Rethinking Jewish Cultural Heritage Today (R-JCH)

Overview

Recent global events have profoundly unsettled Jewish cultural heritage, creating ethical, political, and conceptual challenges. Escalating antisemitism, the instrumentalisation of Holocaust memory, and polarisation around Jewish history and identity have made heritage work both more fraught and more essential. Foundational narratives are under pressure, and Jewish institutions are implicated in contested debates, demanding renewed reflection and critical engagement.

This initiative convenes researchers and heritage professionals to address these challenges collaboratively with care and rigour. Drawing on memory studies, history, theology, anthropology, the arts, and social sciences, it adopts an interdisciplinary approach to navigate shifting meanings and responsibilities.

Focusing on areas where heritage is most contested, the project supports researchers, educators, and institutions in grappling with ethical and political dimensions amid heightened scrutiny. Its aim is to respond to the present moment and shape inclusive, rigorous, and forward-looking approaches to Jewish cultural heritage for the future.

Network details

Network leads

• Jay Prosser, Professor of Humanities, School of English (Project Lead)
• Helen Finch, Professor of German Literature, School of Languages, Cultures and Societies
• Eva Frojmovic, Associate Professor, School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies.

Other University of Leeds team members

• Rabbi Robyn Ashworth-Steen, School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science
• Anne Caldwell, Centre for Jewish Studies
• Stuart Taberner, School of Languages, Cultures and Societies.

External partners

We prioritise organisations and individuals that amplify underrepresented voices and foster innovative, dialogic approaches to Jewish cultural heritage. Our partners include smaller or emerging museums and academic collaborators across the global heritage sector.

Contact

• [email protected].

Workshops

The network will comprise three co-designed workshops addressing areas where heritage is most contested and undergoing transformation. Each workshop requires pre-registration, preparation, and active participation.

• ‘Critical’ Jewish Heritage Studies: Contested Pasts, Living Futures
• The Future of Holocaust Memory: Museums and Education
• Crossing Boundaries: Decolonization, Diversity, Dissent.