. Dr. Johannes Becke, Hochschule für Jüdische Studien, Heidelberg | Dr. Arndt Emmerich, University of Herdfortshire, UK | Prof. Dr. Miriam Frenkel, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem | Prof. Dr. Jan Gerber, Dubnow Institute, Leipzig | Dr. Amit Levy, University of Haifa | Prof. Dr. Phillip Lieberman, Vanderbild University, TN | Prof. Dr. Lukas Mühlethaler, Free University Berlin | Prof. Dr. Birgit Schäbler, University of Erfurt | Dr. Gregor Schwarb, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich | | Prof. Dr. Ufuk Topkara, Humboldt Universität Berlin | Prof. Dr. Ronny Vollandt, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich | Prof. Dr. Yfaat Weiss, Hebrew University of Jerusalem/Dubnow Institute, Leipzig |
6 to 7 May 2025
Dubnow Institute, Leipzig
The conference is part of the »Ignaz-Goldziher-Programms für jüdisch-muslimische Studien«, which is funded by the Hans Böckler Foundation.