AVIVA-BERLIN.de 9/19/5784 - Beitrag vom 13.01.2006


Diversities - Call for Papers
Sarah Ross

From August 23-27, the organisation Bet Debora in Budapest will host the 4th Conference of the European Jewish Women, Activists, Academics, and Rabbis at Central European University in Budapest.

The Bet Debora group of Budapest is organizing the 4th Conference of the European Jewish Women, Activists, Academics, and Rabbis. The main theme of the conference will be "diversities" - a delicate subject for Jews in the Diaspora, and especially for women. The call for papers has just started, and abstracts can be hand in until 1st March 2006. The conference itself will take place at the Central European University in Budapest (www.ceu.hu), from August 23rd until 27th 2006.

In a positive sense "diversity" is defined first and foremost as the readiness to take on responsibility. Jews who have chosen to live in Europe today are faced with the challenge of bringing the Judaism they inherited forward into the future. The task can be fulfilled only through co-operative work toward remodelling Judaism, both in relation to communal issues and to overarching societal issues. In order to achieve this goal, women must prepare themselves to understand the positive aspects of diversities.

This conference will illuminate the superior theme of "diversities" by asking what it takes to empower more women within the existing structures of the European Jewish life. Some of the questions to be dealt with are: How does Jewish tradition relate to the themes of "women and power"? Which important Jewish women have contributed significantly to the remodelling of Judaism? To what extent did these women also influence non-Jewish society? What is the perspective for active women today in Jewish communities of Europe in general?

Following the tradition set by the Bet Debora Conferences, the submission of papers on political diversity, politics of Jewish women in religious communities, women and the politics of Jewish education are encouraged. The papers should also deal with the aims, achievements, failures, contribution of Jewish women´s Associations (social, political, and cultural), the re-creation of a European Jewish identity, Jewish Politics in the EU, diverse literature, and educational diversities. Bet Debora also encourages the formation of panels, workshops if yes, list the other members of your panel or your workshop.

During the conference, the Jewish Festival will also taking place in Budapest (27. August-3. September 2006). For more information about the festival, see: www.jewishfestival.hu.

Formal instructions:

Abstracts:
Deadline for the receipt of abstracts by the Program Committee is the 1st March 2006.

Abstracts should meet the following criteria:
1. Name(s) and affiliation(s) of the author(s),
2. Contact details of presenting author (postal address, telephone, fax and email address),
3. Title of proposed presentation, workshop, cultural event, and panel,
Paper sessions will be 25 minutes long.
4. Required technical assistance
5. Keywords
6. Abstract of a maximum of 200 words, in .txt, .rtf, .doc format.

Abstracts should be sent by mail to Judit Gazsi: diversities2006@gmail.com

Abstracts are accepted only if accompanied with the booking form faxed or emailed to Katalin Sellyei or with a declaration that no arranged accommodation is needed.

Limited funding is available to support participation of Jewish Women from East Central Europe. Applicants will be notified of the acceptance of their abstract and about financial packages (travel cost, accommodation, meals, and cultural events) offered by the Program Committee by the 1st of April at the latest.

Important dates:

1 March: deadline for sending in abstracts and booking form
19 March: Program Committee Decision Making Meeting
1 April: Notification about Financial Packages
1 May: deadline for paying for accommodation at the CEU Dormitory