CFP: “Mixed” Marriages? Debates and Discourses around Endogamy and Exogamy in Jewish History
S.R. Goldstein-Sabbah
Dear Colleagues,
I am writing to draw your attention to a Call for Papers for the conference “Mixed” Marriages? Debates and Discourses around Endogamy and Exogamy in Jewish History (c. 1850–1950), which will take place from 28–30 June 2027 at the University of Groningen and Kasteel de Haar in The Netherlands.
The conference examines marriage, kinship, intimacy, endogamy, and exogamy as key sites through which Jewish communities negotiated questions of identity, belonging, class, mobility, empire, religious affiliation, and communal boundaries. I am especially keen to include scholarship that foregrounds Sephardi, Mizrahi, Middle Eastern, North African, Indian Ocean, Ottoman, colonial, imperial, and transnational Jewish contexts, and that moves beyond nationally bounded or Ashkenazi-centred narratives of modern Jewish history.
Relevant topics might include, but are certainly not limited to, marriages across Jewish subgroups; Jewish/non-Jewish unions; conversion and religious identity; kinship and commercial networks; marriage as a strategy of mobility, survival, diplomacy, or integration; gendered expectations around marriage; interfaith families; inheritance and lineage; and the methodological or ethical challenges of researching intimate family histories.
Accommodation for two nights in Groningen, meals, and transportation from Groningen to Kasteel de Haar will be provided by the organisers. A limited number of travel grants may also be available for participants whose institutions cannot cover travel expenses.
Proposals should include a title, an abstract of no more than 300 words, and a short bio/CV, submitted as one PDF/document to jewishcou...@history.ox.ac.uk by 31 October 2026.
The full CFP is available here:
https://jch.history.ox.ac.uk/mixedmarriages
We would be very grateful if you would consider applying and also circulate this CFP to colleagues, students, and networks for whom it may be relevant. We are very much hoping for a rich and geographically expansive conversation, and contributions from members of the Sephardi/Mizrahi Caucus would be especially welcome. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions !
With best wishes,
Sasha
Dr. Sasha Goldstein-Sabbah | Assistant Professor Middle Eastern Studies, University of Groningen | +31 (0)650983499 | https://www.rug.nl/staff/s.r.goldstein/ | Twitter: @sashargs