Konferenz

Jewish-Muslim Studies: Approaches, Challenges, Perspectives

Internationale Konferenz

Mittelalterliche Handschrift, zu sehen sind arabische und hebräische Schriftzeichen in einem Dokument.
Abū Yūsuf Ya‘qūb b. Isḥāq. al-Qirqisānī (Baghdad, 10th c.), [from the thirty-seven exegetical principles in the introduction to] Tafsīr Berešit (Commentary on the first weekly section of the Book of Genesis), London, British Library, Or. 2557, fol. 5r. © From the collections of The British Library. The National Library of Israel, ‚Ktiv‘-Project.

Registration

External participation is possible. 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. bis 7. Mai 2025
Dubnow Institute, Leipzig

Die Konferenz ist Teil des »Ignaz-Goldziher-Programms für jüdisch-muslimische Studien«, das gefördert wird durch die Hans-Böckler-Stiftung.