Migration and displacement have long been central concerns for scholars of Jewish history. In this series, we aim to highlight new studies that explore movements in unexpected directions and understudied migration paths and experiences.
One program will focus on Jews escaping persecution during World War II. It will explore the stories of European Jews who found refuge in Portugal, and those who reached mandatory Palestine through the Soviet interior and Iran. The second program will look at the complexities of immigration into and out of Israel, discussing the struggles of Jews who tried to rebuild their lives in the Jewish state after experiencing displacement in Europe and the Middle East, and those who left Israel to resettle in new destinations.
March 2, 11:10 AM-12:40 PM: New Perspectives on Refuge from the Holocaust
Moderator: Professor Robin Judd (The Ohio State University)
Professor Marion Kaplan (New York University): Hitler’s Jewish Refugees: Hope and Anxiety in Portugal
Professor Mikhal Dekel (City College/CUNY Graduate Center): Tehran Children: A Holocaust Refugee Odyssey
March 24, 1:00 PM-2:30 PM: New Perspectives on Israeli Migration
Moderator: Professor Naomi Brenner (The Ohio State University)
Professor Rhona Seidelman (Oklahoma University): Under Quarantine: Immigrants and Disease at Israel's Gate
Professor Ori Yehudai (The Ohio State University): Leaving Zion: Jewish Emigration from Palestine and Israel after World War II
Supported by the Thomas and Diann Mann Symposia Fund.